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Before you start
You need a Linux Vultr server with FFmpeg installed, MP4 files stored on it and readable by the account running FFmpeg, and outbound network access to YouTube’s selected ingest endpoint. Vultr’s published FFmpeg installation guide uses Ubuntu 20.04 as its example and also lists older distribution versions; use current installation guidance for your chosen operating system rather than treating those examples as current package instructions: Vultr’s FFmpeg installation guide.
The available guidance does not establish a current Vultr instance size, egress price, or bandwidth allowance. Check Vultr’s current plan details and estimate sustained outbound traffic using your chosen bitrate and broadcast duration before selecting an instance.
Create the YouTube Live stream and protect its key
- In YouTube Studio, create or schedule a live stream and open its Live Control Room.
- Copy the exact ingest URL and stream key shown in the encoder settings. YouTube recommends RTMPS; choose it in Live Control Room if the interface initially displays RTMP. RTMPS is RTMP protected by TLS/SSL. See YouTube’s encoder setup guidance and RTMPS guidance.
- Keep the stream key secret. Do not put a real key in a public command, script, screenshot, shell history, or log. YouTube treats it like a password; if it is exposed, reset it in Live Control Room and update the encoder.
When constructing FFmpeg’s output URL, use the exact URL-and-key format supplied for your stream. The placeholder in the example below is not a real endpoint or key.
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Build an ordered playlist from the folder
FFmpeg’s concat demuxer reads a text file of input paths in sequence. Create a playlist file with one entry per video, in the intended play order. Absolute paths make it easier to verify which files FFmpeg will read.
file '/srv/videos/01-intro.mp4'
file '/srv/videos/02-main.mp4'
file '/srv/videos/03-outro.mp4'Save it as, for example, /srv/videos/playlist.txt. Check that each path exists and is readable by the account that will run FFmpeg. Simple filenames avoid unnecessary quoting and escaping. The concat demuxer expects the files’ streams to be suitable for concatenation; differing codecs or media parameters can prevent a clean join or make stream copy unsuitable. See FFmpeg’s concat demuxer documentation.
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Choose stream copy or encoding
Stream copy: preserve the existing encoded streams
If the playlist’s video and audio streams are compatible with one another and with YouTube’s ingest requirements, -c copy may send the compressed streams without decoding and re-encoding them. This reduces processing demand and avoids generation loss, but it does not let you resize, filter, or otherwise alter the encoded media. FFmpeg notes that stream copy can fail when stream information is unsuitable for the output: FFmpeg stream-copy documentation.
Transcoding: change or standardize the output
Transcode when the inputs are incompatible, when you need consistent output settings, or when you need to resize or apply filters. Encoding uses server CPU and can change image and sound quality. Inspect the actual files and test a representative playlist rather than assuming every file with an MP4 extension has compatible streams.
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Set resolution, frame rate, bitrate, and keyframes
YouTube’s current encoder guidance recommends constant bitrate (CBR), supports up to 60 fps, and recommends a 2-second keyframe interval that does not exceed 4 seconds. For H.264, its recommended bitrate is 10 Mbps for 1080p at 30 fps and 12 Mbps for 1080p at 60 fps. These are YouTube recommendations, not guarantees that a particular source or Vultr server and connection can sustain the stream. Check the guidance for the target resolution, frame rate, and codec, and test with motion and audio similar to the actual broadcast: YouTube encoder settings and bitrate recommendations.
Make the output settings fit both the source material and available sustained network capacity. A higher bitrate requires more outbound bandwidth; a higher frame rate or resolution also affects encoding load when transcoding. YouTube recommends running a speed test and testing the stream before relying on it.
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Start FFmpeg and send the playlist
This illustrative transcoding command reads the playlist in real time, encodes video as H.264 and audio as AAC, and sends an FLV output to an RTMPS destination. It is not a tested command or a universal preset. Choose the resolution, frame rate, bitrate, keyframe interval, and audio settings to match your source and YouTube’s current guidance; replace the destination placeholder with the exact ingest URL and key format from Live Control Room.
ffmpeg -re -f concat -safe 0 -i /srv/videos/playlist.txt
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -b:v 4500k -maxrate 4500k -bufsize 9000k
-pix_fmt yuv420p -g 60 -c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100
-f flv 'rtmps://INGEST_URL/STREAM_KEY'The bitrate and GOP values in this example are merely illustrative and may not meet the right target for your resolution and frame rate. In particular, a 60-frame GOP corresponds to two seconds only at 30 fps; set the GOP to reflect the actual frame rate and YouTube’s recommended two-second interval. The exact RTMPS URL syntax also depends on what Live Control Room supplies. FFmpeg documents its command-line options at ffmpeg.org.
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If stream copy is appropriate, the corresponding codec options can instead be written as -c copy. Do not assume this will work until you test the actual playlist; copying cannot repair incompatible streams or change their resolution and frame rate.
Check the preview, then end the broadcast
- Start FFmpeg after the event is ready in YouTube Studio. Keep the process running on the server.
- Wait for the preview and stream-health information in Live Control Room. Confirm picture, sound, and health indications before making the stream public. YouTube’s encoder guidance recommends testing the actual stream settings.
- For a scheduled stream, YouTube says to begin the encoder feed and select “Go live” after the preview appears. When ending a scheduled stream, use Live Control Room and stop the feed as directed there.
YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. Do not infer from that archive limit that an uninterrupted broadcast of 12 hours or more will be archived.
Loop the playlist instead of playing it once
The playlist shown above is a one-pass input. To keep replaying it, use FFmpeg’s input loop option with the concat input, for example by placing -stream_loop -1 before the concat input options. Verify the behavior with your installed FFmpeg build and the actual media before depending on it unattended; file compatibility and playlist behavior still matter. A repeating FFmpeg process also depends on the server, network connection, and process remaining healthy.
Troubleshoot common failures
- FFmpeg cannot open a playlist file. Check the playlist path, its permissions, and whether the account running FFmpeg can read every listed media path.
- The playlist stops or fails at a transition. Check whether the files have compatible streams and parameters. Test them in smaller groups; transcode to a consistent output if needed.
- YouTube does not receive the feed. Verify that the event is ready, the ingest URL and key match the current Live Control Room values, and the server can reach the selected endpoint. Use the RTMPS endpoint when selected.
- The stream is unhealthy or buffers. Compare actual output settings with YouTube’s recommendations and check sustained server-to-YouTube throughput. Reduce the target bitrate or output demand if the connection cannot sustain it, then test again.
- FFmpeg rejects the stream-copy output. Try transcoding to compatible output settings; stream copy cannot convert incompatible codecs or parameters.
- The key may have been exposed. Reset it in Live Control Room, remove the old key from the encoder configuration, and use the replacement. Avoid placing secrets in shell history or publicly readable files.
- The stream stops when the server or process stops. Check server availability and FFmpeg’s process state. The DIY method requires the Vultr host and its network connection to remain available for the broadcast.
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