For prerecorded continuous playback, create a pre-recorded stream in Castr, upload your video or playlist, connect your YouTube channel, choose a schedule or loop mode, and set the privacy of the YouTube stream before it goes live. Castr documents infinite playlist looping on Premium and higher; check your current plan before relying on it. If you mean an always-on feed from an encoder rather than uploaded videos, create a live stream instead. Castr says continuous live streaming depends on an active subscription and enough streaming bandwidth.
“Private channel” can be misleading: the setup concerns the visibility of a particular YouTube live stream, not making the whole channel private. An unlisted stream is not confidential; someone who receives its URL may share it onward.
Choose the playback path that fits your source
| Your source | Castr workflow | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| A finished video or playlist | Create a pre-recorded stream, upload the files, then schedule playback or loop them. | Castr documents infinite playlist looping on Premium and higher. Confirm the current plan and loop options before depending on continuous playback. |
| A feed already being produced by an encoder or other live source | Create a live stream and connect the incoming source. | Castr says unlimited live-stream duration requires an active subscription and sufficient streaming bandwidth. This is a service condition, not a guarantee of uninterrupted output. |
The steps below focus on uploaded video and playlist playout. For an encoder-fed stream, use Castr’s live-stream setup and make sure the source is actually sending video before enabling the destination.
Set up continuous prerecorded playback
- Create the stream in Castr. Choose a pre-recorded stream for prepared video. Castr’s live dashboard separates Source Setup, Playback, and Destinations; its Help Center’s “How to Start a Live Stream in Castr” describes those controls. Dashboard labels may change, so follow the current labels shown in your account.
- Upload your video and configure playback. Add one or more uploaded videos, create a playlist if needed, and select the available scheduled or loop mode. Castr describes this as cloud playout: the uploaded file is broadcast from Castr, rather than a computer replaying and re-streaming it.
- Confirm the loop setting and plan. If you need a playlist to repeat indefinitely, check that your current subscription includes infinite looping. Castr’s published pre-recorded-video guidance identifies Premium and higher for infinite playlist looping; verify the current plan details because availability can change.
- Add YouTube as a destination. Castr documents two connection routes: an API flow where you sign in and select the channel and event, and a manual route using YouTube’s streaming server and stream key. If using the key route, Castr says to edit the description in YouTube Studio. Treat the stream key like a password: do not post it, put it in a screenshot, or share it with viewers.
- Choose the stream’s visibility in YouTube. Set the privacy option for the specific live event in YouTube’s live controls. For an audience intended to access by link, unlisted is link-accessible, not confidential. Google’s live-production guidance warns that “anything unlisted can become public via sharing the direct URL.” For a restricted audience, choose the current private option only after checking YouTube Help for who can view that stream and how they must be invited; the Google production guides cited here do not establish today’s account-specific access rules.
- Test, then schedule or start playback. Check the Castr source and destination status and the YouTube live dashboard. Google’s live-production guide recommends testing before going live. Confirm the correct video, destination channel, visibility, and playback mode rather than assuming that a successful connection means the stream is visible to the intended viewers.
Keep the destination from getting stuck between broadcasts
For a live source that goes offline between sessions, Castr recommends turning destinations off while the source is offline, then re-enabling them when the encoder feed is live. This can help avoid connection issues on a later broadcast. That advice applies to an encoder-fed live workflow; it is separate from scheduled cloud playback of uploaded files.
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What “private” means for a YouTube stream
Privacy is a setting on the individual YouTube stream or event, not a property of the Castr playlist. Unlisted means the URL is not generally listed, but anyone with the link may pass it on. Do not describe an unlisted stream as password-protected or secure. YouTube’s exact private-viewer requirements can depend on current policy and account settings, so check the current YouTube Help Center before sending invitations or promising access to a particular group.
Also check that the video and audio are yours to broadcast or that you have the necessary rights. A private or unlisted setting does not grant permission to rebroadcast copyrighted material. YouTube may still apply its copyright rules to live streams and archives.
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What to verify before depending on 24/7 playback
- Correct workflow: prerecorded stream for uploaded files; live stream for an incoming encoder or source feed.
- Loop availability: confirm the current Castr plan supports the loop mode you need; Castr documents infinite playlist looping on Premium and higher.
- Subscription and bandwidth: Castr’s Help Center article “Livestream 24/7 With Castr,” published December 1, 2022, says continuous duration depends on an active subscription and sufficient streaming bandwidth. Check your current account terms and bandwidth allowance.
- Destination privacy: verify visibility on the YouTube event itself and test access with the intended audience.
- Credential safety: keep the stream key private; use the API route if it better fits your workflow.
- Rights and archive: use content you are authorized to stream and decide whether YouTube should retain an archive, if that option is available in the current event setup.
Troubleshooting common setup problems
The playlist does not repeat forever
Check whether the selected mode is a scheduled playback or a loop, and whether the current Castr plan includes infinite looping. Castr documents that feature on Premium and higher; do not assume every plan includes it.
YouTube is not receiving the stream
Check that the destination is enabled, the selected channel and event are correct, and the API authorization or server/key details are current. For an encoder-fed stream, confirm the source is live before enabling the destination. If a key has been exposed, replace it in YouTube and update the destination that uses it.
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The intended viewers cannot watch
Confirm the visibility setting on the specific event and check YouTube’s current access rules for private streams. If the event is unlisted, send the correct URL and remember that recipients can forward it; unlisted is not restricted to a verified list of viewers.
A later live broadcast has connection trouble
If you are using an encoder source that is offline between broadcasts, follow Castr’s guidance to turn destinations off while the source is down and re-enable them after the feed is live. For ongoing problems, inspect source and destination status in Castr and the live dashboard in YouTube.
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