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To loop a prerecorded video on YouTube Live from Oracle Cloud, run FFmpeg on a Compute instance with -stream_loop -1 before the input file, then send the encoded output to the RTMPS ingest URL and stream key shown in YouTube Live Control Room. You will need an eligible YouTube channel, a suitable Oracle Cloud instance with enough encoding capacity and outbound bandwidth, and a plan to monitor and restart the process if the host or network fails.
This is a live-ingestion workflow: the video appears as a YouTube live stream. It does not make a regular uploaded video repeat automatically.
What you need before starting
- YouTube Live access: Enable live streaming and verify that the channel has no live-streaming restriction in the preceding 90 days. YouTube’s current eligibility and setup details are in its live streaming help.
- An OCI Compute instance: It must be able to read your video file and encode it at the resolution and frame rate you choose. Oracle’s Always Free resources are subject to availability, account limits, and billing conditions; if you rely on Always Free compute, create the instance in your tenancy’s home region.
- Enough sustained network capacity: The instance must upload the stream reliably, with spare capacity beyond the stream bitrate.
- FFmpeg and a compatible media file: Confirm the file’s video and audio codecs, dimensions, frame rate, and audio track before broadcasting.
- A protected YouTube stream key: YouTube provides the RTMPS URL and key in Live Control Room. Treat the key like a password.
Oracle documents 10 TB per month of outbound transfer for Always Free resources, but that allowance does not guarantee that a suitable instance shape is available, that it can encode your chosen settings, or that your account will incur no charges. Check current capacity, tenancy limits, workload performance, and billing in your OCI account before relying on it. See Oracle Cloud Free Tier and Always Free resources.
Configure the YouTube Live event
- In YouTube Studio, open Create > Go live and complete the channel’s live-stream setup if prompted.
- Create or schedule the live stream in Live Control Room. Choose the intended visibility and event details, and check the stream’s settings before starting.
- Open the encoder setup and copy the RTMPS server URL and stream key. Use the exact values YouTube displays; do not guess the URL path or paste a real key into a public script, post, or support request.
- Keep Live Control Room open for the preview and stream-health indicators. You will use these to confirm that FFmpeg is sending usable video and audio.
YouTube recommends RTMPS, an encrypted extension of RTMP. Its encoder guidance also covers HLS for specific workflows, including some codecs not supported over RTMP; use the ingest method YouTube provides for the selected workflow. General FFmpeg encoder setups commonly use RTMPS. YouTube’s current encoder settings and bitrate guidance should guide the output choices.
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Prepare Oracle Cloud and FFmpeg
Check the instance and file
Make sure the Compute instance can access the complete media file and has sufficient CPU capacity—or supported hardware encoding—for sustained encoding at your selected settings. An Always Free allowance is a billing entitlement, not a performance guarantee. Check actual CPU use and outbound bandwidth during a test rather than assuming that a particular shape will handle the workload.
Install FFmpeg using the package method appropriate for the instance’s operating system, then confirm it is available with ffmpeg -version. Put the media file somewhere readable by the account that will run FFmpeg. If the video is large, allow time to transfer it to the instance before the event begins.
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Choose output settings that fit the source and YouTube
There is no single bitrate that fits every stream. Match the output resolution and frame rate to the source and the viewer experience you intend, then consult YouTube’s current encoder matrix for the selected codec and format. For H.264, YouTube lists recommended video bitrates of 10 Mbps for 1080p at 30 fps and 17 Mbps for 1080p at 60 fps. The recommendations differ for other resolutions and codecs. YouTube’s listed settings include constant bitrate (CBR) and a recommended two-second keyframe interval, with an interval no longer than four seconds.
For H.264 output, FFmpeg’s -g value sets the GOP length in frames. At 30 fps, -g 60 represents a two-second GOP; at 60 fps, a two-second GOP would be 120 frames. Set the GOP to match the output frame rate rather than copying a frame count without checking it. The example below uses 4.5 Mbps as an illustrative value only; it is not a recommendation for 1080p and may not suit your chosen resolution or frame rate.
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Leave network headroom: YouTube recommends 20% spare bandwidth over the stream’s bitrate. For a stable result, test the actual upload path and observe Live Control Room’s stream-health feedback. A connection that barely matches the configured bitrate can cause buffering or dropped frames.
Run FFmpeg in a loop and send it to YouTube
The following is an illustrative command template, not a tested configuration. Replace the input path, RTMPS URL, and key with your own values from Live Control Room. Do not use the example bitrate or GOP unchanged unless they fit your output settings.
