What internet speed do you need to live stream church?

Streaming · connectivity

The number that matters is upload speed — not the big download figure your provider advertises. Streaming sends video out, so upload is the whole game. Here's how much you need and how to make sure it holds up on Sunday.

Rule of thumb: your upload speed should be at least double your stream's bitrate, so there's headroom for congestion and other users on the network.

How much upload you need

720p 30fps — stream bitrate ~2,500–4,000 kbps → aim for at least 6–8 Mbps upload.
1080p 30fps — stream bitrate ~4,500–6,000 kbps → aim for at least 10–12 Mbps upload.
Multistreaming to several platforms from your building multiplies this — or use a restreaming service so you only upload once.

Test your upload, at the right time

Run a speed test (any free one) from the computer you'll stream from, on the connection you'll actually use, and note the upload figure. Test around service time if you can — shared connections slow down when the building is busy.

Wired beats Wi-Fi, every time

Plug the streaming PC into the router with an Ethernet cable. Wi-Fi drops and fluctuates; a wired connection is dramatically more stable and is the single most common fix for a stuttering church stream.

If your upload is limited

Stream at 720p instead of 1080p — far lighter and still looks good.
Lower the bitrate to fit your connection with headroom.
Use a restreaming service so you only send one feed out.
Keep other heavy internet use off the network during service.

A note on audio and detection

Bandwidth affects video, but your audio feed and any automatic verse detection run locally on your PC — so on-screen scripture from TajiCast keeps working smoothly even on a modest connection.

Automatic on-screen verses, light on your connection — free.

Download TajiCast — free