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To add multiple pre-recorded videos to a Castr YouTube stream, create a Pre-Recorded Stream, build and order its playlist, choose whether to loop or schedule it, and turn on YouTube as a destination. Castr’s cloud workflow sends the files as a live stream; it is not the same as uploading ordinary on-demand videos to your channel.
Build a playlist in Castr
- In the Castr dashboard, open Pre-Recorded Streams, create a new pre-recorded stream, and give it a name.
- In the Playlist section, add your videos. You can upload files or import them from cloud storage, or add videos already in your Castr Video Hosting library.
- Add the other videos you want included. Drag entries into the order you want them played. Use each entry’s toggle to temporarily include or exclude a video without removing it. Castr says the total playlist duration updates automatically.
- Choose the playback mode: select Loop to repeat the playlist, or Date & Time to schedule a specific start.
- Add YouTube as a destination and verify that its toggle is on. Start the stream when you are ready, or let the configured schedule start it.
Castr’s help article, “How to Start Streaming Pre-recorded Videos” (2026-07-08), says pre-recorded uploads support MP4. File size and media-file count depend on subscription, so check the limits shown for your account before preparing a long playlist.
Connect the YouTube destination
Castr documents two ways to connect YouTube: authorize through YouTube Events/API, or configure YouTube using its streaming server and stream key. Choose the account-authorized route if you want to connect through YouTube’s event workflow; use the server-and-key route if you have those details and prefer to configure the destination manually.
With the stream-key route, Castr says you must edit the stream description in YouTube’s dashboard. Whichever connection you use, return to the pre-recorded stream setup and make sure YouTube’s destination toggle is enabled before starting. The connection instructions date from 2023-05-19, so labels may differ slightly from the current dashboard.
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Choose looping or a scheduled start
Loop the playlist
Choose Loop when you want the playlist to repeat rather than start once at a particular time. Confirm that the playlist includes only videos you intend to replay.
Schedule a start
Choose Date & Time to set a specific start. Castr’s scheduling guide (2026-04-24) says its scheduler uses your device’s time zone. Check the device time zone against the intended YouTube start time before saving the schedule.
Rank #2
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Prepare files and settings
Castr’s “Recommended Settings for Recorded Videos” (2023-12-18) recommends MP4, constant bitrate, a two-second keyframe interval, 1920×1080 resolution, 30 fps, and 4,000 Kbps. These are Castr’s recommendations, not universal YouTube requirements or independently tested settings. If your source files use different settings, check playback in your own workflow rather than assuming they must be converted to these values.
Castr also recommends adding 10–20 seconds at the beginning and end of a recording. Treat that as a vendor recommendation for the recording, not a promise that every transition or platform start will behave identically.
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Rank #3
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Know which Castr workflow fits
A Pre-Recorded Stream is suited to broadcasting a playlist of files at a chosen time or in a loop. Castr describes its service as cloud playout that does not require an encoder on your computer. For a continuously programmed channel with a timetable that can include VOD, livestreams, and breaks, Castr documents a separate feature called TV Playout (“Introducing TV Playout,” 2026-07-13). That is a different workflow from assembling one looping or scheduled pre-recorded playlist.
Troubleshoot common setup problems
- A video will not upload: Confirm it is an MP4 and check the account’s current file-size and media-count limits.
- A video is missing from playback: Check that its playlist toggle is on, then review the order of the entries.
- YouTube does not receive the stream: Confirm YouTube is added as a destination and its toggle is on. If you used the server-and-key method, verify that the destination is configured with the intended YouTube server and stream key.
- The scheduled start is at the wrong time: Compare the device’s time zone with the time you intended to schedule; Castr says scheduling follows the device time zone.
- The stream description is wrong or absent: If you connected through a stream key, edit the description in YouTube’s dashboard, as Castr’s instructions require for that setup.
- You cannot add as many files or as much video as expected: Playlist capacity, storage, maximum duration, and loop features vary by plan. Check the current plan limits in your Castr account rather than relying on an assumed video count.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is to keep uploaded videos running as a 24/7 YouTube stream rather than manage a Castr playlist, StreamNeo is another cloud option. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. The cloud keeps the stream running without a computer, OBS, or home connection staying on. It plays uploaded videos, not a live camera feed.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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Rank #4
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- Any uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps streams as made, at one flat price per slot with no re-encode or quality tiers.
- StreamNeo automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream.
- The first day is free with no card required (one free day per account).
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