StreamLive Pro

My live stream drops frames or keeps buffering

Live stream freezing, dropping frames or buffering? Usually your upload cannot carry the bitrate you send. How to read Stream health and what to lower first.

Updated November 5, 2026 · 4 min read

When a live stream stutters, freezes or drops frames, the most likely cause is the upload from your computer: the connection cannot carry the quality you are sending, or it is unsteady (Wi-Fi far from the router, someone else uploading on the same line). The second most likely cause, in the browser studio, is the browser itself: a minimised window or a hidden tab makes the browser slow down the video. Adding more networks is not the cause: your computer sends one stream to StreamLive Pro, and our servers send it on to every network.

Symptom, cause, fix

Steps

1. Watch the Stream health badge. While you broadcast from the browser studio, a small badge shows "Stream health" with a score and, if any, the number of restarts. Green is fine, yellow is a warning, red means the stream is struggling. A drop before the picture freezes is usually bandwidth.
2. Keep the studio in front. Do not minimise the window, do not hide the tab behind another, and do not let the screen switch off mid-broadcast. Browsers slow down video in hidden tabs. More in Troubleshooting the problems that come up most.
3. Lower the quality you send. On Live stream open the Settings tab and find Stream Quality: Resolution, Frame Rate and Bitrate. Bitrate on Auto (recommended) picks a starting rate for the resolution, and the studio steps down by itself on a poor network. If it still struggles, choose 720p, and 30 fps instead of 60. These choices apply the next time you go live.
4. Use a cable if you can. A wired connection is steadier than Wi-Fi. If you must use Wi-Fi, sit close to the router.
5. Stop other uploads. Cloud backups, file syncing and video calls on the same line all compete with your stream.
6. Count your guests. In the live studio each guest receives a return video from your computer so they can see the show. StreamLive Pro sizes those videos down as the room grows, but every guest still adds upload. On a weak line, keep fewer guests or move the host to a stronger connection. See Guests and invitations — bringing people into the room.
7. Measure your upload. Run a speed test and compare the upload with the bitrate you send. The arithmetic, with sources, is in Upload speed and bitrate for multistreaming.

From OBS, vMix or another encoder

Dropped frames in OBS come in two kinds: frames dropped because of the network, and frames skipped because the computer could not encode in time. For the network kind, lower the bitrate. For the encoding kind, lower the resolution or frame rate, or use the graphics card's encoder. YouTube publishes recommended bitrates per resolution, and recommends a keyframe every 2 seconds, never more than 4 (YouTube Help: Choose live encoder settings). Because StreamLive Pro sends your one stream on to every network, those settings apply to what your encoder sends to us. Setup: Streaming from OBS or vMix with RTMP.

If the encoder stops sending altogether, you get "Your broadcast is not receiving video": your channels stay connected and wait, and if the signal does not come back, the broadcast closes by itself after a while.

When to contact support

If Stream health stays red on a wired connection with a good upload and low settings, write to [email protected]. Send the broadcast title and time, the Stream health score you saw, the resolution and bitrate you chose, your browser and computer, and the upload result of a speed test. A short screen recording of the problem helps.

Before a big broadcast, the Live stream checklist: before, during and after covers the network checks worth doing a day ahead.

Frequently asked questions

Does streaming to more networks need more upload?

No. Your computer sends one stream to StreamLive Pro and our servers send it to every network, so the upload stays the same whether you choose one network or several.

What should I choose in Bitrate?

Leave Auto, which is the recommended setting. It starts at a rate that fits the resolution and steps down on a poor network. Choose a lower fixed value only if Auto still struggles.

Why does the stream freeze when I switch to another window?

Browsers slow down video in a hidden or minimised tab. Keep the studio window visible for the whole broadcast.

Viewers say it buffers, but Stream health is green. Why?

Then your side is sending well. Buffering can come from a viewer's own connection or the network's player. Watch on another device to check.

Do guests use my upload?

Yes. Each guest in the live studio receives a return video from your computer. StreamLive Pro makes those smaller as more guests join, but they still add to your upload.

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