To rebroadcast a prepared video or feed as a new YouTube Live event, create or schedule an encoder-based stream in YouTube Studio, copy its stream URL and key into a compatible encoder, test the feed, and start streaming. If you mean sending viewers from an ended event to a different event, use YouTube Live Redirect instead: it hands off viewers but does not retransmit the original video.
Choose the right kind of rebroadcast
| What you want to do | Use this workflow | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Send a prepared recording or feed to YouTube as a new live event | Encoder-based live stream | Your encoder sends video and audio to a new YouTube Live stream using its URL and stream key. |
| Move viewers from an ended stream to another event | YouTube Live Redirect | YouTube directs viewers to a Premiere or another channel’s live stream; it does not replay or retransmit the original feed. |
The steps below cover both meanings. Choose the encoder workflow to replay a prepared documentary, recording, or other feed as a live broadcast.
How to send a prepared feed to YouTube Live
1. Check channel eligibility
YouTube’s getting-started guidance says the channel must be verified, the channel owner must be at least 16, and the channel must not have had live-streaming restrictions in the past 90 days. Check the current eligibility information in YouTube’s live-streaming help before scheduling an event.
2. Create or schedule the stream in YouTube Studio
- Open YouTube Studio and go to Create > Go live to open Live Control Room.
- Choose the encoder-based stream workflow. Create the event or schedule it for later. Scheduling gives you a watch page in advance and time to prepare.
- Set the event details and visibility appropriate to your audience, then save the stream.
YouTube’s encoder setup guidance explains the current Live Control Room workflow and distinguishes scheduled streams, where you review the incoming preview and click Go live, from workflows that go live when the encoder begins sending.
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3. Copy the stream URL and key into the encoder
In the stream’s settings in Live Control Room, copy the YouTube stream URL and stream key into the matching fields in your software or hardware encoder. A stream key is a credential that routes and authorizes the encoder’s feed, so keep it private. YouTube describes stream keys as “like your YouTube stream’s password and address” in its live stream settings help. If someone else obtains the key, reset it in Live Control Room and update the encoder before sending another feed.
4. Match encoder settings to the feed
Choose resolution, frame rate, bitrate, codec, and protocol based on the source and the output you intend to deliver. YouTube’s recommended live encoder settings vary by resolution, frame rate, and codec; use the current recommendation for your actual configuration instead of treating one bitrate as suitable for every stream. The guidance covers H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 and recommends RTMPS for its documented RTMP/RTMPS workflow. Confirm that the encoder supports the source format and selected output.
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If the recording has already been encoded, the encoder still needs to accept and transmit that file or feed in a format it supports. YouTube’s documentation does not make buying a hardware encoder mandatory: software encoding is also an option, while YouTube recommends professional-grade hardware encoders for higher-production events. Choose hardware only if your production needs or existing workflow call for it.
5. Test the whole path before the event
- Send a representative section with typical motion, edits, and audio. Check that sound is present, synchronized, and at an appropriate level.
- Review the preview and stream-health indicators in Live Control Room, then open the watch page on the devices your audience is likely to use.
- Keep upload capacity at least 20% above the stream bitrate. YouTube recommends this headroom; it is a planning margin, not a guarantee against network interruptions.
- If the preview is missing or unstable, verify the stream key and URL, encoder output settings, and available upload bandwidth before the scheduled start.
YouTube’s live-streaming tips cover preparation and monitoring. A successful preview confirms that the feed is reaching YouTube; it does not establish that you have permission to broadcast the material.
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6. Start the broadcast and monitor it
- Start sending the feed from the encoder.
- Wait for the incoming preview and check stream health in Live Control Room.
- For a scheduled stream that requires a manual start, click Go live when you are ready. For a workflow configured to start when the encoder sends, confirm that the event has actually gone live.
- Monitor the stream during the event and verify the archive afterward if you need a retained copy.
How YouTube Live Redirect works
Use Live Redirect for an audience handoff after your stream ends, such as directing viewers to a Premiere or another channel’s live event. YouTube’s Live Redirect instructions describe the feature as sending a live stream’s viewers onward; it is not a way to retransmit the source video.
Set up the redirect
- In YouTube Studio, edit the originating live video.
- Open Customization and add a redirect.
- Choose the Premiere or live stream that should receive viewers, then save the change.
The sending creator must have more than 1,000 subscribers and no Community Guideline strikes. Redirecting to another channel’s live stream also requires that channel’s permission; destination channels can configure who may redirect viewers to their content. YouTube recommends setting up the Premiere before the originating live stream and telling viewers there may be a few seconds while screens reload.
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Plan for DVR and the archive
When DVR is enabled, viewers can pause and rewind during a live stream, then resume from where they paused. They cannot seek back to before the stream began. YouTube says DVR capabilities may be limited or unavailable for streams longer than 12 hours; its encoder setup guidance says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. If keeping a copy matters, make a local recording and check the finished archive after the broadcast. See YouTube’s DVR help and encoder setup help for the applicable details.
Copyright and permission still apply
Being able to send a video through an encoder does not mean you have the right to rebroadcast it. Before streaming a documentary, music, footage, or another creator’s live feed, confirm that you hold the necessary rights or have permission for this use. The technical setup guidance does not determine whether a particular work may legally or under YouTube policy be retransmitted. Consult YouTube’s current copyright guidance and check the rights for the specific material. The sources cited here also do not establish rules for simultaneous distribution to other platforms.
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Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is to keep a prepared video looping as a YouTube live stream, StreamNeo is the cloud option to try first: it keeps the stream running with your computer off, supports any uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, and offers automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream. It plays uploaded videos, not camera feeds, and streams to YouTube only.
- Upload a recording or build a playlist.
- Add your YouTube stream key once.
- Go live; StreamNeo loops the content from the cloud.
Nothing has to stay on at home. The stream uses your uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one price per slot, and automatic recovery handles a dropped YouTube connection. The first day is free with no card. Monthly: $9.99 per month. Start your free day on StreamNeo.
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