Restart the process that owns the outbound YouTube connection. If nginx-rtmp starts FFmpeg with an exec directive, configure that module’s child-process respawn behavior for the exact fork and version you run. If FFmpeg runs independently, supervise the FFmpeg process with your operating system’s service manager. Restarting a process can recover from an exit; it cannot repair a dead video source, invalid stream key, network or TLS problem, or incompatible encoder output.
First identify which process publishes to YouTube
Trace the outbound connection before changing restart settings. The right recovery layer depends on which process owns it:
| Publisher | Where to configure recovery | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
FFmpeg launched by an nginx-rtmp exec directive |
Review the exec and respawn settings for your installed nginx-rtmp fork and version. | Respawn concerns the child process lifecycle; it is not end-to-end stream health monitoring. |
| Standalone FFmpeg process | Configure the host service manager to restart the FFmpeg service on relevant failures. | Unit syntax, exit policy, and retry delay depend on your operating system and service-manager version. |
NGINX RTMP push relay |
Apply recovery to the process or module that actually owns the outbound relay. | A reload or restart of NGINX is not automatically equivalent to restarting a separate FFmpeg publisher. |
Do not assume that an NGINX restart will restart a separately managed FFmpeg process, or that restarting FFmpeg will repair an unavailable upstream input. Follow each connection to its owner.
Diagnose the failure before enabling retries
Determine whether the publisher exited
Compare NGINX and FFmpeg logs, exit status, and timestamps. Child respawn helps when the child exits. It may not detect a process that remains alive but is wedged, and it does not prove that a new connection or valid media reached YouTube. Check the installed module’s actual respawn semantics rather than assuming option names or timing from another fork.
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Check the input independently
Confirm that the camera, capture device, local relay, or file input is still producing media. A restarted encoder cannot resume a source that has stopped or disappeared.
Verify the YouTube destination and key
Copy the RTMPS server URL and stream key from YouTube Live Control Room. YouTube’s RTMPS guidance calls for an RTMPS URL with a valid YouTube endpoint and path, using port 443. The stream key is specific to your stream: keep it out of published examples, screenshots, and logs. If you create streams through the API, the LiveStreams resource exposes ingestion address fields and a backup address when dual ingestion is supported.
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Read timeouts as clues
A timeout can point to cleartext RTMP being sent to an endpoint expecting RTMPS, an incorrect URL or port, or missing encoder support. Check TLS and connection errors before increasing retries. Repeating a connection attempt to the wrong endpoint does not make it correct.
Set recovery at the process owner
When nginx-rtmp launches FFmpeg
Inspect the exec directive and the child respawn settings documented for your exact nginx-rtmp fork and version. Configure respawn only after confirming how that build handles child exits, retries, and delays. These settings address child lifecycle; they do not guarantee that the source is healthy or YouTube is receiving media.
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When FFmpeg runs as a standalone service
Use the host’s service manager to restart the publishing service after the failures you intend to recover from. Choose a deliberate retry delay and retain logs so repeated failure is visible. There is no universal service-unit snippet here: correct syntax and restart policy vary by operating system, service-manager release, FFmpeg command, and whether an exit is transient or permanent.
When NGINX owns a push relay
Confirm that the RTMP module itself owns the outbound connection. Configure recovery for that relay rather than assuming it supervises an independent FFmpeg publisher. Also distinguish relay failure from failure of the source feeding the relay.
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Use RTMPS and validate NGINX changes
YouTube recommends RTMPS; Google describes it as RTMP tunneled through SSL. FFmpeg documents RTMPS as RTMP over a secure SSL connection. See YouTube’s encoder settings and FFmpeg’s protocol documentation. For an NGINX configuration change, run nginx -t before reloading. The cited NGINX Plus RTMP guide describes its commercial module package; do not treat it as installation guidance for every open-source NGINX setup.
Check that recovered output is valid for YouTube
A process that has restarted may still be sending an unsupported or poorly configured stream. Compare the actual encoder output with YouTube’s current encoder guidance and inspect stream health in Live Control Room. The cited guidance lists RTMP/RTMPS and H.264, H.265, and AV1 video, up to 60 fps. It recommends a two-second keyframe interval and says it should not exceed four seconds. These are YouTube’s published guidance figures, not guarantees that every source or encoder will reconnect successfully.
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Test the recovery path safely
- Check configuration: validate NGINX syntax with
nginx -tbefore reloading a changed configuration. - Observe a normal stream: confirm the publisher connects and note the relevant NGINX and FFmpeg log entries.
- Induce a controlled failure: in a noncritical test stream, stop the child or service whose recovery behavior you configured.
- Verify the whole chain: confirm the process restarts, reconnects to YouTube, resumes valid media, and leaves useful logs. Check Live Control Room stream health rather than treating a running process as proof of a healthy stream.
This is a recommended verification procedure; it is not a claim that a particular deployment has been tested.
Troubleshooting: match the symptom to the failing layer
| Symptom | Likely cause to check | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| FFmpeg exits and stays down | No respawn policy is active at the layer that owns FFmpeg, or the configured policy does not apply to that exit. | Confirm whether nginx-rtmp launched the child or a service manager owns it; inspect that layer’s settings and logs. |
| FFmpeg restarts repeatedly but never connects | Wrong protocol, endpoint, path, port, or stream key; TLS problem; or unsupported encoder setup. | Copy the current RTMPS URL and key from Live Control Room, check port 443 and TLS errors, then compare output with YouTube’s encoder guidance. |
| Publisher is running but YouTube shows no usable video | The source may be unavailable, the process may be wedged, or the outgoing media may not meet YouTube’s expectations. | Check source output, process logs and timestamps, and Live Control Room stream health separately. |
| Restarting NGINX does not restart the stream | FFmpeg may be an independent process, or a relay may own the connection instead. | Trace the outbound connection and configure recovery for its actual owner. |
| The stream fails again after a successful restart | Respawn restored the process but not a persistent source, destination, network, or encoder fault. | Use the timestamps and error messages to identify the failing layer; avoid simply increasing retries without correcting the cause. |
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