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To change the YouTube stream key used by FFmpeg, copy the current key from YouTube Studio and replace only the old key in the command’s output destination. If you reset the key in Studio, update the command before reconnecting; the old key will no longer work.
Find or reset the key in YouTube Studio
- Open YouTube Studio and select Create > Go Live > Stream.
- Under Stream key, copy the current key. If you need a replacement, select Reset and copy the newly generated key instead.
- Make the change from an account with channel-owner or manager permissions. Editors and viewers cannot reset a stream key.
A stream key identifies the feed to YouTube and should be treated like a password. Do not publish it in a script repository, screenshot, or recording. If you think it has been exposed, reset it and update the value wherever your encoder stores it.
Replace the key in the FFmpeg destination
In a command that combines the destination and key, replace only the <STREAM_KEY> portion of the output URL. Keep the ingestion host and application path supplied for your stream.
ffmpeg -re -i input.mp4 -c:v libx264 -c:a aac -f flv 'rtmps://<YOUTUBE_INGESTION_HOST>/<APP_PATH>/<STREAM_KEY>'This is a command shape, not a ready-to-run destination: use the host and path shown by YouTube for your stream rather than copying the placeholders or a sample endpoint. The key change itself is the replacement at the end of the destination.
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Some encoder configurations keep the ingestion URL and stream key in separate fields. Others join them as STREAM_URL/STREAM_NAME. Check the structure of your existing FFmpeg invocation or wrapper and update the credential field only. If the key comes from an environment variable, replace its stored value rather than editing unrelated encoding options.
Check the endpoint and reconnect
- Save the updated command or configuration, keeping the expected RTMP or RTMPS protocol and the YouTube-provided destination.
- For RTMPS, use the valid YouTube endpoint, application path, and port 443 specified for the destination.
- Start FFmpeg with the updated key and check YouTube Live Control Room for the incoming stream and its health messages.
FFmpeg’s -f option selects or forces an output format; it is not a stream-key setting. Keep the output options before the output URL, and change only the destination credential unless YouTube has supplied a different endpoint.
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Troubleshoot a rejected key or unhealthy stream
- The stream will not connect after a reset: the command may still contain the previous key. Copy the replacement from Live Control Room and update the command or separate key field.
- The destination appears malformed: check that you preserved YouTube’s ingestion host and application path, and used the expected protocol. For RTMPS, verify the endpoint configuration and port 443.
- FFmpeg connects but YouTube reports a health problem: read the specific stream-health message. YouTube identifies issues such as unsupported codecs, missing audio or video, mismatched secondary streams, and keyframe intervals that are too long. These are encoding or stream-configuration issues, not necessarily a bad key.
- You cannot reset the key: confirm that you are signed in as a channel owner or manager; editor and viewer roles do not have reset permission.
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