You can keep a pre-recorded YouTube stream running without leaving your home computer on by running OBS on a Vultr server. Vultr documents two approaches: deploy its preconfigured Broadcaster Marketplace app for browser-accessible OBS, or install OBS on Ubuntu and manage the server yourself. In either case, upload your media to the server, configure OBS to loop it, add your YouTube stream key, and verify the broadcast on YouTube.
Choose a Vultr setup
| Option | How you access OBS | What you manage |
|---|---|---|
| Broadcaster Marketplace app | Browser-accessible OBS deployment | Deploy the app, retain its generated web password, upload media, and configure the stream. |
| Ubuntu with OBS | Remote desktop | Install and configure Ubuntu, OBS, FFmpeg, media sources, and streaming settings. |
Vultr presents the Marketplace app as a preconfigured route; the Ubuntu route requires more administration and gives you control over the installed stack. Vultr’s guides do not establish a current price or measured reliability comparison. Check Vultr’s current plan availability and pricing before deploying.
For the app workflow, see Vultr’s Broadcaster Marketplace app guide, updated 25 July 2024. For Ubuntu, see Vultr’s OBS and Ubuntu guide, updated 1 April 2025.
Prepare the stream and server
1. Set up the YouTube destination
In YouTube Studio, create or schedule the live stream and copy its stream key. The exact controls and live-stream eligibility can change, so follow the current YouTube Studio interface and requirements. Treat the key like a password: anyone who obtains it may be able to broadcast to your channel. Do not put it in a public screenshot, shared document, or command pasted into a public forum.
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2. Deploy the server
For the Broadcaster app, deploy the Marketplace image and save the generated OBS web password securely. For Ubuntu, Vultr’s tutorial baseline is at least 2 vCPUs, 4 GB RAM, 80 GB storage, and 3 TB bandwidth. These are the guide’s configuration recommendations, not a guarantee that every workload or stream duration will fit. Estimate storage from your media files and consider bandwidth consumption before choosing a plan.
3. Secure remote access
Use strong, unique credentials for the server and OBS web interface. Vultr recommends a trusted SSL certificate when accessing the interface through a domain and advises restricting critical ports, including RTMP port 1935, to a trusted IP using Vultr Firewall. Expose only the services you need; avoid leaving administrative access broadly open to the internet.
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Install and open OBS on Ubuntu
Vultr’s Ubuntu method requires installing OBS Studio and FFmpeg, then accessing the graphical desktop remotely. Package availability and installation commands can change with Ubuntu releases, so use the commands and desktop-access instructions in Vultr’s current tutorial for the Ubuntu image you deploy. After installation, open OBS in the remote desktop and complete the stream and media setup below.
The Broadcaster Marketplace app is already presented as a preconfigured OBS deployment, so you do not follow the Ubuntu installation path for that option. Open its browser-accessible OBS interface with the generated web credentials.
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Upload and loop your video
Upload media to the server
The media file must be available to the remote OBS instance; a file that remains only on your personal computer cannot serve as the server’s always-on source. Vultr documents SFTP, FTP, SCP, and Rsync as transfer methods. Choose a transfer method you can secure, and place the file in a directory the server account running OBS can read. Vultr’s guide puts it plainly: “If you plan to run a 24/7 live stream, then, upload your source files to the server.”
Loop one video
- In OBS, add a Media Source to the scene.
- Browse to the video file you uploaded to the server.
- Enable Loop in the source properties.
- Preview playback and confirm the source’s audio registers in the Audio Mixer.
Loop a playlist
For multiple files, Vultr’s app guide recommends a VLC Video Source. Add the source, select the media files for the playlist, and check its playback and audio in OBS before going live. Confirm that the playlist’s behavior matches your intended order and repeat behavior; a preview helps catch missing files or silent media before viewers encounter them.
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Configure OBS and start the broadcast
Set the destination and key
In OBS, open Settings → Stream, choose YouTube if it is offered as the service, or select a custom streaming service and enter the destination URL and key as appropriate. If YouTube provides a stream URL, use the current value shown for your event rather than relying on an old copied setting. Keep the stream key private.
Choose resolution, frame rate, and bitrate
Set the video canvas and output resolution and frame rate to match your source and the destination’s current accepted settings. Vultr’s Ubuntu guide suggests 720p (1280 × 720) for a server with two or more vCPUs and cautions that higher resolution and frame rate require more processing. Its bitrate ranges are tutorial recommendations, not universal values; check the current YouTube requirements and use the bitrate appropriate to the selected resolution and frame rate. A larger bitrate also consumes more outbound bandwidth.
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Use OBS output settings that the server can sustain continuously. If the stream stutters or OBS reports rendering or encoding overload, lower resolution, frame rate, or bitrate and test again. A server specification alone cannot guarantee smooth encoding for every codec, scene, or source.
Enable recovery and verify live status
Configure OBS’s automatic reconnect behavior so it attempts to recover if the connection drops. Start streaming, then check the live event in YouTube Studio and confirm it shows the stream as active. OBS showing a preview or a running status is not enough: destination-side verification confirms that YouTube is receiving the broadcast. Check both video and audio, and confirm the loop returns to the beginning as expected.
Check platform rules before leaving it running
Technical ability to loop a file does not establish that a particular platform permits every prerecorded stream, duration, or use of reused content. Review YouTube’s current live-streaming, copyright, and monetization rules for your content and channel before broadcasting. Use media you own or have permission to stream; a loop setting does not grant rights to music, game footage, or other material.
Troubleshoot common failures
- OBS cannot find the media: confirm the file was uploaded to the server, the path is correct, and the account running OBS has read access.
- The video plays in preview but has no sound: check the source’s audio routing and the OBS Audio Mixer, then confirm the destination receives audio during a test.
- YouTube does not show the stream as live: check the selected service or custom URL, stream key, event status, and OBS connection status; verify again in YouTube Studio.
- The stream disconnects and stays offline: confirm automatic reconnect is enabled, check server and network status, and inspect OBS logs for the failure cause.
- Video stutters or OBS reports overload: reduce resolution, frame rate, or bitrate and review CPU and memory use. Higher output settings increase processing requirements.
- Remote OBS is unreachable: check the server’s status, firewall rules, domain and SSL configuration, and whether the access IP is allowed. Do not solve an access problem by opening administrative ports to everyone.
- The playlist stops or skips a file: check the VLC Video Source file list and paths, and confirm all playlist media remains on the server.
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