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To run Restreamer continuously on an Ubuntu VPS, install Docker, start the official Restreamer container with persistent configuration and data directories, protect its management interface, then configure your video input and publish to YouTube using the current RTMPS address and stream key. A restart policy helps bring the container back after a restart, but it cannot guarantee a 24/7 stream: the source, VPS, outbound connection, and YouTube ingest all need to remain healthy.
How the setup works
Restreamer is a self-hosted streaming server distributed as a Docker image. Ubuntu is among the Linux distributions named in its official installation documentation, which specifies a 64-bit Intel or AMD CPU. The basic path is video or stream input → Restreamer on your VPS → YouTube Live. Restreamer can receive and publish streams, but the exact input setup depends on what you want to send: for example, an existing stream, a camera feed, or another media source. The title alone does not determine that input workflow. Restreamer’s Linux installation guide and its project repository provide the deployment references.
A VPS keeps the server process independent of your home computer, but it is not automatically a reliable broadcast system. Continuous operation also depends on suitable host resources, sustained network transfer, a working input, YouTube availability and account eligibility, and monitoring.
Choose and prepare an Ubuntu VPS
Restreamer’s cited Linux instructions do not prescribe a universal VPS size. Choose a host that permits Docker and test it with your intended source and output settings instead of relying on an invented minimum specification.
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- CPU and memory: Allow enough capacity for the workload, particularly if you plan to transcode. A server relaying a compatible feed may have different needs from one processing video.
- Outbound network: Check sustained upload capacity and any transfer allowance against the stream bitrate. YouTube recommends 20% bandwidth headroom; a bitrate is not the only traffic the server may need to carry.
- Storage and backups: Provide storage if you will record locally, and back up Restreamer configuration. The cited sources do not establish a required storage amount.
- Security and location: Review the provider’s firewall controls, support, and network region. No specific VPS provider or plan is established as best for this setup.
Install Docker using the current Docker Engine instructions for Ubuntu. Confirm that the VPS firewall and provider network rules permit only the traffic your chosen Restreamer features need.
Install Restreamer with persistent state
Use the current official Linux guide and repository for the image name, tag, and launch syntax. Restreamer’s project example uses persistent bind mounts for configuration and data, along with --restart=always. A persistent mount keeps those files outside the disposable container layer; the restart policy asks Docker to restart the container when it exits or Docker restarts. Neither setting is an uptime guarantee.
The repository example maps ports 8080 and 8181 for web access, 1935 and 1936 for RTMP-related use, and UDP 6000 for SRT. These are example mappings, not a requirement to expose every port. Check the current documentation and the features you actually use, then limit public access at the firewall. Avoid copying an old command without checking the image tag and port behavior for your deployed release.
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Keep a copy of your configuration and document how to restore it. A restarted container can recover its process, but it will not repair a missing input, invalid credentials, full disk, inadequate bandwidth, or a YouTube-side interruption.
Secure the management and ingest endpoints
During setup, set a strong, unique administrator password; do not leave a publicly reachable interface protected by a reused or default credential. If you manage Restreamer over the public internet, put the interface behind HTTPS and access controls, and restrict it to trusted administrators where practical.
RTMPS secures the outbound connection from Restreamer to YouTube, but it does not secure the Restreamer web interface or an exposed RTMP input. Restreamer’s RTMP-ingest guide warns that an open port 1935 can allow anyone to push a stream to the server. If you need public RTMP ingest, use the token protection appropriate to your installed release. The token guide is legacy documentation, so verify its syntax against the version you run rather than assuming the example still applies.
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Keep stream keys and other secrets out of public repositories, screenshots, and logs. If a YouTube stream key is exposed, reset it in YouTube Studio.
Connect your input to YouTube Live
- Confirm the input first. In Restreamer, configure the source you intend to relay and verify that the server receives it. Camera, OBS, file-playlist, and third-party stream inputs have different setup details; use the documentation for that input rather than assuming one is present.
- Create or select a YouTube live stream. In YouTube Live Control Room, retrieve the current server URL and stream key from the live stream settings. YouTube recommends RTMPS, which is RTMP carried over TLS/SSL.
- Add the publication service in Restreamer. Enter YouTube’s current RTMPS address and the stream key into the YouTube publication service, following the interface for your Restreamer version. Treat the key like a password.
