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A stream stopping after a few hours does not point to one particular cause. Check what stopped—FFmpeg, its input, the network connection, YouTube ingest, or the viewer-facing broadcast—and match the failure time to FFmpeg’s exit status and final log lines and YouTube Live Control Room’s timestamped stream-health messages. Those clues determine what to fix; elapsed runtime alone does not.
First identify which part stopped
A stopped YouTube player does not prove that FFmpeg exited. The encoder may still be running while the source has stopped producing packets or YouTube ingest has a problem. Compare evidence from each layer at the exact time playback stopped.
- Record the failure time. Note when the viewer-facing stream stopped or became unhealthy.
- Check FFmpeg. Determine whether the process is still running. If it exited, capture its exit status and the final lines of its log.
- Check the input. Confirm whether the source is still live or readable and whether it is still producing packets.
- Check YouTube. Open the Live Dashboard or Live Control Room and look for a timestamped error or a change in stream health matching the failure time.
YouTube’s [Live streaming error messages](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/3006768?hl=en-GB) page explains that the dashboard displays timestamped errors alongside the health indicator. Red errors are critical; yellow errors are moderate. A message at the matching time is more useful than changing FFmpeg flags at random.
Read the evidence by fault layer
FFmpeg exited
Use the exit status and final log lines to identify whether the failure came from reading the input or writing the output. An I/O error by itself does not identify which side failed; note the protocol handler involved and inspect that handler’s documentation before choosing a recovery option.
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FFmpeg is running, but the input has stopped
If the process remains alive but the source stops producing packets, investigate the source and its own uptime or reconnect behavior. A YouTube ingest warning will not fix an input that has ended or gone silent.
YouTube reports an unhealthy stream or settings error
Match the timestamped message to the encoder settings YouTube identifies. The live-error page calls out issues including stream format, video and audio settings, bitrate, and keyframe frequency. Correct the named issue before changing unrelated options.
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Quality degrades as upload varies
YouTube advises choosing a quality that the available connection can carry reliably and testing upload bitrate. A temporary wired Ethernet comparison can help check whether Wi-Fi instability is involved, but YouTube’s guidance does not specifically recommend Ethernet or establish that switching to it will solve a stream failure.
Check YouTube’s encoder settings
YouTube’s current [encoder settings guide](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2853702?hl=en) covers RTMP/RTMPS ingest, video codecs including H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1, audio codecs AAC or MP3, and frame rates up to 60 fps. For the RTMP/RTMPS settings it specifies constant bitrate (CBR), recommends a 2-second keyframe interval, and says not to exceed 4 seconds. The correct bitrate depends on codec, resolution, and frame rate, so consult the row for your actual video rather than applying one number to every stream.
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For one specific example, YouTube lists H.264 1080p30 at 5 Mbps minimum and 14 Mbps recommended. That is not a universal bitrate recommendation: use the current table for your format. YouTube also recommends testing before the event with audio and movement similar to the real stream, then monitoring stream health while it runs. Its published settings can change, so check the guide when configuring an encoder.
Use FFmpeg recovery options only when they fit
FFmpeg’s [protocol documentation](https://www.ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-protocols.html) describes options for particular protocol handlers. Options may differ between reading and writing, so verify that a flag applies to the protocol actually used by the failing input or output. The general [FFmpeg documentation](https://www.ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-all.html) describes timeout and ignore_io_errors for HTTP output; that does not establish that they work for RTMP output. Do not copy HTTP-only recovery flags into an RTMP command as a presumed fix.
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Consider protocol-appropriate I/O timeout or recovery behavior only when the evidence points to a network interruption. A watchdog or restart design may help recover from a confirmed process exit, but it will not correct an unhealthy YouTube configuration or a source that has stopped delivering data.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot in this order
- Process stopped: use the exit status and final log lines to locate the input or output failure.
- Process alive, source silent: investigate the input’s availability and reconnect behavior.
- YouTube reports a settings error: follow the specific dashboard message and verify the matching encoder setting.
- Stream degrades during upload variation: test sustained upload reliability and lower the configured quality if the connection cannot reliably carry it.
- Evidence indicates network interruption: check the applicable protocol’s documentation before adding timeout, recovery, or restart behavior.
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