To restart an FFmpeg stream after its process exits on a Hetzner server, run FFmpeg under a Linux service manager such as systemd and configure the service to restart after failure. FFmpeg’s own reconnect options solve different problems: they can help with supported input interruptions or transient output errors while FFmpeg is still running, but they do not relaunch a process that has exited.
Choose the recovery method for the failure
First establish whether FFmpeg is still running. A reconnect option cannot substitute for process supervision, and a service restart cannot by itself repair an invalid stream key or unavailable media.
| What happened | What to configure or check | Does FFmpeg remain running? |
|---|---|---|
| FFmpeg exited or crashed | Use an operating-system service manager with an on-failure restart policy. The exact configuration depends on your Linux distribution and systemd version. | No |
| An input connection dropped | Check whether the input protocol supports FFmpeg reconnect options, then configure the applicable options. Support and behavior vary by protocol. | Usually, if recovery succeeds |
| YouTube output had a temporary network failure | Consider FFmpeg’s FIFO muxer output-recovery options, and test them with your actual build and output protocol. | Yes, if FFmpeg recovers |
FFmpeg documents reconnect as an option to reconnect automatically when disconnected before EOF, but that is protocol-specific—not a general process supervisor. Its FIFO muxer documents recovery attempts if output fails. Neither replaces a service manager when the FFmpeg process terminates. See the FFmpeg protocol documentation and FFmpeg muxer documentation.
Set up systemd to relaunch FFmpeg
Save the command you already use to send the stream as a systemd service. Keep the actual input, encoding settings, and YouTube destination appropriate to your setup; a restart policy does not make an invalid command valid. This is general Linux guidance, not a Hetzner-specific service recipe.
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Protect the stream key and command
Use the current stream URL and stream key from YouTube Live Control Room. Do not expose the key in a world-readable service file, wrapper script, shell history, or logs. Use restrictive file permissions or a suitable secret mechanism, and confirm that the account running the service can read the required files.
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Create a service unit
Create a systemd unit for your FFmpeg command and configure it to start after the required network or input dependencies. Set an on-failure restart policy and a delay between attempts. Add rate limiting so a command that fails immediately does not create a tight restart loop. Exact directives and dependency choices depend on your operating system and service setup; check the local systemd documentation and installed version rather than copying an unverified provider-specific recipe.
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Start the service and inspect its status
Load the unit, start it, then inspect the service status and journal. Confirm that FFmpeg is running under the expected account, that the command and media paths resolve, and that the logs do not reveal the stream key.
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Confirm YouTube receives the stream
Open the event in YouTube Live Control Room and verify that the preview appears. For a scheduled stream, YouTube’s encoder instructions say to wait for the preview and click Go live. The encoder sends content to YouTube using the stream URL and key; prefer the RTMPS URL where supported, retrieving it from Live Control Room. YouTube describes RTMPS as RTMP over TLS/SSL. See Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder and Stream settings.
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Check YouTube’s event lifecycle settings
In the event’s Live Control Room settings, verify whether auto-start and auto-stop are enabled and whether that behavior is appropriate for the stream. YouTube says that when these settings are on, you can start or stop streaming from the encoder; reused stream settings can carry these choices forward. Confirm the settings for the specific event instead of assuming that a restarted FFmpeg process will start or end it as intended.
Stopping the encoder ends its sending of content, but the resulting YouTube event behavior depends on its settings. Avoid testing on a valuable live event or one you do not intend to end.
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Test automatic recovery before relying on it
- Use a noncritical scheduled event or other controlled test, with the same FFmpeg build, input, stream settings, and service configuration intended for production.
- Confirm that the preview and audio/video are correct before testing failure behavior.
- Stop or terminate the FFmpeg process deliberately, then check that systemd starts it again and inspect the service logs.
- Verify the preview and event behavior in Live Control Room after the restart. Check that auto-start or auto-stop has not ended the event unexpectedly.
- If transient network failures matter to your setup, test those separately. A process-exit test does not establish that input reconnect or FIFO output recovery works.
- Check the local archive and playback as well as the preview. YouTube recommends testing failover and checking accessibility, archive, and audio/video before relying on a stream.
FFmpeg’s online documentation may describe options not supported by an older installed build. Check the installed binary with ffmpeg -h and its relevant protocol or muxer help, then validate the exact command in a staging stream.
Troubleshoot by symptom
| Symptom | Likely layer | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The FFmpeg process has exited and stays down | Service supervision or unit configuration | Check service status and journal, confirm the unit’s restart policy and command, and verify that required files and permissions are available to the service account. |
| FFmpeg restarts repeatedly | Underlying command, input, credentials, or resources | Read the FFmpeg and systemd logs. A restart loop cannot fix invalid credentials, unavailable input media, incompatible output settings, exhausted resources, or an event that has ended. Add a delay or rate limit rather than allowing rapid retries. |
| FFmpeg is running, but an input has dropped | Input protocol and reconnect support | Check the protocol-specific FFmpeg documentation and configure only applicable reconnect options. Do not assume an option documented for HTTP behaves the same for every input type. |
| FFmpeg is running, but YouTube output failed temporarily | Network or output muxer | Check the output connection and whether FIFO muxer recovery applies to your command and build. Test this failure mode separately from process restarts. |
| FFmpeg reconnects, but YouTube does not show the expected live event | YouTube event configuration | Verify the event’s stream URL and key, preview, and auto-start/auto-stop settings in Live Control Room. Test with a noncritical event. |
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