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What you need
- A video file, a transparent logo image such as a PNG, and a plain-text file containing the scrolling message.
- An FFmpeg build with
overlayanddrawtextavailable. The FFmpeg filter documentation lists build requirements fordrawtext, including FreeType; font fallback and text shaping can require additional libraries. - Your YouTube stream URL and stream key from YouTube Studio. Treat the key like a password: anyone with it may be able to send a feed to your stream.
- An upload connection that can sustain the bitrate you choose. YouTube recommends a speed test and recommends RTMPS for ingest.
Prepare the logo and scrolling message
Use a transparent logo image
A transparent PNG works well for a logo because its transparent areas leave the video visible. The FFmpeg overlay filter composites its second video input over its first. Its documented example places an image ten pixels from the left and bottom edges; expressions such as main_w-overlay_w-10 and main_h-overlay_h-10 calculate a lower-right position. If the logo is too large, scale it in the filter graph before overlaying it.
Put the message in a text file
Save the message in a UTF-8 plain-text file, for example message.txt. FFmpeg’s drawtext filter can read text from a file, which avoids much of the escaping needed when punctuation is embedded directly in a filter string. The FFmpeg documentation’s basic scrolling example uses x=-50*t: the x position changes over time, and the coefficient controls horizontal speed. Its example font size is illustrative, not a recommended size for every resolution.
Check that your FFmpeg build supports drawtext
Run ffmpeg -filters and look for drawtext and overlay. A listed filter does not guarantee every font-related feature is enabled, so if a command fails, check the build’s configuration and the documentation for that exact build. The FFmpeg filter reference identifies FreeType as a drawtext build requirement; fontconfig and FriBidi are needed for font fallback and text shaping, and the current reference also lists HarfBuzz. The exact available options depend on how FFmpeg was built.
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Filter strings pass through several parsing layers: the shell, the filter graph, and the filter’s own options. Colons, commas, quotes, backslashes, and special characters in paths can need escaping. Keep paths simple where possible, use textfile for the message, and test the exact command in the shell and FFmpeg build you will use live. See FFmpeg’s notes on filter syntax and escaping.
Combine the logo, scrolling text, and YouTube output
This illustrative command loops a prerecorded video, overlays a scaled PNG logo, draws text that moves from right to left and wraps around, then sends H.264/AAC output to an RTMP ingest URL. Replace every placeholder and tune the output settings to YouTube’s current recommendations for your chosen resolution, frame rate, and codec.
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ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i video.mp4 -loop 1 -i logo.png
-filter_complex "[1:v]scale=180:-1[logo];[0:v][logo]overlay=10:H-h-10,drawtext=fontfile=/path/to/font.ttf:textfile=/path/to/message.txt:fontcolor=white:fontsize=32:y=H-th-24:x=W-mod(80*t,W+tw)"
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -tune zerolatency -b:v 6000k -maxrate 6000k -bufsize 12000k
-g 60 -keyint_min 60 -sc_threshold 0 -pix_fmt yuv420p
-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100
-f flv "rtmp://SERVER/STREAM_KEY"This is a synthesized example, not a verbatim FFmpeg or YouTube recipe, and it has not been run or tested. The logo is scaled to 180 pixels wide while preserving its aspect ratio; change that value to suit the source video. The logo is positioned near the lower-left corner, and the text sits near the bottom. The x expression moves the text left and wraps it to the right; adjust 80 to change its speed. Test whether that wrap suits your message and layout.
Replace video.mp4, logo.png, /path/to/font.ttf, /path/to/message.txt, and rtmp://SERVER/STREAM_KEY with real paths and the ingest URL and key shown in YouTube Studio. Keep the stream key private. This example assumes the video has an audio stream; if it does not, remove the audio options or provide a suitable audio input and map it explicitly. It also assumes that the video’s frame size and rate are acceptable for the chosen output settings.
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Match the output to YouTube’s ingest settings
YouTube’s live encoder settings guidance lists H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 for RTMP/RTMPS, frame rates up to 60 fps, constant bitrate (CBR), AAC or MP3 audio, and a recommended two-second keyframe interval that should not exceed four seconds. It gives bitrate recommendations by codec, resolution, and frame rate. For example, its current H.264 guidance lists 5 Mbps recommended for 1080p30 and 17 Mbps recommended for 1080p60, with a 6 Mbps minimum for 1080p60. These are recommendations for those settings, not universal values: consult YouTube’s current table for your intended stream rather than copying the example command’s bitrate blindly.
The command’s -g 60 is a 60-frame GOP, which equals two seconds only at 30 fps. At a different frame rate, adjust the GOP so the keyframe interval matches YouTube’s guidance. Set bitrate, resolution, frame rate, and codec together; a higher resolution or frame rate needs the corresponding bitrate and enough stable upload capacity. If your video has variable frame rate or unusual dimensions, validate the output and YouTube stream health rather than assuming the sample settings are a fit.
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Connect and test before going live
- In YouTube Studio, create or open the live stream and copy its stream URL and stream key. YouTube’s live stream settings guide explains these settings; its encoder setup guide describes connecting an encoder.
- Replace the command placeholders, confirm the key is not exposed in a public script, screenshot, or shared log, and run the command from the machine that will broadcast.
- Before the real event, test with audio and motion similar to the planned stream. Confirm that the logo is visible, the text is legible and moves at the intended speed, audio is present, and YouTube reports a healthy incoming stream.
- During the broadcast, watch YouTube Studio’s stream health and messages. If the feed is unstable, lower the bitrate to a level your upload connection can sustain and retest.
Troubleshoot common failures
- “No such filter” or a library error: the installed FFmpeg build may lack
drawtextor a required library. Check the local build and its matching documentation; availability varies by build. - The logo is missing or in the wrong place: confirm the image path and input order, then check the overlay coordinates. In this graph, input 1 is the logo and input 0 is the video.
- The logo is too large or distorted: adjust the width in the
scalefilter. The-1height preserves the image aspect ratio; use a transparent source if you want the video to show through around the mark. - The text does not appear or the filter fails to parse: verify the font and text-file paths, and simplify paths containing punctuation. Keep the message in
textfileinstead of embedding it; escape graph and shell characters at the relevant parsing layer. - The text moves too fast, too slowly, or wraps awkwardly: change the multiplier in the x expression and preview the result. The sample expression is one looping marquee design, not the only possible scroll behavior.
- YouTube reports dropped frames or an unstable stream: check stream health, confirm the selected codec and bitrate match YouTube’s current guidance, and compare the bitrate with reliable upload capacity. Retest at a lower bitrate if needed.
- YouTube receives no feed: check that the stream URL and key were copied from the intended live stream, that the key is current and private, and that the command is still running.
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For this use case, note that StreamNeo plays uploaded videos and does not apply the FFmpeg logo or scrolling-text filters described above. See StreamNeo for details, then start your free first day.
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