On an Ubuntu VPS, install FFmpeg with sudo apt update and sudo apt install ffmpeg, then use FFmpeg to send a real-time-paced loop of your video to YouTube Live over RTMPS. You’ll need the VPS’s actual upload capacity, a compatible video and audio output, and the RTMPS URL and stream key from YouTube’s Live Control Room. The steps below show how to set it up and verify that YouTube is receiving the stream.
Install FFmpeg on Ubuntu
Connect to your VPS over SSH, then refresh Ubuntu’s package metadata and install its packaged FFmpeg build:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install ffmpeg
ffmpeg -versionUbuntu’s package archive lists FFmpeg for Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and 24.04 LTS, but the available version depends on the release and server architecture. Check the version printed by ffmpeg -version on your VPS; there is no single version number that applies to every Ubuntu server. Ubuntu recommends installing the package through its package manager rather than manually downloading a package. Ubuntu package information.
These commands are for Ubuntu. If your VPS runs another Linux distribution, use that distribution’s package manager and package names rather than assuming the Ubuntu commands apply.
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Get YouTube’s RTMPS URL and stream key
- Open YouTube’s Live Control Room and select or create the stream you intend to use.
- Copy the stream URL and stream key shown for the stream. YouTube may show an RTMP URL by default; use the lock control to reveal the RTMPS URL, then copy that URL instead.
- Keep the key private. Treat it like a password: do not put it in a public script, screenshot, repository, or message. Anyone with the key may be able to send a stream to your channel.
YouTube recommends RTMPS, which encrypts the connection with TLS/SSL. If YouTube reports an SSL or connection problem, confirm the destination begins with rtmps; where YouTube’s SSL troubleshooting guidance applies, it also recommends trying port 443. YouTube encoder and RTMPS guidance.
Prepare the loop command
For an MP4 file on the VPS, this is a starting example that loops the input and reads it at real-time speed:
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ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i "/path/to/video.mp4"
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -b:v 4500k -maxrate 4500k -bufsize 9000k
-pix_fmt yuv420p -g 60 -r 30
-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100
-f flv "RTMPS_STREAM_URL/STREAM_KEY"Replace /path/to/video.mp4 with the actual file path. Replace RTMPS_STREAM_URL/STREAM_KEY with the destination and key supplied in YouTube’s Live Control Room, using the exact format YouTube provides. Do not paste a real key into documentation or a public shell history. For safer handling, put the full destination in a private script or read it from a protected environment variable, and restrict access to that file.
What the example settings mean
-repaces the file input at its normal playback speed rather than sending it as fast as the server can read it.-stream_loop -1repeats the input indefinitely. Ensure the source file is readable and has the audio or video streams you expect.-c:v libx264encodes video as H.264;-c:a aacencodes audio as AAC. Your FFmpeg build and source file must support the chosen handling.-b:v,-maxrate, and-bufsizeset video bitrate and rate-control parameters for this example. The example is not a promise that a given VPS can sustain the required upload.-pix_fmt yuv420psets a widely compatible pixel format.-r 30sets output to 30 fps, and-g 60sets a 60-frame GOP, or two seconds at 30 fps.-b:a 128kand-ar 44100set example audio bitrate and sample rate. If the file has no audio, or its streams need different mapping, adjust the command rather than assuming this example fits unchanged.-f flvselects the output container used for this RTMP/RTMPS-style ingest workflow.
FFmpeg’s input, output, stream selection, and codec handling can require changes for a particular file or build; consult its documentation when adapting the command. FFmpeg documentation. This command is an illustrative starting point, not a tested configuration or a guarantee: codecs, FFmpeg build options, VPS CPU, sustained outbound bandwidth, and YouTube account or stream settings can all affect whether it works as written.
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Choose settings your VPS can sustain
YouTube lists RTMP/RTMPS ingestion and supports H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 video, with AAC or MP3 audio. Its guidance calls for CBR bitrate encoding, frame rates up to 60 fps, and a two-second keyframe interval, not exceeding four seconds. For H.264 at 720p30, it lists 5 Mbps as a recommended bitrate; its recommendation varies with resolution and frame rate. These are platform recommendations, not a bandwidth guarantee for your VPS. YouTube encoder settings.
The sample command uses H.264, AAC, 30 fps and a two-second GOP, but its 4,500 kbps video target is an example, not YouTube’s 720p30 recommendation. Match the output to the intended resolution and frame rate, then choose a bitrate the server can sustain continuously with headroom for audio and network variation. A VPS marketed as being in India does not by itself establish its route to YouTube’s ingest endpoint or its sustained upload performance.
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If you are still choosing a VPS, check the provider’s terms for continuous outbound streaming, sustained bandwidth limits, CPU capacity for encoding, storage for the source video, supported operating system release, and network route to YouTube. Do not treat a location label or a short speed test as proof that an all-day stream will remain stable.
Start the stream and verify it in YouTube
- Run the command in your SSH session or from a private script. Watch FFmpeg’s output for connection errors, encoder errors, or repeated reconnects.
- Open the stream in YouTube’s Live Control Room and confirm that YouTube detects the incoming feed and reports its stream health. A process still running on the VPS does not, by itself, prove that YouTube is receiving a usable broadcast.
- Test with movement and audio similar to the planned stream, and watch YouTube’s status messages while testing. YouTube recommends checking stream health and messages during the event. YouTube stream setup and health guidance.
- Only rely on the setup after confirming both ends: FFmpeg is sending without errors and YouTube reports a healthy incoming stream.
Troubleshoot common failures
ffmpeg: command not found: The package may not have installed, or the command may be running on a different host. Re-runsudo apt updateandsudo apt install ffmpeg, then checkffmpeg -version.- Input file cannot be opened: Check the path, spelling, file permissions, and available disk space. Run
ls -l "/path/to/video.mp4"as the account that launches FFmpeg. - Authentication or connection rejected: Re-copy the RTMPS URL and key from the correct YouTube stream. Check for missing characters or accidental spaces, keep the key private, and confirm you are using the RTMPS destination. If YouTube’s SSL guidance fits the error, try port 443.
- YouTube does not detect the stream: Look at FFmpeg’s latest output and YouTube’s Live Control Room status. Confirm the process is still running, the destination is correct, and the VPS can make outbound connections to the ingest service.
- Stream health warns about bitrate or instability: Reduce output bitrate or resolution/frame rate to a level the VPS can sustain, and check whether the provider limits continuous traffic. YouTube’s recommendation is not a guarantee of the server’s available upload.
- CPU load is too high or frames are missed: Encoding with
libx264uses VPS CPU. A lighter preset may reduce encoding load at a quality/bitrate trade-off; lowering resolution or frame rate can also help. Re-test the resulting feed in YouTube. - Audio is missing or the command fails to map streams: Inspect the file’s streams with
ffmpeg -i "/path/to/video.mp4". Adjust audio or video handling for what the file actually contains rather than forcing an unavailable stream. - The stream stops when SSH disconnects: An interactive shell closing can stop its foreground process. Run it in a persistent service or session manager configured for your VPS, with logs and a restart policy you have verified; a basic FFmpeg command does not itself provide process supervision or recovery.
Or let it run in the cloud
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does the example command work with every MP4?
No. MP4 files can contain different codecs and stream layouts, and the FFmpeg build, VPS capacity, and YouTube settings also matter. Inspect the file’s streams and test the actual feed before relying on it.
Can I use the same YouTube stream key for a loop?
Use the key shown for the stream you intend to broadcast from YouTube’s Live Control Room, and keep it private. If you change or reset it in YouTube, update the destination used by FFmpeg.
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