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To make FFmpeg retry an internet radio source when its HTTP connection drops or unexpectedly reaches EOF, put the reconnect options before the radio input’s -i: -reconnect 1 -reconnect_at_eof 1 -reconnect_streamed 1. These are input-side HTTP options: they can help FFmpeg resume reading the station, but they do not restart an exited FFmpeg process or guarantee recovery of the separate YouTube publishing connection.
Start with the radio input, not the YouTube output
Use this as a starting pattern for a radio station expected to stream continuously:
ffmpeg
-reconnect 1
-reconnect_at_eof 1
-reconnect_streamed 1
-reconnect_delay_max 30
-i "$RADIO_URL"
...output options...
"$YOUTUBE_RTMP_URL/$YOUTUBE_STREAM_KEY"The command illustrates option placement and intent; it has not been tested against a particular station, FFmpeg build, audio format, or YouTube event. Replace the placeholders with the station URL and the ingest address and stream key shown for your YouTube Live event. Keep the key private: YouTube says it identifies where an encoder sends a feed and lets YouTube accept it (Manage live stream settings).
Options before -i apply to that input. Keep reconnect flags there, next to the radio URL. They do not configure the later YouTube output. Check what your installed build supports with ffmpeg -h protocol=http; available protocols and options can vary with build configuration. See the FFmpeg HTTP protocol documentation.
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What the reconnect options do
-reconnect 1asks FFmpeg to reconnect after a disconnect that occurs before EOF.-reconnect_at_eof 1treats EOF as an error and attempts to reconnect. It is especially relevant to a live or endless source that unexpectedly closes or reports EOF.-reconnect_streamed 1permits reconnect attempts for streamed, non-seekable inputs, a common delivery pattern for radio streams.-reconnect_delay_max 30sets the maximum reconnect delay in seconds in this example. Choose a limit appropriate to your station and how long you can tolerate waiting; it is not a universal setting.
FFmpeg’s HTTP protocol documentation also describes additional options. Use them only when they match the failure shown in your logs and are available in your build:
-reconnect_on_network_error 1requests retries for TCP/TLS errors during connection establishment.-reconnect_on_http_error 503,5xxselects HTTP status codes or classes that trigger retries. The documentation permits explicit codes and classes such as4xxor5xx. Avoid retrying every client error by default: an authentication, access, or malformed-request response usually needs a corrected URL, request, or account rather than more retries.-respect_retry_after 1tells FFmpeg to honor a server’sRetry-Afterheader when present. FFmpeg identifies this as useful for responses such as 429 and 503.
The documentation also lists maximum retry-count and total-delay options. Check ffmpeg -h protocol=http for the options supported by your installed version, then set bounded limits that fit your operational tolerance. Defaults and option availability can differ by version; no single retry count or delay suits every station.
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Make the output acceptable to YouTube
Reconnect flags only affect reading the source. Your output still needs to match the selected YouTube Live event’s ingest settings. YouTube’s current encoder guidance lists RTMP and RTMPS ingestion, H.264, H.265/HEVC and AV1 video, frame rates up to 60 fps, CBR, and AAC or MP3 audio. It recommends RTMPS and a two-second keyframe interval, with intervals no longer than four seconds. Consult Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions for the applicable configuration.
An audio-led broadcast still needs an output video stream compatible with the event and chosen workflow. A static image is one possible visual treatment, but reconnect flags do not create or repair it. The exact FFmpeg output options depend on your image, filters, codecs, and event settings, none of which are specified by the reconnect pattern above.
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Before relying on the relay, test the full path in YouTube’s preview and monitor stream health and messages during the event. YouTube also recommends leaving 20% bandwidth headroom above the total sent bitrate and notes that connectivity disruptions can break a stream; see its streaming tips.
Troubleshoot by identifying which connection failed
- Radio source disconnects or reaches EOF: inspect FFmpeg’s log output and, where possible, the HTTP status. Confirm that the reconnect options precede the radio input. A repeated 4xx response may indicate a bad URL, credentials, access restriction, or station-side issue; retries cannot fix an invalid request.
- The station URL or format is uncertain: check the source independently and determine whether it redirects, requires authentication, or uses a particular format. Without a named station, codec, playlist, redirect behavior, or authentication scheme, a station-specific command cannot be validated.
- FFmpeg exits: input reconnect options cannot revive a process that has stopped. A process supervisor or service manager can relaunch it, but that is a separate recovery layer and needs its own configuration.
- YouTube stops receiving the feed: check the output connection, stream key, event settings, and YouTube’s preview and health messages. Source reconnect options do not guarantee that the publishing connection will recover.
- The feed breaks during network disruption: check that outbound capacity exceeds the total stream bitrate and leave the recommended 20% margin. A local connection interruption is distinct from the radio server’s HTTP response.
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