Why is my stream lagging or buffering on KICK?

Streaming on KICK is meant to feel smooth and reliable for both you and your Viewers. When your stream starts lagging, buffering, or dropping frames, it can be frustrating, but most issues come down to one of three things: your internet connection, your encoder settings, or the KICK platform itself.

This guide walks you through the most common causes and how to fix them, starting with the quickest checks. Most Streamers can resolve lag issues in a few minutes once they know where to look.

Before changing any of your settings, take a quick look at the KICK System Status page to see if there is a known issue with the platform. If KICK is reporting an outage or service degradation, the lag is on our side and you can wait for it to be resolved.

If KICK is running normally, the issue is likely on your end. Keep reading.

Streaming on KICK requires a stable upload connection. As a general rule, your upload speed should be at least twice your stream's bitrate.

For example, if you stream at 6,000 kbps, you should have at least 12 Mbps of upload speed available. You can test your speed at a site like speedtest.net.

If your upload speed is too low for your current bitrate, you have two options:

KICK supports a maximum bitrate of 8,000 kbps. If you are streaming at the maximum but your internet cannot support it, you will see lag and dropped frames.

Try lowering your bitrate in OBS, Streamlabs, or your encoder of choice:

A lower bitrate with stable delivery is always better than a high bitrate that buffers.

Dropped frames mean your encoder is producing video faster than your internet can send it to KICK. This usually shows up as a stutter or freeze for your Viewers, even if the stream looks fine on your own screen.

In OBS, you can see your dropped frame count at the bottom right of the main window. If the number is climbing during your stream, your bitrate is too high for your connection or your network is unstable.

If reducing bitrate alone does not fix the issue, try lowering your output resolution or framerate. KICK supports up to 1920x1080 resolution and 60 fps, but streaming at the maximum is not always the best choice.

A clean 720p 30fps stream looks better to your Viewers than a stuttering 1080p 60fps one.

If your CPU is overworked, your encoder will struggle to keep up. Open Task Manager on Windows or Activity Monitor on Mac and check your CPU usage while streaming.

If your CPU is regularly above 90%, try one of these adjustments:

If you have checked your settings and your internet is fine, but the stream is still lagging, try the simple fix:

This clears any temporary network issues and gives you a fresh connection.

If you have worked through all of these steps and your stream is still lagging, contact our 24/7 Support Team at [email protected]. When you reach out, please include: