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You schedule the YouTube live event in YouTube Studio (or through Google’s Live Streaming API), then run FFmpeg on your Contabo VPS to send the video feed at the right time. A local FFmpeg playlist is only a list of media files: it is not a YouTube playlist, and creating or scheduling a YouTube event does not start FFmpeg for you.
What “YouTube playlist” means in this setup
This guide covers looping local video files on a Contabo VPS and sending their audio and video to YouTube as a live feed. YouTube uses two related objects: a liveBroadcast is the scheduled event and its YouTube video page; a liveStream represents the incoming encoder feed. The broadcast must be associated with the stream that FFmpeg sends. Google documents broadcast creation, scheduling, management, and binding in the YouTube Live Streaming API Reference and its API overview.
The two schedules are separate. You set the event’s date and details in YouTube Studio or through the API; you separately arrange for FFmpeg to start on the VPS. Cron or systemd can start a process, but neither creates a YouTube event.
Before you begin
- A Contabo VPS running a Linux distribution with FFmpeg installed.
- Local video files on the VPS, plus a playlist file that names them.
- A YouTube channel able to create live streams, and a scheduled live event.
- The stream key for the corresponding YouTube stream. Treat it like a password: do not put it in a public repository, paste it into logs, or share it.
- Outbound network access from the VPS to YouTube’s ingest service, including working DNS. Contabo’s panel firewall and the VPS operating system’s firewall are separate: the panel firewall blocks inbound traffic by default when assigned but does not restrict outbound traffic. An OS firewall can still block outbound connections if configured to deny them. See Contabo’s firewall guidance and outbound traffic guidance.
There is no universally sufficient Contabo plan established for this workload. Resource needs depend on whether FFmpeg copies an already compatible file or encodes it, and on the media’s resolution, frame rate, codecs, and bitrate. Contabo’s compute API documentation describes resource management, not performance guarantees for a particular stream. The FFmpeg documentation is regenerated for the newest revision; consult the documentation installed with your FFmpeg version if options differ.
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Schedule the YouTube live event
Using YouTube Studio
- Open YouTube Studio and choose Create > Go live. In Live Control Room, open the event-management area and choose the option to schedule a stream. Labels can vary as YouTube updates Studio.
- Enter the event title, description, visibility, and scheduled date and time. Set the event’s audience and other required details accurately.
- Choose or create the stream that your encoder will use. Copy its stream key securely. Confirm that the scheduled broadcast is associated with this stream; FFmpeg must publish to the matching ingest destination and key.
- Save the event and note its scheduled start time, including the time zone. Scheduling creates the YouTube event; it does not launch the VPS process.
Using the Live Streaming API
For automation, Google’s Live Streaming API lets an application create and manage broadcast and stream resources, schedule a broadcast, and bind it to a stream. A broadcast is a distinct YouTube video and is bound to one stream; Google documents that a stream can be bound to up to three broadcasts. This can suit recurring events that reuse an encoder configuration, but API setup is a separate development task, not required for a one-off Studio workflow. See liveBroadcast resources, liveStream resources, and Understanding Broadcasts and Streams.
Prepare a local playlist for FFmpeg
On the VPS, put the media files in a directory and create a text file, for example /srv/live/videos.txt, with one file entry per line:
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file '/srv/live/video-01.mp4'
file '/srv/live/video-02.mp4'
file '/srv/live/video-03.mp4'Use absolute paths and ensure the Linux account that runs FFmpeg can read every file. This list is an FFmpeg concat-demuxer input, not a YouTube playlist. File paths with apostrophes or unusual characters need appropriate escaping; simple filenames avoid that complication. If the source files have mismatched formats, time bases, or streams, concatenation may fail or produce discontinuities. For best results, use compatible media files and verify the complete sequence before scheduling.
Test an FFmpeg stream manually
The command below is a pattern to adapt, not a guarantee that every file can be copied unchanged. Replace the placeholder ingest URL and key with the values provided for the selected YouTube stream. Keep the key private.
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ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -f concat -safe 0 -i /srv/live/videos.txt
-c:v copy -c:a copy -f flv 'rtmp://YOUR_YOUTUBE_INGEST/YOUR_STREAM_KEY'-rereads file input at approximately its native playback pace rather than sending it as fast as possible.-stream_loop -1repeats the input indefinitely. Verify that your installed FFmpeg build accepts this option in this position; FFmpeg options can be input- or output-specific.-f concat -safe 0selects the concat demuxer and permits the absolute paths in the playlist. Only use a playlist you control, because disabling safe-path checks broadens which paths FFmpeg may read.-c:v copy -c:a copyavoids re-encoding. It works only when the source streams are suitable for the selected YouTube ingest format and remain compatible throughout the concatenated input. If they are not, use appropriate encoding options for the installed FFmpeg build and your source media rather than assuming a universal bitrate or preset.-f flvselects the output container used by this RTMP-style example. YouTube’s ingest details and protocol options can change; use the destination shown for the stream you configured.
