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concat demuxer

FFmpeg YouTube Stream Goes Offline at the End of a Playlist? Loop the Input

Use FFmpeg’s input option -stream_loop -1 before the file or local concat playlist input to keep it repeating instead of stopping at EOF.

By DocumentaryTube Team 2 min read
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If an FFmpeg stream ends when a finite input reaches the end, add -stream_loop -1 before the -i that reads that file or playlist. For example: ffmpeg -stream_loop -1 -re -i input.mp4 [encoding and output options] [YouTube ingest destination]. FFmpeg documents -1 as infinite looping; -re controls reading pace, not repetition.

Loop a single local video file

Put the input option immediately before the input it should repeat:

ffmpeg -stream_loop -1 -re -i input.mp4 [encoding and output options] [YouTube ingest destination]

-stream_loop is an input option. FFmpeg’s command-line documentation says ordinary options apply to the next specified file, and defines 0 as no looping and -1 as infinite looping. If the option is placed after -i or before a different input, it may not apply to the file that reaches the end.

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Loop a local concat-demuxer playlist

For a finite local playlist read by FFmpeg’s concat demuxer, apply the loop option to the playlist input:

ffmpeg -stream_loop -1 -re -f concat -i playlist.txt [encoding and output options] [YouTube ingest destination]

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Check the concat syntax and playlist format for your installed FFmpeg build. The files in a concat-demuxer sequence must have matching streams, codecs and time base. Looping does not fix incompatible files or guarantee seamless transitions; if the sequence fails or behaves erratically, normalize its components to compatible formats before concatenating.

What -re does—and does not do

FFmpeg defines -re as reading input at its native frame rate, equivalent to -readrate 1. It can be useful when sending a file to a live output, but it does not repeat the file. Avoid imposing a low read rate on actual capture devices or live streams: FFmpeg cautions that this can cause packet loss.

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Diagnose the kind of playlist that is stopping

Finite local file or concat list

Looping can address the end-of-file condition. If the stream still ends, confirm that -stream_loop -1 appears before the intended -i, then inspect FFmpeg’s exit status and error output for a different cause.

Live or network playlist

A network playlist expected to refresh is not the same as a finite local input. The loop option documents repetition of an input; it does not establish that it can repair a stopped HLS refresh, network disconnect, encoder failure or YouTube event/ingest state. Check FFmpeg’s errors and YouTube’s stream status separately rather than treating every stop as an end-of-file problem.

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