To stream several local videos in sequence with FFmpeg, put their paths in a text file and pass it to FFmpeg’s concat demuxer. If the files have matching streams, codecs, and time bases, you can often send them without re-encoding. Then direct FFmpeg’s output to the current ingest destination for your YouTube broadcast. This local playlist file is not a YouTube HLS playlist; HLS is a separate, segmented ingest workflow.
Create the FFmpeg playlist file
Make a plain-text file such as playlist.txt, with one file directive for each media file, in the order you want them played:
file '/path/to/first.mp4'
file '/path/to/second.mp4'Use paths valid on the computer running FFmpeg. Paths containing spaces or special characters may need appropriate quoting or escaping. FFmpeg documents the concat script as extended-ASCII text with one directive per line.
Select the concat demuxer by placing -f concat before the playlist input. The -safe option controls safe-path handling. Use -safe 0 only if your paths require it and you trust the playlist file; consult the documentation for the FFmpeg build you have installed, since supported behavior can depend on that build.
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Check whether the files can be joined without re-encoding
The concat demuxer expects the inputs to have the same streams, codecs, and time base. Compare the files before relying on stream copy. FFmpeg adjusts timestamps so each file follows the previous one, but unequal stream lengths can leave gaps, and inaccurate duration metadata can cause artifacts.
| Situation | Approach |
|---|---|
| Inputs match in streams, codecs, and time base; no transformations are needed | Use the concat demuxer and try -c copy, provided the output format supports those streams. |
| Inputs need scaling, codec or frame-rate changes, audio-layout changes, or other normalization | Use FFmpeg’s concat filter and re-encode. The filter is the appropriate route when inputs need transformation; the demuxer is intended for compatible inputs when avoiding re-encoding. |
Send the playlist to YouTube Live over RTMPS
- Configure the broadcast. In YouTube Live Control Room, configure the stream and retrieve its current ingest information. The ingest address and stream name/key are specific to the configured stream. Keep the credentials private.
- Use the current destination. Replace the placeholders in the illustrative command below with the ingest URL and stream name/key supplied for your broadcast:
ffmpeg -re -f concat -safe 0 -i playlist.txt -c copy -f flv 'rtmps://<YouTube-ingest-endpoint>/<stream-key>'This is a documentation-based command shape, not a tested command. Do not paste the placeholder destination literally. YouTube’s RTMPS guidance requires a valid URL and path, port 443, and RTMP tunneled over SSL. Depending on the encoder, the ingest address and stream name may be entered separately or joined. Check the current values and protocol requirements for your configured stream in YouTube’s ingestion protocol documentation and Live Streams API documentation.
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The command uses -re to read the local inputs at their native rate, the concat demuxer to sequence the files, stream copy for compatible sources, and FLV output for the RTMPS workflow. Verify your local FFmpeg build and source compatibility before relying on it.
When YouTube HLS ingest is a separate requirement
Do not use the local playlist.txt as though it were a YouTube HLS media playlist. The concat text file tells FFmpeg which local files to read; HLS ingest sends media segments with a separate playlist and protocol.
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YouTube’s HLS ingest requirements specify TS segments lasting 1–4 seconds, HTTPS POST/PUT requests, and a rolling playlist with no more than five outstanding segments. YouTube notes that HLS has higher latency than RTMP because it sends video in segments. Follow those HLS requirements if you deliberately choose that output workflow; they do not change how FFmpeg’s concat demuxer reads local files.
Troubleshoot common failures
- FFmpeg reports incompatible streams or stream copy fails: compare stream counts, codecs, time bases, and durations across the inputs. If they do not match or need normalization, use the concat filter and re-encode rather than forcing stream copy.
- YouTube rejects the destination or no stream arrives: recheck the current endpoint, protocol, stream key/name, and RTMPS connection requirements against the stream configuration and YouTube documentation. Never expose the stream credentials.
- The playlist does not behave like an HLS playlist: it is a local concat-demuxer script, not a segmented HLS playlist. For HLS output, verify the playlist and segment settings against YouTube’s HLS requirements.
- There are gaps or artifacts at file boundaries: check for unequal stream lengths and inaccurate duration metadata, both of which can affect timestamp continuity.
Or let it run in the cloud
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