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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →For most internet radio stations that want to simulcast audio with artwork, a visual loop, or on-screen song information, OBS Studio is the best straightforward desktop choice. It combines audio and visuals in one scene and sends the result to YouTube Live. If your station already runs AzuraCast, its Liquidsoap radio-video example is worth evaluating as a server-side alternative. Mixxx and BUTT serve different roles: they can send a live DJ feed to an internet-radio server, but they are not interchangeable with a YouTube video encoder.
Choose software for the job you need it to do
The key distinction is between sending audio to an internet-radio server and producing a video stream for YouTube. YouTube’s encoder workflow uses a stream URL and stream key in an encoder; YouTube describes an encoder as software that converts video into a digital format for streaming. YouTube Help: Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder.
| Station setup or need | Best-fit option | What it does | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| You need a desktop production with artwork, a loop, scenes, and YouTube output | OBS Studio | Acts as the YouTube encoder and scene builder. Route station audio into OBS and combine it with a visual. | The workstation, audio route, and stream configuration must stay running and be maintained during the broadcast. |
| You already operate an AzuraCast server and want automated radio audio plus video | AzuraCast Liquidsoap radio-video example | The example can send audio with a video loop to an RTMP destination such as YouTube, including current-song text. | It is an example script, not evidence of a supported turnkey integration; expect to configure and maintain the server workflow. |
| You need to send a DJ or program feed to an Icecast or Shoutcast server | Mixxx or BUTT | These can handle the internet-radio-server side of a live DJ workflow. | That role alone does not produce and send a YouTube video stream. Use an encoder such as OBS for YouTube if that is also required. |
OBS is the practical starting point when you need a visual YouTube broadcast from a desktop. Mixxx’s guide documents adding Mixxx audio as an OBS input, while YouTube documents encoder streaming for productions using external audio and video. Mixxx: Live Broadcasting. This is a workflow-based recommendation, not a measured reliability or performance ranking.
Set up a radio simulcast with OBS
1. Pick a clean audio source
Decide how the station’s audio reaches the computer running OBS. If the station runs through Mixxx on that computer, add Mixxx as an audio input in OBS following the Mixxx guide. For another playout system, select its output or an appropriate audio interface as the OBS input. Avoid capturing the entire desktop unless you intend to include system sounds. Check that the meter responds to the station feed and that the audio is not clipping.
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2. Build the scene
Create an OBS scene containing the radio audio and the visual presentation: for example, station artwork, a loop, or other material you have permission to use. Preview the scene and listen to the audio before starting. If you want song information on screen, confirm that the chosen workflow supplies and displays that information; do not assume every audio source exposes metadata to OBS automatically.
3. Connect OBS to YouTube
- In YouTube Studio, open the Live Control Room and create or select a stream.
- Copy the stream URL (server) and stream key shown by YouTube into OBS’s stream settings. Treat the key as a secret: anyone with access to it may be able to broadcast to that stream.
- Start streaming from OBS and check the YouTube preview for both picture and sound. For a scheduled stream, starting the encoder may not itself publish the broadcast; use the separate Go live action in Live Control Room when it is presented.
Follow YouTube’s current encoder setup instructions for the stream details and Live Control Room workflow: Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder. YouTube says first-time live-streaming enablement can take up to 24 hours, so enable it and verify access well before the planned broadcast.
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4. Decide how long the stream should run
YouTube Help says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. That is not a guarantee that every stream or recording will remain available indefinitely; check the archive and availability settings for your station’s needs. YouTube Help: Archive live streams.
When AzuraCast and Liquidsoap make more sense
If AzuraCast is already part of your station infrastructure, its Liquidsoap radio-video-stream example may let the server pair radio audio with a looping video and send the result to an RTMP destination such as YouTube. The example can also put the current song across the screen. See the AzuraCast Liquidsoap examples.
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Use this route only if someone on the team can configure and maintain the script and server. Its example status matters: the available source does not establish it as a supported, ready-to-use integration for every AzuraCast setup. Check the current example, compatibility, and maintenance expectations against your own installation before relying on it for a long broadcast.
Where Mixxx and BUTT fit
Mixxx and BUTT are relevant when a DJ needs to broadcast a live program feed to an Icecast or Shoutcast server. AzuraCast documents them in that context. AzuraCast: DJs. If the same program must also appear on YouTube with a visual, treat that as a separate production path: route the audio into OBS or another suitable encoder. Mixxx’s documented OBS input workflow is one way to do this.
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Check rights before sending station music to YouTube
A station’s permission to play music on its own internet-radio service does not by itself establish that it may rebroadcast that music on YouTube. Rights can depend on the catalog, territory, licenses, and agreements. Verify that your station’s rights cover the YouTube broadcast and any resulting archive before going live; the software setup cannot establish those permissions.
Other YouTube ingest options
YouTube also documents HLS ingest for compatible encoders, with protocol-specific setup. For an ordinary OBS radio simulcast, use the standard encoder route unless you have a concrete technical reason and a compatible workflow for HLS. YouTube Help: Use HLS ingest for live streaming.
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Keep a long-running YouTube stream online without leaving a computer on
If your station’s goal is a 24/7 YouTube stream of uploaded recordings rather than a live audio feed from a DJ or radio playout system, StreamNeo is the first cloud option to consider: it loops uploaded videos on YouTube from the cloud, so nothing has to stay running at home; each slot carries your uploads as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot, and the first day is free.
Or let it run in the cloud
For pre-recorded programming, the StreamNeo workflow is: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, then go live. It is not a replacement for OBS when you need to mix a live DJ feed or camera; StreamNeo plays uploaded videos and streams to YouTube only.
- Your computer and home connection do not need to stay on.
- Uploads stream as made, up to 4K 60fps, with no re-encode or quality tiers and one flat price per slot.
- StreamNeo automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream.
- The first day is free with no card required.
- Monthly service is $9.99 per month.
See StreamNeo for the service details, or start the free first day.
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