What is live streaming? Ultimate Guide in 2024

Your guide to live streaming

• What is live streaming?
• 15 best game streaming sites in 2024
• 8 Best Live Gaming Streaming Services in 2024
• 9 FAQs about live streaming games
• 10 FAQs about live streaming
• Broadband speeds you need for live streaming games

What is live streaming?

Live streaming is when you stream media in real-time over the internet, such as watching someone play a video game live. This is different to non-live streaming. For instance, YouTube videos and on-demand services such as Netflix, are not live-streamed.

Live streaming has a number of purposes, from watching your favourite YouTuber play the latest video game, to watching a conference or gig as it happens. However, gaming is by far the most popular type of live stream.

If you’re looking for an internet connection that can cope with all your live streaming needs, have a look at our ultrafast fibre broadband packages.

Video game streaming service

A video game streaming service is a service where you pay to have access to hardware remotely, which allows you to play and store games via an internet connection.

If you’re not sure what the best game to stream is, have a look at the best video game releases for 2024.

15 best game streaming sites in 2024

The best video game streaming sites are:

• Twitch
• Facebook
• YouTube
• DLive
• Bigo Live
• AfreecaTV
• GosuGamers
• Caffeine
• Owncast
• Mobcrush
• Usrceen
• Twitter live
• TikTok live
• Reddit live
• Wowza

8 Best Live Gaming Streaming Services in 2024

Some of the best live gaming streaming services in 2022 are:

• PlayStation Now
• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
• Amazon Luna
• Nvidia GeForce Now
• Sony PlayStation Now
• Shadow. Tech
• AntStream
• Google Stadia

9 FAQs about live streaming games

What internet speed do I need for streaming game services?

You need at least 20Mbps download speed to use these services. But, the faster the better. If you’re paying for a service to allow you to play your games as smoothly as possible, you don’t want a dodgy internet connection to get in the way.

What upload speed do I need for streaming games?

You need at least 13Mbps upload speed. However, we recommend you look for much higher than that as you need to take into account fluctuations in speed, other people using the internet at the same time as you, stability and more.

What internet speed do you need to live stream games?

You need at least 13Mbps upload and 3Mbps download speed. However, realistically you will need a lot more than that for everything to run smoothly. The better your speeds are, the better experience you and your audience will have.

Which platform is best for streaming games?

PlayStation Now is the best service if you want access to lots of games, but don’t care about actually owning them permanently. Google Stadia is the best if you simply want to buy individual games and fully own them.

Where can I stream games for free?

Steam is the best platform to use to stream games for free.

How do you live stream games on YouTube?

To live stream games on YouTube, you will need a YouTube account, a device, a decent broadband connection and an encoder program. Read more about how to set up a live stream on YouTube.

What is a stream gaming platform?

Game streaming services are where you pay to have access to servers that are much more powerful than your home PC. You’re connected to a powerful device, through the internet. Whereas a platform like Twitch enables users to live stream themselves playing a game in. real-time, for their viewers entertainment.

Which game is best for streaming on YouTube?

The 10 most popular games for streaming on YouTube are:

1. Minecraft
2. Fortnite
3. Grand Theft Auto V
4. Garena Free Fire
5. Roblox
6. PUBG Mobile
7. League of Legends
8. PlayerUnknown’s BattleGround
9. Brawl Stars
10. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang

How do I find streamers to play with?

You can find streamers to play with by:

1. Joining popular Discord channels.
2. Networking with other Facebook users in gaming groups.
3. Browsing channels within your category.
4. Finding other Streamers in your games.

10 FAQs about live streaming

Can you live stream on Netflix?

You can’t live stream on Netflix because shows are not broadcasted live. Netflix is a subscription-based streaming service that allows their members to watch TV shows and movies on an internet-connected device. 

What is the best device to use?

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is the best device for live streaming currently on the market.

What is the difference between streaming and live streaming?

There is a simple difference: live streaming is broadcast in real-time, but the other is not live and is pre-recorded.

What is the best live streaming software?

OBS Studio is the best live streaming software in 2022. Other good live streaming softwares are Streamlabs OBS, XSplit, vMix and Wirecast.

How do I watch live streaming on my smart TV?

1. Turn on your smart TV or internet enabled device.
2. Connect to the internet.
3. Download, sign up, and sign in to your app.

What’s the best internet speed to stream games?

You’ll need at least 13Mbps of upload speed and 1Mbps download speed to live stream and game at the same time. You need a download speed of at least 3Mbps and an upload speed of at least 0.5Mbps to play most online games. 

What is a good upload speed for live streaming?

The bare minimum upload speed you should have for live streaming is 10Mbps, but to have good upload speed for live streaming you should aim much higher than that. The higher the upload speed, the better quality and resolution you will be able to live stream with. 

Not sure what upload and download speed you’re currently getting? Take our broadband speed test.

Your upload speed will often be much lower than your download speed. This is because people tend to do a lot more downloading than uploading. 

For example, you’d need a good download speed to watch HD films, stream music and download large files.

So, having a good download speed is considered more of a priority. Want to know if you’ve got good speeds for more than just live streaming? You can find out what is a good download and upload speed.

If you want a decent upload speed, you should go for a full fibre internet connection.

