What Causes Live Stream Latency and How to Fix It

Introduction

Experiencing a lag or delayed performance during your live stream? There are several factors that can contribute to this, ranging from server startup delays to network latency and playback buffering. In this help article we mentioned the key areas to understand when analyzing the causes of latency or lag in live streaming on our platform and a few tips to resolve it.

Initial Server Uptime Delay

Our platform follows an on-demand live stream architecture that automatically adjusts server settings, such as resolution, frame rate (FPS), and bitrate, based on your stream configuration for optimal performance.

What You Need to Know:

• It typically takes 1-2 minutes to spin up the server and prepare it based on your input stream settings.
• To avoid startup delays during the actual broadcast, we recommend starting the server at least 2 minutes before going live.
• This delay is only at the beginning and ensures optimized performance once the stream is live.

Latency Throughout the Streaming Pipeline

Latency is the time delay from capturing your video to when it’s viewed by your audience. This delay is introduced at various stages of the streaming pipeline.

Here’s a breakdown of latency sources:

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Please check the image below to understand the live streaming latency stages.

Industry Standards for Live Streaming Latency

Despite optimizations, some latency is expected in any live stream. For reference:

• Standard Broadcast Latency (Industry-wide): Typically, 5-18 seconds.
• Traditional OTT (HLS/DASH): Can be 10-30 seconds due to longer buffer and chunk sizes.

Our platform operates within industry norms, and we're continually optimizing for better performance.

How to Reduce Perceived Latency

• Pre-warm the stream server at least 2 minutes before starting the actual broadcast.
• Use a stable and fast internet connection for both broadcasting and viewing.
• Reduce stream complexity (e.g., resolution, FPS) if latency is critical.
• Keep viewers informed about the expected delay for synchronized participation.