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Concat Demuxer

FFmpeg Concat Demuxer: Loop a Folder of Videos to YouTube Live

Use an ordered text playlist with FFmpeg's concat demuxer, real-time pacing and infinite looping to stream local videos to YouTube Live.

By VGSources Team 5 min read
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To loop several local videos to YouTube Live with FFmpeg, put their paths in a text playlist, then pass that playlist to FFmpeg with the concat demuxer, -stream_loop -1 and -re. The concat demuxer plays entries in the order you list them; it does not automatically find or sort every file in a folder.

1. Build a playlist in the order you want

Create a plain-text file named playlist.txt beside your videos, or use paths that correctly point to them from the directory where you will run FFmpeg. Add one file directive per clip:

file 'video-01.mp4'
file 'video-02.mp4'
file 'video-03.mp4'

The sequence in this file is the playback order. The concat demuxer reads the listed files one after another as a single input; it is not a wildcard or folder scanner. See the FFmpeg concat demuxer documentation for playlist syntax and path handling.

The example below uses -safe 0 so the playlist can contain broader path forms. Use that option only with a playlist you control. If every path uses a safe relative form, you can omit it.

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2. Send the playlist to YouTube Live

Install FFmpeg and create or open the intended event in YouTube Live Control Room. Copy the current ingest URL and stream key from its encoder settings. Replace the placeholders below with those exact values; do not publish your real key in an article, shared script, screenshot or log. YouTube explains where to find the encoder settings in its live stream settings guide.

ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -f concat -safe 0 -i playlist.txt 
  -c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -tune zerolatency 
  -b:v 4500k -maxrate 4500k -bufsize 9000k -g 60 
  -c:a aac -b:a 128k -f flv 
  'rtmps://CURRENT_INGEST_URL/CURRENT_STREAM_KEY'

This is an illustrative command pattern, not a tested command for every FFmpeg build or media collection. -re paces file input at its native rate for live output. -stream_loop -1, placed before the input, repeats it indefinitely. The example encodes video as H.264 and audio as AAC, then muxes them for the live output. Replace the destination with the exact current RTMPS URL and key shown in Live Control Room; endpoint details can vary.

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The example’s 4,500 kbps video target is not a universal YouTube recommendation. Choose resolution, frame rate and bitrate for your actual output and available upload capacity, consulting YouTube’s current encoder settings, bitrate and resolution guidance. That guidance recommends RTMPS, constant bitrate (CBR), a two-second keyframe frequency and no more than four seconds between keyframes. In the command, -g 60 is a two-second GOP only at 30 fps; set GOP length to roughly twice the chosen frame rate for a two-second interval.

3. Match the encoding to your files and connection

Resolution, frame rate and bitrate

YouTube’s current encoder table supports frame rates up to 60 fps. For H.264, it lists 5 Mbps as the minimum and 14 Mbps as the recommended bitrate for 1080p30; for 720p30, it lists 3 Mbps minimum and 8 Mbps recommended. These are YouTube’s platform table values, not a guarantee that your connection can sustain them. Leave upload headroom for network variation, and select the output settings to match the event rather than blindly copying the illustrative 4,500 kbps value.

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Re-encode or stream copy?

The sample re-encodes video and audio. That costs CPU, but gives you a way to normalize varied inputs to one output format. If every clip has compatible stream layouts, codecs and time bases, you can try replacing the codec options with -c copy to avoid re-encoding. Copying does not convert incompatible codecs, dimensions, frame rates or layouts, and it may not work across an arbitrary folder. FFmpeg’s concat demuxer requires matching streams, codecs and time bases; varied sources may need preprocessing or re-encoding.

Transitions and timing

Concatenating files joins their packet sequences; it does not create a crossfade or guarantee seamless audio or visual transitions. Missing or inaccurate duration information can affect timestamps at clip boundaries. If you have identified a duration problem, the concat script supports a duration directive for an advanced override, but first check the files and their metadata rather than adding guessed durations.

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4. Test the event and protect the stream key

  1. Check the destination. Confirm that the command uses the exact current RTMPS ingest URL and stream key displayed for the event in Live Control Room.
  2. Start with a private or otherwise non-public test. Verify that video and audio reach the event before relying on the loop for a public broadcast.
  3. Check motion and sound. YouTube recommends testing with audio and motion similar to the intended stream. Watch its stream-health indicators and messages while the test runs.
  4. Keep credentials private. If a key is exposed, reset it in YouTube’s live settings and update the command or configuration that uses it.

For a continuously looping playlist, also review YouTube’s applicable live-stream, copyright and reused-content rules for your channel and videos. A technically valid stream key does not grant rights to music, gameplay footage or other material, and repeated playback alone does not establish that content meets YouTube’s monetization policies.

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5. Troubleshoot common failures

  • FFmpeg cannot open a playlist entry: Check spelling, quotation marks and whether each path is relative to the directory where FFmpeg is running. Use -safe 0 only for a playlist you trust if broader path forms are needed.
  • The playlist does not repeat: Make sure -stream_loop -1 appears before -i playlist.txt, as an input option, and that the playlist is the input being looped.
  • YouTube receives no video or rejects the ingest: Confirm the event is live-ready and that both the exact current ingest URL and stream key are correct. Use RTMPS as YouTube recommends, and check Live Control Room for stream-health messages.
  • Stuttering, dropped frames or unstable health: Check whether the computer can encode at the selected settings and whether upload capacity can sustain the video and audio bitrate. Lower the output load or bitrate if needed, then test again against YouTube’s current guidance.
  • Concat reports mismatched streams or the copied output fails: The source clips may differ in stream layout, codec or time base. Re-encode them to a consistent format or use the sample’s encoding approach instead of stream copy.
  • Audio or video jumps at a clip boundary: Concat does not make a transition smooth. Inspect the source endings, stream compatibility and duration metadata; use a duration override only when you have a reliable corrected value.

Or let it run in the cloud

If you do not want a computer, FFmpeg process or home connection to stay on, StreamNeo keeps an uploaded-video YouTube stream running from the cloud. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It plays uploaded videos, not a live camera feed.

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