Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsTo stream a prerecorded video in 4K at 60 frames per second on YouTube Live, add the local file to an OBS scene as a Media Source, configure OBS for 3840×2160 at 60 fps, choose a supported encoder and YouTube’s bitrate settings, then connect OBS to a YouTube stream using its stream URL and key. Test the preview and stream health before you click Go live.
This guide covers a standard SDR stream. A 4K output setting does not turn a lower-resolution file into native 4K, and a PC’s ability to run Windows 11 does not guarantee it can encode 4K60 smoothly. Verify the source, encoder, and connection with a test first.
What you need before setting up OBS
- A local video file that OBS can play, such as MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, or WebM. Keep the file available at the same path throughout the broadcast.
- An OBS-compatible encoder that supports your chosen codec and can sustain 3840×2160 at 60 fps. Hardware encoding can reduce CPU load, but support and quality vary by hardware generation.
- A YouTube channel with access to YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room, where you can create or select a stream and obtain its stream URL and key.
- A stable internet connection with enough upload capacity for the video bitrate plus headroom for other traffic.
You do not need a capture card just to send a video file already stored on your PC: OBS can play it directly as a Media Source. YouTube’s and OBS’s official documentation do not establish a universal PC specification that guarantees reliable 4K60 encoding, so test the exact machine and scene you plan to use.
1. Add the prerecorded video to an OBS scene
- Open OBS Studio and create or select a scene.
- In the Sources area, select +, choose Media Source, and give it a descriptive name.
- Choose Local File, browse to the video, and confirm the selection. Use a file path that will remain accessible for the entire stream.
- Inspect the scene preview. Set the source’s position and size so it fits the canvas. If the file is below 3840×2160, setting OBS output to 4K will not create genuine native 4K detail.
- For a one-time playback, leave Loop disabled. To repeat the file, enable Loop in the Media Source properties.
- Enable Restart playback when source becomes active only if you want the video to restart when its source becomes visible in the active scene. This is different from looping: it restarts on scene activation rather than repeating continuously by itself.
- OBS also offers Use hardware decoding when available for supported formats. Whether enabling it helps depends on the file and PC; check playback and system performance in your test.
Play the source and check both picture and sound in OBS. Confirm that the audio is routed through OBS’s mixer and that it is not muted or duplicated by another active source.
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2. Set the OBS video output to 4K60
In OBS, open Settings → Video. Set Base (Canvas) Resolution and Output (Scaled) Resolution to 3840×2160, then set Common FPS Values to 60. Check the preview for cropping, borders, or scaling issues before continuing.
These settings describe the stream output, not the quality of the original recording. If the source is 1080p or 30 fps, OBS cannot recover detail or motion that the file does not contain. YouTube’s encoder guidance recommends progressive scan and square pixels for the live feed.
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3. Choose the encoder, codec, and bitrate
Open Settings → Output and configure the streaming encoder available in your OBS installation. Select a codec your encoder supports and that YouTube accepts. YouTube’s live ingest recommendations for 3840×2160 at 60 fps are:
| Ingest codec | YouTube-listed minimum video bitrate | YouTube-recommended video bitrate |
|---|---|---|
| AV1 | 10 Mbps | 35 Mbps |
| H.265 / HEVC | 10 Mbps | 35 Mbps |
| H.264 | 14 Mbps | 50 Mbps |
These are YouTube’s live encoder settings, not recommendations for uploading a video file. YouTube recommends CBR and a two-second keyframe interval; do not exceed four seconds. Its advanced recommendations include two B-frames, one reference frame, and CABAC. Use the controls your selected OBS encoder exposes and confirm the output in a test; encoder options differ across hardware and software.
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OBS generally recommends hardware encoding to offload work from the CPU, but not every PC or GPU supports every codec or can encode 4K60 in real time. Choose AV1 or HEVC only if your encoder supports it and your test is stable. If it does not, H.264 is another supported option, with YouTube’s higher 50 Mbps recommendation at 2160p60.
4. Configure audio and color for standard SDR
For RTMP or RTMPS, YouTube lists AAC or MP3 audio. For stereo it lists 128 kbps and a 44.1 kHz sample rate; AAC is required for 5.1 surround over those protocols. Check OBS’s audio output and mixer against the source before broadcast.
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Because this title does not specify HDR, use the standard SDR workflow. YouTube’s general encoder guidance recommends Rec. 709 and 8-bit for SDR. Do not enable HDR options just because the stream is 4K60.
HDR is a separate workflow, not an upgrade toggle for an ordinary SDR source. YouTube’s documented OBS HDR setup calls for OBS 30.1 or later, an HDR source, a hardware HEVC encoder, Main 10 profile, P010 color format, and Rec. 2100 PQ or HLG color space. Use those settings only when the source and complete workflow are actually HDR-compatible.
