To repeat one finished saree-catalog video indefinitely in a YouTube Live stream from Ubuntu, use FFmpeg’s input option -stream_loop -1 before that file’s -i. Then send the encoded output to the RTMPS server URL and stream key shown in YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room. This loops a single file; a folder of separate clips or a text playlist needs a different setup.
What this FFmpeg loop does—and what it does not do
-stream_loop -1 tells FFmpeg to repeat its input without a set limit. The option applies to the input that follows it, so its position before -i matters. The example below sends a single video file to YouTube Live; it does not turn a directory of catalog clips into a playlist, nor does it guarantee that the computer, network, encoder, or YouTube event will stay connected indefinitely.
For separate clips, first assemble and inspect a continuous video, or build a playlist using a method suited to those specific files. This matters when clips differ in dimensions, frame rate, audio tracks, or codecs: a loop command alone does not reconcile those differences.
Prepare Ubuntu, the catalog file, and YouTube Live
Check the video and its rights
Choose a finished catalog video that you are entitled to stream, including permission for any music, voice-over, product footage, and other material it contains. Make sure its picture and audio behave as intended at the point where playback returns to the beginning. The available guidance does not specify a required saree-catalog production format; select the output profile according to the source, available upload bandwidth, and YouTube’s current requirements.
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Check the installed FFmpeg build
- Open a terminal and run
ffmpeg -versionto see the installed version and build configuration. - Check option details on that machine with
ffmpeg -h full. Ubuntu package versions vary by release and installation; the Ubuntu Jammy manual lists package version7:4.4.2-0ubuntu0.22.04.1, which should not be assumed for other Ubuntu systems.
Create or select an encoder stream
- In YouTube Studio, open the Live Control Room and create or select an encoder stream.
- Copy the server URL and stream key displayed for that stream. Prefer the RTMPS URL when the installed FFmpeg build supports it; YouTube recommends RTMPS, which encrypts the connection to Google’s servers.
- Keep the key private. Treat it like a password: do not put it in a public script repository or public support post. If it is exposed, reset it in Live Control Room.
Start the single-file loop
Use this as an illustrative starting command, not as a tested configuration or a guarantee that every Ubuntu FFmpeg build supports every option exactly as written:
ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i "catalog.mp4"
-c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p -r 30 -g 60
-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100
-f flv "rtmps://YOUR_INGEST_URL/YOUR_STREAM_KEY"- Replace
catalog.mp4with the path to your video. - Replace the sample output address with the RTMPS server URL and stream key from Live Control Room. Keep the key out of shared or public copies of the command.
-rereads the file at its normal playback rate rather than sending it as fast as possible.-stream_loop -1repeats the input. Both appear before the input’s-i.-c:v libx264and-c:a aacselect common video and audio encoders;-pix_fmt yuv420pis a common SDR output pixel format. The example requests 30 fps and a 60-frame GOP, or two seconds at 30 fps. Check that these choices fit the actual source and selected stream.-b:a 128k -ar 44100request 128 kbps audio at 44.1 kHz. If the catalog has no audio, remove the audio output options rather than assuming an audio track exists.-f flvspecifies the output container convention used for this RTMP-family ingest workflow. Use the endpoint format YouTube provides for the selected stream.
The example does not set a video bitrate. Choose one based on resolution, frame rate, codec, and the machine’s sustained upload capacity rather than copying a number intended for a different profile.
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Choose encoder settings that fit the stream
YouTube’s encoder guidance, accessed in 2026, lists RTMP/RTMPS ingest; H.264, H.265, or AV1 video; up to 60 fps; AAC or MP3 audio; constant bitrate (CBR); and a recommended two-second keyframe interval that should not exceed four seconds. For stereo audio, it lists 44.1 kHz and recommends 128 kbps. Check the current guidance for the particular codec and stream you select; not every encoder build supports every listed video codec.
For one specific reference point, YouTube’s current Help table gives H.264 at 720p30 a minimum bitrate of 2 Mbps and a recommended bitrate of 6 Mbps. That figure applies to that stated resolution and frame rate, not to every stream. Your sustained upload rate needs headroom above the total outgoing stream bitrate; a connection that only just reaches the target can make delivery unstable.
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The sample command’s -g 60 corresponds to two seconds only at its requested 30 fps. If you change the frame rate, adjust the GOP to preserve the intended interval, and keep the keyframe interval within YouTube’s guidance. A stream profile should reflect the source’s actual resolution and frame rate, encoding capacity, audio, endpoint compatibility, and available upload rate—not bitrate alone.
Test and monitor the YouTube preview
- Before a public event, test privately or unlisted. YouTube recommends testing with motion and audio like the real stream.
- Check the Live Control Room preview for both picture and sound, then review its stream-health messages.
- Monitor stream health while the event is live. If the connection drops or quality degrades, use the health information to investigate the encoder, upload connection, or selected settings rather than assuming the loop option is responsible.
YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. That is not a promise that an endless event will remain connected or that longer streams will be archived. FFmpeg repeating a file indefinitely describes input playback only; it does not provide uninterrupted network, encoder, or platform uptime.
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Troubleshoot common problems
- The file plays once and stops: Check that
-stream_loop -1is before the matching-i, and confirm the running command is the one you edited. - FFmpeg rejects an option or encoder: Inspect
ffmpeg -versionandffmpeg -h fullon the Ubuntu machine. Installed package builds vary; verify support for the selected options and encoders. - YouTube does not receive the stream: Recheck the server URL and stream key in Live Control Room, confirm the key belongs to the selected stream, and use the RTMPS endpoint where supported. Reset the key if it may have been exposed.
- The preview is unstable or reports poor health: Check sustained upload capacity against the chosen video and audio bitrates, then lower the profile if necessary. Confirm the codec, frame rate, CBR behavior, and keyframe interval against YouTube’s current guidance.
- There is no sound: Confirm the source file contains an audio track and that FFmpeg is mapping and encoding it. If it is silent by design, remove the audio output settings from the example.
- The output stutters or the video changes at the loop point: Inspect the source and its end-to-start transition. A single-file loop repeats the file as made; it does not edit transitions or normalize inconsistent source material.
- You have several catalog clips rather than one video: Do not point this command at a directory and expect a playlist. Prepare a continuous video or use a separate playlist construction appropriate to the clip formats.
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