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You can relay an AzuraCast station to YouTube Live by having FFmpeg read the station’s listener-facing audio mount, combine it with a video source such as a still image, and send the result to the RTMPS URL and stream key for your YouTube event. The mount URL and working FFmpeg command depend on your AzuraCast installation, FFmpeg build, and YouTube event, so test the preview and audio before making the stream public.
What you need before you start
- An AzuraCast station whose listener-facing mount URL is reachable from the machine running FFmpeg.
- FFmpeg installed with the input and encoding support your source and chosen output require. Check your local build and its help output; available options vary.
- A still image or other video source to accompany the station audio if your YouTube ingest workflow expects video.
- A live event in YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room, with its Stream URL and stream key.
- Enough upload capacity for the selected video and audio output.
Copy the AzuraCast listener mount URL
Use the URL exposed by the station’s mount-point or public/listener information. AzuraCast’s default mount pattern is {HTTP/HTTPS}://{BASE_URL}.TLD/listen/{STATION_URL_STUB}/{MOUNT_POINT_URL}, but an installation can use a custom mount URL. Do not guess the hostname, port, station slug, or mount filename; copy the actual listener URL and confirm it is reachable from the FFmpeg host. AzuraCast mount point documentation.
Read the listener-facing broadcast, not a DJ login or input endpoint. AzuraCast describes Liquidsoap as the AutoDJ backend that assembles station output and the broadcast frontend as the software designed to serve listeners. DJ credentials are for contributing a live input to AzuraCast, not for relaying the station’s finished output. Network access can differ by installation; reverse proxies may block direct connections to broadcaster ports. AzuraCast reverse-proxy guidance.
Get the YouTube event’s RTMPS URL and stream key
- In YouTube Studio, open or create the live event in Live Control Room.
- Under Stream settings, copy the event’s Stream URL and stream key. Treat the key as a secret: YouTube describes it as the stream’s “password and address.” If it is exposed, reset it in Live Control Room. YouTube: Set up your encoder for live streaming.
- For an encrypted connection, reveal and copy the RTMPS URL using the lock control under Stream settings. YouTube may show the ordinary RTMP URL by default; do not assume that visible URL is RTMPS. Use the endpoint provided for this event. YouTube: Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions.
YouTube supports both RTMP and RTMPS, and recommends RTMPS as the secure extension of RTMP. Use RTMPS when your FFmpeg build can publish to the supplied endpoint.
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Configure FFmpeg to relay the station
Supply video as well as audio
An AzuraCast listener mount supplies audio. If the YouTube ingest workflow expects a video stream, pair that audio with a looping locally licensed still image or another video source. Do not assume an audio-only mount alone will satisfy the event’s ingest format.
Build the command around your actual inputs
The general shape is: loop the visual input, read audio from the AzuraCast listener URL, encode compatible video and audio, then publish to the exact RTMPS URL and key from Live Control Room. This is a configuration pattern, not a tested universal command. The correct FFmpeg options and quoting depend on your FFmpeg build, source format, visual input, URL escaping, and YouTube endpoint. Check the options supported by your local build before assembling the command; do not paste a guessed command or put a real stream key in a public script, log, or shared terminal transcript.
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Use YouTube’s current encoder guidance for the output settings. It lists AAC or MP3 audio and constant bitrate encoding; for stereo audio, YouTube recommends 44.1 kHz and 128 kbps. When encoding video, YouTube recommends a 2-second keyframe interval and says not to exceed 4 seconds. Choose video resolution and bitrate from the current YouTube table for that resolution, while ensuring your connection can sustain the combined output. YouTube encoder settings and bitrate guidance.
Check your own FFmpeg build’s input protocols and codec availability, and confirm it can publish to the RTMPS endpoint. The YouTube guidance establishes compatible output expectations, not FFmpeg command-line syntax.
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Test the preview before going public
- Start FFmpeg and wait for the event preview or incoming-stream status in Live Control Room.
- Listen to the preview and confirm the station audio is present, stable, and not excessively quiet or distorted. Confirm the visual appears if the event expects video.
- Check YouTube’s stream health messages before selecting Go Live. YouTube recommends testing before streaming and monitoring health while live. YouTube live encoder guidance.
- Once live, keep monitoring the event’s health status and the FFmpeg process. If the stream is interrupted, diagnose the input, network path, and destination before restarting.
Troubleshoot common failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| FFmpeg cannot open the source | Wrong URL or an inaccessible listener mount | Copy the listener-facing mount URL from the station’s public information. Verify hostname/DNS, TLS, port access, mount path, and any credentials required by that installation. |
| The mount works locally but not from the FFmpeg host | Network or reverse-proxy restrictions | Test reachability from the machine running FFmpeg. AzuraCast installations may have reverse-proxy rules that prevent direct connections to broadcaster ports; the necessary fix depends on the server configuration. |
| YouTube does not receive the expected stream | Wrong event URL, protocol, or key | Copy the Stream URL and key from the specific event. If you need encrypted ingest, reveal and use its RTMPS URL rather than assuming the default RTMP URL is encrypted. |
| YouTube receives audio but no usable picture | The input is audio-only while the event expects video | Add a still image or other video source and check that the event preview shows it. |
| Preview has no audio or unstable audio | Source mount, network, input format, or encoding mismatch | Confirm the listener mount plays from the FFmpeg host, then inspect FFmpeg’s input and output messages and compare the audio codec and settings with YouTube’s guidance. |
| The event reports poor stream health | Output settings or upload capacity may not match | Review YouTube’s current resolution-specific video bitrate guidance and the recommended audio settings; check whether the connection can sustain the combined bitrate. |
| The key may have been exposed | Stream key copied into a public place or shared log | Reset the key in YouTube Live Control Room and update the encoder with the replacement. |
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is to keep a YouTube channel live from uploaded recordings rather than relay AzuraCast’s live station output, StreamNeo is a separate cloud option: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. It plays uploaded videos, not a live camera or an AzuraCast audio mount.
- Nothing has to stay on at home; the stream runs from the cloud.
- Any uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps streams as made, at one flat price per slot.
- Automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream.
- The first day is free with no card, one free day per account.
Monthly service: $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo for details, or start the free first day.
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