Streaming Terms to Know Before You Go Live

Bitrate, encoder, VOD, raid, mod: the vocabulary every setup guide assumes you already know, defined plainly before you press go live.

Short version

• Streaming and downloading are different: a stream plays as it arrives, while a download stores a file you can replay any number of times.
• Bitrate is the data rate of your stream; a higher bitrate looks better only if your upload speed and your viewers’ connections can carry it.
• Scenes are saved layouts of sources like game capture and webcam, and OBS is the free capture program most beginner guides assume you use.
• A VOD is a saved recording of a past broadcast, and a clip is a short shareable segment of a stream or VOD.
• Platform rules change regularly, so check the official help pages before you go live.

Every setup guide for new streamers assumes you already speak the language. Bitrate, VOD, raid, overlay: the words show up constantly, and mixing one up can mean a misconfigured stream or a rule broken by accident. This glossary defines them plainly, grouped the way you will actually meet them.

Broadcast Basics: Stream, VOD and Live Session

Stream. A live or on-demand broadcast of audio and video over the internet. Streaming and downloading are not the same: a stream plays as it arrives and is one and done, while a download stores a file you can play any number of times.

Go live. The action of starting a broadcast. Everything before it, from building scenes to running a test, is setup.

VOD (video on demand). A saved recording of a broadcast that viewers can watch later. Recording a stream and storing it for later viewing is what turns it into a VOD.

Chat. The real-time conversation that runs alongside the video player. It is a defining feature of live streaming and where most of a channel’s moderation work happens.

Technical Terms: Bitrate, Encoder, Latency and Buffering

Bitrate. The amount of data transferred in a given timeframe, measured in bits per second. On paper a higher bitrate looks better, but only if your connection and your viewers’ connections can actually carry it.

Encoder. The hardware or software that packages your raw audio and video into data ready to go out as a stream, often running on the same computer you play on.

Codec. The compression standard an encoder uses to shrink video so it can travel over the internet. H.264, also known as MPEG-4, is the industry standard.

Latency. The delay between what happens on your end and what viewers see. Lower latency makes chat feel immediate, while a bit of latency gives the connection room to absorb hiccups.

Buffering. Your device preloading a few seconds of data into memory before playback starts, which smooths out an erratic internet connection. When the buffer runs dry, playback pauses to catch up.

Adaptive bitrate streaming. A streaming method where picture quality shifts up or down as each viewer’s connection changes, so someone on a weak signal gets a softer image instead of a frozen frame.

Upload speed. The rate at which data leaves your connection. Because a stream is constantly being sent out, upload speed is one of the main factors deciding what bitrate you can sustain.

Scene and Source Words Used in Capture Software

Scene. A saved layout in your capture software: which windows, cameras and graphics appear, and where. Most streamers build a handful, such as a starting screen, a gameplay layout and a sign-off screen.

Source. A single input inside a scene, such as game capture, a webcam, a microphone or an image. A scene is just the arrangement of its sources.

Overlay. Graphics layered on top of gameplay, like a webcam frame, follower alerts or a channel name. Overlays are ordinary images and widgets added as sources.

OBS (Open Broadcaster Software). Free encoding software built for video recording and streaming. It is the capture program most beginner guides assume you are using.

Community Terms: Raid, Clip and Mod

Raid. When a streamer sends their viewers to another channel at the end of a broadcast, often with a greeting message attached. A common courtesy, and a genuine surprise the first time one lands on you.

Clip. A short captured segment of a stream or VOD that viewers can save and share. For many channels, clips are how strangers become regulars.

Mod. Short for chat moderator, someone who keeps watch over chat while a broadcast runs, removing spam, defusing arguments and enforcing the channel’s rules. For the messier side of that job, see Harassment in Online Games: Mute, Block, Report and Beyond.

Money and Rules: Terms of Service, DMCA and Sponsorship

Terms of service. The rules you agree to when you create an account on a streaming platform: what you can broadcast, how you can earn money and what gets an account penalized. They change over time. The same caution applies to clicking “buy” on games, as we explain in Do You Own Your Digital Games? What ‘Buy’ Really Means.

DMCA. The abbreviation attached to the takedown notices platforms send when copyrighted material shows up in a broadcast. Playing songs you lack the rights to broadcast is the classic new-streamer mistake, and each platform handles enforcement its own way, so check its music rules.

Sponsorship. Paid promotion, whether a free game code, a discount link or a straight payment. Disclose it clearly so viewers can tell what is an ad, and check your platform’s rules for how it wants that handled.

Putting the Vocabulary to Work in Your First Stream

The terms do their best work together. Pick your capture software, build two or three scenes from sources, add a simple overlay if you want one, then run a short test stream to find a bitrate your upload speed sustains. Check that your audio and video are in sync before you go live, because desync is one of the most frustrating technical problems for viewers. After that, it is mostly repetition and chat.

Once the jargon stops feeling foreign, two of our guides cover the problems that tend to follow. Why Your Online Games Lag, and What Actually Helps explains the connection side of smooth play, and If Your Game Account Gets Hacked, Do This First covers the worst case for anyone juggling stream logins and game accounts.

Quick questions

Is a higher bitrate always better?
No. A higher bitrate delivers more detail, but it only helps if your upload speed can sustain it and your viewers’ connections can receive it. Adaptive bitrate streaming is one answer, shifting picture quality on the fly as each viewer’s connection changes.

Do I need OBS to start streaming?
No, but OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is free encoding software for recording and streaming, and most beginner guides assume you are using it. Many platforms also offer their own built-in broadcasting options.

What is the difference between a VOD and a clip?
A VOD is the full saved recording of a past broadcast. A clip is a short segment cut from a stream or VOD that is easy to save and share.

What is the easiest rule to break by accident?
Playing copyrighted music is the classic example. Platforms handle it their own way, so check each platform’s music rules rather than relying on a friend’s guess.