For an ordinary stereo YouTube Live stream sent from FFmpeg over RTMPS, use AAC audio at 44.1 kHz, 128 Kbps, and two channels. To loop an input file indefinitely, put -stream_loop -1 before its -i option. Test the complete stream in YouTube Live Control Room before relying on it.
Recommended YouTube Live AAC settings
YouTube’s current live encoder guidance recommends AAC or MP3 for RTMP/RTMPS ingestion. For stereo, its recommended settings are 44.1 kHz and 128 Kbps. These are recommendations, not a claim that other values cannot work. For this FFmpeg example, AAC is the practical choice:
- Codec: AAC
- Sample rate: 44.1 kHz
- Bitrate: 128 Kbps
- Channels: 2 (stereo)
- Ingest protocol: RTMPS, YouTube’s recommended secure extension to RTMP
YouTube’s encoder settings guidance also recommends constant bitrate (CBR) encoding and a two-second video keyframe interval, with a maximum interval of four seconds. Audio settings do not determine the video bitrate: choose video codec, resolution, frame rate, and bitrate for your source and target stream.
FFmpeg command to loop a video to YouTube Live
For an input file containing video and audio, this is a starting pattern for RTMPS ingestion:
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ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i input.mp4
-c:v libx264
-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100 -ac 2
-f flv 'rtmps://a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2/STREAM_KEY'This combines documented FFmpeg and YouTube settings; it is not an exact command published or tested by either. Replace input.mp4 with your file and the endpoint/key placeholder with the actual server URL and stream key shown in YouTube Studio. Do not publish a real stream key.
What the audio options do
-c:a aacselects FFmpeg’s native AAC encoder, which FFmpeg documents as its default AAC encoder.-b:a 128ksets the audio bitrate to 128 Kbps. For this encoder, specifying a bitrate enables CBR mode; this also makes YouTube’s recommended stereo audio bitrate explicit.-ar 44100requests a 44.1 kHz output sample rate.-ac 2requests two output channels.
FFmpeg documents bitrate in bits per second. Check the actual output with your installed FFmpeg build and input material rather than assuming every source decodes or maps identically.
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Why the loop option goes before the input
-stream_loop is an input option: it applies to the input that follows it. The value -1 means repeat indefinitely; 0 means do not loop. If a command has multiple input files, place the option before the -i for the file you intend to repeat. See FFmpeg’s main options documentation.
-re reads the file at its native rate, which is useful when sending a file as a live stream rather than pushing it as fast as possible. The example uses libx264 for video but deliberately does not set video bitrate, resolution, frame rate, or keyframe interval: those depend on the source, target quality, machine capacity, and available upload rate.
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Configure YouTube Studio and test before going public
- In YouTube Studio, create or open the live stream and use the server URL and stream key supplied for that stream. YouTube’s live stream settings instructions describe configuring the encoder with the key. Treat the key like a password.
- Use the RTMPS endpoint and FLV output in the example for the RTMP-family workflow. YouTube recommends RTMPS for this workflow.
- Start FFmpeg with a short test or an unlisted/private setup appropriate to your channel and event. Confirm that video moves and audio is present, clear, and in sync; use material representative of the intended stream.
- Watch YouTube Live Control Room’s stream health and resolve warnings before making the stream public or relying on it continuously.
- Check that your upload capacity can carry the combined audio and video bitrate with headroom. YouTube’s streaming tips recommend 20 percent upload bandwidth headroom.
Looping only repeats the file; it does not guarantee an uninterrupted live stream. Network outages, decode errors, timestamp problems, mismatched input streams, encoder load, an incorrect key, or platform-side conditions can still interrupt it.
Stereo, 5.1, and HLS are different cases
Stereo versus 5.1 audio
The 44.1 kHz/128 Kbps settings above are for ordinary stereo. YouTube’s current guidance lists 48 kHz and 384 Kbps for 5.1 surround. It supports 5.1 over RTMP/RTMPS only with AAC. Do not apply stereo channel settings to a 5.1 production without configuring and validating the multichannel source and output.
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RTMPS versus HLS ingestion
HLS is a separate YouTube ingestion workflow, not a different flag to add to the RTMP/FLV command. YouTube lists AAC and the same stereo and 5.1 audio recommendations for HLS, but HLS also has segment, playlist, and HTTPS requirements. Its documentation notes that ultra-low latency is unavailable with HLS. Follow YouTube’s HLS setup instructions if you select that route; do not paste the RTMPS command as an HLS configuration.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common FFmpeg loop-streaming problems
- The file plays only once: Check that
-stream_loop -1appears before the relevant-i. It is scoped to that input. - YouTube does not receive the stream: Verify the current server URL and key in YouTube Studio, the RTMPS endpoint, and the output format. Never substitute a stale or exposed key.
- Audio is missing or the channel layout is wrong: Confirm that the source contains an audio stream and inspect the FFmpeg output. The command requests AAC, 44.1 kHz, and two channels, but the source and local build still need validation.
- Audio and video drift or the stream stops at the loop point: Test the file through several repeats and inspect logs for decoding or timestamp errors. A loop flag does not repair damaged media or guarantee seamless transitions.
- Stream health reports buffering or instability: Compare total audio-plus-video bitrate with available upload capacity, leave the recommended 20 percent headroom, and reduce the video load if necessary.
- The computer cannot encode reliably: Video encoding load depends on the source and chosen video settings. Test at the intended resolution and frame rate and check system load before a long stream.
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