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A YouTube gaming stream can show as offline even when you can still watch a VOD or replay. Those are different states: the live event is active only while YouTube has an ongoing event and receives the encoder feed; a replay can remain available after the broadcast ends. Check Live Control Room and the encoder connection first.
Why a looped VOD can appear offline
Looping a video file and keeping a YouTube live event active are not necessarily the same thing. YouTube’s documented encoder workflow involves sending a feed to the event and ending the event when the broadcast is finished. A replay may then be available on the channel. So a looped file, by itself, does not confirm that YouTube is still receiving a live feed. The exact behavior depends on how your loop is set up; YouTube’s guidance does not diagnose every looping setup or offline message.
YouTube distinguishes a live stream from a replay that viewers can watch afterward. YouTube’s live-stream guidance describes replay availability after an event, while its encoder instructions describe ending the event and stopping the encoder feed.
Check whether the event ended or the feed stopped
- Open YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room. Check the event status there to see whether the broadcast is still active or has ended. YouTube identifies Live Control Room as the place to manage a stream and its settings. See Manage live stream settings.
- Confirm the encoder is sending the expected feed. Check that it is connected to the intended stream URL and using the configured stream key. YouTube describes the stream key as the information that lets its service accept the encoder feed. If the event is active but the feed is absent or interrupted, check the encoder’s connection and output.
- Look for a replay separately. Check your channel’s Live tab and YouTube Studio’s Content area for an archive. A replay is not proof that the event is still live.
- Check a local recording, if you made one. YouTube recommends keeping a local archive as a backup; it can help establish whether the source recording completed even if the live event did not.
Where the replay may be—and what the 12-hour limit means
YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. A stream exceeding 12 hours may not be captured at all, so do not assume that every long broadcast will have a replay. For a recording you need to keep, retain a local copy as well. See YouTube’s archive guidance.
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DVR does not keep a stream live
DVR lets viewers pause and rewind during a live stream. It is a viewer seek-control setting, not an indicator that the event remains active and not a setting for whether an archive exists. Turning DVR off does not prevent viewers from seeing a recording once one is available. YouTube also notes that rewind capability may be limited or unavailable after 12 hours on long streams. See Turn on DVR on live streams.
Keep a YouTube VOD stream running without a home computer
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