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FFmpeg can retry a failed HTTP input, but its reconnect options do not guarantee that a YouTube playlist will resume at the same item or playback position. First check whether “Broken pipe” occurred while reading the input or writing the output: input reconnect flags address HTTP input failures, not every broken pipe. For an HTTP input, a starting point is to place suitable reconnect options before its -i URL, then tune them to the failure type and whether the input is seekable.
First identify which side of FFmpeg failed
“Broken pipe” alone does not tell you whether the source or destination failed. Find the surrounding log lines in the full FFmpeg output and determine whether the error happened while FFmpeg was reading the input or writing the output. The reconnect guidance below is for HTTP input. If a muxer or destination write failed, input-side reconnect flags may not help; inspect the output target, downstream consumer, and the error reported there.
Before changing the command, note the input protocol and manifest type, your installed FFmpeg version, and what “playlist” means in your setup: a YouTube queue, HLS or DASH manifest, local concat list, or a sequence managed by a wrapper. Those details affect what can reconnect and what continuity is possible.
Use HTTP reconnect options for the failure you have
FFmpeg’s HTTP protocol has separate options for different failure conditions. The options generally belong before the affected -i URL. This is an illustrative starting shape, not a tested command or a universal fix:
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ffmpeg -reconnect 1 -reconnect_streamed 1 -reconnect_delay_max 30 -i "$INPUT_URL" ...Use only the flags that match the observed failure. Check ffmpeg -version and the documentation for your installed build; supported options and defaults can vary by version.
| Failure or input condition | Option | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Connection drops before the HTTP input reaches EOF | -reconnect 1 |
Enables reconnection when disconnected before EOF. |
| A live or endless input signals EOF during an interruption | -reconnect_at_eof 1 |
Treats EOF as an error and attempts reconnection. FFmpeg documents this as useful for live or endless streams. |
| TCP or TLS error occurs while connecting | -reconnect_on_network_error 1 |
Enables reconnection for network errors during connection. |
| The server responds with an HTTP error | -reconnect_on_http_error 4xx,5xx |
Retries the selected status codes or groups. Narrow the selection when possible: retrying an authentication, unavailable-media, or invalid-URL response may not fix the underlying problem. |
| The input is streamed or non-seekable | -reconnect_streamed 1 |
Allows reconnection for streamed/non-seekable inputs; this is separate from enabling reconnection generally. |
| Retries need a bounded wait or attempt budget | -reconnect_delay_max N, -reconnect_max_retries N, -reconnect_delay_total_max N |
Set limits for the maximum delay, retry count, and total delay. Verify support and defaults in your installed build before relying on them. |
FFmpeg’s documentation says it honors a server-provided Retry-After delay by default when one is present. The -respect_retry_after 1 option relates to that behavior, which can matter for responses such as 429 or 503. Confirm the behavior in the version you run.
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Choose a retry budget deliberately
Retry settings trade recovery time against how long FFmpeg will wait before giving up. A long-running service may need a different retry budget from a one-off command. Set a maximum delay, retry count, and total delay appropriate to the job, and check the installed build’s defaults rather than assuming values from another version apply. FFmpeg’s current trunk implementation lists defaults of 120 seconds for reconnect_delay_max, unlimited retries (-1) for reconnect_max_retries, and 256 seconds for reconnect_delay_total_max; these are trunk implementation defaults, not universal recommendations.
Why reconnect may not preserve the playlist position
HTTP reconnection is not the same as restoring a YouTube queue or rebuilding a sequence after a process restart. FFmpeg’s HTTP implementation tracks a target offset and attempts to seek back to it. That recovery depends on the input and server: a streamed or non-seekable input has a separate opt-in control, and a server may reject a resumed request or fail to honor it. Even a successful HTTP reconnect does not establish that a YouTube playlist will continue with the same item or at the same playback position.
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-reconnect_at_eof 1 specifically treats EOF as an error and attempts reconnection, a documented use for live or endless streams. It does not mean “resume the playlist where it left off.” What continuity is possible depends on what the playlist represents, the input URL and service behavior, and the FFmpeg build.
Troubleshoot in this order
- Locate the failing operation. Read the surrounding log lines to distinguish an input read failure from an output write failure. If it is an output failure, investigate the destination and downstream consumer instead of adding HTTP input retries.
- Identify the input. Record whether the URL is HTTP and whether it points to a live resource, HLS or DASH manifest, or another kind of input. Determine whether it is seekable or streamed/non-seekable.
- Match the trigger to the error. Use
-reconnectfor a disconnect before EOF,-reconnect_at_eofwhen EOF should count as an interruption,-reconnect_on_network_errorfor connection-time TCP/TLS errors, or-reconnect_on_http_errorfor selected HTTP responses. Add-reconnect_streamedif the input is streamed/non-seekable and you want to permit retries for it. - Set limits and verify support. Check the installed version and protocol documentation, then choose retry limits that suit the job. Avoid assuming current trunk defaults match your build.
- Test the continuity requirement separately. Establish whether you need the HTTP resource to reconnect or the playlist item and position to be preserved. The former may be possible; the latter is not guaranteed by these HTTP options.
For a useful diagnosis, retain the full command with URL tokens and other secrets removed, the output of ffmpeg -version, the input protocol or manifest type, and the log lines around the failure. Also state what the playlist is and whether the error occurred on input or output.
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Official references
- FFmpeg Protocols Documentation: HTTP reconnect option descriptions and retry behavior.
- FFmpeg HTTP implementation (trunk): current implementation details and trunk defaults.
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