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Find where the stream is getting stuck
Open the Castr stream dashboard and check the source status, preview and stats. Castr’s source status should move from Connecting to Connected once it detects the encoder feed. Then check whether the YouTube destination is active and whether YouTube Live Control Room shows a preview.
| What you see | Where to troubleshoot next |
|---|---|
| Castr source remains Connecting; no preview or active stats | Encoder-to-Castr connection, stream key, server URL and network health |
| Castr shows the source, but the YouTube destination is inactive | Castr destination setup, selected event and destination toggle |
| YouTube shows a preview but the scheduled broadcast has not started | Live Control Room’s separate Go live step |
| Source and destination appear correct, but the stream still will not advance | Check Castr’s live service status and collect details for support |
Confirm the encoder is reaching Castr
Make sure the encoder is running and configured with the current Castr server URL and stream key for the selected region and protocol. Castr’s setup guide says its stats bar becomes active when it detects input. If the source has not reached Connected, resolve this link before changing YouTube settings.
- Confirm the encoder is sending to the intended Castr ingest location and using the matching protocol, server URL and key.
- Open Castr Health Charts and look for bitrate drops or dropped frames.
- Check upload capacity. Castr Help Center guidance from 2026 recommends upload speed of at least 1.5 times the stream bitrate. Its example is 7,500 Kbps (7.5 Mbps) upload for a 5,000 Kbps stream.
- Where practical, use wired Ethernet, close bandwidth-heavy applications and select an ingest location near the broadcaster. Castr notes that Wi-Fi can introduce packet loss and latency spikes.
- If RTMP is unstable, consider SRT; Castr says SRT can recover from packet loss automatically.
Castr’s troubleshooting guide says, “Most quality issues originate from the source — your encoder or streaming software — rather than from Castr itself.” Treat that as guidance for where to check first, not proof that every incident is caused by the encoder.
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Check encoder settings if the source is unstable
Castr Help Center recommendations published in 2026 are a starting point, not a guarantee for every encoder, network or stream:
| Setting | Castr’s recommendation |
|---|---|
| Video codec | H.264/AVC |
| Audio codec | AAC |
| Rate control | Constant bitrate (CBR) |
| Keyframe interval | 2 seconds |
| Resolution | 1920×1080 or 1280×720 |
| Frame rate | 30 FPS, or 60 FPS if the connection can support the higher bitrate |
| Video bitrate | 3,500–6,500 Kbps for 1080p; 2,500–4,000 Kbps for 720p |
| Stereo audio bitrate | 128 Kbps |
If the encoder is sending but Castr’s charts show drops, compare actual output against these recommendations and your available upload capacity. Avoid raising bitrate to solve a stream that is already losing frames or exceeding the connection’s headroom.
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Verify the YouTube destination in Castr
Castr documents two ways to configure a YouTube destination. Identify which one this stream uses, then verify that the destination is connected to the intended channel or event.
YouTube API connection
If you connected through YouTube API/OAuth, confirm the intended channel and event remain connected in Castr and that the destination is enabled.
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Manual server and stream key
If you added YouTube using a streaming server and key, compare both values with the intended YouTube stream. Make sure the destination is enabled. Castr notes that when this method is used, description edits must be made in YouTube rather than Castr.
Castr’s specific troubleshooting tip is to turn destinations off while the source is offline, then turn them on again once the encoder source is live. First confirm the source is actually live in Castr so this does not obscure an ingest problem.
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Complete YouTube’s separate Go live step
A live encoder feed and an active Castr destination do not by themselves confirm that a scheduled YouTube broadcast has been started in Live Control Room. YouTube’s encoder setup guidance says: “In Live Control Room, wait for the stream preview to show up, and then click Go live.” Start the encoder, wait for the preview, then click Go live for a scheduled stream.
If this is the first time live streaming has been enabled on the YouTube account, YouTube Help says activation may take up to 24 hours. A stream that is otherwise configured correctly may not be ready to start before enablement completes.
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Check for a Castr service incident
Check Castr’s status page at the time the problem is happening. A prior status result is not evidence of current availability; an earlier all-online snapshot cannot rule out a later incident. The page describes redundant ingests and automatic rerouting if an ingest fails, but that does not guarantee every issue will be resolved automatically.
If Castr sees the source, the YouTube destination appears correct and YouTube still does not go live, contact Castr support. Include the incident timestamp and time zone, Castr region and protocol, the exact status shown at each stage, and whether YouTube Live Control Room displays a preview. These details help distinguish an ingest, destination, YouTube workflow or service issue.
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