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You can keep a pre-recorded, child-directed YouTube Live stream running around the clock by looping a media file through FFmpeg in a Docker container and publishing it to YouTube over RTMPS. Docker can restart an exited container, and FFmpeg can retry some temporary output failures, but neither detects every frozen video, silent audio track, rejected stream, or broken source. Treat this as a service to monitor and recover—not guaranteed uptime.
What you need before you start
- A YouTube channel that is verified and has had no live-stream restrictions in the previous 90 days.
- A host that can run Docker and sustain the video encoding workload. If you transcode to H.264, make sure the host can encode your chosen resolution and frame rate continuously.
- A video you have the rights to stream, including its game footage, music, sound effects, and any other included material.
- A reliable internet connection with enough upload capacity for the stream, plus headroom for other traffic and any backup stream.
- Access to YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room so you can create or select a stream, retrieve its server URL and stream key, inspect the preview, and monitor stream health.
This example loops one video file. A playlist can use the same general publishing process, but the playback and transition behavior depends on how you assemble and feed that playlist to FFmpeg.
Choose the stream settings
Resolution, frame rate, and codec
Choose a profile your source video and upload connection can sustain. YouTube’s encoder guidance supports H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1, with frame rates up to 60 fps. This example transcodes to H.264 because it is a widely supported baseline; it is not automatically the best choice for every host. H.265 or AV1 may suit a particular workflow if your encoder hardware and end-to-end setup support them.
For 1080p30 H.264, YouTube lists 5 Mbps as the minimum and 14 Mbps as the recommended video bitrate. These are not universal bitrate settings: use YouTube’s current bitrate table for your actual codec, resolution, and frame rate, and account for audio in the total. Lower the output profile if your real upload capacity cannot sustain it.
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Keyframes, rate control, and audio
- Use RTMPS, YouTube’s recommended secure version of RTMP.
- Use constant bitrate (CBR) encoding. In the example below, matching the target and maximum video rates helps keep the output near the configured bitrate.
- Set a two-second keyframe interval; YouTube recommends two seconds and says not to exceed four seconds. For 30 fps, a two-second GOP is 60 frames.
- Use a supported audio codec such as AAC or MP3. The example uses AAC at 128 kbps.
Check upload capacity
YouTube advises leaving 20% upload-bandwidth headroom and counting both primary and backup streams in the calculation. For a 14 Mbps video stream plus 128 kbps audio, the encoded total is about 14.13 Mbps before transport overhead. With 20% headroom, that one stream needs roughly 17.7 Mbps of available upload capacity; a simultaneous backup stream needs additional capacity. Check upload performance rather than relying on a download-speed result, and retest under the network conditions you expect during operation.
Get YouTube’s publishing details
- In YouTube Studio, open the Live Control Room and create or select the live stream you intend to use.
- Copy the server URL and stream key shown for the event. Use the RTMPS server URL YouTube provides; do not substitute a guessed endpoint.
- Keep the stream key private. It is the credential that lets an encoder send video to your channel. Do not put it in a public repository, screenshot, support post, or shared command history. If it is exposed, reset it in Live Control Room and update the encoder configuration.
- Set the audience accurately, including whether the content is made for kids. YouTube disables or restricts features for streams designated made for kids, including live chat and live chat donations, comments, the notification bell, and personalized advertising. Other features, including cards/end screens and Super Chat or Super Stickers, are also limited; contextual ads may still appear.
Build a Docker container for FFmpeg
The following small image installs FFmpeg in a Debian-based container. It is a starting point, not a tested image for every host or media file; confirm that your installed FFmpeg build supports the codecs and options you use. Pin and update the base image and packages according to your own maintenance policy.
FROM debian:bookworm-slim
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends ffmpeg
&& rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
WORKDIR /work
ENTRYPOINT ["ffmpeg"]Save this as Dockerfile in a working directory. Put the source video in a media subdirectory and save it as video.mp4. Build the image:
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docker build -t youtube-loop-ffmpeg .Configure the loop and RTMPS output
Create a local file named stream_key containing only the stream key from YouTube. Restrict access to it, keep it out of source control, and do not include it in logs or screenshots. The Compose example mounts that file as a secret so the key is not written into the command or Compose environment. Docker secret handling and file permissions depend on how Docker Compose is run on your host; verify the mounted file is readable by the container.
Create compose.yaml beside the Dockerfile and media folder. Replace PASTE_YOUTUBE_RTMPS_SERVER_URL with the exact RTMPS server URL from Live Control Room. The command appends the secret key to that server URL, as expected by the typical YouTube encoder workflow; if YouTube gives you a differently formatted ingest URL, follow the displayed format instead.
services:
stream:
build: .
container_name: youtube-loop
restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
- ./media:/media:ro
secrets:
- stream_key
command:
- /bin/sh
- -c
- >
KEY=$$(cat /run/secrets/stream_key);
exec ffmpeg
-hide_banner
-stream_loop -1 -re -i /media/video.mp4
-map 0:v:0 -map 0:a:0?
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast
-b:v 14M -maxrate 14M -bufsize 28M
-g 60 -keyint_min 60 -sc_threshold 0
-c:a aac -b:a 128k
-f fifo -fifo_format flv
-attempt_recovery 1 -recovery_wait_time 1
"PASTE_YOUTUBE_RTMPS_SERVER_URL/$$KEY"
secrets:
stream_key:
file: ./stream_keyThe example assumes a 1080p30 H.264 target with a two-second GOP, AAC audio, and a source file with video and audio. Change the bitrate and keyframe values for the profile you selected. If your source has no audio, remove the audio mapping and encoding options and test the resulting output. The FFmpeg FIFO muxer options shown are intended to attempt recovery after temporary output failures; confirm that your installed build accepts them.
