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How to Simulcast an Internet Radio Station to YouTube with BUTT

Classic BUTT is for Shoutcast and Icecast, so use OBS as the separate YouTube encoder. This guide covers channel setup, audio routing, testing, and common fixes.
Opened Runtime6 min Written byDocumentaryTube Team
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Classic BUTT does not document a direct YouTube output. It sends live audio from a computer’s microphone or line input to a Shoutcast or Icecast server. To simulcast your station on YouTube, keep BUTT pointed at your radio server if needed, and use OBS or another YouTube-compatible encoder to send the station audio to YouTube Live. The key is routing the station audio into that encoder.

What BUTT can—and cannot—do for this setup

BUTT (Broadcast Using This Tool) is documented as a live-audio encoder for Shoutcast and Icecast. YouTube’s encoder workflow instead uses a YouTube Live server URL and stream key configured in a compatible encoder. The official documentation does not describe classic BUTT as a direct YouTube RTMP encoder. BUTT project documentation · YouTube Live encoder instructions

That means the practical arrangement is two separate outputs: BUTT continues sending audio to your existing radio server, while OBS captures the station audio and sends a separate stream to YouTube. If you only need YouTube and do not need a Shoutcast or Icecast destination, you may not need BUTT in the chain at all.

Before you configure the encoders

  • Confirm YouTube Live is enabled. YouTube says the channel must be verified and live streaming enabled. On a channel’s first activation, enabling live streaming may take at least 24 hours; that is a possible delay, not a guaranteed activation time. YouTube: Get started with live streaming
  • Identify where the station audio exists. It may be playing through a computer application, available as a system playback device, or arriving through a physical line input. The right OBS source depends on that signal path and your operating system.
  • Prepare a visual. A station logo or other permitted image can be added as an OBS image source. Check YouTube Studio’s preview and stream health; a still image is not a blanket guarantee of compliance with every YouTube policy or account condition.
  • Check upload capacity. YouTube advises estimating the combined target bitrates for simulstreams, measuring upload speed under realistic conditions, and monitoring stream health. Its example says a shared connection targeting 10 Mbps combined may need 15–20 Mbps of upload headroom. That is general YouTube guidance, not a radio-specific bitrate recommendation or universal minimum. YouTube: Troubleshoot live stream issues

Set up the YouTube output with OBS

  1. Enable live streaming in YouTube Studio. Complete channel verification and request live access if it is not already enabled. Allow for the possible first-stream activation delay noted above before planning a broadcast.
  2. Create or schedule a live stream. In YouTube Studio, create or schedule the broadcast, then copy the current server URL and stream key shown for that stream. YouTube’s interface and labels can change, so use the controls currently displayed in Studio. Keep the key private: do not publish it in an article, screenshot, public configuration example, or shared document.
  3. Keep BUTT configured for its radio destination. If the station still needs to reach Shoutcast or Icecast, leave that output configured in BUTT. Do not treat its radio-server settings as the YouTube destination.
  4. Add the YouTube destination in OBS. Configure OBS’s streaming output with the server URL and stream key from YouTube Studio. Follow the current OBS and YouTube controls for the selected service and account. OBS Quick Start Guide
  5. Capture the station audio. In OBS, add the appropriate audio source for where the station feed is available. OBS documents audio input and output capture sources on Windows and macOS, and ALSA or PulseAudio sources on Linux. If you add a device source to a scene, avoid capturing that same device globally as well; OBS warns that doing both can create echo. OBS Audio Sources
  6. Add an image source and check the scene. Add a station logo or another image you have permission to use, position it in the OBS scene, and confirm it appears in the preview. Make sure the audio meters respond when the station is playing.
  7. Run a short test before relying on the stream. Listen for silence, distortion, or doubled audio; check the incoming preview and stream health in YouTube Studio. OBS recommends reviewing output settings and testing before a live broadcast.
  8. Start the YouTube stream and monitor it. Start streaming from OBS, verify that YouTube receives the feed, and monitor both the audio and YouTube’s stream-health status. A successful local preview alone does not confirm that YouTube is receiving a healthy stream.

Choose the audio route that matches your station

The station audio is already playing on the streaming computer

Use OBS’s suitable application or system-audio capture source for your operating system. Check that the intended output device is selected and that OBS’s meter moves. If the same output is also captured through a scene-specific source, remove one capture path to prevent echo.

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The station feed enters through a physical line input

If the station’s audio is an external line-level signal, it must reach an audio input that the computer and OBS can capture. A physical interface is one possible connection, but it is not universally required: the correct route depends on the equipment and signal path already in use. The documentation does not establish a particular interface model as necessary.

The station is hosted or played on another machine

OBS cannot capture audio that is not available to the computer running it. Make the station feed available there through an audio device or other suitable routing method, then select that source in OBS and test it. The right routing method depends on the station’s playout software, operating system, and existing connections.

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Keep multiple radio-server destinations separate from YouTube

If you need to send BUTT to more than one traditional radio server, the BUTT developer documents running multiple instances with different configuration files, one for each server. That approach is for multiple Shoutcast or Icecast destinations; it does not add a YouTube-compatible output to BUTT. BUTT: Streaming to multiple servers

Copyright and the station’s YouTube presentation

Only use audio and visual material you have the rights or permissions to stream on YouTube. Music licensed for one radio-server arrangement is not automatically cleared for a YouTube broadcast; check the applicable rights and platform requirements for the material and territory involved. Review the current YouTube rules and any claims or restrictions shown in Studio before leaving a stream running. A logo or still image does not resolve rights questions about the audio.

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Troubleshoot common failures

Symptom Likely cause What to check
YouTube does not receive a stream Live streaming is not enabled, or OBS has an incorrect or outdated server URL or stream key. Confirm live access in YouTube Studio, create or open the intended stream, and enter its current connection details in OBS. Never share the key publicly.
BUTT reaches the radio server but YouTube is offline BUTT’s radio-server output and OBS’s YouTube output are separate destinations. Start and configure OBS as the YouTube encoder; a working BUTT connection alone does not send a stream to YouTube.
YouTube preview has no sound OBS is capturing the wrong device, or the station audio is not available to the streaming computer. Check the selected capture source, play station audio, and confirm the OBS audio meter moves.
Audio echoes or sounds doubled The same device may be captured both globally and as a scene-specific source. Remove the duplicate capture path and test again.
Stream health is unstable Upload capacity may be insufficient or inconsistent under the actual shared-network load. Measure upload speed under realistic conditions, compare capacity with the combined target bitrate, and monitor YouTube’s stream-health information.
The picture is blank or not the intended station image The OBS scene may not contain the expected image source, or it may be hidden or positioned outside the visible canvas. Check the selected scene, source visibility and preview before starting the broadcast.
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