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FFmpeg’s reconnect options can retry eligible HTTP failures, but they do not save a playlist cursor. First identify which connection failed: FFmpeg reading a YouTube HLS stream, or FFmpeg sending a playlist-based program to YouTube Live. For an HLS input, use the HLS demuxer’s start and segment-retry controls; for a local playlist sent to YouTube, save and restore the current item in your scheduler or wrapper if FFmpeg must restart.
First identify which side of the stream failed
“Reconnect to a YouTube live stream” can mean either reading a live stream from YouTube or publishing a program to YouTube. The options belong to different parts of FFmpeg, so identify the failing URL before changing flags.
- Reading from YouTube: the stream URL appears after
-i. HTTP protocol reconnect options and, for HLS, demuxer options may apply to this input. - Publishing to YouTube: the ingest destination is an output URL. Input reconnect options do not repair an output-side failure. If a process restart must continue at the same item in a local playlist, the scheduler or wrapper needs to record and restore that item.
Transport recovery, segment retry, live-playlist starting position, and a saved playlist item are separate concerns. None should be treated as a guarantee of gapless recovery.
Set HTTP reconnect options for an input
For an HTTP input, place protocol options before the relevant -i. The following is a schematic example for an HLS URL; replace the example URL and output with values appropriate to your workflow. It addresses HTTP input recovery, not playlist-position persistence, and is not a YouTube-tested or guaranteed gapless recipe.
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ffmpeg
-reconnect 1
-reconnect_streamed 1
-reconnect_on_network_error 1
-reconnect_delay_max 30
-reconnect_max_retries 20
-i 'https://example.invalid/live.m3u8'
-c copy output.ts-reconnect 1retries when the connection is lost before EOF.-reconnect_streamed 1enables reconnect behavior for streamed or non-seekable HTTP input.-reconnect_on_network_error 1enables retries for TCP or TLS errors during connection establishment.-reconnect_at_eof 1can treat EOF as an error and reconnect. Use it only when EOF should mean that a live or endless stream continues; do not use it to disguise a genuinely finished input.-reconnect_on_http_errorcan be configured for statuses that the source may return transiently. Choose statuses selectively: authentication failures and unavailable resources usually need a fix, not repeated retries.
Bound retry behavior to suit the job with -reconnect_delay_max, -reconnect_max_retries, and, if supported by your build, -reconnect_delay_total_max. Current FFmpeg implementation defaults include a 120-second maximum reconnect delay and a 256-second total delay maximum; reconnect_max_retries is unset, meaning unlimited retries. These are version-dependent defaults, not recommended values for every job. Check the installed binary’s help and set limits deliberately.
The FFmpeg HTTP protocol documentation describes reconnect as reconnecting when disconnected before EOF, and says EOF-triggered reconnect is useful for live or endless streams. See the official FFmpeg protocol documentation.
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For HLS input, choose a start point and segment retry policy
HTTP reconnect settings do not determine where FFmpeg starts in an HLS live playlist or what it does with an individual failed segment. Those are HLS demuxer concerns.
live_start_indexsets the segment offset used when starting a live stream. Negative values count backward from the end of the current playlist.prefer_x_start 1makes an HLS#EXT-X-STARTtag take precedence overlive_start_index.seg_max_retrysets how many times to retry an errored segment instead of skipping it. The documented default is zero retries.
These settings control the initial live position or an errored segment; they are not a durable checkpoint that survives an FFmpeg process restart. Consult the official FFmpeg formats documentation and verify the options supported by your installed version.
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Preserve position when FFmpeg publishes a local playlist
If FFmpeg reads local files and sends the resulting program to YouTube Live, a transport reconnect alone does not tell a restarted process which playlist item was playing. Position recovery belongs in the playlist driver, scheduler, or wrapper around FFmpeg.
- Track the currently playing item, preferably by stable identity rather than only a transient list position.
- Persist that state as playback advances, using the update timing that matches your tolerance for repeats or skips if the process stops abruptly.
- When restarting FFmpeg, have the driver select the desired item and position according to your policy: resume the interrupted item, start the next item, or restart the playlist.
- Test the restart path with the exact playlist, FFmpeg build, and output pipeline. Choose whether avoiding duplicates, avoiding gaps, or reducing downtime matters most; those goals can conflict.
If the failing connection is the YouTube ingest output, check that output’s behavior separately. The FFmpeg references here do not establish a YouTube-specific guarantee that reconnecting will preserve ingest state or playback position.
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What a reconnect can and cannot preserve
| Situation | Relevant control | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| HTTP input disconnects while FFmpeg is running | HTTP reconnect options | A saved playlist cursor after a process restart |
| Starting within an HLS live playlist | live_start_index, with prefer_x_start if appropriate |
Availability of a segment that the live playlist has already removed |
| An HLS segment errors | seg_max_retry |
Exact continuity if retries fail or the source advances |
| FFmpeg restarts while sending a local playlist to YouTube | Application-level saved state and explicit item selection | A YouTube ingest resume guarantee |
For HLS, a live playlist may discard older segments before recovery. In that case, resuming the exact earlier media position may no longer be possible. Whether recovery produces gaps or duplicates depends on the source, playlist retention, FFmpeg build, and output pipeline; validate the behavior rather than promising seamless continuation.
Check your installed FFmpeg build
FFmpeg documentation is rolling, and packaged binaries can differ by version. Before deploying a command, inspect your installed binary’s protocol and HLS demuxer help, then confirm each option is accepted by that build. Do not assume a command copied from a newer installation will work unchanged on an older one.
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