Switchboard Live schedules the broadcast event; it does not store or play your prerecorded playlist. To air prerecorded video, send it from an encoder such as OBS, Ecamm, or Switcher Studio into your Switchboard workflow, then start the event in Switchboard. The documented workflow requires a manual start—it does not automatically begin playing a stored playlist at the scheduled time.
What you need before scheduling
- A Switchboard workflow and a YouTube destination, or a YouTube scheduled event that you will connect using Custom RTMP.
- Streaming software that can play your prerecorded video and send an RTMP stream. Switchboard names OBS, Ecamm, and Switcher Studio as examples.
- The video files and playlist arranged in the encoder environment. Switchboard says it does not store prerecorded videos or archive the source file.
In this setup, the encoder plays the content and sends its output to Switchboard; Switchboard handles the scheduled event and distribution to its destinations. Keep the media available in the encoder environment and confirm that the playlist behaves as intended before the broadcast.
Option 1: Create the scheduled event in Switchboard
- Open event creation. Either open the workflow you want to use and select Create New > Scheduled Event, or open the Events Page Manager and select New Event.
- Enter the event details. Set the stream title, description, start date and time, and optionally add a thumbnail.
- Add destinations. Add a saved YouTube destination or connect one, along with any other destinations needed for the event, then save.
- Share the event page. For YouTube Partner Destinations, Switchboard says it creates a YouTube event page. Copy the event link from the workflow’s YouTube destination broadcast information or from the YouTube event page.
Send the prerecorded playlist and go live
- Load and start the playlist in your encoder. Configure your streaming software to play the prerecorded video and send its output into the Switchboard workflow. Switchboard’s documented setup uses RTMP ingest.
- Confirm video is arriving in Switchboard. Do this before trying to start the scheduled event. The Start Streaming control depends on encoder video being present.
- Start the event manually. The Scheduled Events help article says the Start Streaming button becomes available at the 30-minute mark before the scheduled start when encoder video is present. Click it to take the event live to its destinations.
The 30-minute timing is documented in Switchboard’s help guidance, while its current Scheduled Events product page says a stream may be started up to six hours after its scheduled time. These are different timing statements, so check the current controls in your account and do not rely on a late-start allowance for a fixed broadcast without confirming it.
Option 2: Connect a YouTube Studio event with Custom RTMP
If you already created the scheduled event in YouTube Studio, Switchboard’s documented workaround is to add that event as a Custom RTMP destination:
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- Create the scheduled event in YouTube Studio.
- Copy the event’s stream URL and stream key from YouTube.
- In Switchboard, add a Custom RTMP destination.
- Paste the stream URL and stream key into their corresponding fields, then give the destination a recognizable name.
- Send the encoder’s prerecorded video to the Switchboard workflow and manually start the event when ready.
Switchboard’s Custom RTMP guide says its title and description do not populate a custom RTMP destination. Also, that guide’s statement that direct streaming to YouTube scheduled events was unsupported may be outdated. Check the current destination options in your account; use Custom RTMP if that is the available documented route.
Which event workflow should you choose?
| Question | Switchboard-created scheduled event | YouTube Studio event with Custom RTMP |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the event created? | In the Switchboard workflow or Events Page Manager. | In YouTube Studio first. |
| How is YouTube connected? | Add a YouTube Partner Destination in Switchboard. | Add a Custom RTMP destination using the event’s stream URL and key. |
| Does Switchboard metadata populate the YouTube event? | The event details are entered during Switchboard event creation. | The Custom RTMP guide says Switchboard’s title and description do not populate the custom destination. |
| When is this the practical choice? | When your account offers the YouTube Partner Destination workflow and you want Switchboard to create the event page. | When the event already exists in YouTube Studio or your account requires the documented Custom RTMP route. |
Switchboard’s instructions do not establish that the two routes have identical scheduling or metadata behavior. Check the options available in your account before promoting the event.
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Edit or remove a scheduled event carefully
Switchboard says scheduled events can be edited from the Events Page Manager or a workflow. Its help article lists the schedule time, title, and destinations among the editable fields. If the YouTube event link has already been shared, be cautious about removing the YouTube destination: Switchboard warns that doing so can delete the public event page, break shared links, and remove Notify Me subscriptions.
Common problems and fixes
- Start Streaming is unavailable. Confirm the encoder is sending video into the workflow, then check whether the event is within the documented start window. Switchboard’s help article ties button availability to incoming encoder video and the 30-minute mark before the event.
- The playlist does not start by itself at the scheduled time. The scheduled event does not play a file stored by Switchboard. Start playback and streaming from your encoder, then click Start Streaming in Switchboard.
- The YouTube event title or description is missing when using Custom RTMP. The Custom RTMP guide says Switchboard’s title and description do not sync to that destination. Manage the event details in YouTube Studio.
- The shared event page or Notify Me link no longer works. Check whether the YouTube destination was removed from the scheduled event; removal can delete the public page and disrupt subscriptions.
- You cannot find direct YouTube scheduled-event support. The Custom RTMP guide’s direct-support statement may not reflect current controls. Check your account’s current destination choices and use the RTMP URL/key workflow if needed.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is simply to keep prerecorded video live on YouTube, StreamNeo is an alternative to the encoder-and-Switchboard workflow. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live; StreamNeo loops the uploaded video from the cloud, so no computer or home connection has to stay on. It streams the upload as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot, and automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo, or start the free first day.
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