If your YouTube radio livestream has audio but no video, first find where the picture disappears: check the encoder preview, make a local recording, then inspect YouTube Live Control Room’s stream health. Audio reaching YouTube does not prove the encoder is sending a valid video stream, and the symptom alone does not identify a single faulty component.
Find where the video disappears
Check the picture in the encoder before changing settings or buying equipment. The result separates a source or scene problem from a fault later in the delivery path.
| What you see | Where to investigate next |
|---|---|
| The encoder preview is black or static | Check the video source, whether it is enabled, and how it is positioned or routed in the active scene. |
| The preview looks right, but a local recording is black or static | Inspect the encoder’s output and recording configuration, errors, and CPU load. |
| The preview and local recording show the expected video, but the YouTube stream does not | Check Live Control Room health messages and test the outbound connection. This points troubleshooting downstream; it does not by itself prove the cause. |
| Some viewers see video but others do not | Check whether the issue is limited to a particular player or viewer connection before changing the source or encoder. |
YouTube’s guidance recommends reviewing how the stream looks and sounds in the encoder, checking the source and encoder errors, and inspecting a local archive. See YouTube’s live-stream troubleshooting guidance.
Check the active scene and source
- Confirm the scene currently being sent to YouTube contains a visual source.
- Check that the source is enabled, visible, and not covered by another layer or placed outside the composed frame.
- If the source should be moving video, verify that it is playing and not paused, disconnected, or showing a blank frame.
If the preview itself has no usable picture, concentrate on the source and scene before investigating YouTube’s delivery.
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Make a short local recording
When practical, record a short sample from the encoder while the stream is running. Compare it with the preview. If both are missing video, investigate the encoder’s source routing and output settings. If both contain the expected picture but YouTube does not, continue to the incoming-stream and connection checks.
Read YouTube Live Control Room’s health status
Open the live stream in YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room and review the stream-health indicator and its messages, including their timestamps. YouTube says the dashboard checks for errors in the incoming stream; messages can point to format or stream-configuration problems. The YouTube Live Streaming API documentation also describes configuration issues in stream health information.
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Use the message as a clue about what YouTube is receiving, not as proof that the video source itself is broken. If the message indicates a format or configuration issue, compare the encoder’s output with YouTube’s current settings guidance below.
Check the encoder’s video and audio settings
For RTMP or RTMPS delivery, YouTube Help lists H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 for video; AAC or MP3 for audio; and constant bitrate (CBR) encoding. YouTube recommends a two-second keyframe interval and says it should not exceed four seconds. Its bitrate recommendations depend on codec, resolution, and frame rate, so use the row for your intended output in YouTube’s encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions guide, rather than applying one bitrate to every setup. The page also lists frame rates up to 60 fps.
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- Confirm the encoder is actually sending a video stream, not only audio.
- Check that the selected video codec, keyframe interval, and bitrate are supported for the output you chose.
- Use CBR and the bitrate recommendation matched to your codec, resolution, and frame rate.
- Consider RTMPS for encrypted delivery to Google’s servers.
YouTube says it detects encoder settings by default and transcodes the incoming stream into formats for viewers. That does not eliminate the need to send valid video from the encoder.
Test the connection and encoder
If the preview and local output look healthy but YouTube does not receive usable video, test the outbound internet connection and compare the encoder’s reported output with Live Control Room health. YouTube recommends testing upload bitrate against the available connection. If video is already faulty in the preview or recording, inspect encoder errors and CPU load, update the encoder, or test with another encoder. These are troubleshooting checks, not a diagnosis that network conditions or CPU load caused this particular failure.
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If you use OBS, its official Help Portal points to the Auto-Configuration Wizard for basic settings and additional guidance for streaming and encoder configuration.
Test before the next broadcast
- Start a private or unlisted test stream if that suits your workflow, and check the encoder preview.
- Include both sound and representative moving video. YouTube’s advice is: “Tests should include audio and movement in the video similar to what you’ll be doing in the stream.”
- Make a local recording during the test and verify that both picture and sound are present.
- Watch Live Control Room’s health indicator and messages while the test is running.
- Test the outbound upload connection if the encoder output looks correct but YouTube’s incoming stream does not.
Troubleshooting: YouTube live stream audio but no video
Encoder preview is black
Check that the intended video source is active and visible in the current scene. Verify its playback or input, scene routing, and composition. A black preview directs attention to the source and encoder path; it does not establish that you need new hardware.
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Preview is correct, but the local recording is black
Review the encoder’s output and recording configuration, error messages, and CPU load. Update the encoder or compare with a different encoder as a diagnostic test.
Local recording is correct, but YouTube shows no picture
Read the timestamped Live Control Room health messages, verify the outgoing video format and configuration against YouTube’s guidance, and test the outbound connection. The encoder-to-YouTube link is one place to investigate, but the symptom alone cannot pinpoint a cause.
YouTube reports a stream or configuration error
Use the specific message to guide a check of the selected codec, bitrate, resolution, frame rate, and keyframe interval. Match the bitrate to the output format in YouTube’s table rather than guessing or copying an unrelated setting.
The stream is intermittent or the encoder reports errors
Check encoder errors and CPU load, then test whether the upload connection can sustain the configured bitrate. YouTube recommends testing the connection and monitoring stream health; neither check alone proves the root cause.
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