Streaming is a relatively new way of communication, yet already popular and powerful. You can create unique content, build a community of fellow thinkers, and turn your hobby into a profitable business. On the other hand, streaming has its own specifics. While going live, you may face geoblocking and security issues. Or it may suddenly turn out that your internet service provider cannot meet your needs regarding speed. However, there is a tool to help you with all of that — proxies. In this article, we will delve into how proxies can boost your streaming experience by speeding up your connection, getting you through safety matters, and unlocking new opportunities.
What is streaming content delivery?
Streaming content delivery is the process of delivering video content.
Today, everybody may go live with only a phone or a notebook. The most popular streaming platforms, such as YouTube or Twitch, are easy and free to use. On the other hand, it’s not enough to just create engaging content to grow your audience. Technical aspects influence your success too. For example, people won’t watch you if your videos constantly lag. Of course, it does not depend solely on you as a creator. Internet service providers’ restrictions (such as bandwidth throttling) and local laws and policies affect your viewers’ experiences with your content. Though using proxies, you can bypass even those things.
What are proxies?
A proxy server is a middleman between you and the global web. Normally, when you go live or perform any other activity online, you send requests from your browser to the target servers. If you use a proxy, you send requests to a proxy server. Then a proxy server sends them further to the global web. This way, you are not in direct contact with the internet.
Proxies to reduce latency
At first glance, the idea of using an additional server isn’t appealing when it comes to speed. You may think that it will only slow your connection down as data has to travel to one more server. The truth is that when you stream, you consume a lot of traffic. It’s a reason why your internet service provider may throttle your bandwidth. Bandwidth throttling is an artificial limit on how much traffic you can consume. If you go beyond that limit, your speed may fall, resulting in lags or low-quality video. Internet service providers can see what you do online and how many GBs you consume by tracking your IP address.
When you use proxies, your IP is hidden. Your internet service provider doesn’t understand that you are you; it cannot control your activity by tracking your IP. Bandwidth throttling becomes impossible, and you can go live without obstacles.
Another issue is DNS resolution.
DNS, short for Domain Name System, is a road map for data. For example, you want to visit YouTube and type this name into the search bar. But “YouTube” is a brand name. For the server, it’s not YouTube; it’s a particular IP address. DNS servers contain information about what site name corresponds to what IP. When you type the name of a site in the search bar and press “Enter”, DNS converts words into digits, and you can access the website. It’s called DNS resolution. Yet, that process takes time. Not all internet service providers have fast enough DNS servers for you to go live.
However, an internet service provider of a proxy server may have faster DNS servers. This way, with proxies, you won’t waste time on DNS resolution. As a result, you will have a faster connection. It will positively affect your streaming quality.
Proxies to lift geo-based restrictions
Sometimes streaming platforms have geographical restrictions for certain regions. If you travel somewhere, you may be unable to log into your account. If you want to go live regularly and don’t lose your audience, proxies are a tool for that. By directing your traffic through a proxy server, you’ll make a streaming platform think that you’re online from another place.
Using proxies, you can improve your own experience as well. For example, you may unlock content from other creators that is blocked in your location. If you play games, with proxies you can try games that are blocked in your location or meet new fellow players from other countries, thus making your content more interesting and diverse.
Proxies to gather views
Streaming is a way to earn money. Still, sometimes you have to go a rather long way before you are able to monetize your channel. Usually, you have to have a certain number of views or followers to do so. You can patiently grow your audience, but it often takes a lot of time and money. Taking into consideration that platforms usually recommend popular channels, it may be hard to break through them if you’ve only started to climb the ladder. That’s why many streamers use bots; this way, they reach the necessary number of views or subscribers faster. The only downside is that streaming platforms are aware of that trick and instantly block users whom they suspect of sending bot-generated traffic. Here, proxies are a necessary tool. They shield your real IP, and all requests seem to come from different people. It makes it harder for platforms to detect bots, as traffic looks like it is human-generated. As a result of your popularity growing, you’re able to earn money on your streams. Moreover, the more followers you have, the more you’re visible to platforms. They start to recommend your content, thus helping you grow organically. Note that you need to remember that such a method goes against YouTube’s and Twitch’s Terms of Service. This info is for educational purposes only.
Proxies to unblock your account
Streaming platforms such as Twitch, can ban you based on your IP address. It may happen for many reasons. For example, somebody might attack your account with bots out of envy. It may result in the streaming platform blocking you. In this case, proxies may help you. With proxies, your requests are routed through a third party, and your real IP remains hidden. Thus, proxies will help you bypass the block and log in to your account again.
Proxies to stay safe
Online security isn’t something to disregard, especially while going live. The number of cybercrimes is growing constantly and streamers often become targets for scammers. That’s why you should take care of your security before going live.