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5. Check upload capacity and stream health
YouTube recommends keeping total stream bitrate within available upload bandwidth and leaving 20% headroom. Applying that headroom to the video bitrate recommendations gives these approximate upload-capacity targets: about 42 Mbps for a 35 Mbps video stream, or about 60 Mbps for a 50 Mbps stream. These are calculations from YouTube’s headroom guidance; they are not separate YouTube-published thresholds. Audio and other simultaneous upload traffic also use bandwidth.
- Test upload speed at the location and time you expect to broadcast, and repeat the test if conditions change.
- Prefer a reliable connection. If Wi-Fi is unstable, a wired Ethernet connection may help, but a new cable is not automatically necessary.
- Pause unnecessary uploads and other bandwidth-heavy activity while streaming.
- Watch the stream health indicators and warnings in YouTube Live Control Room during the test and event.
6. Connect OBS to YouTube Live
- In YouTube Studio, open Live Control Room and create or select the stream.
- Copy the stream URL and stream key shown for that stream. Treat the key as a password: it tells the encoder where to send the feed and allows YouTube to accept it.
- In OBS, open Settings → Stream. Select YouTube as the service, then enter the stream key and the stream server information if OBS asks for it. Use the RTMPS server when available; RTMPS encrypts the connection using TLS/SSL.
- Apply the settings, then select Start Streaming in OBS.
- Wait for the feed to appear in Live Control Room. Check the picture, audio, frame rate, and stream health, then select Go live when the preview is ready.
- When the broadcast is over, end the stream in YouTube and stop sending from OBS. YouTube automatically archives streams shorter than 12 hours.
7. Run a test before the real broadcast
Where practical, make a private or unlisted test stream. Use a representative section of the video, including the busiest movement and loudest audio, rather than testing only a static opening frame. Confirm that:
- The OBS preview and YouTube preview both show the intended framing and motion.
- Audio is present, intelligible, and synchronized.
- The selected output is 3840×2160 at 60 fps and the chosen bitrate and keyframe interval are in effect.
- YouTube reports healthy ingest without persistent warnings or interruptions.
- Looping behaves as intended, if enabled.
Copyright, permissions, and repeat broadcasts
Using OBS to send a prerecorded file does not grant the right to broadcast its contents. Before streaming, confirm that you own or have permission to use the video, music, artwork, and other material in it. YouTube may detect copyrighted material in live content, including prerecorded video. A technically healthy stream can still face copyright claims or other platform action.
Repeatedly streaming a recording is also distinct from creating original live footage. Follow YouTube’s current channel monetization and reused-content policies if monetization is important to you; eligibility is assessed under YouTube’s rules, not guaranteed by using OBS or by looping an original file. Review YouTube’s current policies in Studio before relying on a repeat broadcast for monetization.
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YouTube preview is missing or says it is waiting for data
- Check: OBS is actively streaming, the correct YouTube stream URL and key are entered, and the event is the same one selected in Live Control Room.
- Fix: Stop OBS streaming, verify the key and server details, then reconnect. Do not share the key publicly; regenerate it in YouTube if it has been exposed.
Stream health warns about insufficient bitrate or unstable ingest
- Check: Whether the selected codec’s bitrate is appropriate and whether upload capacity remains available with YouTube’s recommended headroom.
- Fix: Stop competing uploads, test the connection again, and use a bitrate the connection can sustain. If necessary, test a lower output resolution or frame rate rather than broadcasting an unstable 4K60 feed.
OBS drops frames or the video stutters
- Check: OBS statistics and system load during playback. Rendering, decoding, and encoding can all contribute; Windows 11 compatibility alone does not prove the PC can sustain this scene and output.
- Fix: Test a supported hardware encoder, reduce unnecessary scene complexity, and verify the source file plays smoothly. If performance remains unstable, reduce output demands or use a machine capable of sustaining the workload.
The stream is 4K output but looks soft
- Check: The source file’s actual resolution and frame rate, plus its fit in the OBS scene.
- Fix: Use a native 4K source for genuine 4K detail, inspect scaling and cropping, and avoid treating a 4K output setting as an upscaling quality fix.
The video plays once and then stops
- Check: Whether Loop is enabled in the Media Source properties.
- Fix: Enable Loop for continuous repetition. Use restart-on-activation only if you specifically want playback to restart when the source becomes visible.
The stream has no sound or the wrong audio format
- Check: OBS mixer levels, mute state, source audio routing, and the output audio codec and sample rate.
- Fix: Confirm the source is routed to an active OBS audio channel and use an audio format supported for the chosen RTMP/RTMPS workflow.
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