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-stream_loop -1 repeats the input indefinitely, while -re reads it at real-time speed rather than sending it as fast as possible. Because this example encodes with libx264, observe CPU load and output health after launch. A source file that cannot be read, has an unexpected stream layout, or cannot be encoded at the chosen profile needs a corrected input or lower-cost settings.
Start the stream and verify the whole path
- Start the container with
docker compose up -d --build. - Check that it is running with
docker compose ps, then inspect recent output withdocker compose logs --tail=100 -f stream. Look for input, codec, authentication, and connection errors. - Open the event in YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room and wait for the encoder preview. Check that the picture, audio, resolution, and stream-health indicators are as expected before you make the event public or go live.
- Verify playback on the event’s watch page and on a mobile device. If you record locally as well, check that the archive file grows and that a sample can be played back.
- Keep both the host and Live Control Room under observation after launch. Alert on container exit, stalled or frozen media, silent audio, loss of ingest, and unexpected changes in stream health; a running container alone is not proof that viewers are receiving a progressing stream.
Understand restarts, recovery, and event length
Docker restart policies handle exits, not stream health
This Compose file uses unless-stopped: Docker restarts an exited container and generally brings it back after a daemon restart, except when an operator has manually stopped it. Use always instead if you want Docker to restart it even after a manual stop when the daemon restarts. Docker’s restart-policy monitoring activates only after successful startup, defined in its documentation as running for at least 10 seconds.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchA restart policy responds to a container or process stopping. It is not a health check. It cannot tell that FFmpeg is producing frozen frames, the audio has gone silent, the input is invalid, the stream key has expired, or YouTube has rejected the feed.
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FFmpeg recovery is best-effort
The FIFO muxer’s -attempt_recovery 1 and -recovery_wait_time 1 options can attempt to recover output after a temporary network failure while FFmpeg continues processing at real-time rate. They do not promise gapless output or recovery from every network, credential, host, input, or YouTube-side failure. Reconnection options for network inputs address input-side reconnection; they are not a substitute for recovery of the RTMPS output to YouTube.
Plan segments and archives separately from continuous transmission
YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. That does not establish that one uninterrupted, indefinitely open 24/7 event will produce a complete replay. For archive management and easier incident recovery, plan intentional shorter event segments, test the transition and restart procedure, and verify archive behavior in Studio before deployment. Decide how you will handle a stopped event, a replacement event, and any incomplete archive rather than relying on a single endless process.
Make it suitable for a child-directed channel
- Select the made-for-kids audience setting based on the content and applicable YouTube requirements, not on which features you want enabled. Chat and some other interaction or monetization features may not be available.
- Use only gameplay, music, images, and other material you have permission to stream. A game’s availability or a video’s presence on YouTube does not itself establish permission to rebroadcast it.
- Do not assume that a 24/7 schedule or looping format makes a channel eligible for monetization. YouTube feature restrictions for made-for-kids content apply, and the platform’s monetization and reused-content decisions are separate from whether FFmpeg can transmit the video.
- Assign a person to monitor stream health and respond to reports, takedowns, or unexpected content. This technical guide does not establish legal obligations for a particular operator or jurisdiction.
Test recovery before relying on the stream
YouTube recommends testing the full setup well before a planned event, inspecting the preview before going live, testing backup failover by stopping the primary encoder or disconnecting its network, and monitoring audio and video continuously. Apply that advice to a 24/7 installation with a written runbook:
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- Test the complete path from media file through Docker and FFmpeg to YouTube, including the intended resolution, frame rate, audio, and RTMPS key.
- Simulate a container exit and confirm that your selected Docker policy restarts it as intended.
- Test the loss of the primary network or encoder and verify that your backup procedure works. YouTube recommends a tested backup encoder; a restart policy alone is not a backup encoder.
- Document how to inspect logs, verify YouTube ingest, replace a compromised key, restart or replace an event, and escalate a failure that does not recover.
- Keep monitoring for actual video and audio progress. A process status or successful reconnect message is not enough to prove the stream is healthy.
A UPS battery backup may help bridge a brief power interruption, and an Ethernet cable may be useful where a fixed wired connection suits the installation. These are practical options, not requirements or guarantees against longer outages.
Troubleshooting common failures
| Symptom | Likely area to check | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Container exits shortly after starting | Input path, file permissions, unsupported media, FFmpeg option or codec error | Read docker compose logs stream; confirm the media is mounted at /media/video.mp4, inspect the file’s streams, and test the command against a short sample before restarting the service. |
| Container runs, but YouTube shows no incoming video | RTMPS server URL, stream key, event selection, or YouTube ingest state | Compare the configured endpoint with the exact values in Live Control Room, check for a reset or mistyped key, inspect FFmpeg output, and confirm the selected event is the one being monitored. |
| Repeated disconnects or buffering | Upload capacity, network stability, or the selected bitrate | Measure upload under operating conditions, leave YouTube’s recommended 20% headroom, count any backup stream, and reduce resolution or bitrate if the available upload cannot sustain the total. |
| Container is running but the picture freezes or audio disappears | Source playback, encoder progress, host resource pressure, or a stalled output | Check logs and host load, inspect the source and YouTube preview, and add monitoring that detects stalled media rather than relying on Docker’s process state. |
| Stream returns after a reconnect but has a gap | Temporary network interruption or event/encoder recovery behavior | Check FFmpeg and Live Control Room status, follow the documented restart or event-replacement procedure, and accept that retries do not guarantee gapless transmission. |
| Archive is missing or incomplete | Event duration, segmentation, or archive processing | Review event and archive status in Studio. Plan segments under YouTube’s stated automatic-archive duration and verify the current behavior for your workflow. |
Or let it run in the cloud
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