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FFmpeg

How to Loop a Saree Catalog Video on YouTube Live with FFmpeg on Ubuntu

A practical Ubuntu guide to looping one saree catalog video into YouTube Live with FFmpeg, including stream-key setup, encoder settings, testing, and common fixes.

By DocumentaryTube Team 6 min read
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To repeat one pre-rendered saree catalog video in a YouTube Live stream from Ubuntu, use FFmpeg’s -stream_loop -1 input option before the file’s -i. It repeats that file indefinitely while FFmpeg sends the output to the stream server and key shown in YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room. This is a single-file loop, not a command for combining a folder of clips into a playlist.

What this method does—and what it does not

FFmpeg’s -stream_loop -1 repeats one input file indefinitely. The option applies to the input that follows it, so place it before that file’s -i. The loop controls playback of the input; it does not guarantee that your computer, network, encoder, or YouTube event will stay connected indefinitely.

If your catalog consists of separate clips or still images, first prepare a continuous video from assets you have permission to use, or use a playlist workflow suited to those specific files. A directory is not automatically a playlist, and -stream_loop by itself does not join multiple files.

Prepare Ubuntu, the video, and YouTube Live

Check the source video

Use a finished video you are entitled to stream, including permission for any music, models, product photographs, and other material it contains. Check that its picture and audio behave as intended from beginning to end, including the transition when playback returns to the start. The right dimensions and frame rate depend on the source and your chosen stream profile; there is no special saree-video format established here.

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Check FFmpeg on your Ubuntu installation

  1. Open a terminal and run ffmpeg -version to see the installed version and build details.
  2. For the options available in that build, consult ffmpeg -h full. Ubuntu versions and package builds differ. For example, the Ubuntu Jammy manual identifies package version 7:4.4.2-0ubuntu0.22.04.1; that is specific to Jammy, not a version claim for every Ubuntu installation.

Create or select an encoder stream in YouTube Studio

  1. Open YouTube Studio and go to Live Control Room. Create or select an encoder stream for the event.
  2. Copy the server URL and stream key shown for that stream. Use the RTMPS URL when it is available and supported by your FFmpeg build; YouTube recommends RTMPS, which encrypts the stream in transit to Google’s servers.
  3. Treat the stream key like a password. Do not publish it, commit it to a public script repository, or include it in a public support post. If it is exposed, reset it in Live Control Room.

Start the repeating stream with FFmpeg

This illustrative command is a starting point, not a tested recipe for every Ubuntu build or video. Replace catalog.mp4 with your file and replace the destination with the server URL and key from your Live Control Room. Keep the key private; avoid saving a command containing it in a public or shared shell history.

ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i "catalog.mp4" 
  -c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p -r 30 -g 60 
  -c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100 
  -f flv "rtmps://YOUR_INGEST_URL/YOUR_STREAM_KEY"
  • -re reads the file at its native playback pace rather than sending it as fast as possible.
  • -stream_loop -1 repeats the input indefinitely. It must appear before the corresponding -i.
  • -c:v libx264 and -c:a aac select H.264 video and AAC audio encoding. This example assumes the FFmpeg build includes the requested encoder.
  • -pix_fmt yuv420p, -r 30, and -g 60 set a common SDR pixel format, 30 frames per second, and a 60-frame GOP. At 30 fps, a 60-frame GOP corresponds to two seconds.
  • -b:a 128k -ar 44100 set the example audio bitrate and sample rate. If the video has no audio, adapt the command rather than assuming an audio stream exists.
  • -f flv selects the output container commonly used for RTMP/RTMPS ingest. The destination is the YouTube server URL joined to the stream key in the format provided by Live Control Room.

FFmpeg options are position-sensitive. In particular, do not move -stream_loop -1 after the input and expect it to loop that file.

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Choose stream settings that fit the source and connection

Do not treat one bitrate or frame rate as correct for every resolution, codec, or connection. YouTube’s encoder guidance specifies RTMP/RTMPS, H.264, H.265, or AV1 video, up to 60 fps, AAC or MP3 audio, and constant bitrate (CBR). It recommends a two-second keyframe interval and says the interval should not exceed four seconds. For stereo audio, it lists 44.1 kHz and recommends 128 kbps. Check the current YouTube guidance for the profile you select and the capabilities of your installed encoder.

As one qualified example, YouTube’s current Help table, accessed in 2026, lists 2 Mbps minimum and 6 Mbps recommended for H.264 at 720p30. Those figures apply to that resolution, frame rate, and codec combination—not every stream. Choose a profile your sustained upload connection can support with headroom, and make sure the source can be encoded at the intended resolution and frame rate.

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The sample command sets a two-second GOP at 30 fps, but it does not explicitly set a video bitrate or CBR mode. For a production stream, adapt the command to the selected YouTube profile and verify the options supported by your FFmpeg build. Encoding settings must also suit your machine’s CPU or available hardware encoder.

Test the live preview and monitor stream health

  1. Start the stream and check the preview in Live Control Room before treating the event as ready for viewers.
  2. Test with audio and motion similar to the actual catalog stream, not just a static or muted clip. YouTube recommends testing with representative audio and motion.
  3. Watch Live Control Room’s stream-health messages and address any warnings before relying on the stream.
  4. Keep the Ubuntu machine and its network connection running while using this local FFmpeg method. Infinite input looping does not protect against a stopped process, machine sleep, power loss, or network interruption.

YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. That archive guidance is not a promise of an uninterrupted endless event or of archiving beyond that duration.

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Troubleshoot common problems

  • The file plays once and stops: Check that -stream_loop -1 is before the file’s -i and that you are looping the intended input.
  • FFmpeg rejects an option or encoder: Check ffmpeg -version and ffmpeg -h full. Ubuntu package builds vary, and the installed build may not provide every option or encoder in the example.
  • YouTube does not receive the stream: Recheck the server URL and key against the selected Live Control Room stream. Confirm the destination is formed as required and that the chosen RTMPS endpoint is supported by the build.
  • The preview reports poor stream health: Compare resolution, frame rate, codec, keyframe interval, and bitrate with YouTube’s current guidance for the selected profile. Check sustained upload capacity and reduce the profile if the connection cannot maintain it.
  • There is no sound or audio is wrong: Verify that the source contains the expected audio, then confirm the selected audio encoder and sample-rate settings are supported and appropriate. Do not force audio options for a file with no audio without adapting the command.
  • The stream stops despite an infinite loop: The loop only repeats the input. Check whether FFmpeg exited, the Ubuntu machine slept or lost power, the network failed, or YouTube disconnected the ingest. Restarting FFmpeg may require a new stream session or action in Live Control Room.
  • The key may have been exposed: Reset it in Live Control Room and update the local command or configuration using the replacement key.

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