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You can run an unattended YouTube stream from an Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Ubuntu VM by sending a looping media file from FFmpeg to the server URL and stream key shown in YouTube Studio, then using a process manager such as systemd to restart FFmpeg after failures. This is an illustrative implementation, not an official or tested OCI recipe: check commands against your Ubuntu release and test the complete stream on your chosen VM before relying on it.
Plan the archive separately. YouTube warns that a live stream longer than 12 hours may not be captured at all, and DVR rewind can be limited or unavailable for streams longer than 12 hours. A 24/7 output goal does not guarantee one complete YouTube archive; keep a separate local recording if the archive matters. YouTube’s archive guidance also recommends a local backup.
What you need before starting
- An OCI account and a region where the compute shape you need has capacity. Availability varies by shape and region; do not assume a particular free-tier shape is available or powerful enough for sustained encoding. OCI supports Ubuntu platform images, and Canonical documents Ubuntu images built for OCI. See Ubuntu on Oracle documentation and Oracle’s instance creation guide.
- A media file on the VM or accessible storage, and enough disk space for it and any local recordings you intend to retain.
- YouTube Live enabled. First-time activation can take up to 24 hours, so do this before the planned start. Follow YouTube’s encoder setup steps.
- Enough sustained CPU to encode the chosen output, plus outbound network capacity with headroom. A VM that can boot is not necessarily suitable for continuous video encoding.
This guide uses a headless FFmpeg workflow. OBS is more appropriate if you need a graphical scene compositor or interactive production; using it on a server also means managing a desktop and session. The sources here do not establish performance benchmarks for either option on OCI.
Create and prepare the Ubuntu VM
Choose compute, storage, and network resources
In the OCI Console, create a Compute instance using an Ubuntu platform image. Select the shape only after checking capacity in the intended region and availability domain, and choose a shape with enough CPU for the resolution, frame rate, and encoding method you plan to use. Configure boot storage for the operating system and media, or arrange separate storage accessible to the instance.
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Configure a VCN and subnet with the network access your setup requires. The VM needs outbound Internet access to reach YouTube ingest. For administration, allow SSH only from trusted addresses where possible; a public IP is needed for direct Internet communication from outside the VCN, while a bastion can provide SSH access without exposing the VM directly. Follow Oracle’s current console labels and network instructions because the exact choices depend on your VCN design.
Connect and install FFmpeg
After the instance is running, connect by SSH using the access method you configured. The following is a generic Ubuntu package-installation pattern, not a command certified for every OCI image or Ubuntu release:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install ffmpegCheck the installed build and available encoders on the target VM before configuring the service:
ffmpeg -version
ffmpeg -encodersPackage versions and encoder availability depend on the Ubuntu release and repositories. If installation fails or the desired encoder is absent, consult the package documentation for that release rather than assuming this example applies unchanged.
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Enable YouTube Live and protect the stream key
- Open YouTube Studio and go to the Live Control Room. Enable live streaming if prompted; the first activation may take up to 24 hours.
- Create or select a stream using YouTube’s encoder workflow. Copy the server URL and stream key shown there. They are separate values: the server URL is the ingest destination, and the key identifies your stream.
- Use RTMPS when YouTube offers it for the stream. YouTube recommends RTMPS as a secure extension to RTMP. Use the current URL in Live Control Room rather than relying on a hard-coded endpoint that might not match your stream.
Treat the key as a password. YouTube says stream keys are like the stream’s “password and address”; do not put a real key in shell commands, screenshots, logs, source control, or a world-readable configuration file. If exposed, reset it in YouTube Studio. The exact secret-injection approach depends on your deployment; a file with restrictive permissions is safer than embedding the key directly in a command or unit file.
Choose a conservative output configuration
YouTube’s encoder guidance includes RTMP/RTMPS, H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1, with constant bitrate (CBR) and a recommended two-second keyframe interval that should not exceed four seconds. For an initial H.264 test, use one of YouTube’s stated recommendations:
| Output | YouTube-recommended H.264 bitrate | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p at 30 fps | 5 Mbps | AAC or MP3; recommended stereo audio bitrate is 128 Kbps |
| 720p at 30 fps | 6 Mbps | AAC or MP3; recommended stereo audio bitrate is 128 Kbps |
These are YouTube ingest recommendations, not a guarantee that a particular OCI VM can encode the output. Use a representative test and monitor CPU, outbound bandwidth, and YouTube stream health. If the VM cannot sustain the workload, lower the resolution or frame rate, use an available hardware encoder only if the selected shape actually provides one, or choose a more capable shape.
YouTube recommends upload bandwidth with 20% headroom above the total stream bitrate, counting primary and backup feeds. For one 5 Mbps feed, applying that margin means at least 6 Mbps of usable outbound capacity. This is upload capacity from the VM, not download speed; shared or variable links need additional margin. See YouTube’s encoder settings and streaming tips.
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Put the media and credentials in place
For a simple looping stream, place the media in a stable path such as /srv/youtube/loop.mp4 and ensure the account running FFmpeg can read it. Make sure the file’s audio and video streams are suitable for the output you intend to send. Test it locally before adding it to an unattended service.
