Uploading videos to Hetzner and playing them continuously on YouTube are separate jobs. Transfer the files to a Hetzner Storage Box or Cloud server with SFTP/SCP, then run a playback-and-encoder process on an always-on host to send the broadcast to YouTube Live. A Storage Box stores and serves files; it is not an interactive server or a YouTube encoder.
Choose the right Hetzner destination
Decide whether you need file storage or a machine that can run the stream. Hetzner Storage Box and Hetzner Cloud servers are different products, with different access and operating capabilities.
| Destination | What it is for | What it does not do by itself |
|---|---|---|
| Storage Box | Storing and transferring files using supported protocols such as SFTP or SCP. | It does not provide interactive SSH access for running an encoder or playback process. |
| Cloud server | A general-purpose virtual server where you can install and operate software, subject to your configuration and server capacity. | It does not automatically create a YouTube broadcast just because video files are present. |
For a Storage Box, use the hostname shown in your Hetzner account and connect over port 22. Hetzner requires External Reachability to be enabled in the console for external connections. A Cloud server is the relevant Hetzner option if you intend to run the encoder there; secure its SSH access and any other exposed services for that architecture.
Upload the video files
Use an SFTP client such as WinSCP or FileZilla, or use SFTP/SCP from a terminal. Before accepting an SSH host key, compare its fingerprint with an independent trusted source. Authenticate with a password or a supported SSH key, and keep both your login credentials and YouTube stream key private.
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Transfer with an SFTP client
- In the client, create a new SFTP connection using the Storage Box hostname from the Hetzner console, port 22, and your Storage Box username.
- Enable External Reachability in the Hetzner console if it is not already enabled.
- Verify the host fingerprint independently before accepting it, then authenticate with your password or supported SSH key.
- Choose or create a destination directory supported by your account, upload the video files, and wait for the transfer to finish.
- Check that the expected files and sizes appear in the remote directory before configuring playback.
Transfer from a terminal
For example, an SFTP session can be started with:
sftp -P 22 YOUR_USERNAME@YOUR_STORAGE_BOX_HOSTNAMEReplace the uppercase values with the username and hostname shown in your Hetzner account. After connecting and verifying the host key, use SFTP commands such as put to upload files and ls to check the remote directory. For a one-off SCP transfer, use:
scp -P 22 /path/to/video.mp4 YOUR_USERNAME@YOUR_STORAGE_BOX_HOSTNAME:REMOTE_DIRECTORY/Replace the example paths with the actual local file and a destination permitted by your Storage Box account. These commands transfer files only: they do not start a YouTube stream or make a playlist loop.
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Set up the playback and broadcast stage
A continuous YouTube playlist needs a process that reads the uploaded videos in sequence, loops or advances through them as intended, encodes or packages the output, and sends it to YouTube from a host that stays available. If the files are on a Storage Box, a separate always-on host must access them and perform that work. If the files are on a Cloud server, that server may host the process, but you remain responsible for its configuration and operation.
YouTube describes the role of an encoder this way: “An encoder converts your video into a digital format to stream on YouTube.” Its guidance establishes how to send a live feed, but does not validate a particular 24/7 playlist-loop command for Hetzner. Choose a player and encoder whose current documentation covers your intended workflow, then test the exact playlist order, looping behavior, audio, and restart behavior before relying on it. Do not assume a Storage Box can run that software.
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Configure YouTube Live
- Confirm the channel is eligible for live streaming before building the deployment. YouTube says livestreaming requires a verified channel with no livestreaming restriction in the past 90 days; its getting-started guidance gives 16 as the minimum age.
- In YouTube Studio, open Live Control Room and create or select the live stream you intend to use.
- Copy the stream URL and stream key into the encoder’s ingest settings. YouTube treats stream keys like passwords: do not publish them, commit them to a public repository, or include them in screenshots. Reset the key in Live Control Room if it is exposed.
- Use RTMPS when the chosen encoder supports it. YouTube recommends H.264 video, constant bitrate encoding, and a two-second keyframe interval, not exceeding four seconds; for audio it lists AAC or MP3. These are YouTube recommendations, not a guarantee that a particular Hetzner server can encode your chosen resolution in real time.
- Start with a private or otherwise appropriate test, inspect the YouTube preview, and confirm continuous picture and sound before making the broadcast public.
If you select HLS ingest instead, follow YouTube’s protocol requirements rather than treating them as settings for your source playlist: YouTube specifies TS segments of 1–4 seconds, HTTPS POST/PUT requests, and a rolling ingest playlist with no more than five outstanding segments. HLS has higher latency than RTMP. The ingest playlist is a transport mechanism, not the list of prerecorded videos you want to play.
Plan for continuous operation
A successful upload is not a 24/7 operating plan. With a self-managed setup, you own the host’s security, software updates, file availability, process supervision, monitoring, and recovery when the host, network, encoder, or YouTube connection fails. Hetzner recommends exposing only the firewall ports your actual setup requires; do not open ports just because a generic tutorial does.
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- Keep an independent copy of important source videos and configuration. A remote transfer is not, by itself, a backup plan.
- Monitor the YouTube preview or live page as well as the host and network. A running process does not prove viewers are receiving continuous audio and video.
- Decide how you will detect a stopped process or dropped ingest and how it will be restarted. The exact supervisor and restart configuration depend on the player and encoder you choose; the official guidance cited here does not certify a particular Hetzner loop deployment.
- Plan separately for archives. YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. Do not rely on automatic archiving for a continuous stream that exceeds 12 hours; arrange a separate recording or archive if you need retention.
Check rights and channel rules before looping
Prerecorded video does not become exempt from YouTube’s live-stream rules because it is being looped. You must have the necessary rights for the video and audio, including relevant music rights, and comply with YouTube’s Community Guidelines and applicable laws. Review YouTube’s Terms of Service and Community Guidelines before broadcasting content you did not create or license.
Choose between self-hosting and a managed cloud service
Self-hosting on Hetzner gives you direct control over the files, software, and configuration, but also leaves setup, monitoring, and recovery in your hands. A managed prerecorded-live-stream service avoids keeping your own computer or server process running. YouTube’s encoder guide lists Gyre as a cloud-based option, but that listing alone does not establish its current pricing, terms, or availability.
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