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Before you build the command
Confirm the destination platform and collect its current ingest URL, stream key, required protocol, accepted codecs and encoding recommendations. FFmpeg can write to an output URL and supports protocols including RTMP variants such as RTMPS, but its documentation does not prescribe one universal location for a stream key or one profile for every platform (FFmpeg protocol documentation; FFmpeg command-line documentation).
Check the FFmpeg build installed on the VPS before relying on a protocol or codec. The online FFmpeg documentation is regenerated nightly and may differ from older installed builds; consult the documentation or build information for the version actually on your server (FFmpeg documentation).
Create the playlist file
Make a plain-text file, for example /home/ubuntu/playlist.ffconcat, with the concat demuxer’s header and one file entry per video:
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ffconcat version 1.0
file '/home/ubuntu/videos/clip-01.mp4'
file '/home/ubuntu/videos/clip-02.mp4'Use paths that exist and are readable by the Linux account that will run FFmpeg. Quote paths containing spaces. The concat demuxer documentation defines the ffconcat version 1.0 header and file directive (FFmpeg concat demuxer documentation).
The concat demuxer’s safe option defaults to 1, which rejects unsafe paths and directives. Absolute paths commonly require setting -safe 0; use that only for a playlist you trust, because disabling the check allows any file name. Keep the playlist and its entries under your control.
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Do not assume that any two media files can be joined cleanly. Inputs with different stream layouts, codecs or parameters may need normalization or transcoding. Inspect the files and the FFmpeg startup output before choosing streamcopy. The demuxer documentation describes some automatic conversion behavior for H.264 in MP4, not universal compatibility.
Assemble the FFmpeg command
This is a template, not a destination-ready command. Replace the bracketed portion with the stream selection and encoding options required by your platform, and replace the output placeholder with the exact ingest URL/key arrangement its official instructions specify:
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ffmpeg -re -f concat -safe 0 -i /home/ubuntu/playlist.ffconcat
[stream selection and encoding options required by the destination]
-f flv '[DESTINATION_INGEST_URL_WITH_KEY_AS_DOCUMENTED]'The example uses an FLV output container as a common structural illustration for an RTMP-style destination; it is not a claim that every platform or ingest endpoint requires FLV or RTMP. Confirm the required protocol and output format with the destination. The Ubuntu Noble FFmpeg protocol manpage’s RTSP example illustrates the general pattern of a real-time input followed by a protocol-specific output, but it is not a stream-key recipe for an unspecified RTMP service (Ubuntu Noble FFmpeg protocol manpage).
FFmpeg options generally apply to the next input or output, so placement matters. Here, -re reads the input at its native frame rate, while -f concat, -safe 0 and -i configure the playlist input. Put output-specific selection and encoding options after the input and before the output URL. Check the installed FFmpeg manual for the precise behavior of the options in your build (FFmpeg command-line documentation).
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Choose streamcopy or encoding
- Streamcopy: If the files have compatible streams and the destination accepts them, explicit mapping with
-mapand packet copying with-c copycan avoid decoding and re-encoding. Streamcopy cannot apply filters, and it may fail if the output container requires stream information the source does not provide. - Encoding: If files differ, require resizing or filtering, or do not meet the destination’s codec requirements, encode them to a compatible output instead. Choose resolution, bitrate, codecs and keyframe settings from the destination’s current instructions; this topic does not identify a platform, so no single set of values can be recommended.
FFmpeg can select streams automatically, but automatic selection may not match what you intend. Use -map to select the required video and audio streams explicitly when necessary. The command-line documentation explains stream selection and streamcopy behavior (FFmpeg command-line documentation).
Protect the stream key
Treat the key as a credential. Use a placeholder in saved examples, avoid exposing the key in screenshots or shared shell history, and rotate it through the platform if it is disclosed. Follow that platform’s documented URL/key format exactly; do not assume the key always belongs in a particular part of the URL.
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Troubleshoot in order
- FFmpeg cannot open a playlist entry: Check each path, spelling, permissions and quoting. Confirm the files are accessible to the account running the process.
- The concat demuxer rejects an entry: Review the safe-path behavior. If absolute paths require
-safe 0, use it only with a trusted playlist. - The output has the wrong audio or video stream: Read FFmpeg’s detected-stream output and add explicit
-mapselections rather than relying on automatic selection. - Unsupported protocol, codec or muxer: Verify that the installed FFmpeg build includes what the command requests, and compare the protocol and codecs with the destination’s current requirements.
- Files fail at a transition or the output is rejected: Inspect the input stream layouts and parameters. Try compatible inputs or transcode to a destination-compatible format; streamcopy cannot reconcile incompatible sources or apply filters.
- The destination refuses the connection or stream: Recheck its current ingest address, stream-key placement, protocol and encoding guidance. FFmpeg’s general documentation cannot establish settings for a platform the title does not name.
Run the process on a VPS
A command running in an interactive SSH session may stop when that session ends, depending on how it was started and the server setup. For a persistent DIY deployment, arrange for the command to run under a process manager or another suitable service mechanism, and decide how logs, restarts and key storage will be handled. The correct configuration depends on the VPS operating system and process manager; this guide does not prescribe an unverified service file.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is a continuous YouTube stream of uploaded videos rather than a VPS-based FFmpeg setup, StreamNeo is a separate cloud option: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops uploaded videos to YouTube, so your computer and home connection do not need to stay on. It supports uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream, and includes a first day free with no card. The monthly option is $9.99 per month. StreamNeo is for YouTube streams of uploaded videos, not camera streaming. See StreamNeo, or start the free first day.
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