You can stream an internet radio station to YouTube by loading its M3U or PLS playlist in OBS, pairing the audio with a visual, and sending the scene to a YouTube Live broadcast. The playlist is only a pointer to the station’s stream—not the audio itself—and it does not give you permission to rebroadcast the station. Get authorization first.
What you need before you start
- The station’s direct stream address or its M3U/PLS playlist. A station webpage is not necessarily the stream address.
- OBS Studio and VLC installed on the same computer. OBS’s VLC Video source relies on VLC libraries; match the VLC installation to OBS’s architecture (for example, 64-bit VLC for 64-bit OBS). OBS Media Sources documentation
- A YouTube channel eligible to stream live, with live streaming activated. Check current YouTube Live requirements; activation and account eligibility can change.
- A visual you have permission to use, such as a still image or a looping visual.
- Permission to retransmit the station’s audio on YouTube. A working URL is not a license.
Find and check the station playlist
Look on the station’s own site for “Listen,” “Streams,” or a similar link, and obtain the stream URL or playlist intended for external players. Do not assume the address of the station’s webpage is usable as an audio source. A playlist file is a small text document containing one or more stream addresses; the player uses those addresses to fetch the audio.
M3U, PLS, and M3U8
An M3U playlist commonly starts with #EXTM3U, may include an #EXTINF line with a display name, and then gives the stream URL. PLS uses a different text layout. M3U8 can refer to UTF-8 text in the M3U playlist family, but the extension is also used for HLS media playlists, so the filename alone does not tell you how a particular URL will behave. See 72FM’s guide to finding a station stream URL.
If the file opens as text, inspect it for a usable stream address, but do not publish or share tokenized URLs: some addresses contain temporary access tokens. A URL may also stop working after a station changes servers, limits access by region, or changes its delivery format. Use the station’s current official source rather than relying on an old copied address.
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Set up OBS and send the station audio to YouTube
- Install VLC and open OBS. Install the VLC desktop player that matches your OBS architecture. In OBS, create a scene for the radio broadcast.
- Add the playlist as a source. In the Sources panel, select + > VLC Video Source. Create a source, then add the M3U or PLS file to its playlist. OBS’s VLC Video source can load playlists and offers playlist looping and network-caching controls. The source requires VLC libraries. OBS Media Sources documentation
- Check playback and audio. Confirm the station is audible in OBS’s audio mixer. If it is silent, verify the playlist entry and station URL in a media player, then check that OBS is receiving the source audio and that the mixer is not muted.
- Add a visual. Add an image or looping visual to the scene so the broadcast has video as well as audio. Use an asset you own or are licensed to broadcast; a station logo or cover art is not automatically free to reuse.
- Connect to YouTube Live. Use OBS’s YouTube account connection or enter the stream key for the intended broadcast, following the current YouTube workflow. Select or create the broadcast, start streaming in OBS, and check YouTube’s preview and stream status before making the broadcast public. The stream key can authorize broadcasts to your channel, so keep it private. The OBS community walkthrough covers connection and key-based setup, but current account requirements should be checked with YouTube. OBS community guide to streaming to YouTube
Start with the ingestion protocol YouTube and OBS have configured for your broadcast; do not copy HLS-specific settings into an RTMP setup. YouTube’s HLS instructions specify 1–4 second TS segments, a rolling playlist with no more than five outstanding segments, HTTPS POST/PUT, and supported codecs. They also recommend 44.1 kHz audio sampling and 128 Kbps stereo audio in the advanced settings section. HLS has higher latency than RTMP because it sends segments rather than a continuous stream. These requirements apply to HLS ingestion, not every YouTube stream. YouTube: Set up an HLS stream
Choose between a desktop broadcast and unattended operation
OBS is a graphical option for a broadcast you manage from a desktop. For an unattended continuous stream, a server-based setup can use FFmpeg on a Linux VPS to combine the radio stream with a still image or video and send the output to YouTube. That approach requires command-line, FFmpeg, and server administration, and adds a hosting expense; it is not necessary for a basic manually managed setup. RadioTech Studio’s OBS and FFmpeg overview
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A playlist URL alone does not promise continuous playback: temporary tokens, station-side changes, access restrictions, or unsupported formats may interrupt the source. Whichever setup you choose, arrange a way to notice and address interruptions if continuous operation matters.
Copyright and YouTube policy checks
Before going live, obtain permission that covers retransmission of the station’s programming on YouTube. The necessary rights depend on the station, the music or other content it carries, the territory, and the agreements involved. Permission to listen to a station is not necessarily permission to rebroadcast it, and the station’s stream URL does not establish those rights. Confirm authorization with the station or relevant rights holders; the technical sources do not establish permission for any particular station.
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Also use visuals you are entitled to broadcast and review YouTube’s current live-streaming and copyright rules. A technically successful preview does not establish that a broadcast is authorized or compliant.
Troubleshoot common failures
- OBS cannot add or play the VLC source: Install VLC, then restart OBS. Check that 32-bit/64-bit architectures match.
- The playlist opens as text, or OBS plays nothing: Check that it contains a valid stream URL, not merely a webpage address. Test the station’s current official stream link in a media player, and look for expired tokens, region limits, server changes, or a format the player cannot handle.
- The source plays in VLC but OBS has no audible sound: Check the OBS audio mixer for activity, confirm the source is not muted, and verify the scene’s audio routing before going live.
- YouTube does not show a preview or reports an ingestion problem: Confirm the selected broadcast, stream key, and configured protocol match. Do not apply HLS segment requirements to an RTMP connection; for HLS, follow YouTube’s current protocol instructions.
- The stream stops during a long broadcast: Determine whether the station URL expired or the station changed or restricted its stream. A desktop setup also depends on the computer and its connection remaining available; an unattended server or cloud service avoids relying on a home computer, but still depends on a functioning source and destination.
Or let it run in the cloud
If you want a pre-recorded visual/audio program to keep looping on YouTube without leaving your home computer running, StreamNeo is a cloud service for uploaded videos: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It is not a way to relay a third-party internet radio station’s live stream; use the OBS method above for that workflow and secure rebroadcast permission.
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