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If FFmpeg plays the first clip but not the rest of a YouTube Live playlist, check how your inputs are defined: -stream_loop is an input option, so it applies only to the input that follows it. For several local clips that should play in order and repeat together, use the FFmpeg concat demuxer to make them one input, then loop that input. The exact cause depends on your command, source files, FFmpeg version, and YouTube ingest method.
First, check whether FFmpeg is looping one input or a playlist
FFmpeg’s -stream_loop option is scoped to an input. Its value -1 means loop indefinitely; 0 means do not loop. Put the option before the -i for the input it should affect. An option before the first -i does not automatically apply to later inputs. See the FFmpeg documentation.
If your command lists each clip with a separate -i, add -stream_loop -1 before each input you want to repeat. But if the goal is to play multiple clips in order as a repeating playlist, treating the files as one concat-demuxer input is usually the clearer setup.
Loop a playlist of local videos with the concat demuxer
1. Make a playlist file
Create a plain-text file named playlist.txt with the clips in the order you want. Use paths appropriate to your operating system and files:
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ffconcat version 1.0
file '/path/to/clip-01.mp4'
file '/path/to/clip-02.mp4'
file '/path/to/clip-03.mp4'The optional signature must be exactly ffconcat version 1.0 at the start of the first line, with no leading whitespace or byte-order mark, for automatic format recognition. Add one file directive for each clip. Quote or escape paths containing spaces or special characters. See the concat demuxer documentation.
2. Loop the playlist input and send it to YouTube
This is an illustrative RTMP-style command, not a verified recipe for every FFmpeg build or source:
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ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -f concat -safe 0 -i playlist.txt
-c:v libx264 -c:a aac -f flv 'rtmp://a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2/STREAM_KEY'Replace the playlist path, codecs, output protocol, and destination to match your setup. Put the actual YouTube stream key only in your private local command or secret store; do not publish it or leave it exposed in logs. YouTube’s ingest endpoint and settings can vary by workflow, so confirm the correct destination for your stream.
-re reads the input at its native frame rate (equivalent to -readrate 1). FFmpeg cautions against using it on an actual capture device or live stream because it can cause packet loss; this example is for local files being read in real time. See the FFmpeg documentation.
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Choose the right input structure
| Approach | Best suited to | Important consideration |
|---|---|---|
Separate -i inputs |
Commands that intentionally handle clips as distinct inputs. | Place -stream_loop -1 before every input that needs to repeat. Inspect mapping, -shortest, and duration options if output stops. |
| Concat demuxer as one input | A local playlist that should play clips in order as one sequence. | Clips need compatible streams, codecs, and time bases; duration metadata also affects timestamp adjustment. |
The concat demuxer reads listed files in order, but it does not make incompatible media streams match. If necessary, transcode clips to common stream parameters; -c copy copies streams rather than normalizing differences. Incorrect duration metadata or a truncated file can also cause boundary artifacts. The concat demuxer’s duration directive can override inaccurate duration information. See the concat demuxer documentation.
Check the output path: continuous RTMP or direct HLS
For a continuous FFmpeg output to YouTube, investigate local input looping, stream mapping, encoding, and muxing. Do not use HLS-specific playlist advice unless your workflow actually uploads HLS segments.
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For direct HLS ingestion, YouTube’s requirements concern the generated media playlist and segments: YouTube supports media playlists and ignores master playlists. Check segment order and names, sequence numbers, outstanding-segment requirements, and server acknowledgments against the YouTube HLS ingest documentation. HLS playlist rules are a separate branch from looping local files into a continuous RTMP-style output.
Diagnose the exact reason your stream stops
- Record the full command safely. Redact the stream key, note the FFmpeg version using
ffmpeg -version, identify the source formats, and establish whether the output is RTMP or HLS. - Check option placement. For each
-i, verify that the intended-stream_loop -1appears before it. Input options apply to the input they precede. - Confirm the playlist is being read. If using concat, check its file order and inspect FFmpeg’s input stream report to see what it opened.
- Compare clip compatibility. Check each file’s audio/video stream layout, codecs, time bases, and duration metadata. Transcode to common parameters if needed; stream copying will not reconcile differences.
- Inspect termination and mapping options. Review
-map,-shortest, and any duration-related options. Without the actual command, no single one can be identified as the cause. - If using direct HLS, inspect the HLS output. Verify the media playlist, segment ordering and sequence numbers, and server acknowledgments against YouTube’s current requirements.
Common symptoms and fixes
- Only the first separately listed input repeats: the loop option may precede only the first
-i. Add it before each independently looping input or combine the ordered clips into a concat input. - The playlist is rejected or not recognized: check that the optional signature is the exact first line, with no whitespace before it or byte-order mark, and that each path is correctly quoted or escaped.
- Playback glitches at clip boundaries: compare stream layouts, codecs, time bases, and duration metadata; use the concat
durationdirective when duration metadata is inaccurate, or transcode clips to compatible parameters. - The command ends despite a loop option: inspect input-option placement along with
-map,-shortest, and duration settings. The command and FFmpeg version are needed to isolate the cause. - HLS segments fail while an RTMP-style loop works: debug the HLS media playlist and segment requirements rather than changing local-file loop options alone.
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