Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteFirst find out whether the audio/video error is a steady offset, growing drift, a sudden jump, or a problem that appears only in YouTube playback. Those symptoms point to different causes. Measure sync near the start and again later, compare the FFmpeg output with YouTube’s preview, and then change one relevant setting at a time. A Hetzner host alone does not identify the cause.
Before changing FFmpeg, measure the problem
Record the details you will need
Save the exact FFmpeg command, but redact the YouTube stream key and any other secrets before sharing it. Also record ffmpeg -version, the relevant startup and runtime log lines, the input types, and whether audio and video come from one file or separate live sources. Record the input streams’ start times, time bases, frame rates, and audio sample rates where available; ffprobe can help inspect media streams and timestamps.
Choose a clear event visible and audible in the stream, such as a clap, and measure the audio-to-picture difference near the beginning and later. Note which leads and by how much. Do not apply a guessed delay: an arbitrary correction can make sync worse or conceal a changing clock problem.
Check where the error first appears
Compare a local capture of the FFmpeg output with YouTube’s Live Control Room preview and, if possible, the resulting playback. If the local output is already out of sync, focus on the inputs, their timestamps, and FFmpeg’s handling. If the local output is synchronized but YouTube playback is not, check YouTube stream health and delivery conditions before rewriting timestamp filters. YouTube recommends testing in advance and monitoring stream health.
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Classify the symptom before choosing a fix
| What you observe | What to investigate | First response |
|---|---|---|
| About the same offset at the beginning and later | A fixed timestamp offset between the audio and video inputs | Measure the offset and shift the affected input’s timestamps |
| The offset grows over time | Whether the sources share a clock and whether audio samples progress in step with their timestamps | Inspect timestamps and test audio compensation only if the evidence points to sample/timestamp divergence |
| A sudden jump or discontinuity | Input interruptions, timestamp discontinuities, and the logs around the jump | Find which input changed; avoid masking the event with a broad reset |
| Uneven motion or irregular frame cadence | Source frame rate and FFmpeg output synchronization mode | Choose a frame-sync policy for the actual source and output needs |
| Local output is in sync; YouTube playback is not | Ingest, stream health, and playback conditions | Check Live Control Room messages and delivery before changing timestamp correction |
Fix a measured, steady audio/video offset
When the measured difference stays nearly constant, FFmpeg’s -itsoffset can shift an input’s timestamps. A positive offset delays that input. Put the option before the -i for the input being shifted, and use the measured difference—not a trial value chosen without evidence. Confirm which stream leads first: delaying the leading input may correct the relationship, while shifting the other input in the wrong direction increases the error.
After changing the offset, repeat the same beginning-and-later sync check. If the difference now grows, or if the local result is still wrong, revisit the diagnosis rather than stacking more offsets. FFmpeg’s command-line documentation describes input timestamp synchronization and -itsoffset; behavior can depend on the locally installed FFmpeg build.
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Investigate drift that accumulates over time
Check whether the sources share a clock
FFmpeg notes that expected synchronization between two inputs relies on their timestamps being derived from the same clock source. A file containing both audio and video is different from independently captured live audio and video: with separate sources, the relationship between their clocks matters. Check how each source timestamps media and whether those timestamps track real capture time. A clock mismatch can make a correction that looks right at startup increasingly wrong later.
Consider audio resampling only when timestamps support it
The FFmpeg aresample filter can compensate for audio that does not follow its timestamps by stretching or squeezing audio, or by adding or cutting samples. This is a measured correction, not a universal lip-sync switch. Confirm that audio sample progression diverges from timestamps, then test compensation in a controlled run and listen for audio artifacts. Avoid aggressive or unexplained compensation: altering samples can degrade audio and will not repair an unrelated video-clock or delivery problem.
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Check frame synchronization without treating it as an audio fix
FFmpeg’s output frame-sync modes make different trade-offs. Passthrough preserves demuxer timestamps. Constant frame rate (CFR) duplicates or drops frames to meet a requested rate. Variable frame rate (VFR) passes timestamps or drops frames with duplicate timestamps. If cadence is irregular, inspect the source frame rate and the configured fps_mode or related sync policy. Forcing CFR can alter motion by duplicating or dropping frames; it is not a blanket fix for audio delay.
Use the behavior that suits the source and destination rather than selecting a mode simply because sync is wrong. FFmpeg’s all-options documentation describes the available frame-synchronization behavior; check the documentation matching your installed build.
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Separate timestamp sync from YouTube delivery problems
Check YouTube’s encoder guidance
YouTube’s current encoder guidance recommends RTMP or RTMPS ingestion, up to 60 fps, a two-second keyframe interval (not over four seconds), AAC or MP3 audio, and constant bitrate (CBR). Its recommended video bitrates depend on resolution, frame rate, and codec; for H.264, examples include 10 Mbps for 1080p30 and 17 Mbps for 1080p60, while the listed recommendation for both 720p30 and 720p60 is 8 Mbps. These are platform recommendations, not universal requirements, and YouTube may update the table. Check its live encoder settings for the resolution, frame rate, and codec you use.
Test with representative movement and audio, then monitor Live Control Room status and messages. YouTube’s encoder guidance says: “Make sure to test before you start your live stream. Tests should include audio and movement in the video similar to what you’ll be doing in the stream.”
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Check available outbound bandwidth
Add the bitrate of the primary and any backup stream, then compare the total with measured outbound capacity. YouTube recommends leaving 20% bandwidth headroom beyond the total stream bitrate. Check the capacity and observed throughput available to your specific Hetzner server and region; a provider name by itself does not establish the bandwidth available to your instance. Bandwidth problems can disrupt delivery, but a bandwidth check alone does not prove the cause of a timestamp offset.
Use RTMPS for transport security, not sync correction
YouTube provides RTMPS setup instructions in Live Control Room. RTMPS changes the encrypted ingestion connection; it does not correct audio/video timestamps. Treat connection setup and synchronization as separate checks.
Run controlled tests and recover safely
- Keep a copy of the known command and logs, with stream keys redacted from anything shared.
- Use a short private or unlisted test where appropriate, with a clear event such as a clap that appears in both picture and sound.
- Compare sync near the start and later, and compare local output with YouTube’s preview.
- Change one relevant offset, filter, or frame-sync setting per test. Record what changed and the measured result.
- Keep FFmpeg logs and YouTube stream-health messages from the same test. If the symptom changes from a fixed offset to growing drift, stop layering corrections and inspect clocks and timestamps again.
Common failures and what to do next
- The correction makes sync worse: verify which stream leads and the direction of the measured offset. A positive
-itsoffsetdelays the input it applies to; check that it is placed before the correct input’s-i. - Sync is right at startup but wrong later: treat this as drift, not a fixed offset. Check the sources’ clock relationship and audio sample progression against timestamps before testing
aresamplecompensation. - Audio sounds degraded after compensation: the filter may be stretching, squeezing, adding, or cutting samples too aggressively or for the wrong cause. Return to the saved command and test with measured evidence.
- Video motion looks uneven after a sync change: review whether CFR is duplicating or dropping frames, or whether the source timestamps should be passed through. Do not force a frame rate merely to hide audio drift.
- Only YouTube shows the problem: compare local output, Live Control Room preview, stream-health messages, and playback before altering FFmpeg’s timestamps.
- The stream drops or delivery is unstable: review YouTube status messages, measured outbound throughput, and bitrate headroom. Do not assume that this explains a steady sync offset.
- A shared command or log exposes the stream key: remove the secret from the shared material. Never include a live stream key when asking for help.
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Quick Recap
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See StreamNeo or start the free first day.
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