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To send a Liquidsoap radio stream to YouTube Live, combine your audio source with a video source, encode the result, then send it to Liquidsoap’s output.youtube.live.rtmp output using the stream URL and key from YouTube Live Control Room. YouTube Live is a video broadcast, so an audio-only radio source needs a video track—often a still station image—even if the main content is sound.
What you need before configuring Liquidsoap
- A working Liquidsoap radio source and a Liquidsoap version whose documentation matches the syntax you plan to use.
- A video source, such as a still image or an audio-reactive visual, to accompany the radio audio.
- A Liquidsoap build with the required FFmpeg integration and codecs available. Liquidsoap’s FFmpeg support uses an external OCaml-FFmpeg binding, so operator and codec availability depends on the installation. See the Liquidsoap FFmpeg support guide.
- A YouTube channel able to create a live stream, plus its stream URL and stream key from Live Control Room.
- Enough stable outbound bandwidth for the combined audio and video bitrate, with capacity left over for headroom.
Liquidsoap’s current development documentation is labeled 2.5.x, while older reference versions can differ in optional arguments. Check the reference for your installed version and validate that your build supports the operators and codecs in your configuration.
Set up the YouTube live stream and protect its key
- In YouTube Live Control Room, create or select the stream you intend Liquidsoap to feed.
- Copy the stream URL and stream key shown for that stream. YouTube describes the key as the identifier that lets an encoder send a feed for YouTube to accept.
- Store the key as a secret. Do not commit it to a public repository, include it in a screenshot, or paste it into a publicly visible script.
- Prefer reading the key from a protected separate file or secret store rather than hard-coding it. The Liquidsoap book demonstrates loading a key from a separate
youtube-keyfile and trimming surrounding whitespace; adjust the file-reading syntax for your installed version. - If the key is exposed, reset it in Live Control Room and replace the value Liquidsoap uses. YouTube’s live-stream management help covers stream management.
Combine radio audio with a video source
Build a source that carries both audio and video before sending it to the YouTube output. For a radio channel, the visual may be a static station image or a moving/audio-reactive visual. The Liquidsoap FFmpeg guide shows the general pattern: combine an audio source and video source with source.mux.video, then encode audio and video for the output. A still image still needs to be part of a video stream; sending audio alone does not create a conventional YouTube Live video feed.
Liquidsoap’s project homepage illustrates the YouTube output with an FFmpeg encoder using H.264 video and AAC audio. These are also formats listed in YouTube’s live encoder guidance. Use the guide and reference matching your installed Liquidsoap release to determine the exact source composition and encoder syntax; the example patterns are not universal across versions or builds.
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Configure the encoder and RTMP output
The documented destination operator is output.youtube.live.rtmp. It takes a required key, an encoder, and a Liquidsoap source; its documented default URL is rtmp://a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2, and its start option defaults to true. See Liquidsoap’s Source / Output reference and FFmpeg guide for syntax and examples specific to the applicable version.
Conceptually, the configuration has this shape:
- Define your existing radio audio source.
- Define a video source, such as a still image source.
- Compose audio and video into one source.
- Set the encoder to produce an accepted audio/video stream, such as AAC audio and H.264 video, with a keyframe interval and bitrate appropriate to your chosen output.
- Pass the composed source, encoder, and protected YouTube key to
output.youtube.live.rtmp; set the output URL if required by the stream details or your version.
This is a configuration outline, not a drop-in script: Liquidsoap source constructors and encoder arguments vary by version and installed FFmpeg support. The FFmpeg guide also discusses global-header handling when encoded data is shared between containers. For a single YouTube output, a direct FFmpeg encoder is often simpler to reason about; sharing encoded streams across outputs adds container-compatibility considerations.
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Choose live encoding settings for a radio visual
YouTube’s live encoder help, checked on 2026-10-03 (the page does not display a publication year), lists RTMP and RTMPS ingest; H.264, H.265/HEVC, or AV1 video; AAC or MP3 audio; CBR; and frame rates up to 60 fps. For a simple radio image, choose conservative settings that your Liquidsoap build and outbound connection can sustain. These are live-stream recommendations, not YouTube video-upload settings.
| Setting | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Keyframe interval | YouTube recommends 2 seconds and says not to exceed 4 seconds. |
| Stereo audio | YouTube recommends 128 kbps AAC or MP3 for stereo audio. |
| Video bitrate examples | YouTube’s H.264 table recommends 5 Mbps at 1080p30 and 3 Mbps at 720p30. These figures apply to those listed codec and frame-rate settings, not every combination. |
| Rate control | Use CBR, as listed in YouTube’s current live encoder guidance. |
| Frame rate and codec | YouTube lists supported live codecs and frame rates up to 60 fps. Use its current table for the bitrate corresponding to your exact codec, resolution, and frame rate. |
Keep measured upload capacity above the total stream bitrate. YouTube’s streaming tips recommend leaving 20% headroom. If your connection fluctuates, reduce the bitrate or visual resolution rather than running at the edge of available upload capacity.
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RTMP or RTMPS?
YouTube recommends RTMPS for encrypted transport. Liquidsoap’s documented operator is an RTMP output and documents an RTMP default URL. Do not assume an RTMPS URL works with every Liquidsoap version or output path: confirm protocol support in the documentation for your installed version and test it before relying on it.
Test the feed before announcing it
- Start Liquidsoap and confirm the output is running without configuration or encoder errors.
- Open the stream’s preview in YouTube Live Control Room and verify that both the video track and radio audio arrive.
- Check YouTube’s stream-health messages and let the test run long enough to catch connection or encoder instability.
- Listen for representative levels and check that the visual remains present; verify the stream is using the intended resolution, frame rate, and bitrate.
- Only announce or rely on the live event after the preview and health indicators are satisfactory.
YouTube advises testing before going live and monitoring stream health during the broadcast. Use the current live encoder settings help if you need to check requirements again.
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Troubleshoot common Liquidsoap-to-YouTube problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube shows no incoming feed | Wrong stream URL or key, output not started, or missing FFmpeg support. | Recheck the selected stream’s URL and key, confirm the Liquidsoap output is running, and verify the installed build has the needed FFmpeg integration. If the key may have leaked, reset it in Live Control Room. |
| Audio arrives but there is no picture | The source sent to the output contains audio but no video track. | Confirm that a video source is composed with the radio audio before encoding and output. |
| YouTube reports an encoder issue | A selected codec, frame rate, bitrate, rate-control mode, or keyframe interval does not meet current live guidance. | Compare the live configuration—not upload-video settings—with YouTube’s current encoder table for the exact codec and output mode. |
| Ingest is unstable or drops | Outbound bandwidth is insufficient or fluctuating, or the configuration is too demanding for the connection. | Check upload capacity, leave headroom, reduce bitrate if needed, and monitor connection stability. |
| Changing to RTMPS fails | The chosen Liquidsoap version or output path may not accept the RTMPS URL. | Check version-specific documentation and validate protocol support before using it for a scheduled stream. |
| The stream stops after a key change | Liquidsoap still has the old key. | Update the protected key source with the reset value and restart or reload the output as appropriate for your configuration. |
Copyright and YouTube channel rules still apply
Routing audio through Liquidsoap does not grant rights to broadcast it. Use music, recordings, artwork, and other material you own or are licensed to stream, and check the terms that apply to your channel and territory. YouTube’s copyright and monetization decisions are separate from whether an encoder connection is technically healthy; a successful ingest is not a clearance or approval.
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