You can schedule a YouTube Live event for a playlist of local video files, then use FFmpeg’s concat demuxer to send those files in sequence to the event. Scheduling does not start FFmpeg or put the event live: start the encoder at the right time, wait for YouTube’s preview, and click Go live in Live Control Room.
1. Create the scheduled event in YouTube Studio
- In YouTube Studio, select Create > Go Live > Manage > Schedule stream.
- Choose to reuse previous settings or create a new scheduled event. YouTube says scheduling lets you promote the event, send reminders, and share its URL. YouTube Help: Schedule a live stream.
- Open the event in Live Control Room and note its server URL and stream key. You will enter both in FFmpeg’s output settings. Treat the stream key like a password; do not publish it or include it in a public script or screenshot.
The event is the viewer-facing broadcast; FFmpeg is the encoder that sends the video feed. Creating the event alone does not launch the encoder or start the broadcast.
2. Build the concat playlist file
Create a plain-text file in the order you want the videos to play. For example, save this as playlist.ffconcat:
ffconcat version 1.0
file 'part-01.mp4'
file 'part-02.mp4'The header must be exactly the first line for FFmpeg to recognize the file automatically as an ffconcat script. Each file line names one input; relative paths are interpreted from the working directory used to run FFmpeg. See the FFmpeg concat demuxer documentation.
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Paths, spaces, and safety
- Keep the playlist and media files together and use simple relative names where practical.
- Paths containing spaces or special characters need correct quoting and escaping for the concat file syntax. Shell quoting of the playlist filename is a separate matter from quoting paths inside the playlist.
- The concat demuxer’s
safeoption defaults to1, which rejects paths and directives it considers unsafe, including many absolute paths. Prefer safe relative paths. If you have a specific need for absolute or otherwise rejected paths, understand that setting-safe 0relaxes this protection; use it only with a playlist you control, and check the syntax for your FFmpeg version.
3. Check whether your files can be concatenated directly
The concat demuxer joins media at the packet level; it is not a general-purpose converter. FFmpeg’s requirement is: “All files must have the same streams (same codecs, same time base, etc.).” FFmpeg concat demuxer documentation.
- Compare the files’ stream arrangement, codecs, and time bases before relying on direct concatenation. For example, a playlist where one video has an audio stream and another does not may not join as intended.
- Duration metadata matters. The demuxer adjusts timestamps globally; files with streams of different lengths can create gaps, and inaccurate or missing durations can cause artifacts. A
durationdirective in the playlist can override a file’s duration when you have a reliable value, but it does not fix incompatible streams. - Rehearse with the actual files. Neither the playlist syntax nor a generic command guarantees clean output for arbitrary codecs, metadata, or FFmpeg builds.
Choose the concat method
| Method | Use it when | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Concat demuxer | The files have matching streams and you want to join them without re-encoding. | Stream properties and duration information must be suitable for packet-level concatenation. FFmpeg documentation. |
| Concat filter | The inputs need to be decoded and re-encoded to produce a consistent output. | Requires encoding the resulting stream; the settings must suit your files and YouTube’s current encoder guidance. FFmpeg’s FAQ recommends the filter when re-encoding is needed. FFmpeg FAQ. |
4. Configure FFmpeg to send the playlist to YouTube
Use the scheduled event’s current server URL and stream key as the output destination and credentials. YouTube requires these encoder settings, but there is no single universal FFmpeg command established for every codec, FFmpeg build, or event configuration. Consult YouTube’s current scheduled-stream instructions and the documentation for your installed FFmpeg version to construct the output options for your media.
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For a direct concat-demuxer workflow, the input is the playlist file, not the individual videos passed as separate shell inputs. A schematic command shape is:
ffmpeg -re -f concat -i playlist.ffconcat [output encoding and format options] [YouTube server URL and stream key]This is a command outline, not a copy-and-run recipe: replace the bracketed parts with valid options for your files and the event’s ingestion settings. The -re input option is commonly used to read files at their native playback rate, but confirm the appropriate pacing and output configuration for your setup. Keep credentials out of shell history, shared logs, and public files where possible.
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Looping a playlist
If you need the playlist to repeat, looping is an FFmpeg input behavior, not a YouTube scheduling feature. The concat demuxer documentation describes the playlist mechanics but does not provide a YouTube-specific looping command. Check the options supported by your FFmpeg version, confirm how they apply to a concat input, and test the complete setup with the exact media before relying on it for a scheduled broadcast.
5. Start the encoder and take the event live
- Before the scheduled time, verify the playlist order, paths, media compatibility, output settings, and stream key.
- At the event time, start FFmpeg. Scheduling the YouTube event does not start this process for you.
- In Live Control Room, wait for the stream preview to appear, then click Go live. This is YouTube’s documented sequence for a scheduled encoder stream. YouTube Help: Schedule a live stream.
Allow time before the event to identify errors and check that the incoming preview is behaving as expected; an advance rehearsal with the actual playlist is prudent because the result depends on the media and encoder configuration.
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6. Recurring events: reuse or separate stream configurations
For sequential events, YouTube’s API model allows a channel to reuse a liveStream configuration across different liveBroadcast events. The API documentation says only one event is live at a time in that arrangement. If shows may overlap, separate stream resources may be appropriate. This distinction is useful context, but a Studio-only workflow does not require API use. YouTube Live Streaming API documentation.
7. Troubleshoot before the scheduled start
- FFmpeg cannot open a playlist entry: check the working directory, spelling, file permissions, and relative path. Ensure paths with spaces or special characters are escaped correctly; check whether the default safe-path rule is rejecting an absolute path.
- The playlist is recognized as media or fails to parse: confirm the file begins with the exact line
ffconcat version 1.0, with no blank line or other text before it. - Concat reports mismatched streams or playback has artifacts: compare stream layouts, codecs, and time bases; inspect duration metadata. Rebuild compatible inputs or use a concat-filter workflow that re-encodes to a consistent output.
- YouTube does not show a preview: verify that FFmpeg is running and that the server URL and stream key belong to the scheduled event. Confirm the event’s current encoder settings in Live Control Room.
- The event is scheduled but viewers cannot watch it: scheduling is not the same as starting the feed or taking the broadcast live. Start FFmpeg, wait for the preview, and use Live Control Room’s Go live control.
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