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Find which connection is failing
A typical FFmpeg relay has two separate legs: an input, such as a game feed or another live source, and an output sent to YouTube. A reconnect message alone does not identify which one failed. Check the FFmpeg command and the log lines immediately before and after the interruption, then compare their timestamps with YouTube Live Control Room’s stream-health messages.
- If the input URL or input protocol reports an error, investigate the source connection and the options appropriate to that input.
- If the output URL or RTMP/RTMPS connection reports an error, investigate the YouTube ingest path and output recovery.
- If FFmpeg stays connected but YouTube reports poor health, check the encoder settings and available upload capacity as well as the logs.
Without the command, FFmpeg build, log excerpt, and YouTube health messages, the particular cause cannot be determined.
When HTTP reconnect options apply
FFmpeg’s protocol documentation lists HTTP options such as reconnect, reconnect_at_eof, reconnect_on_network_error, reconnect_on_http_error, and reconnect_streamed. Depending on the option, they can retry before end-of-file, treat EOF as an error, retry certain network errors during connection, retry selected HTTP status codes, or permit retries for streamed, non-seekable inputs. The HTTP documentation also describes retry-delay and retry-count controls.
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Use these options when the failing leg is an HTTP input and the specific failure fits the option. They do not establish a reconnect mechanism for an FFmpeg output pushed to YouTube over RTMP or RTMPS. Adding HTTP flags to that output is therefore not a general remedy. See the FFmpeg protocol documentation.
For a YouTube output failure, evaluate FIFO recovery
FFmpeg documents a FIFO pseudo-muxer with output recovery controls including attempt_recovery, recovery_wait_time, recover_any_error, and max_recovery_attempts. FIFO can sit around an output format such as FLV, allowing FFmpeg to make recovery attempts if writing to that output encounters errors.
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These settings are an output-recovery path to investigate, not a promise that every RTMP/RTMPS interruption will resume transparently. The documentation does not establish guaranteed recovery time, uninterrupted delivery, exact continuation, or a universal result for a particular YouTube stream. Check the FFmpeg formats and FIFO muxer documentation for the option definitions and syntax applicable to your FFmpeg version.
When evaluating a recovery setup, note which leg it handles, which errors trigger it, whether the FFmpeg process remains alive, and what YouTube reports. The available documentation does not quantify recovery success or how many packets a given setup might buffer or drop.
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Check YouTube ingest settings and stream health
YouTube’s encoder guidance lists RTMP and RTMPS ingest and recommends RTMPS, a secure extension to RTMP. Its current encoder settings guidance also recommends constant bitrate (CBR), frame rates up to 60 fps, and a two-second keyframe interval that should not exceed four seconds. The listed supported video codecs include H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1.
For H.264, YouTube’s recommended bitrate figures vary by frame rate and resolution:
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| Resolution and frame rate | YouTube-recommended H.264 bitrate |
|---|---|
| 720p at 30 fps | 8 Mbps |
| 720p at 60 fps | 6 Mbps |
| 1080p at 30 fps | 14 Mbps |
| 1080p at 60 fps | 17 Mbps |
These are YouTube’s recommendations, not evidence that a particular bitrate caused a reconnect or will prevent one. Match the setting to your chosen resolution, frame rate, codec, and connection; do not apply one number to every gaming stream. YouTube also advises testing with movement and audio similar to the planned stream, then monitoring stream health during the event. See YouTube’s encoder settings and stream-health guidance.
Check upload capacity and the network path
- Test upload speed. YouTube advises choosing stream quality appropriate to the internet connection and running an upload speed test. Leave headroom rather than assuming a connection can sustain its full measured upload rate throughout a live stream.
- Compare the selected bitrate with available upload capacity. If the connection cannot consistently carry the video and audio, lower the output quality or bitrate to a level it can support, then test again.
- Check the path from encoder to router and internet connection. If the encoder is on Wi-Fi, a wired Ethernet connection is a reasonable stability check. It is not a guaranteed fix for FFmpeg or YouTube reconnects.
- Test before the event. Include representative gameplay motion and audio, and watch both FFmpeg’s logs and YouTube’s stream-health panel for errors or warnings.
Troubleshoot by symptom
| What you see | What to check next |
|---|---|
| An HTTP input reports an error or reaches EOF | Confirm the input is actually HTTP, then consult FFmpeg’s HTTP reconnect options for the relevant error type. Do not assume those flags handle the YouTube output. |
| The RTMP/RTMPS output fails in FFmpeg’s log | Check the output URL, stream-key configuration, network path, and YouTube stream-health messages. Consider the FIFO pseudo-muxer’s recovery controls, without assuming seamless continuation. |
| YouTube reports poor stream health or instability | Compare the configured bitrate and encoder settings with YouTube’s recommendations for the codec, resolution, and frame rate, and test available upload capacity. |
| The connection drops only on the current network path | Repeat a representative test with a more stable connection; wired Ethernet is one optional comparison if the encoder currently uses Wi-Fi. |
| The failure remains unclear | Preserve the exact FFmpeg command, FFmpeg version/build, log excerpt around the interruption, and YouTube stream-health messages. Those details are needed to distinguish an input failure from an output or ingest issue. |
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