Recommended Free Tools
Use OBS Studio to combine the radio station’s audio with a rotating image slideshow, then send the scene to a YouTube live stream. Before you start, confirm you have permission to rebroadcast the station and use every image; YouTube scans live streams for third-party content and can interrupt a broadcast over a match.
Before you set up the stream
Confirm rebroadcast and image rights
Listening to a station does not give you the right to rebroadcast it on YouTube. Confirm that the station’s permissions cover live streaming on YouTube and the relevant territory. Use background images you own or have permission to use for this purpose.
YouTube says it scans all live streams for matches to third-party content. If it detects a match, it may replace the stream with a placeholder image, issue a warning, or interrupt or terminate the stream if the content continues. Even licensed material can cause an interruption if the rights holder has not added your channel to its Content ID allowlist. See YouTube’s live-streaming copyright guidance and resolve allowlisting with the rights holder before going live.
Identify the station feed
Get the station’s actual stream URL and determine its format. Whether OBS can use that URL directly depends on the feed format, your OBS version, and your setup; do not assume every station URL will work as a source. If it does not, ask the station for a compatible feed or use an audio source method the station authorizes.
#1 Best Overall
- Pro performance with great pre-amps - Achieve a brighter recording thanks to the high performing mic pre-amps of the Scarlett 3rd Gen. A switchable Air mode will add extra clarity to your acoustic instruments when recording with your Solo 3rd Gen
- Get the perfect guitar and vocal take with - With two high-headroom instrument inputs to plug in your guitar or bass so that they shine through. Capture your voice and instruments without any unwanted clipping or distortion thanks to our Gain Halos
- Studio quality recording for your music & podcasts - Achieve pro sounding recordings with Scarlett 3rd Gen’s high-performance converters enabling you to record and mix at up to 24-bit/192kHz. Your recordings will retain all of their sonic qualities
- Low-noise for crystal clear listening - 2 low-noise balanced outputs provide clean audio playback with 3rd Gen. Hear all the nuances of your tracks or music from Spotify, Apple & Amazon Music. Plug-in headphones for private listening in high-fidelity
- Everything in the box: Includes Pro Tools Intro+, Ableton Live Lite, Cubase LE, and Hitmaker Expansion: a suite of essential effects, powerful software instruments, and easy-to-use mastering tools
Install OBS and, if needed, VLC
OBS Studio is free and open source. Its VLC Video Source can play a media playlist and provides loop and shuffle options, but it is available only when VLC is installed. For 64-bit OBS, install the matching 64-bit version of VLC. See the OBS VLC Video Source guide.
Create the YouTube live stream
- In YouTube Studio, select Create → Go Live, then create a stream or schedule a broadcast.
- In the encoder setup, retrieve the YouTube server URL and stream key. Enter these in OBS when you configure its streaming connection. Keep the stream key private: anyone with access to it may be able to send a signal to your channel.
- If you schedule a broadcast, check the Live Control Room after OBS connects. Confirm that the preview shows the intended audio and visuals. When the broadcast is set to start manually, click Go Live in Live Control Room. YouTube’s encoder live-streaming instructions describe this workflow.
Build an OBS scene with radio audio and rotating images
Add the audio source
- In OBS, create a scene for the broadcast.
- Add the station feed using a source method compatible with its format and your setup. Confirm that its audio appears in the OBS mixer and that the source is not muted.
- Watch the mixer while the station plays. Keep the signal from clipping. If you use a browser or another player instead of a direct OBS source, check that desktop audio is not capturing the same station a second time.
Add and arrange the background
For a still-image rotation, add an OBS Image Slide Show source and select your cleared images. Set its timing and transition controls in the interface version you are using; a universal interval or transition value is not established here. Use a fixed sequence for predictable order, or choose shuffle if you want the order randomized.
Rank #2
- The new generation of the songwriter's interface: Plug in your mic and guitar and let Scarlett Solo 4th Gen bring big studio sound to wherever you make music
- Studio-quality sound: With a huge 120dB dynamic range, the newest generation of Scarlett uses the same converters as Focusrite’s flagship interfaces, found in the world's biggest studios
- Find your signature sound: Scarlett 4th Gen's improved Air mode lifts vocals and guitars to the front of the mix, adding musical presence and rich harmonic drive to your recordings
- All you need to record, mix and master your music: Includes industry-leading recording software and a full collection of record-making plugins
- Everything in the box: Includes Pro Tools Intro+, Ableton Live Lite, Cubase LE, and Hitmaker Expansion: a suite of essential effects, powerful software instruments, and easy-to-use mastering tools
Alternatively, add a VLC Video Source and create a playlist of images or video items. Enable Loop Playlist to repeat the list; enable Shuffle Playlist if you want randomized playback. OBS describes this source as similar to an Image Slideshow. If you prefer a continuous motion background, OBS Media Source can play a compatible video file with its Loop property enabled. Keep the station audio on its own source so image or video playback does not determine whether the audio continues.
- Resize and crop the image source so it fills the OBS canvas without unwanted borders.
- Arrange the source order so any station logo or title overlay appears above the background. Use overlays only if you have the rights to them.
- Watch the scene preview long enough to confirm images change as intended and that the framing remains suitable for the whole sequence.
Connect OBS and verify the broadcast
- In OBS, open Settings → Stream, select the YouTube service, and enter the server URL and stream key supplied in YouTube Studio. Labels can vary with OBS versions.
- Start streaming from OBS. Check the YouTube Live Control Room preview for both the picture and audio before starting a scheduled broadcast manually.
