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To run a prerecorded video as a continuous YouTube Live stream with FFmpeg, create a YouTube stream, copy its ingest URL and private stream key, then run FFmpeg with real-time input pacing and an infinite file loop. The computer or server running FFmpeg and a stable upload connection must remain available; the example below is a starting point, not a fail-proof broadcast system.
What you need before you start
- A YouTube account with live streaming enabled, plus a stream set up in YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room.
- A video file that you have the right to stream. YouTube can apply copyright rules to live content; a loop does not grant permission to rebroadcast music, gameplay, or other material.
- FFmpeg installed on a computer or server that can run continuously. Its build needs the encoders and formats used by your command, including libx264, AAC, and FLV/RTMP support.
- A reliable upload connection with enough sustained capacity for the selected video and audio bitrate, plus headroom.
This method sends a file to YouTube at its intended playback rate. It does not broadcast a camera or game capture; those require an appropriate live input instead of the file-loop options shown here.
1. Create a YouTube stream and protect its key
- Open YouTube Studio and go to the Live Control Room. Create or select a stream and locate its stream URL and stream key.
- Copy the ingest URL and key into your FFmpeg destination. The key identifies the stream to YouTube; treat it like a password. Do not publish it in scripts, screenshots, shared logs, or source control.
- Review the event’s auto-start and auto-stop settings. If auto-start is off, you will need to start the event in YouTube after FFmpeg’s feed appears in preview.
YouTube’s live streaming encoder setup explains how the stream URL and key connect an encoder to the event. Interface labels and available options may change.
2. Choose settings that fit the source and connection
Use YouTube’s current live encoder settings for your codec, resolution, frame rate, and audio. For SDR ingest, YouTube documents H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 with RTMP/RTMPS, up to 60 fps, constant bitrate (CBR), and a recommended two-second keyframe interval (no more than four seconds). RTMPS is its recommended secure extension to RTMP.
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| Setting | Guidance |
|---|---|
| H.264 bitrate examples | YouTube recommends 14 Mbps for 1080p30, 17 Mbps for 1080p60, 8 Mbps for 720p30, and 8 Mbps for 720p60. |
| Keyframe interval | Two seconds recommended; do not exceed four seconds. For 30 fps, a 60-frame GOP is two seconds; at 60 fps, use 120 frames for the same interval. |
| Stereo audio | AAC or MP3; YouTube recommends 128 kbps and a 44.1 kHz sample rate. |
| Connection headroom | YouTube recommends keeping 20% bandwidth headroom. Account for a backup stream’s bitrate too, if you use one. |
These are YouTube’s published recommendations, not guaranteed minimums or results for every source. If your connection cannot sustain the recommended bitrate with headroom, lower the resolution or frame rate and test picture quality. The example command uses 5 Mbps video for illustration; that is not YouTube’s 1080p30 H.264 recommendation. For HDR, follow YouTube’s separate HDR requirements rather than treating this SDR example as suitable.
3. Loop a file and send it to YouTube
Replace input.mp4 with your file, and replace the destination placeholder with the ingest URL and stream key shown in YouTube Studio. Keep the key private; avoid saving a command containing it in a public or shared location.
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ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i input.mp4
-c:v libx264 -b:v 5000k -maxrate 5000k -bufsize 10000k
-g 60 -c:a aac -b:a 128k
-f flv 'rtmp://INGEST_URL/STREAM_KEY'-rereads the file at its native playback rate instead of sending it as fast as possible.-stream_loop -1repeats the input indefinitely. It is an input option, so it appears before-i.-c:v libx264encodes video as H.264. The example sets a 5 Mbps video bitrate and a 10 Mbps rate-control buffer; change the bitrate to suit the chosen YouTube settings and your connection.-g 60sets a 60-frame GOP. That is a two-second keyframe interval at 30 fps only; adjust it to match the source frame rate.-c:a aac -b:a 128kencodes audio as AAC at 128 kbps. Confirm the source audio is present and use the sample rate required by your chosen configuration.-f flvsends an FLV stream over RTMP. YouTube recommends RTMPS when available; use the compatible secure ingest destination and format shown for your event if you choose it.
FFmpeg’s command-line documentation describes option placement, and its protocol documentation covers RTMP publishing. This illustrative command may need adjustment for your installed FFmpeg build, file, frame rate, audio, or ingest endpoint; verify that your build includes the needed encoder and formats.
4. Preview, start, and monitor the broadcast
- Run the command and wait for YouTube Studio to show an incoming feed in the Live Control Room preview.
- Check that the picture and sound are correct. Confirm playback on the channel or watch page and, if relevant, on a mobile device.
- If the event is not set to auto-start, choose “Go live” after the preview is ready.
- Watch FFmpeg’s output and YouTube’s stream-health indicators. Test a representative period of motion and audio, and make sure the upload connection remains stable.
YouTube recommends testing upload bitrate and leaving bandwidth headroom. A process that runs continuously does not guarantee an uninterrupted stream: an internet disruption, encoder failure, or host shutdown can stop delivery. A single FFmpeg command does not supervise itself, restart after a host failure, or provide seamless transitions.
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Plan for restarts and keep a separate archive
If you need the broadcast to recover from a process or machine failure, arrange process supervision and host/network monitoring separately; the command above does not provide them. Test that recovery procedure before depending on it. If retaining a replay matters, plan and verify an independent local or remote recording workflow.
YouTube says streams under 12 hours can be automatically archived, while streams longer than 12 hours may not be captured at all. A 24/7 broadcast therefore should not be treated as one guaranteed YouTube replay. See YouTube’s live stream archive guidance.
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Copyright and channel-policy checks
Only loop videos you are authorized to broadcast. Repeating a file does not remove copyright restrictions or make reused material original. Before going public, check the rights for video, music, and other included content, and review YouTube’s applicable copyright and monetization policies. Test privately or as an unlisted event where appropriate, but do not assume that a private test establishes permission for a public stream.
Or let it run in the cloud
If you do not want a computer at home running FFmpeg all day, StreamNeo is a cloud option 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. The service loops the uploaded video from the cloud; it does not stream a camera feed.
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