For example, DDoS attacks are a serious problem for streamers. Knowing your IP, hackers may flood you with bot-generated requests. In this case, your stream may fail or you may end up banned from the platform.
There is one more threat, in comparison to which any DDoS attack seems to be a harmless event. It’s called swatting. A SWAT team is a military-like unit trained to deal with dangerous crimes that involve shooting or hostage-taking. The algorithm is like this: scammers get to know your IP and figure out your internet service provider and precise location. Then, using social engineering techniques, they can trick your provider into giving away your personal information. Your IP and location can be used as confirmation details. After getting their hands on your personal data, they call the police and report a severe crime, framing you as a victim or a criminal. A SWAT team heads to your place. With this, you, at least, will have to pay a fine for a fake call because, while occupied with a prank, a SWAT team cannot deal with real dangers. Sometimes the consequences are even more dangerous. For example, there was an accident when a “culprit” was shot dead by law enforcement. The issue is that SWAT teams are allowed to use weapons without any previous investigation.
It means that you should be extra careful and not leave scammers any loopholes to get ahold of your sensitive information. Proxies are a way to do it. As they hide your real IP, it becomes difficult to trace you and learn more about you. It significantly lowers the risk of dealing with attacks or dangerous jokes.
How to choose proxies for streaming?
There are several key aspects you should pay attention to while choosing proxies for live streaming.
- Number of IPs and locations
If you’re going to conquer a foreign audience or gather views, you’re going to need a vast pool of IP addresses from different locations. Thus, you’ll be able to reach everywhere you wish or make your bot-generated traffic look real. So pay attention to how many IP addresses a provider has and how many locations it covers.
- Speed
The faster, the better. This is a general rule for streaming proxies. Providers usually inform you about the response time of their proxies. Pay attention to this detail. For example, a 1-second response time is optimal. Sometimes you may see something like “0,6 second response time”, but you should understand that speed does not solely depend on a proxy provider. Yet you’ll have to pay more for those extra-fast proxies.
- Reliability
As a proxy server sees your real IP, you should choose only trusted proxy providers. That’s why it’s definitely not an option to use free proxies, as they hide a lot of dangers. While choosing, learn where and how a provider obtains its IPs and what measures there are to protect you. Usually, that information is available on a provider’s website, or you can ask a support team.
- Opportunity to choose
There are a lot of types of proxies. There are sticky or rotating proxies. There are HTTP or SOCKS proxies. You may need to switch between different options depending on your particular needs. So, it’s good if a proxy provider has different options for you to choose from.
What can DataImpulse provide you with?
As DataImpulse started as an in-house project, we know how it feels to be a client. That’s why we value your trust and do our best to provide you with high-quality service.
- Safe proxies
We obtain proxies in a legal way. There is a special app that people download on their devices and opt in to sell a part of their traffic. We pay them for it. It’s an ethical and legitimate way to create a pool of proxies, and we follow this way. On the other hand, we set some restrictions for our partners regarding what they can do online and what sources they are allowed to visit. This way, we ensure that the IPs that you buy aren’t used to send spam, conduct DDoS attacks, or engage in other illegal activities. For you, it significantly lowers the risk of dealing with blacklisted proxies or being associated with illicit affairs. If there is a situation where you need to access a source that is banned, you can contact us. We will check, and if it’s safe, we’ll remove the block.
- Numerous options to choose from
At DataImpulse, you can have sticky or rotating, HTTP or SOCKS proxies — the choice is yours. You can easily switch between different types using our handy dashboard. If there are any difficulties, our support team is available 24/7.
- High-speed connection
We balance loads on our servers to ensure that you have a fast connection. This way, the response time of our proxies is 1 second. If you need a lot of traffic, you can contact us, and we will provide you with a personal server. With it, you can send a lot of requests without speed issues.
- 5+ million IPs from 194 locations
You have a vast pool of proxies at your service. There are country-specific plans available as well. If you need proxies from a particular location, we will provide you with the best IPs from that area.
- Pay-as-you-go pricing model
You don’t have to worry about GBs that you didn’t use. They won’t disappear. You buy traffic, and you can use it when you need it, be it now or in a couple of months.
To sum up
Streaming is a way to find fellow thinkers and build your own community. You can erase borders and do what you like. You can even earn money this way. Still, there are some challenges and dangers regarding live streaming, like geographical restrictions or security risks. Proxies are a tool to confront them. Using proxies, you can have a high-speed connection, reach otherwise unreachable locations, grow your account so that you’re able to monetize it and secure your live experience. At DataImpulse, you can have legally obtained proxies and stay safe while going live. The response time of our proxies is only one second, so you have a seamless connection. Contact us at [email protected] or click on the “Try now” button to start.