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NGINX RTMP does not loop a video file by itself. For a YouTube loop stream, FFmpeg reads and publishes the prerecorded video; the third-party nginx-rtmp-module can provide an RTMP ingest or relay layer between FFmpeg and YouTube. On Ubuntu 22.04, the available Jammy-specific installation guide is old and version-pinned, so treat a source build as a compatibility-sensitive project—not a current, verified copy-and-paste recipe.
What you need—and what each component does
- NGINX plus nginx-rtmp-module: an RTMP server/relay layer. The module project documents live RTMP, relaying, recording, H.264/AAC support and FFmpeg integration. Its README includes the feature description “Online transcoding with FFmpeg.”
- FFmpeg: reads the prerecorded media, prepares or encodes its audio and video, and publishes an outgoing stream. NGINX itself is not the file-looping encoder.
- YouTube Live Control Room: provides the ingest server URL and stream key for the channel.
- A server and network connection: if you encode on the Ubuntu server, its CPU must handle the selected encoding workload and its sustained upload connection must support the outgoing stream. The available sources do not establish a server sizing formula or a tested hardware profile.
This guide explains the installation choices and configuration decisions, then shows how to verify a loop-stream implementation. It does not present an unverified endless-loop command as a tested recipe: the available module documentation does not establish a robust loop, timestamp, reconnect or process-supervision setup for Ubuntu 22.04.
Choose an NGINX RTMP installation route
| Route | What it means | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source NGINX source build | Build NGINX with the third-party module using the module README’s ./configure --add-module=/path/to/nginx-rtmp-module, then make and make install. |
The upstream project documents this integration. A community page labeled for Ubuntu 22.04.1 pins NGINX 1.23.1 and older dependencies; it is not current compatibility validation. The available sources do not establish a currently supported Ubuntu 22.04 Open Source package name or a tested contemporary NGINX/module combination. |
| NGINX Plus dynamic module | NGINX documentation describes installing nginx-plus-module-rtmp from the official NGINX Plus repository, loading it with a top-level load_module directive, testing configuration with nginx -t, and reloading NGINX. |
This is specifically the NGINX Plus product path. It is not instructions for installing the module into Ubuntu’s Open Source NGINX package. |
For an Open Source build, match the NGINX and module revisions and preserve any configure options needed by your existing NGINX features. Validate the resulting binary and configuration before relying on it. These are prudent build checks, not commands or combinations tested for this article. Do not assume the old Jammy page’s pinned versions are the best current choice.
Build and configure the Open Source module
1. Match the source versions and build options
Use the upstream module’s documented source-build integration as the build model: obtain compatible NGINX and nginx-rtmp-module source trees, then configure NGINX with --add-module=/path/to/nginx-rtmp-module before running make and make install. Replace the example path with the actual module source directory. The exact compatible versions, dependencies and full configure command depend on your chosen source revisions and existing NGINX build; they are not established by the Ubuntu 22.04.1 community page, which is pinned to NGINX 1.23.1.
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If an NGINX installation already serves other sites, check its existing configure options and deployment layout first. A source installation can differ from the distribution package in binary location, configuration paths and service integration; do not overwrite a working installation without a rollback plan.
2. Add an RTMP application
The upstream module README’s sample configuration places the RTMP block at the top level, defines a server listening on port 1935 and enables publishing in an application. Conceptually, its example uses an rtmp {} block, an server with listen 1935;, and an application with live on;. The exact deployment configuration should follow the README for the module revision you build.
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The README also shows push for relaying to another RTMP host and FFmpeg exec examples. These are project examples, not proof that a particular combination is suitable for a public internet-facing server. Restrict who can publish, protect credentials, and avoid exposing an unauthenticated relay or publish endpoint to the public internet.
3. Check the installation before using it
Confirm that the NGINX binary you intend to run includes the module and that the configuration parses. The documented NGINX Plus workflow uses nginx -t followed by a reload; for a source-built Open Source installation, use the equivalent checks for that build and its service setup. A successful syntax check confirms configuration parsing, not that FFmpeg can publish to YouTube or that an endless loop will remain healthy.
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Connect the loop stream to YouTube
- Get the endpoint and key: in YouTube Live Control Room, obtain the server URL and stream key for the stream. Use the URL and transport YouTube provides for that stream rather than assuming a fixed ingest address.
- Keep the key private: YouTube describes stream keys as password-like. Do not put the key in a public screenshot, repository, shared configuration file or command history. Channel owners or managers can reset a compromised key.
