Multistreaming Bandwidth Calculator: Upload Speed Needed

You need about 4.6 Mbps upload

Recommended connection: 6.0 Mbps or faster

With a cloud relay you upload one stream (4.6 Mbps). Without one, sending to 3 platforms yourself needs 13.9 Mbps (about 18.0 Mbps recommended).

One stream is 4.6 Mbps (video plus audio), about 2.1 GB uploaded per hour. Recommended includes 30 percent headroom.

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The result above is the default: 3 platforms at 1080p30 with 30 percent headroom. To change it, JavaScript is needed. Without it: add video and audio bitrate, divide by 1,000 for Mbps, and multiply by the number of platforms to get the upload needed when sending to each one directly.

How the calculator works

The calculator takes the video bitrate from your quality preset (or your own value under Advanced settings), adds the audio bitrate to get the bandwidth of one encoded stream, then compares two ways of reaching several destinations.

Sending to each destination yourself. Your encoder, or several copies of it, uploads a separate stream to every platform. Upload needed = (video + audio bitrate) × number of destinations.
Sending once to a relay. Your encoder uploads one stream over RTMP or SRT to Multistream Platform. The relay then delivers it to each destination from the cloud, so your own connection carries one stream.

Bitrates are entered in kilobits per second (kbps). 1,000 kbps equals 1 megabit per second (Mbps). Data use is estimated as Mbps × 0.45 gigabytes (decimal GB) per hour, because 1 Mbps for 3,600 seconds is 3,600 megabits, or 450 megabytes.

Worked examples

These are arithmetic examples using the same formulas. They are not measurements of any connection or service.

Video + audio	One stream	Directly to 3 destinations	Once to a relay	Data per hour (one stream)
3,000 + 128 kbps	3.1 Mbps	9.4 Mbps	3.1 Mbps	about 1.4 GB
4,500 + 128 kbps	4.6 Mbps	13.9 Mbps	4.6 Mbps	about 2.1 GB
6,000 + 128 kbps	6.1 Mbps	18.4 Mbps	6.1 Mbps	about 2.8 GB

What the calculator does not include

Protocol overhead. RTMP, SRT and network headers add some data on top of the media bitrate. SRT can also resend lost packets, which uses extra bandwidth when the network is poor. The headroom setting is there to cover this.
Your actual upload speed. Run a speed test at the time of day you usually stream, ideally on a wired connection, and use the sustained figure rather than a one-off peak.
Other traffic. Video calls, cloud backups and other devices on your network share the same upload capacity.
Platform limits. Each platform documents its own recommended bitrates. See the bandwidth and bitrate guide for the current figures from YouTube, Twitch and Facebook.

Privacy

The calculation runs in your browser. The numbers you enter are not sent to us or stored.

Calculator FAQ

How much upload speed do I need to multistream?

With a relay you upload a single stream, so you need your video plus audio bitrate with headroom on top. For example, 4,500 kbps video and 128 kbps audio is about 4.6 Mbps, and a margin such as 30 percent suggests aiming for roughly 6 Mbps of sustained upload. Treat the margin as an example and test your own connection.

Why does sending to several platforms directly need more upload?

Each destination receives its own copy of the stream, so the upload multiplies by the number of destinations. Three destinations at 4.6 Mbps each need about 13.9 Mbps from your connection before any headroom.

Does a relay change my upload requirement?

Yes. When you send once to a relay, your connection carries one stream regardless of how many destinations you add. The relay delivers the copies from its own infrastructure. The platform's own bitrate limits and your encoder settings still apply.

How much headroom should I leave?

There is no single correct number. Speed tests show peak speed, and other devices share your connection, so a sustained margin is sensible. The default of 30 percent is an example. If you see dropped frames or buffering, lower your bitrate or increase the margin.

What bitrate should I choose?

Choose one that your upload speed can sustain and that suits the platforms you send to. Each platform documents recommended ranges, which are summarised with sources in our bandwidth and bitrate guide.

How is the data usage estimate calculated?

One megabit per second for one hour is 3,600 megabits, which is 450 megabytes. The calculator multiplies your stream bitrate in Mbps by 0.45 to get decimal gigabytes per hour. Overhead is not included.

Is my input stored?

No. The calculator runs in your browser and does not send what you type to a server.

Have questions that aren't listed here? Talk to the team