For a single, already-encoded video that FFmpeg loops and forwards without re-encoding, a reasonable low-cost starting point is VM.Standard.A1.Flex with 1 OCPU and 6 GB of RAM. Treat that as a trial configuration, not a performance guarantee: no workload-specific benchmark establishes that it will sustain every continuous YouTube stream. If you transcode, use demanding filters, run several streams, or need strict uptime, test your own media and size the instance from measured resource use.
Choose the shape based on what FFmpeg actually does
The key sizing question is whether FFmpeg copies encoded audio and video or decodes and encodes them again. Stream-copy generally avoids the work of encoding; transcoding and filters can make CPU and memory demand vary substantially with codec, resolution, frame rate, bitrate, and filter chain. There is no defensible fixed OCPU requirement without those details and a representative test. FFmpeg documents looping with -stream_loop and explains that streams are transcoded unless you specify -c copy (FFmpeg documentation).
One pre-encoded video, copied to the output
Start trials at VM.Standard.A1.Flex with 1 OCPU and 6 GB RAM if you are looping one pre-encoded file and stream-copying its streams. This is a reasoned starting point, not an Oracle or FFmpeg benchmark. Confirm that your command copies the intended streams and that the actual instance sustains the output over a representative run.
Re-encoding, filters, or multiple streams
Do not assume the 1-OCPU starting point will suit a transcoding workload. Encoding and filters can change CPU and memory use sharply; simultaneous streams add workload. Test the exact codecs, resolution, frame rate, bitrate, filter chain, and stream count you expect to run, then increase resources if measured use or stability requires it.
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Why A1.Flex is a plausible trial shape
Oracle describes VM.Standard.A1 as Arm-based OCI Ampere A1 compute using an Ampere Altra Q80-30 processor. Oracle defines each OCPU as one hardware execution thread, with a maximum frequency of 3.0 GHz. A1.Flex supports configured allocations from 1 to 76 OCPUs and up to 472 GB of memory; its documented maximum network bandwidth is 1 Gbps per OCPU, up to 40 Gbps. These are shape ceilings, not resources automatically assigned to a small instance: your allocation determines its configured resources and network allocation. See Oracle’s Compute Shapes reference.
Check Arm compatibility before creating the instance
A1 is an Arm shape. Verify that your selected operating-system image, FFmpeg build, codec libraries, and scripts are available and work on Arm before committing to it. Oracle’s instance-creation guide identifies A1 as Arm-based and says Ampere A1/A2 shapes are not supported for Windows (Oracle’s instance-creation guide).
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What Always Free covers—and what it does not
Oracle documents an Always Free monthly allowance of 1,500 A1 OCPU-hours and 9,000 GB-hours, equivalent for Always Free tenancies to 2 OCPUs and 12 GB of memory. That pool can be assigned to one 2-OCPU instance or up to two 1-OCPU instances, with memory allocated within the entitlement. It is a defined monthly allowance, not an unlimited instance entitlement. Always Free compute instances must be created in the tenancy’s home region. Details are in Oracle’s Always Free Resources documentation.
Handle home-region capacity and account limits
Oracle warns that an “out of host capacity” error means Always Free shapes are temporarily unavailable in the home region. Trying another availability domain or waiting may help. The free allowance does not guarantee a host will be available when you try to create an instance.
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For paid scale-out, check your tenancy’s applicable service limits and regional quota; published limits are not the same as immediate host availability. Oracle’s current reference is Limits by Service.
Decide whether hardware acceleration is actually needed
A CPU-only loop that uses stream-copy does not make a GPU a default requirement. If you re-encode and need hardware encoding, independently verify that the OCI configuration provides the required hardware device and that your FFmpeg build, encoder or decoder, and driver support the chosen acceleration method. FFmpeg notes that hardware acceleration depends on support across the method, build, device, and driver, and can be unavailable or add overhead in some workflows (FFmpeg documentation). The available evidence does not establish a GPU on A1.
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Test the real stream before relying on it
The right production allocation depends on details not specified by the shape alone: source resolution and codecs, whether audio or video is re-encoded, filters, output bitrate and frame rate, number of concurrent streams, target region, account type, and acceptable interruption rate. Run the intended command with representative media and observe CPU, memory, and network use over a meaningful period. Treat the result as evidence for that workload and configuration, not a universal A1 sizing rule.
Practical decision checklist
- One stream, pre-encoded media, stream-copy: use 1 OCPU and 6 GB RAM on A1.Flex as a trial starting point; verify sustained operation with your own stream.
- Transcoding or compute-heavy filters: measure the exact processing workload and scale from observed use rather than assuming the starting point is enough.
- Multiple simultaneous streams: test at the planned stream count; do not extrapolate from a single-stream run without measurement.
- Hardware encoding required: confirm the specific GPU-backed configuration, device access, driver, and FFmpeg support independently.
- Always Free deployment: confirm home-region availability and the tenancy’s remaining allowance before planning around it.
Common sizing and setup problems
- FFmpeg uses more CPU than expected: check whether the command is transcoding instead of copying. Explicitly use
-c copywhen stream-copy is appropriate; if you need to encode or filter, measure that workload separately. - The expected software or codec does not work: check that the image, FFmpeg build, libraries, and scripts support Arm, or choose a compatible architecture.
- The instance cannot be created under Always Free: verify that you are deploying in the tenancy’s home region. If Oracle reports “out of host capacity,” try another availability domain or wait for capacity.
- A documented bandwidth maximum seems higher than the instance’s allocation: compare against the configured OCPU count. The A1.Flex maximum is a shape ceiling, not the bandwidth allocation for every instance.
- Hardware acceleration is unavailable or slower: verify support in the build, device, encoder or decoder, and driver; acceleration is not guaranteed to be available or beneficial for every workflow.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is simply to keep uploaded videos looping as a YouTube live stream, StreamNeo is an alternative to managing an OCI instance and FFmpeg process. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live; StreamNeo loops the uploaded videos from its cloud, so no computer or home connection has to stay on.
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Quick Recap
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