If your YouTube radio livestream stops after an address changes, first identify which address changed: the radio station’s audio source URL, YouTube’s ingest server URL, or the YouTube stream key. They do different jobs, so changing the wrong field will not restore the stream. Update the changed endpoint in the right place, verify the audio and encoder preview, then monitor YouTube’s stream health.
First, identify which URL changed
A livestream has an input and an output. The radio station’s URL supplies audio to your streaming software. YouTube’s server URL and stream key are destination settings: they tell your encoder where to send that audio and authorize the connection. YouTube documents these separately in its live stream settings and encoder setup instructions.
- Station audio URL changed: the encoder no longer receives the station’s audio at its input.
- YouTube stream key changed or was rejected: the encoder cannot authenticate using the old key.
- YouTube server URL changed: the encoder is sending to an outdated destination.
Check the encoder’s status and audio meters before editing anything. If audio is absent at the input, investigate the station URL. If the input has audio but YouTube reports a connection or key error, check the YouTube destination settings.
Update the changed address and test the stream
- For a changed radio source: ask the station or provider for the current stream address. Replace the old address in the software or device that feeds audio to your encoder. Ask whether the provider offers a stable URL or playlist if it changes addresses periodically.
- Confirm the input works: check that the source plays and that audio reaches the encoder. Do not rely on the YouTube output to diagnose a source that is silent locally.
- For a rejected or changed YouTube key: open YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room, copy the current stream key, and replace the old key in your encoder. This is YouTube’s recommended recovery step for third-party encoder key problems; see its live stream troubleshooting guidance.
- For a changed YouTube server URL: copy the current stream URL from the Live Control Room and put it in the encoder’s server or destination field. The stream URL tells the encoder where to send the feed.
- Test before depending on the broadcast: verify the encoder’s audio and preview, start or test the connection, and monitor YouTube’s stream health. YouTube’s encoder settings guidance covers stream quality and monitoring.
Using OBS for a radio source: what it can and cannot do
OBS can help play supported media or organize a playlist, but its documented source options do not promise to discover a station’s replacement URL automatically. If a provider changes the actual address, you still need to obtain and enter the new one.
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Media Source for local media
OBS Media Source supports several local audio and video formats. Its Loop setting and “Restart playback when source becomes active” option can help with local files, but they do not migrate a changing radio URL. See OBS’s Media Sources documentation.
VLC Video source for a maintained playlist
OBS’s VLC Video source supports playlists and a loop-playlist control, and requires VLC to be installed. It may suit a playlist you maintain or a stable playlist URL from a provider. It is not evidence that OBS will find a replacement address when a station changes its URL. The same OBS documentation describes these source features.
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Network streams and protocol compatibility
OBS’s SRT guide shows a network stream used as a Media Source with “Local File” unchecked. That example is specific to SRT; it does not establish support for every radio URL or streaming protocol in every OBS installation. Confirm the station’s protocol and your software’s support before relying on the setup.
When the source plays but YouTube still drops
Separate playback from delivery. If audio reaches the encoder but frames drop or the connection to YouTube is intermittent, investigate the network path from your computer to YouTube’s ingest server rather than changing the radio URL again. OBS notes that dropped frames and intermittent disconnections can result from network problems between the computer and remote ingest server. Follow its stream connection troubleshooting steps, then check YouTube stream health.
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Or let it run in the cloud
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