Use FFmpeg’s concat demuxer to play a local playlist in order, then add -stream_loop -1 to repeat it indefinitely. YouTube receives the result as one live encoder feed. The method depends on compatible media files, a host and network connection that stay available, and monitoring for failures; the command below is a starting point to validate with your files and FFmpeg build.
How the playlist loop works
FFmpeg’s concat demuxer reads a manifest of files in sequence as though their packets were joined. -stream_loop -1 requests indefinite input looping. Together, they provide a practical pattern for cycling through prerecorded videos, but compatibility and accurate timestamps matter: mismatches or incorrect duration information can cause artifacts or gaps. See the FFmpeg concat demuxer documentation.
This is a local, do-it-yourself setup. The computer running FFmpeg, its media files, and its network connection must remain available for the stream to continue.
Prepare and check your playlist
Create the manifest
Make a UTF-8 text file named playlist.txt with one file directive per video, in the order you want them played:
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file '/media/video-01.mp4'
file '/media/video-02.mp4'
file '/media/video-03.mp4'Use paths that exist on the computer running FFmpeg. The concat demuxer expects compatible streams, codecs, and time bases across inputs. If files differ in codec, resolution, frame rate, audio layout, or time base, normalize or re-encode them to a consistent output profile rather than assuming that joining them will work cleanly. Inaccurate duration metadata can also produce artifacts.
Handle paths safely
The example below uses -safe 0, which permits paths the concat demuxer would otherwise reject. Use it only with a manifest whose contents you control. Filenames containing apostrophes or unusual characters need correct manifest quoting; test those entries before relying on the playlist unattended.
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Build an FFmpeg command for YouTube
Here is an illustrative re-encoding command for an RTMP-compatible YouTube ingest destination:
ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -f concat -safe 0 -i playlist.txt
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -pix_fmt yuv420p
-c:a aac -b:a 128k
-f flv "rtmp://YOUR_SERVER/YOUR_APP/YOUR_STREAM_KEY"Replace the destination with the current server URL and stream key shown in YouTube Live Control Room. This composition is not a universal tested recipe: verify it against your installed FFmpeg build, source media, machine capacity, and YouTube’s current encoder recommendations. The -re option paces file input in real time, which is important when sending prerecorded material to a live endpoint. FFmpeg’s FIFO muxer documentation includes an RTMP example using real-time pacing, H.264/AAC, and FLV output.
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Choose between stream copy and re-encoding
| Approach | When it fits | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Concat with stream copy | All files have compatible streams, codecs, and time bases, and their timestamps and duration metadata behave correctly. | Uses less encoding capacity, but mismatches and duration inaccuracies can cause errors, artifacts, or gaps. |
| Concat with re-encoding | Files need to be normalized to one output profile. | Requires more processing capacity. Set resolution, frame rate, video bitrate, audio settings, and keyframe cadence according to current YouTube guidance and what the host can encode; there is no single verified bitrate in the available guidance for every source and output. |
For either approach, confirm the resulting output is accepted by YouTube before leaving it unattended. The example explicitly sets a video encoder, pixel format, audio encoder, and audio bitrate; it does not specify output dimensions, frame rate, video bitrate, or keyframe interval. Choose those based on the media and the current YouTube encoder guidance rather than treating the sample as a complete profile.
Protect the stream key
A stream key is an ingest credential. Keep it private: do not expose a real key in a public script, screenshot, shell history, or logs. If it is exposed, replace it in YouTube Studio and update the encoder destination.
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Connect FFmpeg to YouTube and start the broadcast
- In YouTube Studio, open Create → Go Live, then use the Stream tab to create or select a stream.
- Copy the current server URL and stream key from Live Control Room into the FFmpeg output destination. YouTube’s encoder instructions say: “To start streaming, enter your YouTube Live server URL and stream key into your encoder.” See Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder.
- Start FFmpeg and check the Live Control Room preview and stream health. For a scheduled stream, wait for the preview and click Go live when it appears.
RTMP, RTMPS, and HLS
YouTube’s Live Streaming API describes primary and backup ingest addresses and supports RTMP (including RTMPS), HLS, and DASH ingest types. For a conventional FFmpeg playlist, RTMP or RTMPS is the simpler starting point. YouTube documents HLS as an alternative for HDR or codecs unsupported by RTMP; it requires segment-based configuration and has higher latency than RTMP. Check YouTube’s current HLS setup guidance before choosing that path.
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A looping input is not the same as a self-healing broadcast. FFmpeg may stop or lose output because of a missing or unreadable file, timestamp discontinuity, host restart, encoder overload, or network failure. Before scheduling a continuous stream, run through the whole playlist, watch FFmpeg’s reported speed and errors, and confirm the preview and health status in Live Control Room. The YouTube API describes stream health states including good, ok, bad, and noData; see LiveStreams | YouTube Live Streaming API.
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Optional output recovery with the FIFO muxer
FFmpeg documents FIFO muxer recovery options for some output failures. Its RTMP recovery example uses -drop_pkts_on_overflow 1, -attempt_recovery 1, and -recovery_wait_time 1 alongside real-time pacing, H.264/AAC, and FLV. These are options to investigate for a deployment that needs recovery behavior, not a guarantee of uninterrupted YouTube delivery. Dropping packets on queue overflow favors continued processing over preserving every packet. Read the FIFO muxer documentation and validate any revised command with your setup.
For a 24/7 host, plan separately for process supervision, restart behavior, and alerts. FIFO recovery does not restart a process after every possible failure, repair a bad source file, restore a failed network, or confirm that YouTube has resumed receiving the stream.
Plan archives realistically
YouTube Help says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. That statement does not establish that a single uninterrupted 24/7 archive will be created; if archive continuity matters, consult current YouTube Live guidance and plan around that limitation.
Troubleshoot common failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check or change |
|---|---|---|
| FFmpeg rejects the manifest or cannot open an input. | Path is wrong, manifest syntax is invalid, or the concat safety rules reject a path. | Check each path and directive. Use -safe 0 only for a playlist you control, and fix quoting for unusual filenames. |
| Playback breaks, shows artifacts, or has gaps at file boundaries. | Inputs have incompatible streams, codecs, time bases, or inaccurate duration metadata. | Inspect and normalize the files to compatible streams and timestamps; re-encode if necessary, then test transitions across the playlist. |
| FFmpeg runs, but YouTube does not show a usable preview. | The destination URL or key is incorrect, the output settings are unsuitable, or YouTube has not received a valid feed. | Recheck the current URL and key in Live Control Room, inspect FFmpeg’s output and errors, and confirm the selected ingest format and encoder settings. |
| The feed buffers, stalls, or stops after running for a while. | Network or output failure, encoder overload, host restart, or another process/input error. | Watch FFmpeg speed and errors, check YouTube’s health state, confirm the host and connection are stable, and use separate process supervision and alerts for recovery. |
| The preview is ready, but the scheduled broadcast has not begun. | The creator has not started the scheduled stream in Live Control Room. | After the preview appears, click Go live. |
Or let it run in the cloud
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