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To keep an FFmpeg stream running after you log out, first make the FFmpeg command work interactively, then run that command under a dedicated systemd service. Use the RTMPS URL and stream key from YouTube Live Control Room, protect the key, and check YouTube’s stream health separately from systemd’s process status. Because service directives and secret-handling options vary by Ubuntu and systemd version, verify them against the manual installed on your server before enabling the unit.
Before you start
- An Ubuntu host that can reach YouTube’s ingest service, with FFmpeg installed and built to support the chosen input, codecs, and RTMPS output.
- A video or other input source that FFmpeg can read. This workflow publishes a media source; systemd supervises the process but does not create the video.
- A YouTube channel with access to Live Control Room and a stream configured there.
- A service account, readable input files, a working directory if needed, and a secure way to provide the stream key without putting it in a public file or world-readable unit.
FFmpeg documents real-time file streaming using -re, an input, FLV output, and an RTMP destination. Adapt that pattern to YouTube’s RTMPS endpoint and test the installed FFmpeg build before building the service. See the FFmpeg protocol documentation.
Get YouTube’s RTMPS address and stream key
- Open YouTube Live Control Room and create or select the stream you intend to publish.
- Copy the stream URL and stream key shown for that stream. Select the RTMPS endpoint rather than assuming the default RTMP address is secure; YouTube recommends RTMPS, which uses a secure SSL/TLS connection.
- Treat the key as a credential. Keep it out of screenshots, public commands, shared logs, and files readable by other users. Use a protected configuration mechanism appropriate to your Ubuntu and systemd versions.
If you suspect the key has been exposed, reset it through YouTube Live Control Room and update the protected configuration used by FFmpeg. See YouTube’s streaming settings guidance and YouTube’s RTMPS guidance.
Choose encoder settings that YouTube accepts
YouTube’s live encoder guidance lists H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 video; AAC or MP3 audio; constant bitrate (CBR); and frame rates up to 60 fps. YouTube recommends a two-second keyframe interval and says not to exceed four seconds. Confirm the current requirements for your codec and output mode in YouTube’s encoder settings before going live; the settings can change.
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H.264 bitrate examples
These are examples from YouTube’s displayed H.264 recommendations, not guarantees for every encoder, scene, or network. The settings table is changing guidance and has no publication date stated here.
| Output | YouTube H.264 recommended bitrate |
|---|---|
| 720p at 30 fps | 3 Mbps |
| 720p at 60 fps | 3 Mbps |
| 1080p at 30 fps | 5 Mbps |
| 1080p at 60 fps | 6 Mbps |
Use the recommendation matching the actual codec, resolution, and frame rate. For stereo, YouTube’s guidance lists 44.1 kHz and 128 Kbps; for 5.1 audio over RTMP/RTMPS, it lists AAC at 48 kHz and 384 Kbps.
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Test FFmpeg from the shell first
Run FFmpeg interactively under the same account and with the same input files that the service will use. A generic file-to-live-stream shape is:
ffmpeg -re -i /path/to/input.mp4 -c:v libx264 -b:v 5M -maxrate 5M -bufsize 10M -g 60 -c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100 -f flv 'RTMPS_URL/STREAM_KEY'
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This is an illustrative command, not a universal preset: it uses an H.264 example bitrate for 1080p30, assumes a two-second GOP at 30 fps, and assumes the input and FFmpeg build support the selected options. Replace the destination with the exact RTMPS URL and key from Live Control Room; do not publish or leave a real key in shell history. Adjust resolution, frame rate, codec, bitrate, keyframe interval, and audio settings to match the output you intend to send and YouTube’s current guidance. Confirm encoder availability with the installed FFmpeg build rather than assuming a codec is compiled in.
Watch FFmpeg’s output for connection and encoding errors, and check Live Control Room to confirm that YouTube is receiving the stream and reports healthy video and audio. Test with representative motion and sound before relying on the feed; YouTube advises pretesting and monitoring stream health during the event.
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Prepare a systemd service on Ubuntu
Once the manual command works, create a dedicated service configuration. There is no single safe, verified unit file to copy across all Ubuntu releases: systemd directives and supported credential mechanisms depend on the version installed on the target host. Check the installed systemd manual pages and Ubuntu documentation for the exact directives and syntax you use. In particular, verify the service type, execution command, user and group, working directory, secret delivery, restart behavior, and log handling.
Decide what the service needs
- Service account: Use a non-root account where practical. Ensure it can read the media, execute FFmpeg, and access only the files and directories it needs.
- Working directory and paths: Use absolute paths for the executable, input, and any configuration. A service does not necessarily inherit your interactive shell’s environment or current directory.
- Secret storage: Choose a mechanism supported by the host’s systemd version that keeps the stream key out of a broadly readable unit and ordinary logs. Restrict access to the secret and avoid embedding a live key in a public example or shell command.
- Restart behavior: Decide whether and how the process should be restarted after an unexpected exit. Check the installed systemd manual for the supported directive and semantics; do not assume a restart policy can fix a bad command, invalid key, or unhealthy ingest.
- Logging: Make service output available for diagnosis, then inspect it through the journal. Avoid logging the stream key.
Create, enable, and inspect the unit
- Create the unit using the syntax and directives documented for the systemd version shipped with your Ubuntu release. Point it at the exact command already tested manually and provide the key through the protected mechanism you selected.
- Use systemd’s documented unit-reload procedure after creating or changing the unit. Verify that the unit parses before relying on it.
- Enable and start the service using the appropriate
systemctlcommands for your unit. Confirm the process state withsystemctl statusand inspect its journal withjournalctl, using the unit name and options supported on your host. - Open Live Control Room independently. Confirm that the stream is arriving and healthy; a running FFmpeg process or active systemd unit does not prove YouTube is receiving usable media.
- Test the full arrangement before unattended use, including a service restart and a check that the input remains accessible to the service account.
Troubleshoot common failures
YouTube does not connect or rejects the stream
Check that the stream is active, recopy the URL and key from the correct Live Control Room stream, and confirm you selected its RTMPS endpoint. Verify outbound connectivity and inspect FFmpeg’s output for authentication or connection errors. If the key may be compromised, reset it in Live Control Room and update the protected secret.
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YouTube reports encoder warnings
Compare the actual output to YouTube’s current guidance: codec, CBR, frame rate, keyframe interval, audio codec, sample rate, and bitrate. Confirm that the bitrate corresponds to the selected codec, resolution, and frame rate rather than copying an example for a different output.
The service exits immediately
Run the exact command interactively as the service account. Then inspect the unit’s journal and check that the executable, input, working directory, and secret are present and readable by that account. Correct path or permission errors before changing restart settings. Consult the systemd manual for your Ubuntu version if the unit itself fails to load or its directives are rejected.
systemd says active but YouTube says unhealthy
Use the journal to determine whether FFmpeg is still running and producing output, then use Live Control Room’s health indicators to diagnose what YouTube is receiving. Process supervision alone does not validate the stream’s media or ingest health.
Keep the key and channel safe
- Never put a working key in an article, public issue, screenshot, or shared terminal transcript.
- Limit access to the service configuration and secret to the account and administrators who need it.
- Use only media you have the rights to stream. A technically healthy encoder does not establish permission to rebroadcast music, gameplay, or other material.
- Test representative audio and motion, and continue monitoring YouTube’s stream health while the broadcast is running.
Or let it run in the cloud
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