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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →To repeat a prerecorded video on YouTube Live with FFmpeg, put -stream_loop -1 and -re before the input, encode with an available NVIDIA NVENC H.264 encoder, and send the result to the RTMPS address and stream name shown in your YouTube live-stream configuration. Set constant bitrate (CBR) and a two-second keyframe interval; choose bitrate for your output resolution and frame rate from YouTube’s current H.264 recommendations. The command below is an illustrative starting point, not a tested, ready-to-run command.
What you need before starting
- An NVIDIA GPU, driver, and FFmpeg build that work together and expose
h264_nvenc. Having an NVIDIA GPU alone does not guarantee that the installed encoder is available. - A prerecorded video whose picture, frame rate, timestamps, and audio you have checked. A file can contain multiple tracks, unusual timestamps, or no audio at all.
- A YouTube live stream configured in YouTube Studio, with its ingestion address and stream name. Use the values provided for that stream rather than assuming one universal destination.
- An upload connection able to sustain the selected video and audio bitrate reliably.
Check encoder support and options on the machine that will run the broadcast:
ffmpeg -h encoder=h264_nvencFFmpeg and NVENC option names and capabilities vary with the FFmpeg build, GPU, and driver. Use the installed encoder’s help rather than copying preset or tuning options from an older setup. NVIDIA describes CBR as a constant-bitrate mode for streaming under bandwidth constraints; its general guidance is a starting point, not a guarantee for every system. NVIDIA’s FFmpeg guide, Video Codec SDK 13.1 explains its NVENC options and caveats.
Choose a YouTube output mode and bitrate
The values below are YouTube’s recommended H.264 bitrates, not mandatory minimums or a promise of quality. They are from YouTube Help, accessed in 2026; the page does not show a publication year, and its guidance can change. Pick a mode your connection can sustain, then verify the current table before broadcasting.
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| Output mode | YouTube H.264 recommended bitrate |
|---|---|
| 2160p60 | 50 Mbps |
| 2160p30 | 42 Mbps |
| 1440p60 | 34 Mbps |
| 1440p30 | 21 Mbps |
| 1080p60 | 17 Mbps |
| 1080p30 | 14 Mbps |
| 720p60 | 8 Mbps |
| 720p30 | 8 Mbps |
| 480p30 | 4 Mbps |
| 360p30 | 4 Mbps |
These figures are video bitrates. Allow additional upload headroom for audio and normal network variation; a connection that only just reaches the combined target may be unreliable. Match the output resolution and frame rate to the source and the mode you select rather than assuming the command will convert every input appropriately. See YouTube’s current encoder settings for its full recommendations.
Build the looping FFmpeg command
First inspect the source so you know which video and audio streams it contains and whether its timestamps and frame rate are suitable. The example assumes one input file with one intended video stream and an audio stream if present. Replace every angle-bracket placeholder, use a frame rate and bitrate for your selected YouTube mode, and check the installed encoder’s supported options.
ffmpeg -stream_loop -1 -re -i "input.mp4"
-map 0:v:0 -map 0:a:0?
-c:v h264_nvenc -rc cbr -b:v <youtube_h264_recommended_rate>
-g <frame_rate_times_2> -pix_fmt yuv420p
-c:a aac -ar 44100 -b:a 128k
-f flv "<rtmps_ingestion_url>/<stream_name>"This is an illustrative command structure, not a validated production command. It does not explicitly set output resolution or frame rate, so it should not be treated as a conversion recipe when the source does not already match the intended output. Review the stream YouTube receives before using it for a public broadcast.
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Looping and pacing are separate settings
-stream_loop -1 tells FFmpeg to repeat that input indefinitely. It is an input option, so it belongs before the corresponding -i. -re reads the prerecorded source at its native rate to pace it like a live feed; it does not make the loop happen. FFmpeg’s command-line rules make option order significant because options apply to the next input or output. See the FFmpeg command-line manual.
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Map the intended tracks
-map 0:v:0 selects the first video stream. -map 0:a:0? selects the first audio stream only if one exists; the question mark does not make a video-only broadcast suitable for YouTube. YouTube’s Live Streaming API identifies a missing audio stream as an ingest health issue. If the file has no audio, decide on an appropriate audio source and map it deliberately. If audio is in another file, loop and pace that input separately, then map the intended video and audio streams. Inspect and validate synchronization rather than assuming arbitrary files will remain in sync.
