Apparatus and methods for matching data rates is useful for a receiver receiving real-time data over a medium. Implementations feature a process establishing a buffer in a receiver; receiving source data from a source having a nominal source data rate, the received source data arriving at an incoming data rate that differs from time-to-time from the nominal source data rate; filling the buffer with source data as it is received at the incoming data rate and emptying the buffer to provide data for consumption in real time at a consumption data rate; setting a rate-matching factor M, the factor M affecting the rate at which the buffer is emptied; and tracking the level of data in the buffer and resetting the value of M to increase the rate at which the buffer is emptied when the buffer fills above a target range, and resetting the value of M to decrease the rate at which the buffer is emptied when the buffer empties below a target range.