Set up Live Redirect in YouTube Studio, not in FFmpeg. FFmpeg sends your video and audio to the source YouTube stream; Studio tells YouTube where to send viewers when that source ends. You need more than 1,000 subscribers and no Community Guidelines strikes to send a redirect. Redirecting viewers to another channel’s live stream also requires that channel’s permission.
What Live Redirect does—and what FFmpeg does
Live Redirect moves viewers from an ending YouTube live stream to a Premiere or an eligible live stream on another channel. YouTube handles the transition. FFmpeg only encodes and delivers the source feed to YouTube; it does not set or select the redirect destination.
YouTube may show a confirmation before redirecting viewers when the source stream ends. Tell viewers to expect a brief reload: YouTube advises allowing a few seconds for screens to reload. See YouTube’s Live Redirect instructions.
Check eligibility and prepare the destination
- The channel sending viewers must have more than 1,000 subscribers and no Community Guidelines strikes.
- For a Premiere destination, create or schedule the Premiere before configuring the redirect.
- For another channel’s live stream, obtain permission from that channel. YouTube lets creators manage who may redirect to their content in Studio under Settings > Community, with subscription-based, all-channel, and specific-channel permission choices.
- Enable live streaming in advance if this is the channel’s first time. YouTube says initial enablement can take up to 24 hours.
Eligibility and permission details are in YouTube’s Live Redirect help; first-time live enablement is covered in YouTube’s encoder setup guide.
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Create the source stream and configure Live Redirect
- Create the source stream. In YouTube Studio, create or schedule the live stream that will lead into the destination. Open its Live Control Room.
- Copy the encoder credentials. Copy the stream URL and stream key shown for the source stream. YouTube describes stream keys as “like your YouTube stream’s password and address.” Keep the key private: do not publish it or include it in a public command, screenshot, or log. Reset it if you believe it has been exposed.
- Set the redirect in Studio. Go to Content > Live, edit the source video, open Customization, and add the redirect to the prepared Premiere or eligible live stream.
- Confirm the destination. Check that the selected Premiere or live stream is the intended one and that any required channel permission is in place. The destination is a Studio setting, not an FFmpeg option.
For the current Studio controls and stream-key management, see Live Redirect and Manage live stream settings.
Send the feed with FFmpeg
Use the exact ingest URL and stream key displayed in the source stream’s Live Control Room. Choose an output format and encoding supported by YouTube, and make the video settings fit both the source and your available upload capacity. YouTube recommends RTMPS, its secure extension to RTMP.
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There is no single official, complete YouTube-specific FFmpeg command in the cited YouTube or FFmpeg documentation. Avoid treating an arbitrary command found online as an official requirement. If adapting an FFmpeg command, keep the actual stream key private, use the current Studio-provided ingest URL, and verify the result in Live Control Room before the event.
File input versus live capture
For a video file, FFmpeg’s -re option reads at the input’s native frame rate (equivalent to -readrate 1), which can simulate real-time playback rather than sending the file as fast as possible. FFmpeg cautions against using -re with a real capture device or live stream because it may cause packet loss. For a genuine live source, use its natural timing rather than blindly adding this option. Consult the FFmpeg documentation for the option’s behavior.
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Match settings to the output
YouTube’s current encoder guidance supports RTMP/RTMPS, H.264, H.265 or AV1 video, AAC or MP3 audio, and recommends constant bitrate (CBR). It recommends a two-second keyframe interval and says not to exceed four seconds. These are recommendations and supported choices, not a reason to use the same bitrate or GOP value for every frame rate and resolution.
For H.264, YouTube recommends 5 Mbps for 1080p at 30 fps and 17 Mbps for 1080p at 60 fps. Those figures apply to those specific resolution and frame-rate combinations; choose settings for your actual output and ensure your upload connection can sustain the bitrate. YouTube’s encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions page has the current guidance.
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A two-second keyframe interval is a time value, not a universal frame count. If configuring a GOP length in frames, calculate it from the chosen frame rate; do not copy a fixed -g value without checking what interval it produces. Preview the actual output in Live Control Room.
Test before the event
- Allow setup time. YouTube recommends setting up the encoder at least two hours before the event and starting it at least 15 minutes before the scheduled time.
- Start FFmpeg and check the preview. Confirm the source appears in Live Control Room and that audio, movement, framing, and timing are correct.
- Check stream health. Monitor YouTube’s status indicators before and during the event; test with representative audio and motion rather than a static frame alone.
- Verify the viewer path. Confirm the watch page and redirect destination are correct. If an archive matters, check it after the test or event. YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived.
- Tell viewers what to expect. Explain that the screen may reload for a few seconds when the source ends and the redirect takes effect.
These timing and testing recommendations are from YouTube live streaming tips and its encoder settings guidance.
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Troubleshooting
No image or the stream does not connect
- Check that FFmpeg is sending to the URL and key for the correct source stream, and that the key has not been reset or mistyped.
- Confirm the encoder output uses a protocol and codecs supported by YouTube, then inspect the Live Control Room preview and stream-health information.
- If this is the channel’s first live stream, account for YouTube’s stated enablement period of up to 24 hours.
Playback is choppy or drops packets
- Check whether the selected bitrate is sustainable on the upload connection and appropriate for the resolution and frame rate.
- If the input is a real capture device or live stream, remove an inapplicable
-reoption and let the input’s natural timing drive the output. - Check the encoder’s keyframe interval against YouTube’s two-second recommendation and four-second maximum recommendation.
The redirect does not happen
- Make sure the redirect was configured on the source video in Studio under Content > Live > Customization; an FFmpeg command cannot choose the destination.
- Check the sender’s eligibility and, for another channel’s live stream, confirm that channel has allowed redirects to its content.
- Ensure the Premiere was set up first or the destination live stream is the intended eligible stream. Allow viewers a few seconds for the transition to reload.
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