The Tool Desk
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What YouTube documents about HEVC
YouTube’s live encoder settings page lists H.265/HEVC under RTMP/RTMPS settings. Its separate protocol comparison lists H.264 for RTMP/RTMPS and H.264 plus H.265/HEVC for HLS. These official pages do not agree, and the available documentation does not explain whether one is outdated or whether conditions apply. Do not treat arbitrary HEVC output over RTMP/RTMPS as guaranteed to ingest.
For HLS, YouTube’s HLS guide explicitly permits HEVC and specifies the media format and audio requirements. If codec acceptance is the deciding factor, HLS is the clearly documented HEVC option, provided its latency and packaging constraints suit your stream.
Choose the protocol before configuring FFmpeg
| Protocol | HEVC status in YouTube documentation | Practical implications |
|---|---|---|
| RTMP/RTMPS | Unresolved: the encoder-settings page lists HEVC, while the protocol comparison lists only H.264. | Do not assume HEVC ingest will work. Validate it with a test stream; use H.264 if you need to follow the protocol comparison’s unambiguous listed codec. |
| HLS | Explicitly supports HEVC. | Requires audio and video muxed in M2TS, AAC single-track audio, closed GOP, and HTTPS media playlists and segments. YouTube says HLS is not suited to ultra-low latency. |
YouTube describes HLS segments as lasting one to four seconds. Its HLS workflow sends playlists and segments over HTTPS with HTTP PUT or POST. These are protocol-level requirements, not settings you can satisfy merely by changing FFmpeg’s video codec.
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Set resolution, frame rate, bitrate, and keyframes
YouTube’s live bitrate recommendations below are for ingesting live video, not uploading video on demand. The table distinguishes HEVC/AV1 from H.264; values are in megabits per second (Mbps). YouTube recommends up to 60 fps and a two-second keyframe interval, not exceeding four seconds. Its settings page also calls for CBR, progressive scan, square pixels, two B-frames, and one reference frame.
| Resolution and frame rate | HEVC/AV1 minimum | HEVC/AV1 recommended | H.264 minimum | H.264 recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2160p60 | 10 Mbps | 35 Mbps | 14 Mbps | 50 Mbps |
| 2160p30 | 8 Mbps | 30 Mbps | 11 Mbps | 42 Mbps |
| 1440p60 | 6 Mbps | 24 Mbps | 8 Mbps | 34 Mbps |
| 1440p30 | 5 Mbps | 15 Mbps | 7 Mbps | 21 Mbps |
| 1080p60 | 4 Mbps | 12 Mbps | 6 Mbps | 17 Mbps |
| 1080p30 | 4 Mbps | 10 Mbps | 5 Mbps | 14 Mbps |
| 720p60 | 2 Mbps | 6 Mbps | 3 Mbps | 8 Mbps |
| 720p30 | 2 Mbps | 6 Mbps | 3 Mbps | 8 Mbps |
| 480p30 | 0.3 Mbps | 3 Mbps | 0.4 Mbps | 4 Mbps |
| 360p30 | 0.3 Mbps | 3 Mbps | 0.4 Mbps | 4 Mbps |
These are YouTube Help’s current live encoder recommendations, accessed in 2026; the page does not state a publication year. They are operating guidance, not a promise of equivalent visual quality between codecs or a guarantee that your connection can sustain the selected rate. Leave headroom for network variation and audio, and choose a setting your upload connection can maintain consistently.
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SDR and HDR
For general RTMP/RTMPS settings, YouTube lists Rec. 709 for SDR, with SDR at 8-bit and HDR at 10-bit. For HLS HDR over HEVC, its more specific requirements are 10-bit PQ or HLG with non-constant luminance and YUV 4:2:0 10-bit chroma. Selecting HEVC alone does not make an output compliant HDR.
Prepare FFmpeg’s HEVC encoder
FFmpeg can encode HEVC in software through libx265, its wrapper for the x265 encoder. That wrapper is available only when FFmpeg was built with the libx265 headers and library and configured with --enable-libx265. Do not assume a downloaded FFmpeg binary includes it. FFmpeg also documents a hardware-encoding path named hevc_nvenc; availability depends on the local build and compatible hardware.
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- Check your build. Run
ffmpeg -encodersand look forlibx265or a hardware encoder such ashevc_nvenc. If the encoder is absent, use a build that includes it or another available encoding path. - Pick a supported protocol. Decide whether HLS’s explicit HEVC support and higher-latency trade-off fit your stream. If using RTMP/RTMPS, test HEVC ingest rather than assuming it works based on the conflicting YouTube pages.
- Choose a target mode and bitrate. Select a resolution and frame rate, then consult the matching HEVC/AV1 row above. The recommended value is a target, not a mandatory minimum for every stream.
- Configure encoder behavior. Follow YouTube’s guidance for CBR, progressive scan, square pixels, two B-frames, one reference frame, and a two-second keyframe interval (no more than four seconds). FFmpeg exposes bitrate and GOP-size controls, but exact options depend on the encoder and output protocol.
- Meet HLS packaging requirements if applicable. Use M2TS with audio and video muxed together, AAC single-track audio, closed GOP, and the playlist/segment delivery method specified in YouTube’s HLS guide. An RTMP-style output is not a substitute for this HLS workflow.
- Test before the event. YouTube recommends testing upload bitrate with a speed test, including audio and representative motion, then monitoring stream health. Confirm that the stream is accepted, stable, and producing the expected output before relying on it.
There is no single safe FFmpeg command for every HEVC live stream: the correct output depends on whether you are using RTMP/RTMPS or HLS, the encoder available in your build, and the destination’s ingest requirements. FFmpeg’s codec documentation describes encoder availability and options; YouTube’s protocol-specific requirements should determine the muxing and delivery path.
Common problems and what to check
- HEVC RTMP/RTMPS is rejected or fails to start: YouTube’s official pages conflict on support. Test with a private or otherwise non-public stream before an important broadcast, or use H.264 for RTMP/RTMPS where codec certainty matters.
Unknown encoder 'libx265': Your FFmpeg build likely lacks the x265 wrapper. Checkffmpeg -encoders; use a build compiled with libx265 or an available compatible hardware encoder.- HLS ingest errors: Verify that output is M2TS with muxed audio and video, AAC single-track audio, and closed GOP, and that playlists and segments are delivered over HTTPS using HTTP PUT or POST.
- Unstable stream or poor stream health: Re-test sustained upload capacity, reduce the bitrate or resolution if necessary, and test with representative motion and audio. YouTube recommends an upload speed test and monitoring stream health.
- HDR is not recognized as expected: Check the HLS-specific 10-bit PQ or HLG and YUV 4:2:0 10-bit requirements; a codec selection by itself is insufficient.
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