Install FFmpeg with Ubuntu’s package manager, create a text playlist of your video files, and use FFmpeg’s concat demuxer with -stream_loop -1 to repeat it. Send the output to the RTMPS URL and stream key from YouTube Live Control Room. The process can keep transmitting while FFmpeg runs, but it does not by itself provide automatic recovery or guarantee that one continuous 24/7 broadcast will be archived in full.
1. Install FFmpeg and check that it works
On Ubuntu, install FFmpeg from the distribution’s package repositories. The package version depends on your Ubuntu release and enabled repositories, so check the version actually installed rather than assuming a particular build.
- Open a terminal on the Ubuntu machine that will run the stream.
- Refresh the package index:
sudo apt update. - Install FFmpeg:
sudo apt install ffmpeg. - Verify the installation:
ffmpeg -version. The output should identify FFmpeg and its build version.
If APT cannot find the package, check that the system’s Ubuntu repositories are enabled and that the package index updated successfully. Ubuntu’s FFmpeg documentation is release-specific; the cited protocol manual is for Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble), not a guarantee of the package version on every release.
2. Prepare a playlist file
The concat demuxer reads a text file containing media paths in playback order. In the directory containing your videos, create a file named playlist.txt with one entry per line:
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file 'video-01.mp4'
file 'video-02.mp4'
file 'video-03.mp4'Use paths that the FFmpeg process can access. Relative paths are resolved from the working directory where FFmpeg runs; use absolute paths if the process may start from another directory. If a path contains a single quote, account for that in the concat file syntax rather than copying the simple example unchanged.
FFmpeg plays the listed files in sequence. A playlist does not guarantee seamless transitions: differing codecs, resolutions, frame rates, time bases, or audio layouts can cause concat or stream-copy problems. For compatible files, copying streams avoids re-encoding. For mixed assets, re-encode to a consistent output format instead.
3. Get YouTube’s ingest URL and stream key
- Open YouTube Live Control Room and create or select the live stream you intend to use.
- Copy the stream URL and stream key shown for that stream. YouTube may show the ordinary RTMP URL by default; use its interface to reveal the RTMPS URL when available, and prefer RTMPS for encrypted transport.
- Keep the key private. YouTube describes stream keys as equivalent to a password and address. Do not put a real key in a public script, screenshot, shared terminal recording, or source-control repository.
The examples below use placeholders. Replace YOUR_YOUTUBE_RTMPS_URL and YOUR_STREAM_KEY locally with the values from Live Control Room. If a key is exposed, reset it in the live-stream settings before continuing.
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4. Choose encoding settings for YouTube
YouTube’s live encoder guidance consulted on October 3, 2026 lists RTMP/RTMPS ingest, H.264, H.265 (HEVC), or AV1 video, AAC or MP3 audio, and constant bitrate (CBR). It recommends RTMPS for encryption, a keyframe interval of about two seconds (no more than four), and stereo audio at 128 Kbps. Confirm the current accepted settings in Live Control Room before publishing because platform guidance and controls can change.
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| 1080p at 30 fps | 5 Mbps | 14 Mbps |
These are YouTube’s recommendations, not measured requirements for every network or content type. Allow upload headroom above the video and audio bitrate, and check that the connection can sustain the output continuously. YouTube advises running a speed test. If the connection or host cannot sustain the chosen bitrate, reduce the output settings rather than relying on a peak speed result.
With stream copy, FFmpeg does not change the source encoding, so these output settings may not match the files. If you need to standardize mixed assets, use a re-encode command and choose dimensions, frame rate, video bitrate, audio bitrate, codec and keyframe interval deliberately. Re-encoding uses additional CPU or GPU capacity; verify the host can encode continuously before relying on it.