- Choose the route: YouTube recommends RTMPS, which is RTMP over TLS/SSL. Get the RTMPS URL from Live Control Room. The ability of a particular FFmpeg, NGINX and module build to use the selected route has not been established here; verify support for your chosen toolchain before relying on it. Standard RTMP and RTMPS are not interchangeable assumptions.
- Configure FFmpeg as the media publisher: FFmpeg must read the selected recording, produce audio/video suitable for YouTube, and publish to the selected endpoint with the stream key. NGINX may sit in the middle as an ingest or relay layer, but it does not replace the media reader and encoder.
- Test in Live Control Room: start sending a test stream and confirm that YouTube receives stable video and audio before scheduling or relying on a continuous broadcast. YouTube’s encoder guidance says, “Make sure to test before you start your live stream.”
Set an encoder profile YouTube can receive
YouTube’s encoder guidance, accessed in 2026, supports RTMP/RTMPS; H.264, H.265 (HEVC) or AV1 video; AAC or MP3 audio; frame rates up to 60 fps; and constant bitrate (CBR). It recommends a two-second keyframe interval, which should not exceed four seconds. These are platform recommendations, not measurements of NGINX performance or the capacity of a particular server.
| H.264 output | YouTube-listed minimum | YouTube-listed recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| 720p at 30 fps | 3 Mbps | 8 Mbps |
| 1080p at 30 fps | 5 Mbps | 14 Mbps |
| 1080p at 60 fps | 6 Mbps | 17 Mbps |
These bitrate figures are YouTube’s published H.264 guidance accessed in 2026. Choose output based on the source’s actual resolution and frame rate, and the upload capacity you can sustain; the listed bitrate is not a guarantee that your connection or server can hold the stream. YouTube recommends a reliable quality setting appropriate to the connection and an upload speed test.
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- Keyframes: target YouTube’s recommended two-second interval and do not exceed four seconds.
- Audio: for stereo, YouTube recommends a 44.1 kHz sample rate and 128 Kbps bitrate.
- Advanced video guidance: YouTube lists square pixels, progressive scan, two B-frames, one reference frame, CABAC and Rec. 709 for SDR.
- Codec choice: select a supported codec and verify that your FFmpeg build and encoding settings can produce it. Do not infer server CPU requirements from YouTube’s bitrate table.
Make a loop reliable before calling it 24/7
A file that plays once is not automatically a stable loop stream. The module README demonstrates FFmpeg integration, but the available documentation does not verify an endless-loop command, timestamp handling at loop boundaries, network reconnection policy, a supervisor configuration or recovery after interruption for Ubuntu 22.04.
Before depending on your own implementation, test the exact media file and installed FFmpeg version. Check that timestamps remain acceptable at each loop boundary, that YouTube continues to receive stable audio and video, and that the process manager can restart the encoder if it exits. Test behavior after network interruption as well. These checks are necessary validation steps, not claims that a particular command or setup has passed testing.
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YouTube notes that streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. That is an archive behavior, not a promise that a longer stream will be archived or that a stream will stay connected for that duration.
Copyright and YouTube policy checks
Only stream material you have rights to use. A looping video can still trigger copyright claims or other rights issues; repeatedly broadcasting a recording does not grant permission for its music, gameplay, artwork or other included material. Review YouTube’s current live-stream and monetization rules for your channel and content before going live. Technical acceptance by an ingest server is not a determination that content complies with platform policy.
Troubleshoot common failure points
| Symptom | Likely area to check | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| NGINX rejects the configuration or does not recognize RTMP directives | Module loading, build integration or configuration placement | Confirm that the running NGINX binary includes or loads the module, that the rtmp {} block is at the top level, and that the configuration test passes for the binary you intend to run. |
| FFmpeg cannot publish to YouTube | Endpoint, stream key, transport or toolchain compatibility | Re-copy the server URL and key from Live Control Room, confirm the key has not been reset, and verify that your chosen FFmpeg/NGINX/module versions support the selected RTMP or RTMPS route. |
| YouTube receives video but playback is unstable | Encoder profile, upload capacity or media timestamps | Match resolution and frame rate to the source, use an appropriate sustained bitrate and YouTube’s keyframe guidance, test upload capacity, and inspect timestamps across loop boundaries. |
| The stream stops when the encoder exits or the connection drops | Process supervision and recovery behavior | Test your process manager’s restart behavior and network-interruption handling. Automatic recovery is not established by the module examples alone. |
| Stream works briefly but not as an indefinite broadcast | Long-duration behavior and archive expectations | Run a controlled test of the full media-loop and recovery setup. YouTube states that streams under 12 hours are automatically archived; do not assume the same archive outcome for longer streams. |
Or let it run in the cloud
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