Test your internet speed for streaming

A stable upload speed is the most important part of a smooth live stream. This article shows you how to test it and what the results mean for ApexStream.

Run a speed test

1. Use a wired connection if possible.
2. Close any apps that use the internet, especially video calls, downloads, or cloud backups.
3. Visit a speed-test site such as fast.com or speedtest.net.
4. Run the test two or three times and note the upload speed.

What upload speed you need

| Stream quality | Recommended upload speed | |---|---| | 720p | At least 5 Mbps | | 1080p | At least 8–10 Mbps | | 4K | At least 25–35 Mbps |

Your upload speed should be higher than the bitrate you plan to stream at. As a rule, leave 30–50 percent of headroom above your stream bitrate.

What to do if your speed is too low

• Lower your stream resolution or bitrate in your encoder or Web Studio settings.
• Switch from Wi-Fi to Ethernet.
• Ask others on your network to pause high-bandwidth activities.
• Move closer to your router if Ethernet is not an option.

Good to know: ApexStream fans your stream out to all destinations on the server side, so your upload bandwidth is not multiplied by the number of platforms you stream to.