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ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i input.mp4
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -b:v 4500k -maxrate 4500k -bufsize 9000k
-pix_fmt yuv420p -g 60 -c:a aac -b:a 128k -f flv
'rtmps://YOUR_YOUTUBE_INGEST_URL/YOUR_STREAM_KEY'-rereads the file at its native frame rate so packet timing resembles a live feed. It is useful for a file input; do not indiscriminately apply it to genuine live-capture inputs.-stream_loop -1loops the input indefinitely. It must appear before the corresponding-ioption.-c:v libx264encodes video as H.264. Select a codec and settings supported by the ingest method and appropriate to the source.-b:v,-maxrate, and-bufsizeconfigure video rate control in this example. Choose values from YouTube’s guidance for your resolution, frame rate, and codec.-pix_fmt yuv420psets a widely compatible pixel format. Check that the chosen encoder and source can produce the intended format.-gsets GOP length in frames. Use a value that corresponds to the recommended two-second keyframe interval for your output frame rate.-c:a aac -b:a 128kencodes audio as AAC at the illustrative bitrate shown. Confirm that the source has the audio you expect and check YouTube’s guidance for the selected output.-f flvselects the streaming container used by this RTMP-style output workflow.
Because a stream key is a credential, avoid saving it in a world-readable script or sharing a command containing it. Restrict access to the configuration that stores it, and replace the key in YouTube if it is exposed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Test before relying on the stream
- Start with a short test event or an appropriate test configuration in Live Control Room.
- Run FFmpeg and wait for the event preview to appear. Check that the intended video is moving, the audio is present and in sync, and the image is not cropped or distorted.
- Watch Live Control Room’s stream-health indicators and verify that the instance has at least 20% spare upload bandwidth beyond the configured stream bitrate, as YouTube recommends.
- Let the stream run long enough to catch CPU saturation, unstable network throughput, or a failure when the input loops back to its beginning.
- After correcting any issues, begin or schedule the real broadcast using the appropriate event controls in Live Control Room.
YouTube automatically archives streams under 12 hours. That statement does not establish that a single uninterrupted stream longer than 12 hours will be archived as one video; plan separately if an archive is important for a longer broadcast.
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Keep a long-running stream available
A loop option keeps FFmpeg reading the file again, but it does not make the full system self-healing. The process can exit, the instance can become unavailable, and the network connection to YouTube can fail. Monitor both the FFmpeg process and YouTube stream health, and decide in advance how someone or a supervisor will restart the process after an interruption.
FFmpeg documents FIFO output recovery options that can retry after certain temporary network failures. This is an optional hardening measure, not a guarantee of uninterrupted playback and not a substitute for monitoring or testing. See the FFmpeg format documentation for FIFO options and the FFmpeg command-line documentation for input and output options.
Common problems and fixes
No preview appears in Live Control Room
- Check that the event is open for encoder input and that FFmpeg is still running.
- Copy the RTMPS URL and stream key again from the correct event. Do not add a guessed path or reuse a key from another stream.
- Check whether the instance can reach the ingest service and whether outbound traffic is being blocked by network rules.
YouTube reports a weak or unstable stream
- Measure the instance’s actual upload capacity while the stream is running. YouTube recommends 20% spare bandwidth; reduce bitrate or choose a lower resolution or frame rate if you cannot maintain that margin.
- Check CPU load and encoder performance. If encoding cannot keep up, reduce output demands or use an appropriate supported encoder.
- Confirm the configured rate-control, codec, and keyframe interval against YouTube’s current guidance for the selected output.
The stream has no sound, wrong sound, or poor sync
- Inspect the input’s audio streams and confirm that the chosen audio encoder is receiving the intended track.
- Check the preview and playback on another device; a file can contain an unexpected track or audio layout even when FFmpeg starts successfully.
- Use settings supported by the chosen output format and confirm that audio remains consistent when the file loops.
The video freezes or the process stops at the file boundary
- Verify that
-stream_loop -1is positioned before the relevant-iinput and that the file is readable throughout. - Review FFmpeg’s output for decode errors, unsupported streams, or a failing disk read. Test the file’s end-to-start transition before a long broadcast.
- Do not treat FIFO retries as recovery from every failure. Check process supervision, instance state, and YouTube’s stream health separately.
Or let it run in the cloud
If you would rather not maintain FFmpeg and an OCI instance, StreamNeo is a cloud service for keeping a YouTube channel live from uploaded videos. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops uploaded videos in the cloud; it does not stream a camera feed.
- Your computer and home internet connection do not have to stay on.
- Any quality up to 4K 60fps streams as uploaded, 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, one free day per account.
The monthly plan is $9.99 per month. UPI and cards are available in India; card checkout is available worldwide. Each slot includes one always-on stream, 10 GB of storage per slot pooled across active slots, 24/7 looping and playlists, automatic recovery, and StreamNeo team support. All plans include the same product; only the billing length changes.
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