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To loop a prerecorded video on YouTube Live from AWS Mumbai, run FFmpeg on an EC2 instance in the ap-south-1 region, read the file at real-time speed, and send the encoder output to the ingest URL and stream key shown in YouTube Studio. The loop uses FFmpeg’s -re and -stream_loop -1 options. AWS’s documented loop example targets IVS, not YouTube, so treat the command below as an adaptation: use YouTube’s current endpoint and settings, then verify the preview before starting the event.
What you need before starting
- A YouTube channel eligible to go live, with a stream or event created in YouTube Studio.
- An uploaded video file on the EC2 instance, with rights to stream its video and audio.
- An Ubuntu EC2 instance in AWS Asia Pacific (Mumbai), region code
ap-south-1. [AWS region table] - SSH access restricted to your own IP address, or an AWS browser-based access method.
- Enough CPU, disk, and outbound network capacity for the chosen file and stream settings. There is no universally suitable instance size; measure the actual workload.
AWS uses a t2.micro in an IVS tutorial example, but that is not evidence it can encode every YouTube stream reliably. [AWS IVS tutorial]
Create and secure the Mumbai instance
- In the AWS Console, choose the Mumbai region, shown as Asia Pacific (Mumbai),
ap-south-1. - Launch an Ubuntu EC2 instance. Select instance capacity based on the source codec, output resolution and frame rate, and whether FFmpeg will encode or simply copy compatible streams. Leave CPU headroom and monitor utilization during a test.
- Configure its security group to allow SSH only from your administrator IP address. Security groups act as virtual firewalls for inbound and outbound traffic. Allow outbound access needed to install packages and reach YouTube’s ingest service; do not copy IVS-specific port rules as YouTube requirements. [AWS security groups]
- Connect after the instance passes its status checks. AWS documents SSH prerequisites including a permitted source IP, the instance details, and the matching private key; EC2 Instance Connect and Systems Manager Session Manager are browser-based alternatives where configured. [AWS connection guidance]
- Install FFmpeg using the Ubuntu package source available to your instance, then confirm it runs with
ffmpeg -version. Keep the operating system and packages updated.
Prepare the YouTube Live event and settings
- Open YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room and create or select the stream. Copy the server/ingest URL and stream key shown for that configuration. YouTube describes the key as the credential that allows the encoder to send a feed; treat it like a password. [Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder]
- Choose RTMPS when YouTube offers it. YouTube recommends RTMPS, which encrypts data to and through Google’s servers. Use the exact server URL displayed in Live Control Room rather than assuming a fixed endpoint format. [YouTube encoder settings]
- Select a resolution, frame rate, codec, and bitrate appropriate to the video and your available upload capacity. YouTube’s current encoder settings list RTMP/RTMPS, H.264, H.265 (HEVC) or AV1 video, up to 60 fps, AAC or MP3 audio, and CBR encoding. Its recommended H.264 video bitrates include 6 Mbps for 720p30, 8 Mbps for 720p60, 10 Mbps for 1080p30, and 17 Mbps for 1080p60. Check the full live table when configuring because recommendations can change. [YouTube encoder settings]
- Set a two-second keyframe interval; YouTube says not to exceed four seconds. For SDR, YouTube recommends Rec. 709, progressive scan, and square pixels. It also recommends stereo audio at 44.1 kHz and 128 Kbps. Match the source where forcing a setting would distort or unnecessarily alter it. [YouTube encoder settings]
Run the FFmpeg loop
First place the video on the instance and set VIDEO to its full path. The following is a template for 720p30-class H.264 output, not a command independently tested against YouTube. It uses YouTube’s listed H.264 recommendation of 6 Mbps for 720p30, with a two-second GOP at 30 fps. Replace the ingest placeholder with the exact URL and key format shown in Live Control Room; do not publish or commit real credentials.
