You can send an internet radio station to YouTube Live with OBS by adding the station’s direct audio stream as a source, pairing OBS with a static or designed visual, then sending the broadcast to YouTube using its stream URL and key. First confirm you have permission to retransmit the station’s music on YouTube; a public web player is not permission to rebroadcast.
Before you start: confirm the rights
Check with the station and relevant rights holders that your agreement covers retransmission on YouTube, including the territories where the stream will be available and any archived copy. YouTube’s livestream terms say providers must have the necessary rights for use on Google services, including music licensing rights (YouTube livestream terms).
YouTube scans live streams for third-party content and may interrupt or terminate a broadcast. Even if you have licensed the music, YouTube says the rights owner may need to add your channel to its Content ID allowlist to prevent interruptions (YouTube live-stream copyright guidance). Resolve permission and allowlisting questions before you begin a public stream.
Set up the scene and radio audio in OBS
1. Make a visual scene
Create an OBS scene with a visual for the broadcast, such as a station logo, schedule, or still image. Make sure the image is appropriate to display for the duration of the stream. You can set up the audio source separately, then check both together in the preview.
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2. Try the station’s direct stream URL
In OBS, add a VLC Video source and enter the station’s direct audio-stream URL. OBS documents that the VLC source uses VLC libraries, supports playlists, and provides audio-track selection; VLC must be installed. Match the architecture: 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. OBS lists a default network-caching value of 400 ms, but that is a software default, not a setting guaranteed to suit every station (OBS Media Sources).
Use the actual media-stream endpoint, not just the URL of a webpage containing a player. The OBS documentation does not guarantee compatibility with every URL, codec, authentication method, or protocol, so test your station’s feed. If it does not play, first open the endpoint in a suitable player outside OBS and confirm it is the direct stream URL.
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3. Use another audio route if the URL will not play
OBS also supports media and audio sources, and its standard Media Source documentation lists local formats including MP3, AAC, OGG, and WAV (OBS Media Sources; OBS Sources Guide). If you have a local playback method that works, capture that audio in OBS instead. Check the mixer meters and listen to the output you intend to send; desktop-audio capture can pick up alerts or unrelated application sounds as well as the station.
Connect OBS to YouTube Live
- Open YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room. Create or select an encoder stream. If this is your first YouTube livestream, enabling live streaming may take up to 24 hours, according to YouTube’s encoder setup guide (YouTube encoder setup).
- Copy the stream URL and stream key. In OBS, open the stream settings and enter them, or choose the YouTube integration if one is available in your OBS setup. Treat the key as a password: YouTube describes it as the address and password that direct the encoder feed (YouTube stream settings).
- Start streaming from OBS, but check the preview first. Wait for the feed to appear in Live Control Room. Confirm the visual is correct and the audio is audible and clean before taking the broadcast live. Select the intended public, unlisted, or private visibility setting.
Set audio and connection quality
For RTMP or RTMPS, YouTube’s published encoder guidance recommends AAC or MP3 audio, 128 Kbps for stereo, and a 44.1 kHz sample rate for stereo. YouTube recommends constant bitrate and a two-second keyframe interval, no longer than four seconds. It also recommends RTMPS, which encrypts the connection to its ingest servers (YouTube encoder settings; YouTube RTMPS guidance).
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Choose video settings your connection and computer can sustain, even if the visual is mostly static. YouTube advises testing before going live and leaving 20% upload bandwidth headroom beyond the combined stream bitrate (YouTube streaming tips). These are platform recommendations, not confirmation that a particular radio endpoint, computer, or network has been tested.
Test and monitor the broadcast
- Play the actual station feed and verify the OBS audio mixer responds consistently.
- Listen to the broadcast output and check that no desktop alerts or other application sounds are included unintentionally.
- Inspect the Live Control Room preview for both picture and sound before going live.
- During the broadcast, monitor YouTube’s stream health, the watch page, the local computer, and the network connection.
YouTube says encoder streams under 12 hours are automatically archived; its guidance does not establish that behavior for longer streams (YouTube encoder setup). OBS’s ability to play a source does not by itself guarantee unattended 24/7 uptime or reliable recovery after a connection drop. Validate long-run behavior for your specific station feed and setup.
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Troubleshooting common problems
The station URL does not play in OBS
- Check that you entered the direct media-stream URL rather than the station’s web-player page.
- Test the endpoint in a player outside OBS. If it fails there too, ask the station for the correct stream URL or access requirements.
- Confirm VLC is installed and matches OBS’s architecture; OBS specifies 64-bit VLC for 64-bit OBS.
- If the endpoint still fails, try a supported local playback or audio-capture route. Compatibility depends on the endpoint, codec, authentication, and protocol.
YouTube shows no incoming stream
- Check that OBS is using the stream URL and stream key for the selected YouTube encoder stream.
- Confirm OBS has started sending and wait for the Live Control Room preview.
- Check the key carefully and keep it private; if it has been exposed, replace it in YouTube and update OBS.
- If live streaming has not been enabled on the channel before, allow for YouTube’s stated activation period of up to 24 hours.
The audio is silent, too quiet, or contains other sounds
- Check OBS’s mixer meters while the station is playing and confirm the intended source is active.
- Listen to the output being sent to YouTube. If capturing desktop audio, close or mute applications that could add unrelated sounds.
- Verify the audio format and settings against YouTube’s encoder recommendations for stereo audio.
The stream buffers or drops
- Use YouTube’s stream-health information to distinguish an ingest or network problem from a source problem.
- Test a lower sustainable stream quality and check that upload bandwidth leaves the recommended headroom.
- Check the radio endpoint’s stability separately; a working URL may still disconnect, and OBS’s source documentation does not promise automatic recovery for every endpoint.
YouTube interrupts the broadcast
Check whether the stream contains third-party material and whether your agreement covers YouTube retransmission, the relevant territories, and archiving. If you have permission, ask the rights holder whether your channel must be added to its Content ID allowlist (YouTube live-stream copyright guidance).
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