Streaming Upload Speed Calculator

Roughly 1.5 times your total bitrate, reserved just for the stream. A 6000 kbps 1080p60 stream (about 6 Mbps) wants around 9 Mbps of upload headroom so bursts and hiccups don't drop frames. Sharing that connection with other devices while live eats into the margin, so budget generously.

Because live encoding is bursty and networks are variable. Running at your exact upload ceiling means any momentary dip causes dropped frames or buffering for viewers. The headroom multiplier keeps the stream stable when the connection wobbles, which it always does.

Often, yes. Many platforms cap non-partnered streamers around 6000 kbps regardless of your upload, and higher resolutions need higher bitrates to look good. So the real limit is the lower of your connection's capacity and the platform's cap — this tool sizes the connection side.