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Your YouTube live stream stops because the encoder has stopped sending video when the file finishes. YouTube does not keep replaying a video on its own. Loop the source or switch to another active source to keep the feed going, and check YouTube Studio’s auto-stop setting if you want to control what happens when the feed ends.
What stops: the video, the encoder feed, or the broadcast?
These are separate parts of a live stream. The source is the video playing in your encoder or playback software. The encoder feed is the video and audio sent to YouTube using your stream key. The broadcast is the live event viewers watch.
If the source is a single finite file, playback can reach its endpoint and stop. That may also stop the encoder feed, even if you meant to leave the YouTube broadcast running. YouTube receives what the encoder sends; it cannot continue the picture by replaying the file after the source stops.
Why does YouTube end the broadcast?
When YouTube’s auto-start and auto-stop options are enabled, you can start or stop streaming from the encoder. With auto-stop enabled, YouTube’s Live Streaming API documentation says the broadcast ends about a minute after the bound stream stops transmitting video. That timing describes this auto-stop behavior; it is not a universal reconnect or recovery window.
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Auto-stop does not loop your media. It governs the broadcast lifecycle after the incoming feed stops. If you want the broadcast to continue, the encoder must keep sending video.
How to keep the stream going
- Confirm whether the encoder feed ends with the file. Watch the encoder and YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room as playback reaches the endpoint. YouTube uses the encoder feed and stream key to receive the video.
- Enable repeat or loop playback in the source application. The exact control and steps depend on the playback or encoder software you use; there is no single YouTube setting that loops every encoder’s file.
- Alternatively, arrange a transition to another source. The next source must provide continuing video to the encoder so it can keep the feed active.
- Review auto-stop in YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room. Check the stream settings and decide whether YouTube should end the broadcast when the encoder feed stops. Changing auto-stop will not make a finished file play again.
- If video is still being sent but the broadcast ends, check Live Control Room to see whether YouTube is receiving the feed and whether the broadcast is marked complete. YouTube distinguishes the incoming stream from the broadcast lifecycle.
For an unattended 24/7 stream
A 24/7 broadcast still needs an ongoing video feed from an encoder or hosted streaming setup. YouTube’s documentation describes a 24/7 scenario in which video transmission continues while a separate broadcast is completed; it does not mean YouTube generates video after an encoder stops sending it. Start by checking whether your current setup can loop files and keep the feed active through source changes. Consider a hosted setup only if you need the stream to continue without a computer running at home.
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Common problems and fixes
- The broadcast ends right when the file finishes: The source likely stopped, which stopped the encoder feed. Turn on source looping or transition to a continuing source.
- The broadcast ends about a minute after the feed stops: This is consistent with YouTube’s documented auto-stop behavior. Review auto-stop if you do not want the broadcast to end automatically, but keep a continuous feed if the stream itself must remain live.
- The encoder appears active, but YouTube says the broadcast is complete: Check Live Control Room for feed reception and broadcast status. A completed broadcast is a lifecycle state, not a command to restart the encoder.
- The feed drops briefly and you expect it to recover: Reconnect behavior depends on the encoder and configuration. The cited YouTube documentation does not establish one recovery window that applies to every setup.
Copyright and channel eligibility
Looping a video does not change its rights status. Use content you own or are authorized to stream, and check YouTube’s live-streaming requirements for your channel before relying on an unattended broadcast. A broadcast ending and a video being eligible to remain live are separate issues.
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Official references
- YouTube Help: Manage live stream settings — stream keys, encoder feeds, and auto-start and auto-stop settings.
- YouTube Help: Get started with live streaming — streaming methods and channel eligibility.
- Google for Developers: Life of a Broadcast — broadcast auto-start and auto-stop lifecycle.
- Google for Developers: Understanding Broadcasts and Streams — how feeds and broadcasts differ, including a 24/7 scenario.
- Google for Developers: LiveStreams — stream resource details and completed-broadcast behavior.
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