What Are the Bandwidth Requirements for Streaming Live Video?
By Jim Bask
As live streaming becomes increasingly popular, one of the most common questions that’s asked by new broadcasters regards bandwidth. Specifically, how fast does your Internet upload speed have to be in order to live stream? Truthfully, there’s no hard or fast rule to answer this question. The answer depends on a wide variety of variables. Don’t worry, that’s why we’re here! Let’s take a look at these variables at play so that you can make a final decision about the bandwidth you need for your live streaming purposes.
Understanding Internet Speed: Upload and Download
When it comes to measuring the speed of an Internet connection, two things matter: download speed and upload speed.
Download speed is a measure of how fast data from the Internet can enter your network. You can think of it like a tube – the bigger the tube, the faster information can flow through it into your network. Upload speed, on the other hand, is a measure of how quickly you can send data from inside your network out to other computers or servers. Both download and upload speed are usually measured using Kbps (kilobits per second) or Mbps (megabits per second)…[continue reading]