- Check YouTube’s preview before relying on the stream. Confirm that the expected picture and sound reach the preview and review the stream health information. A successful container start alone does not show that YouTube is receiving a healthy feed.
See YouTube’s documentation on managing live stream settings and encrypting a stream with RTMPS for the current Live Control Room steps and security details.
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Match the output to the source and the bandwidth available from the VPS. For H.264 at 1080p and 30 frames per second, YouTube recommends a 5 Mbps video bitrate. YouTube’s general settings recommend constant bitrate (CBR), a 2-second keyframe interval (not more than 4 seconds), and AAC or MP3 audio for RTMP/RTMPS. These are YouTube ingest recommendations, not proof that a particular VPS can encode or carry a feed at those settings.
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| Setting | Example or recommendation | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Video | H.264; for 1080p30, 5 Mbps recommended by YouTube | Confirm the source and Restreamer output profile are compatible; test the VPS’s sustained egress. |
| Rate control | CBR | Use the setting supported by the chosen output encoder. |
| Keyframes | 2-second interval; do not exceed 4 seconds | Check the actual output profile rather than assuming it inherited the desired value. |
| Audio | AAC or MP3 for RTMP/RTMPS | Verify the feed has audible, correctly routed audio if audio is part of the program. |
Before leaving a stream unattended, test the complete path: input, Restreamer output, VPS egress, YouTube preview, and stream health. For critical use, test what happens after a container restart and after a source or network interruption. YouTube’s streaming tips recommend sufficient upload bandwidth with 20% headroom. Do not assume that setting Docker to restart the container will resolve upstream failures or restore a bad source.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Understand 24/7 reliability and YouTube archives
A VPS can run Restreamer without your home computer staying on, but unattended operation still needs a way to detect a stalled input, stopped container, full disk, or loss of network. Back up configuration, restrict access, and use external monitoring if you need to know when the stream fails. Test recovery rather than treating a restart policy as failover.
YouTube Help says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. That statement does not establish how a continuous 24-hour stream will be archived in full, nor does it say longer streams are never archived. If you need a complete recording, arrange and verify an independent recording or segmentation plan, and check YouTube’s current guidance before depending on its archive.
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Review YouTube’s live-streaming rules, including copyright and account eligibility, for the content and channel you plan to broadcast. A technically healthy relay does not establish that you have rights to the video, music, or other material in the feed.
Troubleshooting common failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check or do |
|---|---|---|
| Restreamer’s web interface is unreachable | Container stopped, port mapping or firewall rule is wrong, or access is restricted | Check the container’s status and logs, verify the mapped web ports for your release, and review firewall rules. Do not open additional ports indiscriminately. |
| YouTube does not receive a signal | Wrong RTMPS URL or key, publication service misconfiguration, or no working input | Verify the current YouTube server URL and key, check the Restreamer publication service, and confirm the source reaches Restreamer. Reset an exposed key. |
| Stream health reports instability or dropped frames | Insufficient sustained egress, inadequate headroom, or a source/output mismatch | Measure the VPS’s available outbound capacity under load, retain YouTube’s recommended 20% headroom, and test a compatible bitrate and profile. |
| Container restarts but the broadcast remains down | The restart policy can restart a process but cannot fix a failed input, network outage, invalid key, or YouTube interruption | Inspect logs and the source, confirm credentials and connectivity, then verify the YouTube preview after recovery. |
| Public RTMP ingest receives unexpected streams | The ingest port is exposed without effective access protection | Restrict who can reach the port or use version-appropriate token protection; verify the procedure against the installed release. |
| The stream is live but no complete 24-hour archive appears | The cited YouTube guidance only specifies automatic archiving for streams under 12 hours | Do not rely on the YouTube archive alone for a full-day recording; verify an independent recording or segmentation workflow. |
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is an always-on YouTube channel playing uploaded videos, StreamNeo is a cloud alternative to maintaining a VPS and Restreamer. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. StreamNeo loops the uploaded video from its cloud service, so nothing has to stay on at home. It is for YouTube streaming of uploaded videos, not camera-based broadcasting.
- One flat price per slot for any quality up to 4K 60fps, streamed as uploaded without re-encoding or quality tiers.
- Automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream.
- The first day is free with no card, one free day per account.
- Monthly option: $9.99 per month.
StreamNeo is one option rather than a VPS deployment; compare the fit to your input and workflow. See StreamNeo or start the free first day.
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