Why does my live stream keep buffering or dropping?
A stream that keeps buffering, dropping frames or disconnecting is frustrating for you and your viewers. Almost always it’s one of a few things — here’s how to track it down.
Dropped frames = a network problem
When your encoder reports dropped frames, it couldn’t upload data fast enough. Either your bitrate is higher than your connection sustains, or the network is unstable. Lower the bitrate, switch from Wi-Fi to wired, and re-test.
Splitting your upload makes it worse
Running separate outputs to several platforms from your own machine multiplies your upload and is a classic cause of drops. Relaying server-side keeps your upload to a single stream and removes that pressure entirely.
Encoder overload and settings
If your CPU is maxed, frames drop at the source. Use hardware encoding, close background apps, and don’t set a resolution/framerate your machine can’t hold. A 2-second keyframe interval helps platforms ingest cleanly.
Source drops mid-broadcast
Sometimes the source itself disconnects — a flaky capture card, a Wi-Fi blip, a power saver kicking in. For broadcasts that matter, a backup feed and automatic failover keep you live when the primary stumbles.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop dropped frames?
Lower your bitrate to what your upload sustains with headroom, use a wired connection, and avoid uploading separate streams to multiple platforms from your own PC.
Can a restreaming service prevent drops?
It can’t fix your local connection, but it removes the upload multiplication of local multistreaming and adds relay supervision and backup-ingest failover for the parts it controls.