If FFmpeg stops when a finite playlist reaches its end, add -stream_loop -1 before the playlist’s -i option. That tells FFmpeg to repeat the input indefinitely. If your source is a live HLS playlist that should keep updating, looping is not the right first fix: check whether the playlist refreshes and its segments remain reachable.
Loop a finite playlist input
FFmpeg can finish normally when it reaches the end of a finite input. To replay that input, put -stream_loop -1 before the -i that opens it. FFmpeg documents -stream_loop as an input option: 0 means no loop and -1 means infinite loop. See the FFmpeg option documentation.
ffmpeg -stream_loop -1 -re -i playlist.txt
-c:v libx264 -c:a aac -f flv "$YOUTUBE_INGEST_URL"This is an illustrative pattern, not a tested command. Replace playlist.txt with the input your workflow actually uses. Set the correct stream mapping, codecs, output format, and private YouTube ingest URL for your setup. The command assumes an input compatible with this pattern; a concat file, network playlist, or other input may require different options.
Put the option beside the input it affects
Because -stream_loop applies to an input, it must appear before that input’s -i. If a command has multiple inputs and more than one should loop independently, put the option before each relevant -i. Placing it after the input does not apply it to that input.
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First identify what “playlist” means in your command
| Source type | What to check | Likely action |
|---|---|---|
| Finite file or concat-style input playlist | Does FFmpeg stop cleanly at the same point when the listed media ends? | Use -stream_loop -1 before the input’s -i if it should replay. |
| Live HLS URL used as an input | Is the remote playlist still changing, and can FFmpeg retrieve its segments? | Investigate refresh and segment retrieval rather than assuming the source should loop. |
| HLS output being sent to YouTube Live | Does the output follow YouTube’s HLS ingestion requirements? | Check YouTube’s media-playlist requirements; this is an ingestion issue, not a finite-input looping fix. |
If the input is live HLS
A live HLS playlist is expected to refresh as new segments become available. If the stream stops, inspect whether the playlist is being updated and whether segment requests are failing. FFmpeg’s HLS demuxer has controls for playlist reload behavior and segment retries, but those address refresh or retrieval problems, not replaying finite media. See the FFmpeg formats documentation.
If FFmpeg is publishing HLS to YouTube
Do not confuse an HLS output playlist with the finite input playlist that -stream_loop repeats. YouTube’s HLS guidance says it accepts media playlists and ignores master playlists, and sets requirements for sequence numbers and outstanding segments. Follow the current YouTube HLS ingestion guidance for this publishing path.
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Why reconnect and HLS output flags may not fix this
reconnect_at_eof is for network recovery
FFmpeg documents reconnect_at_eof as treating end-of-file as an error and reconnecting. That can be useful for a network source expected to continue, but it is not the same as telling a finite local input to replay. For a finite playlist that should repeat, use input looping instead. See the FFmpeg protocols documentation.
omit_endlist does not replay the input
The HLS output flag omit_endlist suppresses #EXT-X-ENDLIST in an HLS output playlist. It does not loop the media being read, so it is not a general fix for a finite source reaching EOF. See the FFmpeg formats documentation.
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Diagnose the stop before changing more options
- Identify the source. Determine whether the relevant
-ipoints to a local file, a concat or playlist file, a live HLS URL, or another network source. - Check when and how FFmpeg exits. If it finishes cleanly after the same media duration, the input may simply have reached EOF. If it stops irregularly or reports HTTP, network, or segment errors, investigate transport or HLS refresh instead.
- Loop only a finite source meant to repeat. Add
-stream_loop -1before that input’s-i. Check your FFmpeg build’s help or documentation if the option is unavailable or the input format behaves unexpectedly. - For live HLS, verify updates and retrieval. Confirm the playlist is still changing and the referenced segments can be requested; use HLS-specific controls only for the refresh or retrieval failure you observe.
- For HLS delivery to YouTube, check ingestion compliance. Confirm you are sending a media playlist and meet YouTube’s current HLS requirements rather than trying to solve an output-format issue by looping the input.
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