You can install Restreamer with Docker and configure it to publish to YouTube, but the available official documentation does not establish how to make a local video file loop indefinitely. The steps below cover the documented Docker installation and YouTube publication setup, then explain what remains unverified so you do not mistake a continuously connected stream for a video that restarts at its end.
What you need before installing
- A Docker-capable host. Restreamer’s official Linux guide specifies a 64-bit Intel or AMD CPU and a current Linux distribution. See datarhei’s Linux installation requirements.
- Access to the host’s terminal and network settings. The official example maps web, RTMP/RTMPS and UDP ports; the ports you expose depend on the services you plan to use.
- An active YouTube account and a valid YouTube streaming ID for the destination stream.
Use a secure, unique password when setting up Restreamer. For production, datarhei recommends its official Docker images and identifies that as its most tested installation method. The Quick Start example uses the moving latest tag, so it is convenient but not a pinned, reproducible version. See datarhei’s official recommendations.
Install Restreamer with Docker
Run the official Quick Start container
On a Linux host with Docker installed, run the Quick Start command from datarhei:
docker run -d --restart=always --rm --name restreamer
-v /opt/restreamer/config:/core/config
-v /opt/restreamer/data:/core/data
-p 8080:8080 -p 8181:8181
-p 1935:1935 -p 1936:1936
-p 6000:6000/udp
datarhei/restreamer:latestThe two bind mounts store Restreamer’s configuration and internal data on the host, rather than only inside the container. The example maps ports 8080 and 8181, 1935 and 1936, and UDP 6000. The Quick Start says public port forwarding is needed for full functionality; expose only the ports required for your setup and configure your firewall and router accordingly. See the official Quick Start.
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Open the web interface
After the container starts, open the host’s IP address followed by /ui in a browser. For example, if the host is reachable at 192.0.2.10, visit http://192.0.2.10:8080/ui. The official guide gives the pattern http://device-ip:8080/ui. Complete the initial setup using a secure, unique password.
Configure a YouTube publication
- In Restreamer, create a Publication Service and select YouTube.
- Enter a valid YouTube streaming ID, save the publication, and start the stream.
- Confirm the connection in Restreamer. According to datarhei’s guide, the bitrate appears in the main Restreamer window once connected.
The YouTube destination must also have an active account. Follow YouTube’s own current account and live-stream requirements; the Restreamer setup guide does not replace them. For Restreamer’s documented sequence, see How can I use YouTube with the Restreamer? and the Publication services manual.
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Audio when the source is silent
Restreamer’s wizard recommends adding a silent audio channel if the source has no sound, noting that some services, including YouTube, require an active audio channel. Treat this as Restreamer’s guidance, not a complete statement of every current YouTube requirement for all accounts and stream types. See the Restreamer wizard documentation.
Does this setup loop a local video file?
Not by itself, based on the official documentation cited here. A publication that remains connected to YouTube does not prove that its underlying media restarts when it reaches the end. Restreamer’s documented wizard describes network, hardware, Raspberry Pi camera, USB, SRT and internal RTMP choices, while its network-source instructions do not establish a local-file repeat setting or the syntax for one. The available official pages therefore do not support a reliable step-by-step method for continuously looping a local file directly in Restreamer.
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Do not assume that a GUI control, environment variable, FFmpeg option or Compose setting exists without confirming it in documentation for the Restreamer version you are running. The relevant network source documentation does not establish a local-file loop workflow. If looping a local recording is essential, verify that the current release documents the exact source configuration and repeat behavior before relying on it for a long-running broadcast.
End the YouTube event in the right order
When the broadcast is over, end the stream on YouTube before stopping the Restreamer publication. Datarhei warns: “Always end the stream on YouTube first after an event. If you interrupt the stream in the Restreamer during a live stream, YouTube may not save your live stream in the DVR archive.” This is a vendor-documentation warning about the risk to the archive, not a guarantee about what will happen to every stream.
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Troubleshooting the documented setup
- The web interface does not load: Check that the container started, that you are using the host IP and port 8080 with
/ui, and that local firewall or network rules allow access. The Quick Start’s example publishes the interface on port 8080. - YouTube does not connect: Confirm that the publication is set to YouTube, the streaming ID is valid, and the destination account is active. Check Restreamer’s main window for the bitrate after connection.
- External sources or services cannot reach the host: Review the port mappings in your Docker command and the host, router and firewall rules. The Quick Start calls out public port forwarding for full functionality; the required exposure depends on which services you use.
- The stream stops when the recording ends: A successful YouTube publication does not establish that the media source loops. The cited official documentation does not verify a local-file repeat setting, so confirm the supported behavior and configuration for your installed release rather than guessing.
- The saved configuration disappears after container replacement: Confirm that the host directories are mounted to
/core/configand/core/data, as in the official example, and that those host paths persist.
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