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To stream a long prerecorded video as a YouTube Live broadcast, play the file in streaming software and encode that playback as a live signal. Choose the live encoder’s output settings—especially codec, resolution, frame rate, and bitrate—to suit the source and your reliable upload capacity. Compressing the file offline to make it smaller is a separate operation; it does not set up or automatically improve the live stream. No settings can guarantee zero quality loss, but careful matching and testing can reduce avoidable degradation and buffering.
First, decide what “compress” means
For a long video, compression can refer to two different workflows:
- Reduce the file size before upload: re-encode the video as an ordinary file, then upload it to YouTube. YouTube publishes separate encoding recommendations for standard uploads; use its upload encoding settings for that workflow.
- Broadcast prerecorded footage as live: streaming software plays the local file and encodes its playback into a continuous outgoing live signal. The live encoder’s bitrate and other output settings determine the incoming stream, not the file’s size on disk.
This guide focuses on the second meaning. YouTube transcodes an incoming live stream into formats for viewers, so your settings control the signal YouTube receives; they cannot guarantee a particular viewer rendition or a visually lossless result.
Prepare the video and the live setup
Check the source before choosing settings
Identify the video’s resolution, frame rate, codec, audio layout, and whether it is HDR or SDR. Also decide whether the goal is a live broadcast or an ordinary upload. A re-encode cannot restore detail that is not in the source, and the best output depends on the footage and the system playing and encoding it.
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Add the prerecorded file in OBS
In OBS, add a Media Source to the scene that will be streamed, then select the video file. Enable the source’s loop option if playback should restart when it reaches the end. OBS documents this in its Media Sources guide. Confirm that the file plays and that its audio is audible in the OBS mixer before going live.
Set up YouTube Live and the encoder
- In YouTube Studio, create or open the live stream and copy its stream key.
- In OBS, open Settings > Stream, choose the YouTube service, and connect the stream key. Treat the key like a password; do not publish or share it.
- In Settings > Output, configure the streaming encoder and bitrate. In Settings > Video, set the output resolution and frame rate you intend to send.
- Use a YouTube-supported ingest protocol and codec. YouTube recommends RTMPS. For RTMP/RTMPS, its supported video codecs include H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1, up to 60 fps.
- Start a test stream or use YouTube’s preview before the intended broadcast. Verify the picture, audio, stream health, and that the file advances or loops as expected.
Choose a live bitrate that fits your output
The following are YouTube’s published recommended RTMP/RTMPS ingest bitrates, checked 2026-10-03. They are platform recommendations, not a guarantee of visually lossless quality. Values are in Mbps; choose the row matching your output resolution and frame rate and the column matching your encoder codec.
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| Output resolution and frame rate | AV1 or H.265/HEVC | H.264 |
|---|---|---|
| 4K/2160p, 60 fps | 35 Mbps | 50 Mbps |
| 4K/2160p, 30 fps | 30 Mbps | 42 Mbps |
| 1440p, 60 fps | 24 Mbps | 34 Mbps |
| 1440p, 30 fps | 15 Mbps | 21 Mbps |
| 1080p, 60 fps | 12 Mbps | 17 Mbps |
| 1080p, 30 fps | 10 Mbps | 14 Mbps |
| 720p, 60 fps | 6 Mbps | 8 Mbps |
| 720p, 30 fps | 6 Mbps | 8 Mbps |
| 480p, 30 fps | 3 Mbps | 4 Mbps |
| 360p, 30 fps | 3 Mbps | 4 Mbps |
For example, YouTube recommends 10 Mbps for AV1 or H.265/HEVC at 1080p30 and 14 Mbps for H.264 at the same output. At 1080p60, the recommendations are 12 Mbps for AV1 or H.265/HEVC and 17 Mbps for H.264. Do not pick a bitrate just because the source file is large or small: file compression and steady live ingest solve different problems.
Use the accompanying encoder settings
- Rate control: YouTube recommends constant bitrate (CBR) for RTMP/RTMPS ingest.
- Keyframes: set a two-second keyframe interval; YouTube says not to exceed four seconds.
- Audio: YouTube lists AAC or MP3 for RTMP/RTMPS. It recommends stereo at 128 kbps and 44.1 kHz. For 5.1 surround, AAC is required; the listed recommendation is 384 kbps at 48 kHz.
- Picture format: use square pixels and progressive scan. YouTube lists two B-frames and one reference frame, and CABAC. For SDR it lists Rec. 709; its listed bit depth is 8-bit for SDR and 10-bit for HDR.
Use settings supported by both your encoder and the selected ingest route. Hardware encoding can move encoding work from the CPU to a specialized GPU component, but that alone does not establish a universal quality advantage; check performance and picture quality with your own source.
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Keep the stream stable and minimize avoidable quality loss
Match the source and test representative footage
Choose an output that makes sense for the source rather than upscaling low-resolution footage or sending an unnecessarily high frame rate. Before the broadcast, test a segment with the same motion, detail, and audio as the full video. A static scene may look fine at a bitrate that struggles with fast motion or intricate detail.
Leave upload headroom
Run an upload speed test and use a connection whose sustained capacity can reliably support the selected live bitrate, with room for normal variation and other network use. YouTube recommends testing before the event and monitoring stream health while live. A connection that only briefly reaches the target is not a dependable basis for a long broadcast.
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Understand what “without losing quality” can mean
There is no universal setting that guarantees no loss: results depend on the original file, codec, motion and detail, encoder, selected bitrate, and delivery conditions. YouTube also transcodes the live input for playback. The practical goal is to avoid unnecessary re-encoding, use a suitable ingest bitrate, and confirm that the incoming signal is stable—not to promise that every viewer receives the original file unchanged.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose a protocol and latency mode for the broadcast
RTMPS is YouTube’s recommended ingest protocol for the settings in the bitrate table. YouTube also supports HLS for some cases, including HDR or codecs unavailable over RTMP. HLS sends video in segments and has higher latency, so it may be a better compatibility fit when required but a poor choice when near-real-time interaction matters.
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YouTube’s low-latency option is unavailable for 4K/2160p. In general, lower latency leaves less read-ahead buffer and can increase buffering; choose latency according to how much delay your broadcast can tolerate and how stable the connection is.
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