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To loop a prerecorded gaming VOD indefinitely, put -stream_loop -1 before its -i input option. Put -re there too when you want FFmpeg to read the file at its native rate, like a live source. FFmpeg’s documented reconnect options are for HTTP inputs—not a general fix for a dropped YouTube RTMP/RTMPS publishing connection.
How do I loop a video on YouTube Live with FFmpeg?
For a local file, use -stream_loop -1 before the input’s -i. The value -1 means repeat indefinitely; 0 means do not repeat. Because it is an input option, its position matters.
This illustrative command also uses -re to read the prerecorded file at its native rate. It is a starting point, not a tested command or a guaranteed YouTube preset:
ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i "gaming-vod.mp4"
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -b:v 6000k -maxrate 6000k -bufsize 12000k
-pix_fmt yuv420p -g 120
-c:a aac -b:a 128k
-f flv "$YOUTUBE_INGEST_URL/$STREAM_KEY"Replace the example filename and ingest placeholders with your own source and the server URL and stream key provided by the current YouTube Live Control Room setup. Do not publish or share the stream key: it is a credential for your broadcast.
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What the command’s main options do
-rereads the file at its native rate (equivalent to-readrate 1), rather than consuming it as quickly as possible. This is useful when a file is standing in for a live source.-stream_loop -1repeats the input file without a set end.-c:v libx264selects H.264 video encoding;-preset veryfastis an encoder speed/efficiency choice, not a quality guarantee.-b:v,-maxrateand-bufsizeset example video rate-control values. They are not universal recommendations.-pix_fmt yuv420pselects a commonly used pixel format;-g 120sets a 120-frame GOP interval. Choose settings to suit your frame rate and YouTube’s current guidance.-c:a aac -b:a 128kencodes audio as AAC at the example bitrate.-f flvselects the output container commonly used for RTMP-family publishing. Use the ingest URL and protocol YouTube supplies for the current stream.
Choose settings for the actual VOD and connection
Set resolution, frame rate, codecs, bitrate and keyframe interval to match the source, the available upload bandwidth and YouTube’s current encoder requirements. YouTube recommends RTMPS, a secure extension to RTMP, and publishes guidance on protocols, codecs, frame rates, keyframes, bitrate mode and audio in Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions. Check the current guidance and settings shown for your stream rather than treating the sample values as fixed rules.
Test with representative gameplay motion and sound, then monitor YouTube’s stream health during the broadcast. A file loop does not guarantee a seamless transition from the end back to the beginning: inspect the source’s audio and video continuity and timestamps in a real test.
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Which FFmpeg reconnect flags should I use?
There is no universal reconnect flag in the documented HTTP option family that should be added to this local-file-to-YouTube command. FFmpeg documents reconnect, reconnect_at_eof, reconnect_on_network_error, reconnect_on_http_error, reconnect_streamed and retry limits or delays under its HTTP protocol documentation. These options govern recovery for HTTP inputs; they do not establish automatic recovery for an outbound RTMP/RTMPS publishing connection.
| Situation | What to configure | What not to assume |
|---|---|---|
| Local VOD file to YouTube | Use -stream_loop -1 before the file’s -i; use -re when pacing the file as a live-like source. |
HTTP reconnect options do not apply to the local file, and do not promise recovery of the YouTube output. |
| Remote HTTP(S) VOD input | Consult the installed build with ffmpeg -h protocol=http; place applicable HTTP protocol options before the relevant -i and verify behavior for that source and build. |
Option names and meanings in the HTTP section do not make them output-side RTMP/RTMPS recovery controls. |
| Live capture or network input | Use input settings appropriate to that live source and test its behavior. | Do not casually use -re to throttle an actual live input. FFmpeg cautions that low read rates on live inputs can cause packet loss. |
| YouTube publishing connection drops | Verify the actual RTMP/RTMPS output path and distinguish process supervision or restart from in-process protocol reconnect behavior. | The HTTP reconnect documentation does not establish a universal output retry command or unattended recovery recipe. |
FFmpeg describes reconnect_at_eof in its HTTP section this way: “If set then eof is treated like an error and causes reconnection, this is useful for live / endless streams.” That is specifically about HTTP input behavior; it is not a claim that a YouTube publishing connection will reconnect.
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Check the stream before relying on it
- Confirm the source and option order. For a local file, put
-reand-stream_loop -1before that file’s-i. - Use the current YouTube ingest details. Copy the server URL and stream key from Live Control Room into your encoder setup, keeping the key private.
- Match the encoding to the source and available upload. Verify resolution, frame rate, codecs, bitrate, keyframe interval and audio against YouTube’s current encoder guidance.
- Run a representative test. Check that gameplay motion and sound are present and that the end-to-start transition is acceptable.
- Monitor stream health. Watch YouTube’s status during the event. If publishing fails, diagnose the output connection or process separately; adding HTTP input retry flags is not evidence of output recovery.
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