Set keyframes, picture format, and audio deliberately
YouTube recommends CBR, a two-second keyframe interval, and no more than four seconds between keyframes. In the example, -g is a GOP length in frames, so a two-second interval corresponds to twice the output frame rate: for example, a 30 fps output uses a GOP length of 60, and a 60 fps output uses 120. Replace the placeholder with the actual value for your chosen output rate. YouTube also recommends progressive scan, square pixels, two B-frames, one reference frame, and CABAC for H.264. Confirm which options your installed NVENC encoder supports and validate the result; GOP and pixel-format handling can vary by source and FFmpeg/NVENC version.
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For stereo audio, YouTube recommends AAC or MP3 at 44.1 kHz and 128 Kbps. The example uses AAC at those settings. YouTube’s guidance for 5.1 audio is AAC at 384 Kbps. For SDR, YouTube specifies Rec. 709 and 8-bit. The example’s yuv420p is a common H.264 pixel format, but check that the source and resulting stream meet the requirements for the mode and color characteristics you intend to send.
Use the live stream’s RTMPS destination safely
YouTube recommends RTMPS, an encrypted extension of RTMP. Use the ingestion address and stream name supplied in the live-stream configuration. Some encoders take a combined URL; others accept the URL and stream name separately, so follow the format your setup requires. The YouTube Live Streaming API documents primary and backup RTMPS ingestion fields and the URL/name distinction. Keep the stream key private: do not publish it in an article, screenshot, repository, or reusable command history. Command-line arguments may be visible to other local users, so use a protected secret-handling method appropriate to your host. See the YouTube Live Streaming API documentation.
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- Start with a private or otherwise non-public test stream in YouTube’s live controls. Confirm the configured destination and stream name are the ones for that live event.
- Run the command and watch FFmpeg’s output for encoder, input, mapping, or connection errors. A process that continues running does not prove that YouTube has a healthy ingest.
- Check YouTube’s stream status and health indicators. Confirm it is receiving video and audio and that resolution, frame rate, bitrate, and keyframe cadence match the intended mode.
- Observe at least one loop boundary. Listen for audio gaps, abrupt transitions, or synchronization drift before relying on the loop for a longer broadcast.
- Before going public, confirm you have the necessary rights to stream the video and audio and that the material complies with YouTube’s policies.
YouTube’s encoder guidance and API provide the relevant ingest requirements and diagnostics; neither an FFmpeg log nor a successful RTMPS connection alone confirms a compliant, healthy stream.
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Troubleshoot common failures
- “Unknown encoder” or NVENC initialization failure: Check
ffmpeg -h encoder=h264_nvenc, then confirm that the installed FFmpeg build, NVIDIA driver, GPU, and runtime support are compatible. Do not infer support from the GPU brand alone. - The file plays once instead of looping: Ensure
-stream_loop -1appears before the-ifor the input you want to repeat. - The stream is too fast or ends before real time: Confirm
-reis placed before the prerecorded input. It paces reads; it is not a substitute for loop control. - YouTube reports missing audio: Check that the source has audio and that the selected audio stream is mapped. The optional map in the example skips absent audio, so supply and map a deliberate audio input if needed.
- YouTube reports unsupported video, bitrate, or keyframes: Compare the actual output codec, resolution, frame rate, bitrate, GOP duration, and GOP structure with YouTube’s current encoder guidance. Check for an open GOP or a keyframe interval over four seconds.
- Ingest is starved or unstable: Check YouTube’s health status and compare the selected video bitrate plus audio against reliable upload capacity. Choose a lower recommended output mode if the connection cannot sustain the current one.
- Picture or audio changes at the loop point: Inspect the file’s timestamps, frame rate, and track layout; test the boundary locally and in a private broadcast. A separate audio file needs its own pacing and mapping, and its synchronization must be verified.
The YouTube Live Streaming API documents ingest errors and health issues including missing audio or video, unsupported codecs, excessive GOP duration, open GOP, bitrate problems, and video ingestion starvation.
Copyright and repeat-broadcast considerations
Technical success does not grant permission to broadcast a recording. Make sure you control or have permission for the video, music, and other material in the loop. Repeating prerecorded content also does not guarantee eligibility for monetization or that a channel meets YouTube’s originality and reused-content requirements. Review the rules that apply to your channel and the material before scheduling a public stream.
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