For one repeating video, Wowza Streaming Engine can publish a VOD file as a live stream with the ServerListenerStreamDemoPublisher listener. For a playlist of multiple clips, use Stream Publisher and an application-specific SMIL schedule with repeat="true". In either case, send Wowza’s output to YouTube Live using the stream URL and secret stream key from Live Control Room, then test the complete stream before relying on it unattended.
Choose the right Wowza method
| Decision | Single repeating file | Scheduled multi-item playlist |
|---|---|---|
| Wowza method | ServerListenerStreamDemoPublisher |
Stream Publisher with SMIL |
| Best for | A simple loop that runs until stopped | Multiple clips, offsets or lengths, and scheduled starts |
| Main setup caution | Static server-listener configuration | SMIL belongs to the application; edit it with a text editor, not Manager’s SMIL editor |
| Loop control | The listener repeats the VOD until terminated | Set repeat="true" to loop the playlist |
One file: server listener
Wowza documents ServerListenerStreamDemoPublisher for publishing a VOD file as a live stream; it repeats the file until the listener is terminated. The setup can be made through Engine Manager or by editing Server.xml. Wowza describes this as a static configuration and points to Stream Publisher for a more dynamic solution. It is a looping-file method, not a full playlist manager. See Wowza’s guide to publishing a video file as a live stream.
Multiple items: Stream Publisher
For a schedule, Stream Publisher reads an application-specific SMIL file from that application’s Stream Storage directory. The streamPublisherSmilFile property identifies the file. Each application loading a schedule needs its own SMIL file. Wowza’s scheduler SMIL includes tags that Manager’s SMIL editor cannot recognize, so create and edit the schedule in a text editor. See Wowza’s Stream Publisher scheduling guide.
Build and loop a Stream Publisher schedule
Use the scheduler attributes according to whether each item is live or on demand, how long it should play, and when the playlist should run:
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start="-2"is for a live source. For an on-demand source, usestart="0"or a positive offset.length="-1"plays to the end; a positive value caps playback at that many seconds.repeat="true"loops the schedule. Withrepeat="false", the stream shuts down when that playlist ends.- The
scheduledattribute sets the playlist start time. If a begin time is already past, playlists load in order and a later one can immediately replace the preceding playlist.
Put the SMIL file in the application’s Stream Storage directory and set streamPublisherSmilFile for that application. Wowza’s documentation contains historical example dates; use the scheduling rules, not those old dates, when setting your own run time.
Connect Wowza to YouTube Live
- Create or select the YouTube destination. In YouTube Live Control Room, create or select the stream and retrieve its stream URL and stream key. YouTube’s encoder setup guide describes the generic workflow.
- Configure Wowza’s outbound publishing destination. Enter the YouTube stream URL and key in the output or publishing configuration appropriate to your installed Engine version. The public YouTube instructions do not establish one universal Engine Manager click path for every Wowza release, so follow the documentation for your specific Engine version.
- Use RTMPS when your deployment supports it. YouTube recommends RTMPS, which encrypts RTMP with TLS/SSL. The RTMPS URL is available in YouTube Live stream settings. Verify support and configuration in the documentation for your Wowza version rather than assuming every Engine installation exposes the same controls. See YouTube’s RTMPS guidance.
- Keep the stream key private. YouTube treats the key like a password. If it is exposed, reset it in Live Control Room and update the Wowza publishing configuration with the replacement. See YouTube’s live stream settings guidance.
Set encoder output and verify the stream
Match the Wowza output to YouTube’s current guidance for the codec, resolution, and frame rate you intend to send. YouTube recommends a two-second keyframe interval and says not to exceed four seconds, constant bitrate (CBR), and AAC or MP3 audio for RTMP/RTMPS. Its bitrate recommendations depend on video codec, resolution, and frame rate; select the matching row in YouTube’s encoder settings table rather than applying one bitrate to every output. Confirm that the available upstream capacity can sustain the selected bitrate.
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YouTube transcodes incoming live video into formats for viewers. Before making a broadcast unattended, test with representative motion and audio, confirm that YouTube receives the stream, and monitor stream health in Live Control Room. YouTube’s encoder setup instructions cover testing and stream monitoring.
Troubleshoot common setup failures
- The playlist stops after one pass: Check that the schedule has
repeat="true". Withrepeat="false", Stream Publisher shuts down after that playlist ends. - A scheduled playlist replaces another immediately: Check each
scheduledstart time. A begin time already in the past can cause playlists to load in order and replace the preceding one. - Manager’s SMIL editor does not handle the schedule: Stream Publisher’s scheduler SMIL has extra tags the editor cannot recognize. Edit the file with a text editor and keep it in the application’s Stream Storage directory.
- YouTube does not receive the Wowza output: Recheck the destination stream URL and key in the version-appropriate Wowza output configuration. Confirm the selected stream in Live Control Room and that the key has not been reset.
- YouTube reports an unstable or invalid encoder stream: Check the codec, resolution, frame rate, bitrate, keyframe interval, and audio format against YouTube’s current settings guidance. Verify upstream capacity and test the end-to-end path before the continuous run.
- The connection is not encrypted: If the Wowza deployment supports it, configure the RTMPS URL from YouTube’s stream settings; verify the exact procedure for the installed Engine version.
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