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5. Start the playlist stream
Option A: stream-copy compatible files
If the listed files have compatible streams and YouTube accepts their codecs and parameters, run:
ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -f concat -safe 0 -i playlist.txt -c copy -f flv "YOUR_YOUTUBE_RTMPS_URL/YOUR_STREAM_KEY"-stream_loop -1 loops the input indefinitely and must appear before the playlist input it applies to. -re reads media at its native playback rate rather than sending the files as fast as possible. -f concat selects the concat demuxer; -safe 0 allows paths the demuxer would otherwise reject as unsafe, so use it only with a playlist you control. -c copy copies the media streams without re-encoding. The RTMPS URL and key are placeholders; follow the exact endpoint format shown by YouTube and do not publish a command containing your actual key.
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Option B: re-encode a mixed playlist
If the files are not compatible for stream-copy concatenation, remove -c copy and specify a common encoding. For example, this illustrates a 720p, 30 fps H.264/AAC output with a two-second keyframe interval and CBR-style video rate control:
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ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -f concat -safe 0 -i playlist.txt
-vf "scale=1280:720:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=1280:720:(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2,fps=30"
-c:v libx264 -b:v 8M -minrate 8M -maxrate 8M -bufsize 16M -g 60 -keyint_min 60 -sc_threshold 0
-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 48000 -ac 2
-f flv "YOUR_YOUTUBE_RTMPS_URL/YOUR_STREAM_KEY"This is an illustrative configuration, not a guarantee of acceptance or a tested performance result. At 30 fps, a 60-frame GOP corresponds to about two seconds. The example pads to 16:9; inspect the result if your sources use another aspect ratio. If the playlist has no audio, or has unusual audio layouts, adjust the audio mapping and encoding for those files. At 1080p30, use YouTube’s applicable bitrate guidance and make sure the machine can encode at the selected rate without falling behind.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.6. Monitor the first run and keep it running
Watch FFmpeg’s terminal output for errors, stalled progress, or repeated reconnect attempts, and monitor the stream health indicators in Live Control Room. Before relying on a long-running broadcast, test playback with representative files and check picture, audio, transitions, and the end-to-start loop. YouTube also recommends testing before going live and monitoring stream health.
A terminal process stops if its session ends or the machine shuts down. For continuous operation, keep the Ubuntu host powered, connected, and available to run FFmpeg; arrange your own process supervision and alerting if needed. A loop flag alone does not restart FFmpeg after a crash or guarantee recovery when YouTube disconnects the stream. If you use a VPS or other hosted server, evaluate sustained outbound bandwidth, provider rules for continuous RTMPS traffic, reliability, CPU capacity for transcoding, and total cost.
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7. Understand 24/7 streaming versus replay archives
YouTube’s encoder guidance says streams shorter than 12 hours are automatically archived. That does not establish that a single uninterrupted 24-hour broadcast will be archived in full. If replay availability matters, plan around YouTube’s documented duration limit rather than treating continuous transmission as an archive guarantee.
8. Troubleshoot common failures
ffmpeg: command not found: confirm APT completed successfully, then runffmpeg -versionagain. Check that FFmpeg is installed on the same Ubuntu host and under the user account running the command.- Playlist file or media cannot be opened: check the working directory, spelling, file permissions, and paths in
playlist.txt. Try absolute paths if the process starts from a different directory. - Concat or stream-copy errors: confirm that the playlist entries are readable and their streams are compatible. If they are mixed, re-encode to a common set of video and audio parameters instead of assuming
-c copycan join them. - YouTube does not receive the stream: verify that you copied the matching URL and key from the selected Live Control Room stream, that the key has not been reset, and that outbound connectivity to the supplied endpoint is available. Keep the key private while debugging.
- Stream health reports dropped frames or instability: compare the sustained upload capacity with the total output bitrate, including audio. Lower the resolution or bitrate if necessary, then test again; a speed test peak is not proof of uninterrupted capacity.
- Video or audio is rejected or plays incorrectly: compare the actual encoded output with YouTube’s current codec, CBR, keyframe, bitrate, and audio guidance. Stream-copy output inherits the source files’ encoding, so use explicit re-encoding settings when standardization is needed.
- FFmpeg exits or the stream stops after a disconnect: inspect FFmpeg’s error output and YouTube stream status, then restart or supervise the process according to your host setup. This command does not provide automatic crash recovery.
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