Use FFmpeg’s overlay video filter: make the video the main input, add a transparent logo image as a second input, and composite it with -filter_complex. “Playlist” can mean either a sequence of source videos or an HLS playlist of output segments; the overlay step is separate from both sequencing and YouTube ingestion.
Overlay a logo on the video frames
FFmpeg’s filter documentation shows this basic example, with a transparent logo positioned 10 pixels from the left and bottom edges:
ffmpeg -i input -i logo -filter_complex 'overlay=10:main_h-overlay_h-10' outputFor a lower-right placement with a 10-pixel inset, use this filter expression instead:
overlay=main_w-overlay_w-10:main_h-overlay_h-10Here, main_w and main_h are the main video’s width and height; overlay_w and overlay_h are the logo image’s dimensions. Because the position is calculated from the frame and logo dimensions, it adjusts to different main-video sizes. The FFmpeg example uses a transparent PNG so the image’s transparent areas do not cover the video.
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Adapt the example to your input files
Replace input with your video input and logo with the path to your transparent logo image. Replace output with the output target and format appropriate to the next stage of your workflow. The example is the filter-composition pattern; it is not a complete YouTube Live command for every codec, audio layout, FFmpeg build, or ingestion protocol.
For a more complex filter graph or multiple outputs, label the resulting video stream and map that label to the intended output. The important pipeline order is: select or sequence the source video, composite the logo over its frames, then encode and send the result using the chosen YouTube ingestion method.
Distinguish a source playlist from an HLS playlist
Several source videos played in sequence
If your playlist is a list of source videos, sequencing is an input-selection job. The logo belongs in the video-processing stage, where it is composited onto the frames that will be encoded. Do not confuse the list of source recordings with an HLS media playlist.
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An HLS playlist of output segments
With HLS output, FFmpeg creates a playlist that orders media segments for delivery. That playlist is not the same thing as a list of recordings to play one after another. FFmpeg’s HLS muxer documentation describes segmenting and playlist options, but configuring that muxer alone does not establish that the resulting stream meets YouTube’s ingestion rules.
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Adding the logo does not determine how FFmpeg sends the finished stream to YouTube. The overlay graph and the ingestion transport are separate decisions. Use the requirements for the protocol selected in YouTube Live Control Room, and check the current YouTube guidance before configuring an encoder.
If you choose HLS ingestion
YouTube’s creator-facing HLS setup guide says to select HLS as the stream protocol in Live Control Room and use the HTTPS ingestion URL. It specifies TS segments of 1–4 seconds, a rolling playlist with no more than five outstanding segments, HTTPS POST or PUT, and no byte-range mode. The page lists H.264 or HEVC video and AAC, AC3, or EAC3 audio support.
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Google’s encoder-facing guide, Delivering Live YouTube Content via HLS, describes muxed M2TS video and audio; H.264 or HEVC video; AAC audio with a single audio track; closed GOP; and frame rates up to 60 fps. It describes sending media playlists and segments to the endpoint over HTTP PUT or POST. Its technical framing is distinct from the creator setup page, so follow the applicable requirements in each rather than treating their format descriptions as interchangeable.
YouTube notes that HLS has higher latency than continuous RTMP because it sends video in segments. Google describes HLS as suitable for premium content that needs high quality and high resolution at relatively higher latency. If your needs fit another protocol, compare its supported media, setup complexity, and latency against the HLS requirements before building the output pipeline.
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Keep the encoder and muxer choices explicit
The available guidance does not establish one complete, tested FFmpeg command that covers every source-playlist syntax, audio behavior, codec, FFmpeg build, and YouTube protocol combination. Treat the filter example above as the logo-composition step, then configure encoding, audio, muxing, and transport to meet the current requirements for your chosen YouTube ingestion method.
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Check the logo before sending a live output
- Use an image with transparency if you want only the logo artwork—not an opaque rectangle—to cover the video.
- Choose a corner and inset that keep the mark visible without obscuring important gameplay or other on-screen information.
- Check the logo’s scale against the actual video dimensions; the coordinate expression sets its position, not its size.
- Confirm that your filter graph’s output video is connected or mapped to the output you intend to encode and send.
- Check the resulting video and audio against the selected YouTube protocol’s current requirements; a successful overlay does not validate the ingestion configuration.
Troubleshoot common overlay and ingestion problems
The logo is missing
Check that the logo is supplied as the second input and that the filter graph receives both the main video and the logo. In a complex graph, verify that the composited output is connected or mapped to the output stream.
The logo appears in the wrong corner or is clipped
Check the x- and y-position expressions. For a 10-pixel lower-right inset, use main_w-overlay_w-10:main_h-overlay_h-10. Those expressions position the logo relative to the main frame; a logo larger than the available frame area can still be clipped.
The logo has a solid box behind it
Use a logo image with transparency, such as the transparent PNG shown in FFmpeg’s filter documentation. An opaque image will cover the pixels beneath it.
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YouTube does not accept the stream
Check that Live Control Room is configured for the same protocol your output uses, that you are using the corresponding ingestion endpoint, and that your media, playlist, segments, and transport meet the current requirements for that protocol. For HLS, consult both the creator-facing setup instructions and the encoder-facing ingestion guide. An FFmpeg HLS playlist or successful local encode by itself does not confirm YouTube compatibility.
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