VIDEO="/path/to/video.mp4"
INGEST="<YouTube RTMPS server URL and stream key in the format shown in Live Control Room>"
ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i "$VIDEO"
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -pix_fmt yuv420p
-r 30 -g 60 -b:v 6000k -maxrate 6000k -bufsize 12000k
-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100 -ac 2
-f flv "$INGEST"The loop flags follow an AWS FFmpeg example: -re paces the input in real time, while -stream_loop -1 repeats the input indefinitely. AWS’s example sends to IVS; substituting YouTube’s endpoint and compatible settings is an adaptation, not a YouTube-specific AWS recipe. [AWS FFmpeg example]
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This template re-encodes video with H.264 and audio with AAC. If the input already has compatible codecs and settings, stream-copying may reduce CPU use, but only use it after confirming the file’s codecs, frame rate, resolution, pixel format, and audio match the selected YouTube output. A mismatch can cause ingest rejection or poor playback. If you change the frame rate, keyframe interval, or resolution, recalculate the keyframe cadence and choose bitrate from YouTube’s current table rather than keeping these example values.
Verify the preview, start, and monitor the broadcast
- Start FFmpeg and watch its terminal output for connection errors, encoder errors, or repeated reconnects.
- Wait for the YouTube Live Control Room preview. Confirm that the picture moves, audio is audible and in sync, and stream health has no relevant warning before starting the event as its settings require.
- Test a representative segment and observe the stream through at least one loop boundary. Check that playback returns cleanly to the start without a gap or unwanted audio change.
- Monitor YouTube’s stream health and messages while live, and monitor the EC2 instance’s CPU, memory, disk space, and network behavior.
- To end the feed, stop FFmpeg from sending content, then end the event in Live Control Room if required by its configuration. YouTube’s encoder workflow says, “To end the stream, stop sending content from your encoder.” [YouTube encoder workflow]
Plan for unattended and long-running streams
An EC2 process only keeps running while the instance and FFmpeg process remain available. For unattended use, arrange process supervision and instance restart behavior, and decide how you will be alerted if FFmpeg exits or the stream loses its connection. A shell session alone is not a robust recovery plan. Avoid putting a stream key in a public script, repository, screenshot, or shell transcript; if exposed, replace it in Live Control Room.
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YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. The cited guidance does not establish what happens for longer continuous broadcasts, so confirm current duration limits, archive behavior, live eligibility, and event lifecycle rules before designing a continuous loop. [YouTube encoder workflow]
Repeated or unattended playback does not grant rights to the material or guarantee policy compliance. Use content you own or are licensed to stream, including music and other embedded audio, and check YouTube’s current copyright and reused-content policies. A loop can still be subject to claims or restrictions even when it is technically valid as an encoder feed.
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Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check or do |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube does not show a preview | Wrong server URL or key, FFmpeg has not connected, or outbound access is blocked. | Copy the current URL and key from the selected Live Control Room stream, check FFmpeg’s output, and confirm outbound connectivity. Keep the key private. |
| Connection works but stream health reports issues | Bitrate, codec, keyframes, frame rate, or available upload capacity does not fit the selected output. | Compare the encoder settings with YouTube’s current table; use CBR and a two-second keyframe interval, and check the EC2 network and CPU headroom. |
| Video stutters or FFmpeg falls behind | The instance may not encode the selected resolution and frame rate in real time. | Inspect CPU utilization and FFmpeg output. Test a lower output resolution or frame rate, or choose more compute capacity. Do not assume the tutorial’s example instance size is sufficient. |
| Audio is missing, distorted, or out of sync | Unsupported or mismatched source audio, channel layout, sample rate, or an issue at the file’s loop boundary. | Inspect the source with FFmpeg, verify AAC or MP3 compatibility, and test stereo 44.1 kHz output at the loop boundary. |
| The stream stops after an SSH disconnect or process error | FFmpeg was tied to the interactive shell, the process exited, or the instance stopped. | Use a process manager or service supervisor suitable for your setup, configure instance restart and monitoring, and test recovery before relying on the stream. |
| The archive is missing or the event ends unexpectedly | Event lifecycle or duration behavior may differ for a long broadcast. | Check current YouTube event settings and documentation; the documented automatic archive statement covers streams under 12 hours, not longer runs. |
Cost considerations
AWS cost depends on instance type, operating system, storage, runtime, and network transfer. No verified Mumbai price or instance-size recommendation is established here; check AWS’s current pricing for the region and configuration before leaving a stream online continuously. Also account for the video file’s storage and any monitoring or restart setup you add.
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