How Much Mobile Data Do You need To Live Stream on Facebook
Have you ever wondered what the effect would be on your data plan if you live streamed from your smartphone to Periscope, your Facebook profile, or a Facebook Page?
I always live stream on my mobile device, either via tethering to one of my devices with an unlimited data plan or by connecting to a WIFI network (often my own portable WIFI if I am live streaming at large events).
I was recently asked what data would be required to live stream by someone who did not have an unlimited plan, so I have been experimenting and testing over the last week and I was actually surprised at the results, so much so that we tested with several tools to measure data use for mobile live streaming.
The results of my most recent testing is shown here; of course, you should conduct your own tests, and you should only use them as a guideline for what to anticipate.
The Test Conditions for The Live Stream
To verify that the identical circumstances existed, an iPhone 5s was utilized and connected to WIFI-phone data was switched off. The Download Meter app for iOS was used in the experiments described below. We were able to test both upload and download statistics as a result of this. On August5, the exams were all held at the same site.
Each live broadcast was two minutes long for the purposes of the testing.
In each case, we allowed the live stream to be uploaded to the app so that people could watch the replay, and we also downloaded the recording to the camera roll – downloading the recording is currently not possible on my Android device using the Facebook Profile or Facebook Page app, which is why we chose to test on the iPhone 5s.
To attempt to duplicate the identical circumstances for each test, no additional features such as sketching on the live broadcast, which is possible with Periscope and Facebook live streaming, or utilizing filters, which is possible with Facebook live streams, were utilized.
The Test Summary to Determine How Much Data Mobile Live Streaming Using Periscope and Facebook Requires
A table summarizing the test findings is provided below. There is considerable variation in the statistics for the three tests since each app was tested three times.
How Much Data Is Required to Live Stream to Your Facebook Profile Using the Facebook App?
When you live stream to your profile from the Facebook app, you are asked to download the footage, which we did.
You are also asked to submit the live broadcast so that it may be seen by others-which we did.
In summary, the average total data needed to live stream for two minutes using the Facebook app was 32.57 MB, which translates to 16.285 MB per minute.
My conclusion was that the huge quantity of data for the live broadcast was attributable to the fact that you had to instruct the program to upload the replay.
How Much Data Is Required to Live Stream to Your Facebook Page Using the Facebook Page App?
When live broadcasting to your Page from the Facebook Pages app, you are asked to download the clip, which we did.
You do not need to instruct the program to post the replay to your Page – this, I believe, is the main distinction between broadcasting to your Page and streaming to your Profile, resulting in substantially differing data needs.
In summary, the average total data needed to live stream for 2 minutes utilizing the Facebook Pages app was 10.67 MB-5.335 MB per minute.
You may utilize Facebook live in Groups and Events on Facebook – if you live broadcast to such places, you should do your own independent testing.
What Does This Mean for Those Who Stream Live?
The results of the testing we conducted over the past week with various data meters were similar – Facebook Live streaming to your profile will use considerably more bandwidth (at this time) than live streaming to Periscope or to your Facebook Page using your Pages app.
There are benefits to live streaming to your Facebook profile — and benefits to live streaming to your Facebook page. However, if you want to attempt to save bandwidth for mobile live broadcasting, you might utilize the Periscope app or the Facebook Pages app.
We also tested the amount of data needed to view a live broadcast on Periscope and Facebook out of curiosity. We found it challenging to use the technique for our testing to be definitive for Facebook live broadcasts since when you go up a page or profile on the app, the video instantly starts playing and is cached.
When it came to watching a Periscope replay, we discovered that it took an average of 10.4 MB for 2 minutes of viewing-5.2 MB per minute. This is comparable to what we discovered about the data requirements for live broadcasting with Periscope.
If you decide to do similar experiments, please let me know the results.
Bottom line
if you want to utilize mobile live streaming applications, be prepared to pay for your data and perhaps invest in an unlimited data plan or live stream over WIFI.
And, if you watch a lot of live streams, keep in mind that they cost you time and money – that is why, in our weekly programs, we have a tight structure so people know what to anticipate since we respect our viewers’ data and time!
