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To loop an authorized video file from a VPS to YouTube Live, run FFmpeg with -re and -stream_loop -1, then publish to the RTMPS URL and stream key shown in YouTube Live Control Room. The command can repeat a file indefinitely, but it does not guarantee uninterrupted 24/7 broadcasting or establish that the content complies with YouTube’s rules.
What you need before starting
- A video you have permission to broadcast, stored on the VPS.
- FFmpeg installed on the VPS, with support for the chosen video and audio codecs and RTMPS output.
- A YouTube Live stream configuration, its RTMPS URL and its private stream key.
- Sufficient sustained VPS CPU capacity for encoding and outbound network capacity for the chosen bitrate. YouTube does not specify a minimum VPS size in the cited guidance, so check your provider’s limits against your actual workload.
First confirm that the media file plays and contains the expected audio and video streams. If you are encoding rather than copying compatible streams, check YouTube’s current encoder settings, bitrates and resolutions for the resolution and frame rate you intend to send.
Get the RTMPS destination and key from YouTube
- Open YouTube Live Control Room and create or select the stream configuration you will use.
- Copy the stream key and the RTMPS server URL shown for that stream. YouTube Help says the RTMPS address can be displayed by clicking the lock icon beside Stream URL.
- Keep the key private. Do not put it in a public script, repository, support post or log. Use the exact destination supplied by Live Control Room rather than copying an ingestion address from an unrelated tutorial.
YouTube’s RTMPS guidance requires the rtmps protocol, port 443, and a valid YouTube ingestion host and application path. The URL presented for your configuration is authoritative. See YouTube’s RTMPS instructions and Google’s RTMPS delivery documentation.
Build and run the FFmpeg loop
Use this as a command pattern, not a universal copy-and-paste command:
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ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i /path/to/authorized-video.mp4 [encoding and audio/video options] -f flv 'rtmps://HOST:443/APP/STREAM_KEY'
- Replace
/path/to/authorized-video.mp4with the actual media path on the VPS. - Replace the example destination with the complete RTMPS URL and key from Live Control Room. Avoid exposing the real key in a shared terminal transcript or public process-monitoring output.
- Replace the bracketed text with actual FFmpeg options appropriate to the file, selected resolution and frame rate, and YouTube’s current guidance. The brackets are explanatory and are not valid command syntax.
- Run the command and inspect FFmpeg’s output for connection errors or encoder problems. Then confirm in Live Control Room that YouTube is receiving a healthy signal before relying on the broadcast.
FFmpeg documents -stream_loop -1 as infinite input looping and -re as reading the input at its native frame rate. These are input options, so put them before the -i for the file they apply to. See the FFmpeg documentation.
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Choose settings the server and connection can sustain
Check YouTube’s current encoder recommendations for protocol, codecs, resolution, frame rate, keyframe interval and bitrate. The guidance lists RTMP or RTMPS, H.264, H.265 or AV1 video, AAC or MP3 audio, and up to 60 fps. It recommends a two-second keyframe interval and says it should not exceed four seconds.
- Resolution and bitrate: Select the encoder-table recommendation for your chosen resolution, then make sure the VPS’s sustained outbound connection can carry it reliably. YouTube advises choosing a quality that works with the available connection, testing beforehand and monitoring stream health.
- Encoding load: Software encoding uses VPS CPU. Compare the available sustained CPU capacity with the encoder workload rather than assuming a particular VPS size is sufficient.
- Protocol: RTMPS is the straightforward default for this file-loop workflow. YouTube also documents RTMP, HLS and DASH ingestion; select HLS or DASH only if their particular capabilities and implementation requirements fit your use case. Protocol choice can affect latency and setup.
- Incoming versus viewer quality: YouTube transcodes live streams for viewers, but that does not remove the need for a stable, correctly configured incoming feed.
YouTube’s guidance also recommends running a speed test to check upload bitrate. Test the actual VPS path and watch Live Control Room’s stream health; a general internet speed result does not establish that a particular server will sustain the stream.
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Keep the process running—and understand its limits
A VPS avoids depending on a home computer staying powered and connected, but a shell command alone is not a complete unattended-broadcast plan. A service manager or process supervisor can restart FFmpeg if it crashes. That does not guarantee an uninterrupted broadcast, that YouTube will accept a continuous stream, or that restarting FFmpeg will preserve the same broadcast session.
The cited technical documentation does not settle maximum live duration, YouTube’s policy treatment of continuously looped prerecorded content, or whether a restarted process continues the same broadcast. Check YouTube’s current rules for the intended content and schedule, and test the recovery behavior before depending on it.
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Troubleshooting VPS-to-YouTube streaming
| Symptom | Likely check | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Connection times out or cannot reach the server | Destination URL, rtmps protocol, host, application path and port. |
Copy the RTMPS URL again from the selected Live Control Room configuration. Confirm the VPS network permits outbound connections to port 443. |
| SSL or TLS connection error | Whether the destination is the supplied RTMPS address and FFmpeg supports RTMPS. | Verify the URL and FFmpeg build’s protocol support; do not substitute a plain RTMP URL for the configured RTMPS destination. |
| YouTube does not show a healthy incoming signal | Whether the correct stream key and configuration are in use, and whether FFmpeg reports an output or encoding error. | Recheck the key and destination privately, inspect FFmpeg’s output, and test with the intended settings before starting the planned broadcast. |
| Video or audio settings are rejected or unstable | Codec, resolution, frame rate, keyframe interval and bitrate against YouTube’s current encoder table. | Adjust the encoding options to the current recommendations and to what the VPS CPU and network can sustain. |
| The loop or recovery does not behave as expected | Option order, process state and whether the stream session remains valid after a restart. | Keep -re and -stream_loop -1 before the relevant input, test the loop from the file, and verify recovery in Live Control Room. A supervisor restart is not proof of session continuity. |
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