For a safer configuration, store the full ingest destination—including the key—in a root-readable environment file and restrict its permissions. The following illustrates the pattern; replace the placeholders locally, never with a real key in a published copy or shared terminal transcript:
sudo install -d -m 700 /etc/youtube-stream
sudo nano /etc/youtube-stream/stream.env
sudo chmod 600 /etc/youtube-stream/stream.envExample contents for that private file:
YOUTUBE_INGEST_URL='rtmps://YOUR_CURRENT_INGEST_URL/YOUR_STREAM_KEY'Use the exact RTMPS URL format YouTube currently displays. If your key and server URL are supplied separately, combine them only as required by the encoder’s input format, and keep the resulting full destination private as well.
Test a looping FFmpeg stream
The command below is an illustrative H.264/AAC pattern for a file with audio and video, not a validated universal command. Confirm the input file, encoder availability, URL format, and options on the target Ubuntu release. Substitute the environment variable through a protected mechanism rather than typing a real key into shell history.
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ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i /srv/youtube/loop.mp4
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -b:v 5M -maxrate 5M -bufsize 10M
-r 30 -g 60 -keyint_min 60 -sc_threshold 0 -pix_fmt yuv420p
-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100
-f flv "$YOUTUBE_INGEST_URL"Here, -re reads the file at its normal playback rate and -stream_loop -1 repeats it indefinitely. The example aims at 1080p30 H.264 at YouTube’s recommended 5 Mbps video bitrate, with a two-second GOP at 30 fps (-g 60) and 128 Kbps stereo-capable AAC audio. It does not resize the input, so a source with different dimensions may not produce 1080p output. Confirm the actual stream in YouTube Studio. A 720p30 alternative should be configured to match the source/output dimensions and YouTube’s stated 6 Mbps recommendation; do not assume changing only the bitrate produces the desired resolution.
Before using a service, run a short manual test from a protected shell or secret mechanism. In Live Control Room, confirm that YouTube receives the expected resolution, frame rate, bitrate, and audio, and inspect stream health messages. Do not put a real key into an example command that may remain in shell history or appear in process listings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Keep FFmpeg running with systemd
A systemd unit can restart a failed process, but restart behavior is not a seamless-continuity guarantee. The following is an example pattern to adapt and validate on the chosen Ubuntu release; no official OCI end-to-end unit is established by the cited documentation.
Create /etc/systemd/system/youtube-loop.service:
[Unit]
Description=Loop media to YouTube Live
Wants=network-online.target
After=network-online.target
[Service]
Type=simple
EnvironmentFile=/etc/youtube-stream/stream.env
ExecStart=/usr/bin/ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i /srv/youtube/loop.mp4 -c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -b:v 5M -maxrate 5M -bufsize 10M -r 30 -g 60 -keyint_min 60 -sc_threshold 0 -pix_fmt yuv420p -c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100 -f flv ${YOUTUBE_INGEST_URL}
Restart=always
RestartSec=5
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.targetSystemd’s environment-file and argument handling can vary in practical implications, especially for a credential-containing URL. Validate that the unit expands the destination as intended without exposing secrets in logs or process listings. If it does not meet your threat model, use a dedicated wrapper or another secret mechanism with restrictive permissions, and ensure it does not print the key.
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- Reload unit definitions:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload. - Enable the service at boot and start it:
sudo systemctl enable --now youtube-loop.service. - Check its state:
sudo systemctl status youtube-loop.service. - Inspect recent service logs:
sudo journalctl -u youtube-loop.service -n 100 --no-pager. Avoid sharing logs before checking that no credential is present. - Confirm the stream is healthy in YouTube Live Control Room and verify after a reboot that the VM, media mount, secret file, and service all return as expected.
Test a representative long run before relying on it. VM maintenance, capacity or compute limits, network interruptions, source-file errors, and YouTube-side state can still interrupt output even when systemd restarts FFmpeg.
Plan for archives and DVR separately
YouTube says streams under 12 hours can be automatically archived, but a stream exceeding 12 hours may not be captured at all. DVR rewind can also be limited or unavailable for streams longer than 12 hours. A continuous 24/7 session therefore is not a dependable single-file archive. If you need a recording, create a separate local recording workflow, confirm that disk capacity covers the bitrate and retention period, and rotate or move recordings before storage fills. See YouTube’s DVR guidance.
Troubleshoot common failures
YouTube says the stream is offline or no data is arriving
- Verify the server URL and key in Live Control Room; they are distinct settings and a mistyped or reset key prevents ingest.
- Confirm outbound connectivity and usable upload capacity from the VM, not just download speed.
- Check FFmpeg output and
journalctlfor input, authentication, TLS, or connection errors. Keep the key out of shared logs.
FFmpeg exits or systemd keeps restarting it
- Run the command manually for a short test to isolate path, permissions, codec, and URL errors before debugging systemd.
- Check that the media file exists after boot and that any mounted storage is available before the service starts.
- Review
sudo systemctl status youtube-loop.serviceandsudo journalctl -u youtube-loop.service -n 100 --no-pager; a restart loop will not fix a bad source path or invalid encoder option.
Stream health reports instability or encoding overload
- Check sustained CPU load and outbound bitrate during a representative test. YouTube’s stated bitrates are ingest recommendations, not VM performance guarantees.
- Reduce output resolution or frame rate if the VM cannot encode consistently; select a different shape only after confirming availability and suitability.
- Recheck the 20% upload headroom against all outgoing feeds and allow extra room for fluctuations.
The stream plays but the archive is incomplete or absent
Check session duration: YouTube warns that a stream longer than 12 hours may not be captured at all, and long-stream DVR can be limited. Use a separate local recording and retention plan when a complete archive is required.
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