There is no single bitrate, resolution, frame rate, or keyframe interval to prescribe without knowing the source and encoding choices. If you encode rather than copy, consult the current YouTube live encoder requirements and match the output to the event’s intended quality. Do not mix the requirements for YouTube’s HLS ingest with this simple RTMP-style single-feed command: HLS uses HTTPS uploads of media playlists and segments with its own format and muxing constraints (see Google’s HLS ingestion guide).
Run the command in a terminal first. Check FFmpeg output for connection or input errors, then open the scheduled event’s preview or live output and verify video, audio, playback order, and looping. A process that remains active is not proof that viewers are receiving a healthy stream.
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Keep FFmpeg running and start it on schedule
Supervise the process with systemd
A systemd service can run FFmpeg without an interactive shell and restart it after a process exits. Create a service file such as /etc/systemd/system/youtube-playlist.service, adjusting the executable path, user, paths, and output destination:
[Unit]
Description=FFmpeg YouTube playlist stream
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target
[Service]
User=stream
WorkingDirectory=/srv/live
ExecStart=/usr/bin/ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -f concat -safe 0 -i /srv/live/videos.txt -c:v copy -c:a copy -f flv rtmp://YOUR_YOUTUBE_INGEST/YOUR_STREAM_KEY
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.targetProtect the service file because it contains the stream key. Restrict its permissions and access to the VPS account that needs it. A more secure deployment can load secrets from a protected environment file or credential mechanism supported by the host’s systemd version; do not put the key in a publicly readable script or source-control repository.
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- Reload unit definitions:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload. - Start a test run:
sudo systemctl start youtube-playlist.service. - Inspect service status:
sudo systemctl status youtube-playlist.service. - Read recent logs:
sudo journalctl -u youtube-playlist.service -n 100 --no-pager. - After confirming the YouTube output, enable the service at boot if that is the desired behavior:
sudo systemctl enable youtube-playlist.service.
Restart=on-failure addresses a process failure; it does not schedule the event or guarantee continuous playback through a VPS outage, network failure, unreadable or damaged media, or a YouTube-side interruption. The public VPS example that informs this pattern also describes a freeze despite the process appearing active, so monitor the actual output as well as the service state.
Start the service at the event time
For a scheduled start, use a systemd timer or another scheduler to trigger the service at the event time. Keep the VPS clock and time zone correct, and account for startup and connection time so the feed is available when the broadcast is due. A timer can start the FFmpeg service, but it cannot make a mismatched stream key, incorrect broadcast binding, or unscheduled event work. The third-party VPS implementation also documents cron/watchdog checks; these are implementation examples, not an official YouTube recipe.
Verify the stream and troubleshoot failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube shows no incoming feed | Wrong ingest destination or key, broadcast bound to another stream, outbound firewall restriction, or DNS/network failure. | Compare the destination and key with the selected YouTube stream, confirm the event-stream association, inspect FFmpeg and systemd logs, and check both OS-level outbound rules and DNS. |
| FFmpeg exits immediately | Playlist path or syntax error, inaccessible media, unsupported option, or incompatible inputs. | Run the command interactively, inspect the first FFmpeg error, verify file paths and permissions, and compare options with ffmpeg -h or the documentation for the installed build. |
| Service restarts repeatedly | The command is failing on every launch; restart policy only retries it. | Use journalctl -u youtube-playlist.service to find the initial error before changing restart settings. Check key, file availability, network access, and output format. |
| Service is active but the picture freezes or playback stops | The process may be stalled, input or output may no longer advance, or YouTube may not be receiving usable media. | Check the live event itself, FFmpeg logs and process health, and whether playlist files remain readable. Do not treat an active systemd status as end-to-end proof. |
| Stream is rejected or has audio/video problems | Source codecs, parameters, or concatenated files may not fit the ingest expectations. | Inspect media streams with FFmpeg tools, test the sequence, and encode to suitable settings if stream copy is incompatible. Consult current YouTube encoder requirements; do not borrow HLS segment rules for an RTMP output. |
| VPS is unresponsive | Host or operating-system issue rather than an FFmpeg process exit. | If the OS is still accessible, reboot from inside the operating system. Contabo’s reboot guidance recommends panel-level shutdown or restart only as a last resort because abrupt power actions can cause problems. |
Copyright and YouTube policy still apply
Technical ability to loop files does not establish permission to rebroadcast them. Use video and audio that you own or are licensed to stream, and check current YouTube policies and rights obligations for your situation. A scheduled event, VPS, and working stream key do not grant rights to music, game footage, or other material, nor guarantee that YouTube will leave a stream available.
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If you want a YouTube channel to keep playing uploaded recordings without maintaining an FFmpeg VPS, StreamNeo is a separate cloud option: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It plays uploaded videos rather than broadcasting from a camera. Nothing has to stay powered on at home; each slot streams the upload as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot. It can automatically recover if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card, and the monthly option is $9.99 per month. StreamNeo supports YouTube only. Learn about StreamNeo, or start the free first day.
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