Streaming Glossary: Terms Every Streamer Should Know
Streaming has a lot of jargon, and new streamers run into it quickly. Here are the terms you're most likely to meet, explained without the technical fog. They're in alphabetical order, and where there's a longer guide, we've linked it.
A to D
- Alert
- A short animation or sound that appears on stream when something happens, like a new follower or a tip.
- Bitrate
- How much data your video uses each second, usually measured in kilobits per second (kbps) or megabits per second (Mbps). A higher bitrate can look better, but needs more upload speed. See stream quality and bandwidth.
- Buffering
- When a viewer's video pauses to load more data. It's usually caused by the viewer's connection, but a bitrate that's too high for your own upload can cause it for everybody.
- Capture card
- A device that takes the video from a console or camera and sends it to your computer. See streaming console and PC games.
- CDN (content delivery network)
- A network of servers that copies a stream close to viewers around the world so it plays smoothly.
- Co-stream
- When two or more streamers broadcast the same game or event, each with their own commentary. See collaborating with other streamers.
- Dropped frames
- Frames of video that your software couldn't send in time, usually because of a slow connection. A few are harmless. A lot make the stream stutter.
E to M
- Encoder
- The part of your software or hardware that compresses video so it can be sent over the internet. Examples include x264 (which uses the processor) and NVENC (which uses an Nvidia graphics card).
- Frame rate (fps)
- How many pictures per second your video shows. 30 fps is common for talking and most streams, and 60 fps looks smoother for fast action.
- Gain
- How much a microphone's signal is boosted before it reaches your computer. Setting it right is the first step to clean sound. See microphone and audio quality.
- Ingest server
- The platform's server that receives your stream. Many platforms let you pick one that's geographically close to you.
- Keyframe interval
- How often your video includes a complete picture rather than only the changes. Many platforms ask for a keyframe every 2 seconds.
- Latency
- The delay between something happening on your end and a viewer seeing it. See stream delay and latency explained.
- Moderator
- Someone you trust who helps keep chat friendly by removing messages and timing out or banning people who break the rules. See moderation and safety for streamers.
- Multistreaming
- Sending one live broadcast to several platforms at once. See what is multistreaming.
N to R
- NVENC, AMF, QuickSync
- Hardware encoders built into Nvidia, AMD and Intel chips. They compress video without taking much power from the game you're playing.
- OBS (Open Broadcaster Software)
- A free program that mixes cameras, games and audio into one stream. It's the most widely used streaming software. See OBS Studio multistream setup.
- Overlay
- Graphics placed on top of your video, like a frame, a name tag or a goal bar. See stream overlays, alerts and branding.
- Raid
- Sending your viewers to another streamer's live channel at the end of your stream.
- Resolution
- The size of your picture, such as 1280 by 720 (720p) or 1920 by 1080 (1080p). Higher resolution needs a higher bitrate to look good.
- RTMP
- A long-established protocol for sending a live stream from your software to a platform. Most platforms accept it, and it's what OBS uses.
S to Z
- Scene
- A saved layout in your streaming software, such as "starting soon" or "gameplay". You switch between scenes while you stream. See OBS scenes, sources and audio.
- Source
- One element inside a scene, like a camera, a game capture, an image or a microphone.
- Stream key
- A private code that tells a platform your stream belongs to your channel. Never share it. See find your stream key and server URL.
- Stream sniping
- Watching someone's live stream to gain an unfair advantage against them in a game.
- Upload speed
- How fast your connection can send data out. It's the number that limits how good your stream can be.
- VOD (video on demand)
- The recording of a past stream that viewers can watch later. Platforms keep them for different lengths of time.
- WebRTC
- A technology that lets browsers send and receive video in real time. It's what makes browser-based broadcasting possible. See going live from your browser.
If you're new to all of this, start with the complete beginner's guide to live streaming.