Broadcasting live audio requires a fairly good internet connection. If you’re broadcasting live, and the Mixlr broadcasting application detects that your internet connection is not good enough to broadcast, it will warn you so you can take action.
This post explains what bandwidth problems are, what causes them, and what you can do to avoid them.
- What is bandwidth?
- What problems does low bandwidth cause Mixlr?
- What causes low bandwidth?
- How can I fix a bandwidth problem?
What is bandwidth?
Bandwidth is the capacity of an internet connection. You can more-or-less think of it as the speed of an internet connection.If you have high bandwidth, then you will be able to upload and download files faster. You will also notice that web browsing is more responsive.
On the other hand, low bandwidth means that uploading and downloading files slows to a crawl, and sometimes stops altogether.
What problems does low bandwidth cause Mixlr?
Mixlr broadcasts audio and therefore requires a relatively low level of bandwidth.
However, we frequently receive questions about low bandwidth. If you’re broadcasting and your bandwidth is too low, then mixlr won’t be able to send your data to our servers fast enough, resulting in broadcast issues.
If the majority of your listeners are reporting issues such as gaps and silences in the broadcast, it’s most likely to be a bandwidth problem. If this is the case, you will also receive a warning within the Mixlr broadcasting app.
What causes low bandwidth?
The two most common causes of low bandwidth are:
1. Uploading files, or running file-sharing or torrent software, while broadcasting live.
2. A slow internet connection provided by your ISP.
How can I fix bandwidth problems?
Firstly, quit other applications that may be hogging your bandwidth. This will free up bandwidth for Mixlr and often immediately resolve the problem.
We find common causes are file-sharing or torrent software, so ensure you disable these. Also, avoid uploading MP3s to services while you’re broadcasting live.
If you’re sure you’re not running software which is hogging your bandwidth, then you may have a slow internet connection. You can test the internet connection using a connection checker like this one. We recommend an available upload bandwidth of not less than 30kb/s.
If your upload bandwidth is less than 30kb/s, and you are having problems broadcasting, we can reduce the bandwidth you require on our side. Get in touch and we will get back to you as soon as possible.