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To send an existing Icecast MP3 station to YouTube Live through OBS Studio, add the station’s public listener URL as a network input, confirm its audio reaches OBS’s outgoing mix, then connect OBS to the YouTube event with its ingest URL and private stream key. This setup can depend on the station’s endpoint and MP3 compatibility, so test the full path before announcing a broadcast.
Before you start: get the right Icecast URL
Ask the station operator for its public listener URL and the correct mountpoint. A mountpoint is the path associated with a stream resource; together with the server address, it identifies the feed listeners should open. The exact address, port, and any access requirements vary by station.
Do not substitute source-client credentials for the listener URL, and do not share passwords or private credentials. A viewer-facing YouTube watch link is also different from the ingest server URL OBS needs.
If possible, open the listener URL in a media player before configuring OBS. This helps distinguish a feed-address or station-availability problem from an OBS setting. Icecast cautions that MP3 might work but is not officially supported, so an MP3 feed’s behavior can vary by server and client configuration. Icecast FAQ
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Add the Icecast feed as an OBS source
Try Media Source first
- In OBS Studio, find the Sources dock and select +.
- Choose Media Source, name the source if prompted, and confirm.
- In the source properties, turn off Local File.
- Enter the complete public Icecast listener URL, including its mountpoint, in the input field. Do not enter source-client credentials in place of this URL.
- Confirm the properties and start or refresh playback. Watch the source’s audio meter in OBS.
OBS documents Media Source network input in its SRT guide and lists MP3 among supported media formats, but the SRT example is not an Icecast-specific recipe. Whether a particular Icecast MP3 URL opens unchanged depends on the endpoint and decoder behavior. OBS Media Sources
Use VLC Video if Media Source cannot open the feed
As a fallback, add VLC Video from the Sources dock and use the feed URL as its network input. OBS says VLC must be installed for this source to appear; match the VLC architecture to OBS (64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC). OBS documents a 400 ms network-caching default for VLC Video, but that is not a universal Icecast cache recommendation. OBS Media Sources
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Connect OBS to YouTube Live
- In YouTube Studio, create a live stream or open the event you intend to use.
- Copy the event’s server URL and stream key from YouTube’s encoder setup. Keep the key private; anyone with access to it may be able to send a stream to your event.
- In OBS, open Settings and then Stream. Configure the service and enter the server URL and stream key supplied for the event. If the service configuration offers RTMPS, use it; YouTube recommends RTMPS, a secure extension to RTMP.
- Apply the settings, then start streaming from OBS when you are ready to run the test or event.
Use the ingest server URL from YouTube’s encoder setup, not the public watch-page URL. YouTube’s current live encoder settings list RTMP/RTMPS ingest and video codecs H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1.
Set audio and video output, then test
Audio for a stereo feed
YouTube lists 44.1 kHz and recommends 128 kbps for stereo audio. In OBS, choose output settings compatible with YouTube and the event, then confirm the Icecast source is not muted and its audio is routed to the track sent to the stream. YouTube’s encoder guidance recommends CBR and a two-second keyframe interval; do not exceed four seconds. YouTube live encoder settings
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Keep the visual simple and valid
OBS sends an encoded audiovisual stream, so provide a valid video scene even when the program is primarily audio. A still or simple looping visual may be suitable. Avoid spending bitrate on visual complexity the audience does not need, and choose resolution and video settings your computer and upload connection can sustain.
Verify the complete path before going public
- Run a test using the actual Icecast feed and intended OBS scene.
- Confirm the audio meter moves in OBS and that the source is assigned to the outgoing audio track.
- Verify that the received YouTube test has sound; an OBS meter alone does not prove the audience receives it.
- Check YouTube’s stream health and any ingest messages before announcing or starting the public broadcast.
YouTube advises testing before a live stream and monitoring stream health and messages during the event. YouTube live encoder settings
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Troubleshoot common failures
- OBS cannot open the feed: Recheck that you have the public listener URL, the mountpoint is complete, and the station is online. Ask the operator whether that endpoint needs a specific format or access method. Try VLC Video if Media Source cannot decode it.
- The OBS audio meter does not move: Check the URL and mountpoint, confirm playback has started, and ensure the source is not muted. MP3 is not officially supported by Icecast, so a particular feed may not decode in the selected source.
- The OBS meter moves, but YouTube is silent: Check the source’s audio-track assignment, mute state, and OBS output routing. Verify the received sound in a test broadcast rather than relying only on the local meter.
- VLC Video is missing from Sources: Install VLC and make sure its architecture matches OBS; 64-bit OBS needs 64-bit VLC.
- YouTube does not receive the stream: Confirm that OBS uses the event’s ingest server URL and matching stream key, and check YouTube’s stream health messages. Do not use the viewer-facing watch URL as the ingest address.
- Audio buffers or drops out: First verify the station feed independently and check the network connection. If using VLC Video, adjust its network caching only cautiously; the documented 400 ms default is specific to that source property, not a guaranteed setting for every Icecast feed.
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