- Listen for uninterrupted station audio, confirm the mixer does not clip, and observe at least one image change. Leave the setup running long enough to notice connection or playback problems before announcing the stream.
If you are unsure about encoder settings, OBS’s Auto-Configuration Wizard is a starting point for basic settings. OBS notes that increasing dropped-frame counts can indicate an unstable connection or a bitrate your connection cannot sustain. See the OBS streaming guide and FAQ; the appropriate settings depend on your connection and output requirements, so do not treat one bitrate as suitable for every setup.
Rank #3
- PLUG IN AND HEAR SOUND IN SECONDS - USB Type-A connector with a 3.5mm stereo headphone output and a separate 3.5mm mono microphone input. No drivers, no software, no external power - the adapter is USB bus-powered and is recognized as a standard USB audio device.
- WORKS ON WINDOWS, MAC AND LINUX - Driverless on Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP/Server 2003/Vista/7/8, Linux and Mac OSX, and compliant with the USB Audio Device Class 1.0 specification, so any system that supports class-compliant USB audio will see it. Select it as the sound output and input device after plugging it in.
- TWO JACKS, TWO JOBS - The green jack is stereo OUT for headphones or powered speakers; the pink jack is mono microphone IN for a 3.5mm mic. It does NOT support 4-pole headsets on a single combo plug, it does NOT power passive speakers, and it does NOT add surround sound - it is a stereo 2-channel adapter.
- FOR LAPTOPS AND DESKTOPS THAT NEED AN AUDIO PORT BACK - Adds a headphone and mic port to a laptop, desktop, or mini PC whose onboard jack has failed or was never there. Managed and work-issued computers can block new USB audio devices by policy - check with your IT department before ordering for a company machine.
- SABRENT SUPPORT AND WARRANTY - What is in the box: one USB audio sound adapter. Backed by a 1-year limited warranty, extended to 2 years when you register within 90 days on the manufacturer's website.
Plan for scheduled broadcasts and longer runs
YouTube distinguishes a stream, which carries the audio-video signal and delivery settings, from a broadcast, which is a distinct YouTube video. YouTube documents reusing an encoder stream for recurring broadcasts. A recurring stream setup therefore does not make one broadcast an indefinite event.
YouTube Help says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. For a continuous radio schedule, plan how and when to end and restart broadcasts, and decide how you will handle resulting archives. The cited guidance does not establish unattended operation beyond that threshold, so do not assume one broadcast can run indefinitely.
Rank #4
- Podcast, Record, Live Stream, This Portable Audio Interface Covers it All - USB sound card for Mac or PC delivers 48kHz audio resolution for pristine recording every time
- Be ready for anything with this versatile M-AUDIO interface - Record guitar, vocals or line input signals with two combo XLR / Line / Instrument Inputs with phantom power
- Everything you Demand from an Audio Interface for Fuss-Free Monitoring - 1/4" headphone output and stereo 1/4" outputs for total monitoring flexibility; USB/Direct switch for zero latency monitoring
- Get the best out of your Microphones - M-Track Duo’s transparent Crystal Preamps guarantee optimal sound from all your microphones including condenser mics
- The MPC Production Experience - Includes MPC Beats Software complete with the essential production tools from Akai Professional
Troubleshoot common problems
- The station URL will not play in OBS: The feed may use a format or delivery method your source cannot handle. Verify the URL and format with the station, then use a compatible, authorized source method rather than assuming all internet radio URLs work directly.
- The YouTube preview has no audio: Check that the station source is playing, visible in the OBS mixer, and not muted. If using an external player, check the chosen capture method and avoid routing the same audio through duplicate sources.
- The audio is distorted or too loud: Watch the OBS mixer and reduce the source level until it no longer clips. Recheck it with louder passages from the station.
- The background is static: Confirm the slideshow has multiple images and that its timing is configured, or verify that the VLC playlist is loaded and playing. If using VLC, confirm VLC is installed and matches OBS’s architecture.
- The playlist stops at the end: Enable Loop Playlist for a VLC Video Source. For an image slideshow, inspect the source’s current playback and transition settings.
- YouTube shows a copyright warning or interrupts the stream: Stop and resolve the rights issue with the station or rights holder. Confirm the license covers YouTube live streaming and ask the rights holder about adding your channel to its Content ID allowlist; a license alone may not prevent automated interruption.
- Dropped frames increase: Check network stability and whether the configured bitrate exceeds what the connection can sustain. Use OBS’s Auto-Configuration Wizard as a basic starting point, then test before relying on the stream.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is an always-on YouTube channel playing uploaded recordings rather than a live radio feed, StreamNeo is a cloud option: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; it streams the uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one price per slot, and it automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month. StreamNeo plays uploaded videos, not a live camera or an internet radio URL. Learn more at StreamNeo, or start the free day.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- The new generation of the artist's interface: Connect your mic to Scarlett's 4th Gen mic pres. Plug in your guitar. Fire up the included software. Start making your first big hit
- Studio-quality sound: With a huge 120dB dynamic range, the newest generation of Scarlett uses the same converters as Focusrite’s flagship interfaces, found in the world's biggest studios
- Never lose a great take: Scarlett 4th Gen's Auto Gain sets the perfect level for your mic or guitar, and Clip Safe prevents clipping, so you can focus on the music
- Find your signature sound: Air mode lifts vocals and guitars to the front of the mix, adding musical presence and rich harmonic drive to your recordings
- With Scarlett 4th Gen, you have all you need to record, mix and master your music: Includes industry-leading recording software and a full collection of record-making plugins
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors
