If your stream keeps freezing, stuttering, or dropping quality mid-broadcast — even though your computer isn’t struggling and your video looks fine locally — the cause is usually simple arithmetic: you’re asking your internet connection to send more data per second than it can actually handle.
What’s actually happening
Every stream is encoded into a constant flow of data (bitrate, measured in kbps) pushed over your internet connection. If your configured bitrate is higher than what your connection can sustain, packets get delayed or lost, and your software starts dropping frames to keep the stream from falling further behind. This shows up as stuttering, blocky video, freezes, or a rising “dropped frames” percentage in your software’s stats.
The rule of thumb
Your streaming bitrate should never be higher than about 60–75% of your actual, measured upload speed — in other words, your upload needs roughly 1.4 to 2x headroom above your bitrate. Example: a 6,000 kbps bitrate needs a measured upload speed of at least 8–10 Mbps.
A common trap: platform limits
| Resolution / Frame rate | Typical recommended bitrate |
|---|---|
| 720p30 | 2,500–4,000 kbps |
| 1080p30 | 4,500–6,000 kbps |
| 1080p60 | 6,000–9,000 kbps |
Check your specific platform’s current guidelines before finalizing your setting.
How to check your real upload speed
Don’t trust the number your ISP advertised — run an actual speed test at the time of day you typically stream.
How to fix it
Measure your real upload speed, set your bitrate to no more than 60–75% of it, cross-check against your platform’s recommended table, and do a short test broadcast watching the live dropped-frame counter.