If a local MP4 should repeat indefinitely, put -stream_loop -1 before that file’s -i option. For example: -stream_loop -1 -i input.mp4. If FFmpeg still stops, the loop option may be in the wrong place, another input or duration limit may be ending output, or the process or publishing connection may have failed. The command and complete FFmpeg log are needed to distinguish those cases.
Loop the local file with the right option order
FFmpeg defines -stream_loop as an input option: -1 loops indefinitely, while 0 means no looping. Put it before the -i for the input you want to repeat. An illustrative command pattern for a local MP4 is:
ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i input.mp4
-c:v libx264 -c:a aac
-f flv "rtmp://a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2/STREAM_KEY"This is a pattern, not a tested command or a guarantee that the encoding and destination settings suit your file or YouTube setup. Check the current streaming destination details in YouTube Studio, confirm your input contains the audio and video streams you intend to publish, and keep the real stream key private. Do not post it when asking for help.
FFmpeg documents the option as: “Set number of times input stream shall be looped. Loop 0 means no loop, loop -1 means infinite loop.” See the FFmpeg command-line documentation.
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Check every input separately
The option applies to the input it precedes; it does not retroactively change an input already opened. If your command has separate video and audio files, inspect the options before each -i. Looping the video does not automatically make a finite audio input repeat. Decide whether each source should repeat and configure it accordingly.
Find out what actually stopped
“YouTube stopped” does not identify the failure. FFmpeg may have reached normal end-of-file, failed to write to the publishing destination, hit an explicit duration limit, or been terminated by a shell, process manager, or host shutdown. YouTube Studio may also show a different status from the one implied by the terminal. Check both the process output and Studio rather than assuming the platform ended FFmpeg.
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Collect the details that distinguish the causes
- The exact command, with the stream key replaced by a redaction such as
REDACTED. - The FFmpeg version and complete terminal output from startup through exit, not just the final line.
- Whether the command uses multiple
-iinputs,-shortest,-t, or-to. - Whether FFmpeg exited, remains running, or was stopped by a supervisor, shell, or machine shutdown.
- The current status shown for the stream in YouTube Studio.
FFmpeg’s -t output option stops writing after the specified duration. If one appears in the command, check whether it is setting a finite runtime. The documentation also describes -to as an output end time; inspect the command’s actual options and log before changing them. Current YouTube-specific ingest requirements are not established here, so use YouTube Studio’s current setup instructions for destination configuration.
Check audio duration and stop conditions
With separate audio and video inputs, the shorter input can end the output when the command uses -shortest. Confirm the intended duration and looping behavior of each input, and check whether an output duration limit is also set. A video loop alone cannot keep output alive if another configured condition ends it.
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For a video-only file, adding a silent audio input is one possible tutorial approach, but it changes the command and must be configured for the intended output. A specialist YouTube Live tutorial warns against -shortest in its example with an infinite input; treat that as example-specific guidance, not an official YouTube rule or a universal command requirement. See the tutorial example.
Do not confuse input reconnect with file looping or RTMP retry
FFmpeg’s reconnect, reconnect_at_eof, and reconnect_on_network_error options are documented for HTTP protocol input behavior. For example, the documentation says reconnect_at_eof treats EOF as an error and can be useful for live or endless streams. That does not loop a local MP4 and does not, by itself, promise recovery of a failed RTMP publishing connection. Use the FFmpeg protocol documentation for the option context.
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If FFmpeg stays alive, troubleshoot the stream rather than the loop
If the process remains running while viewers see buffering, audio drift, timestamp warnings, or a noticeable seam between repeats, the problem is different from FFmpeg exiting after one pass. First confirm from the log that output is continuing. Then investigate media compatibility, timestamps, audio/video duration alignment, and network stability in light of the actual command and file. A tutorial may suggest pre-encoding video and copying it while encoding audio for a long-running loop, but that is a troubleshooting lead, not a requirement for every input. Do not apply a seam or timestamp tweak as a fix for a process that has actually exited.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common symptoms and fixes
| What you observe | What to check | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| It plays once and exits normally | -stream_loop -1 placement and which -i it precedes |
Put the option before the local file’s input option. |
| It stops despite a video loop | Separate finite audio input, -shortest, -t, or -to |
Check each input’s duration and the command’s output limits. |
| The log shows an output or connection error | Destination status and the complete FFmpeg error output | Check YouTube Studio’s current stream setup; do not expect HTTP input reconnect flags to retry RTMP publishing. |
| The process is gone, but the log does not explain why | Shell, process manager, host sleep, shutdown, or external termination | Check the environment that launched FFmpeg and its process logs. |
| The process is alive but the stream is unstable | Media compatibility, timestamps, audio/video alignment, and network | Diagnose the continuing output separately from the loop setting. |
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