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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →First identify whether FFmpeg lost its input (the camera, file, or remote source it reads) or its output (the YouTube ingest connection it writes to). FFmpeg’s reconnect* options documented for HTTP inputs do not automatically repair a failed YouTube output or restart an FFmpeg process that has exited. Compare FFmpeg’s timestamped log with YouTube Live Control Room’s stream-health message before changing flags.
Why does FFmpeg stop reconnecting during a YouTube live stream?
A typical FFmpeg live pipeline has two separate network or media paths: an input that FFmpeg reads and an output that FFmpeg sends to YouTube. An error on one path is not necessarily fixed by a retry option for the other.
- Input failure: FFmpeg cannot open or continue reading a source, such as an HTTP stream.
- Output failure: FFmpeg cannot connect to or write to YouTube’s RTMP/RTMPS ingest endpoint.
- Process or host failure: FFmpeg exits, or the computer or network connection running it fails. Input retry options do not by themselves supervise or relaunch the process.
Before editing the command, save the full FFmpeg log around the disconnect, the complete command with credentials removed, the installed version from ffmpeg -version, the input and output URL schemes, and the corresponding stream-health message in Live Control Room. Never share a stream key.
Do FFmpeg reconnect options work with YouTube Live?
FFmpeg documents the reconnect options discussed here as HTTP protocol options. They can help with certain HTTP input failures; their names do not mean that they supervise every output protocol or guarantee that a terminated FFmpeg process will restart. See the FFmpeg HTTP protocol documentation and check the help for the build installed on the streaming machine with ffmpeg -h protocol=http. Packaged builds may differ from current upstream documentation.
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| Option | What it addresses | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
reconnect |
Reconnect after a disconnect before the input reaches EOF. | HTTP input behavior; does not repair a YouTube output failure. |
reconnect_at_eof |
Treat EOF as an error that triggers reconnection; useful when a live or endless source unexpectedly ends. | For finite media, EOF may be normal. Treating it as an error can cause unwanted retries. |
reconnect_streamed |
Apply reconnect behavior to streamed or non-seekable inputs. | It does not restart FFmpeg or recover an unrelated output connection. |
reconnect_on_network_error |
Retry on TCP/TLS errors during connection. | Only addresses the documented connection error type. |
reconnect_on_http_error |
Retry for specified HTTP status codes or classes, given as a comma-separated list. | Do not blindly retry permanent errors such as invalid credentials or an unsupported URL. |
FFmpeg also documents retry limits and total reconnect-delay controls. Set bounds suitable for the source and event rather than assuming retries will continue forever. Current upstream source gives disabled defaults for reconnect and reconnect_streamed, and a 120-second default for reconnect_delay_max; these are version-sensitive, not universal. Verify your local build’s help and documentation before relying on a default.
How to configure reconnects for an HTTP input
If the log shows the HTTP input dropping, place the HTTP options before the -i they configure. This illustrative pattern is not a universal working command; replace the placeholders, confirm the options in your installed build, and keep secrets out of logs and shared commands.
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ffmpeg -reconnect 1
-reconnect_streamed 1
-reconnect_at_eof 1
-reconnect_delay_max 30
-i 'https://SOURCE.example/live'
...output options...
'rtmps://YOUTUBE_INGEST.example/STREAM_PATH/STREAM_KEY'Choose options to match the observed failure. Use reconnect_at_eof only if EOF means the live source failed rather than ended normally. Use HTTP-status or network-error retries only for the corresponding conditions. Authentication failures, invalid URLs, unsupported media, and other permanent errors need correction, not repeated attempts.
How to troubleshoot a failed YouTube output
- Capture the failure. Save the full timestamped FFmpeg log and command, redacting the stream key and any credentials. Determine whether the error is opening or reading the input, connecting to or writing the output, normal EOF, or process exit. Record
ffmpeg -versionand the local HTTP protocol help. - Check YouTube’s status at the same time. Open the event in Live Control Room, inspect the preview and stream health, and compare its message and timestamp with FFmpeg’s log. YouTube provides error-specific status and guidance.
- Confirm the event’s ingest details. Copy the Stream URL and stream key from the correct scheduled or live event in Live Control Room. Check that FFmpeg is using the intended destination and protocol. Rotate a key only if it is compromised or otherwise needs rotation, then update the encoder with the replacement.
- Investigate RTMPS/TLS errors specifically. YouTube’s RTMPS guidance says to verify the destination uses
rtmpsand the correct server. If the URL is correct but an SSL error persists, YouTube advises trying port 443. - Change encoding settings only when evidence points to compatibility or ingest. Retry flags are not a fix for an HTTP input disconnect when the actual error is elsewhere. Compare the encoder settings with YouTube’s current live encoder guidance.
Check YouTube encoder settings when ingest health points to them
YouTube’s current guidance recommends RTMP/RTMPS, constant bitrate (CBR), a two-second keyframe frequency (do not exceed four seconds), and H.264, H.265, or AV1 video with AAC or MP3 audio. Its recommended H.264 bitrates are 10 Mbps for 1080p at 30 fps and 17 Mbps for 1080p at 60 fps. These are recommendations for those specific resolutions and frame rates, not universal requirements; choose a sustainable bitrate for your connection and production.
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Change one relevant setting at a time and check whether Live Control Room’s preview and health message improve. Do not raise bitrate or change codecs as a substitute for diagnosing a source disconnect, a bad stream key, or a broken network path.
Prepare recovery before the service or event
A reconnect flag is only one part of continuity planning. YouTube advises preparing the encoder early, testing with representative motion and audio, monitoring stream health during the event, and testing backup-encoder failover. A practical rehearsal is to stop the primary encoder or disconnect its Ethernet cable and confirm that the backup path behaves as intended. If the church keeps a local recording, verify that it is recording and playable as well.
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For process exits or output failures, an external process supervisor or a backup encoder may be needed; the HTTP input options above do not provide that recovery scope. Choose a recovery plan the operators can test and monitor, and document who will respond to an alert.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common reconnect problems and fixes
- FFmpeg keeps retrying but never recovers: Check whether the input error is permanent (for example, a bad URL or authentication failure), whether the chosen option matches the failure type, and whether the source is reachable again. Retries cannot correct invalid source details.
- The log shows an output connect or write error: Do not add HTTP input flags as a presumed fix. Check the YouTube Stream URL and key, RTMP/RTMPS protocol, network or firewall path, and Live Control Room health.
- The stream stops when a source reaches EOF: Decide whether EOF is expected. For an endless live source that ended unexpectedly,
reconnect_at_eofmay be relevant; for a finite file, treating normal EOF as an error may create unwanted retries. - An RTMPS SSL error appears: Verify the URL uses
rtmpsand the correct ingest server. If those are correct, check YouTube’s port 443 guidance and compare the error with Live Control Room. - FFmpeg has exited: Input reconnect options cannot relaunch a dead process. Review the exit log and arrange process-level monitoring or a tested backup encoder if the operation requires recovery from process failure.
- The picture or audio is unstable despite a connection: Compare the actual encoder settings with YouTube’s recommendations and inspect stream health. A higher bitrate is not inherently safer; it must be supported by the available upload connection.
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