Full fibre internet has higher upload speeds than any other type of internet connection currently available

Airband currently have full fibre packages with download speeds of up to 900Mbps and upload speeds of up to 200Mbps, which will enable you to live your live streaming fantasy and have the upload speeds of a king.

What Mbps is good for live streaming?

10Mbps is the bare minimum. This takes into account the upload requirements for a typical platform plus a little extra wiggle room.

You should really be aiming for higher than that though. That’s why our fibre packages start at 50Mbps upload speed and go all the way up to 200Mbps upload speed – so you can have the upload speed that is right for all your needs.

It goes without saying, the upload requirements needed for live streaming will differ by platform.

Some have a very basic requirement to allow you to broadcast from your phone while on-the-go. Others give you lots of different options so that you can find the best settings for you, whether you have a basic setup, or want to stream in 4K like a pro.

We’ve selected the main streaming platforms and given you a quick breakdown of how much upload speed you’ll need to live stream on them.

Twitch

Resolution Min. upload speed

• 720p (30 fps) 3 Mbps
• 720p (60 fps) 4.5 Mbps
• 1080p (30 fps) 4.5 Mbps
• 1080p (60 fps) 6 Mbps

Twitch is far and away the most popular streaming platform, especially with gamers. So, if it’s gaming that you’re interested in streaming, you should start here. There are a few different options based on what you’re working with.

Most video is shot at 30 frames per second (fps) and is pretty decent for basic streaming, while if your game has a higher frame rate, you’ll be better off going with the higher 60 fps.

It does have to be said that if you do go for the higher frame rates, it will start to eat away at your bandwidth more, which may result in you having to sacrifice some resolution if your internet connection struggles to keep up.

So, bear that in mind when selecting your settings.

Facebook Live

Resolution Min. upload speed

• 720p (30 fps) 4 Mbps

As you may have guessed, Facebook is more focused on the everyday user, rather than the high end streamers – it’s not really their forté.

However, live streaming on Facebook is certainly snowballing in popularity so we can only expect things to become more advanced.

YouTube

Resolution Min. upload speed

• 240p 0.3 Mbps
• 480p 0.4 Mbps
• 720p (60 fps) 2.2 Mbps
• 1080p (60 fps) 3 Mbps
• 1440p (60 fps) 9 Mbps
• 4K/2160p (30 fps) 13 Mbps
• 4K/2160p (60 fps) 20 Mbps

Clearly YouTube likes to give its creators the most freedom of choice as possible, with many, many live streaming options to choose from. It ranges from 240p (awful) all the way up to 4K!

We recommend starting off with 1080p and seeing how you get on.

You need extra internet speed for a stable video stream

Internet speeds can fluctuate at times, so it is important to give yourself an extra 15Mbps or so extra upload speed than you think you’ll actually need. There’s nothing worse than watching a stream that’s all choppy and unstable.

It’s better to prioritise resolution over fps as having 60fps can drastically affect your resolution and nobody wants to see you chopping and glitching all over the place (which is what will happen if your internet can’t cope with the frame rate).

If your connection can barely handle what you’re throwing at it, you will see interference and even crashes. This is because it is live, so buffering isn’t really an option. That’s why it is so important to have a good amount of extra bandwidth, to account for fluctuations.

Another thing to note is that every additional platform that you live stream on simultaneously will require its own bandwidth, and these will quickly stack up. So, try not to overload your connection.

What type of internet is best for live streaming?

The best internet connection for live streaming is full fibre, also known as fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP). This is because full-fibre broadband is the more reliable, faster, and has the lowest latency and biggest bandwidth of all types of internet connection.

While you can stream on a wireless connection, you are much more likely to be affected by things like latency and packet loss.

Want to know what terms like latency and packet loss mean? Check out our gaming glossary.

Fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC), is the type of internet that a lot of people have. You might be able to live stream without issues on FTTC, but this type of connection is much more prone to crowding during busy periods, fluctuation in speeds, downtime and latency. Find out the difference between FTTP and FTTC here.

So, FTTP (full fibre) is definitely the best option for live streamers.

How does latency affect live streaming?

Latency is the time it takes for a signal to travel from your computer to a server on the internet.

Essentially, that means that having low latency will make your internet’s reaction time faster and having high latency makes it slower. As you are broadcasting live, understandably your connection will need to be able to process information quickly and smoothly.

If you notice that you are repeatedly being frozen for a few seconds and then catching back up, you are probably being affected by latency.

Latency becomes more of an issue when you are interacting with your audience, as you will take much longer to respond while your computer takes longer to retrieve and send the information.

Broadband for live streaming

If you’re looking for an internet connection that can cope with all your live streaming needs, you should check out our full fibre packages. You’ll never experience a glitch or crash again. Get streaming!

Use our broadband coverage checker to see if you’re in range.

Watch our new FIFA live stream in real-time

Make way UEFA, we’re bringing you another live stream championship you won’t want to miss. 😉 It’s the Airband FIFA final to decide the ultimate Airband Champions League winner – will it be Real Madrid or Liverpool?

Featuring our very own sales team reps, George and Jacob, we’ll be live-streaming the FIFA game directly from Airband HQ using our ultrafast broadband connections for the best gaming experience.

There’s plenty of prizes up for grabs too as you stream along with us too! Have you got the skills off the pitch to predict the Airband Champions League winner?  Join us in real-time and watch as the action unfolds on Facebook Live at 7pm on Thursday 26th May 2022.

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