The Tool Desk
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Before you start
- Your YouTube channel must be verified, have live streaming enabled, and have no live-streaming restriction in the previous 90 days. YouTube says first-time activation can take up to 24 hours.
- An Ubuntu system with FFmpeg available, the video file you want to repeat, and a reliable internet connection with enough sustained upload capacity.
- A stream URL and stream key from YouTube Studio. Treat the key like a password: do not expose it, and reset it if you think it has been compromised.
The Ubuntu release and installed FFmpeg version determine package availability and supported options. Because those details are not established here, verify the current FFmpeg package and option support for your system rather than relying on a version-specific installation command.
Enable YouTube Live and get the ingest details
- Open YouTube Studio and go to the Live Control Room.
- Create a stream or select an existing one, then find its stream URL and stream key. Use the current URL and key together; do not assume a particular RTMPS URL format.
- Keep the key private. Avoid putting it in a public script, repository, screenshot, or log. If it is exposed, reset it in YouTube Studio before continuing.
If this is the channel’s first time streaming, allow up to 24 hours for YouTube to activate live streaming.
Choose output settings your connection can sustain
YouTube’s encoder guidance lists H.264 video with CBR, AAC or MP3 audio, and a recommended keyframe interval of two seconds, with no more than four seconds. YouTube recommends RTMPS, which encrypts data in transit to Google’s servers; use the protocol and ingest URL shown for your stream and confirm that your FFmpeg build supports it.
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Bitrate depends on codec, resolution, and frame rate. YouTube’s published H.264 recommendations include 5 Mbps for 480p30, 10 Mbps for 1080p30, and 17 Mbps for 1080p60. For AV1 or H.265, the corresponding listed recommendations are 3 Mbps, 10 Mbps, and 12 Mbps. These are platform recommendations, not guarantees for every source or network. Select settings that the source and your sustained upload can handle.
YouTube recommends 20% upload headroom and says the stream’s total bitrate must fit the available upload bandwidth. Other devices and applications sharing the connection can reduce what is available to the stream. Test under representative conditions, including other usual network traffic, and leave room for variation rather than setting the encoder at the connection’s maximum measured rate.
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For a two-second keyframe interval, the GOP size is twice the output frame rate: for example, 60 frames at 30 fps. If you change frame rate, adjust the GOP accordingly. Check the input’s actual video and audio streams and ensure the chosen output settings are compatible; the example below is not a tested configuration for every file.
Run FFmpeg with a looping input
This illustrative command combines real-time input pacing with indefinite looping and an FLV output for YouTube’s RTMP ingest workflow. It has not been executed or tested. The example assumes 30 fps if using -g 60; adjust the GOP for another frame rate, and replace the example bitrate with a suitable value for your chosen format and upload capacity.
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ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i video.mp4
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast
-b:v 4500k -maxrate 4500k -bufsize 9000k -g 60
-c:a aac -b:a 128k
-f flv "$YOUTUBE_RTMPS_URL/$YOUTUBE_STREAM_KEY"Set YOUTUBE_RTMPS_URL to the ingest URL YouTube supplies and YOUTUBE_STREAM_KEY to the matching key. Confirm the precise RTMPS URL format expected by the current stream setup and your FFmpeg build. Protect the key if you use environment variables, and do not print it in logs or share it in a public script.
-re paces file input in real time, while -stream_loop -1 repeats the input indefinitely. The codecs, filters, input compatibility, loop behavior, and RTMPS handling can vary with the file and build; inspect FFmpeg output and test the full path before relying on it for a long broadcast.
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Test the stream in YouTube Studio
- Start FFmpeg and return to the Live Control Room for the selected stream.
- Wait for the preview, then confirm that video and audio are present and that YouTube reports healthy stream status.
- Watch the stream for long enough to catch obvious source, audio, or network problems before treating the setup as ready.
YouTube recommends testing before the real event and monitoring stream health. A successful FFmpeg process alone does not prove the audience can view a healthy broadcast.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Keep a long-running stream observable
A process supervisor can restart FFmpeg if it exits, but restarting is only one layer of recovery. It will not correct an invalid key, unsupported or damaged media, insufficient upload capacity, a YouTube restriction, or an ongoing network outage. Arrange monitoring that can alert you when the process stops or the YouTube stream becomes unhealthy, and decide how an operator will respond to each failure.
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A single-file loop repeats that file. It does not provide a playlist schedule, alternate source, failover, alerts, or correction of media problems. Those require separate tools and operational planning. Do not assume that one FFmpeg process means YouTube will keep one continuous, viewable broadcast through every interruption.
Plan around YouTube’s archive limit
YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. Do not assume a continuous stream longer than 12 hours will be saved as one complete video. If an archive matters, plan how stream sessions will be managed and check current YouTube behavior for the channel and broadcast.
Common problems and fixes
- No stream preview appears: Check that live streaming is enabled, the stream URL and key match the selected stream, and the FFmpeg output has connected. If activation is new, YouTube may take up to 24 hours.
- YouTube reports poor stream health or buffering: Reduce resolution or bitrate to a level the connection can sustain, account for competing network traffic, and retest with upload headroom. YouTube cautions that the total stream bitrate cannot exceed available upload bandwidth.
- Video appears but audio does not: Confirm the input contains an audio stream and that the selected audio codec and settings are supported by the input and output path.
- FFmpeg exits or fails to open the media: Check the file path, readability, media streams, and compatibility with the installed FFmpeg build. A supervisor can restart an exited process, but it cannot repair an unsupported or damaged source.
- The stream stops after a network interruption: Check the network and YouTube stream health, then restore the connection and restart or recover the encoder as appropriate. A loop does not itself guarantee recovery from a broken connection.
- The key may have been exposed: Reset it in YouTube Studio and update the protected configuration used by FFmpeg.
Or let it run in the cloud
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Quick Recap
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