You can loop a prerecorded video into a YouTube Live broadcast from an Ubuntu EC2 instance in AWS’s Mumbai region, ap-south-1. The basic pattern is to have FFmpeg read the file in real time with -re, repeat it with -stream_loop -1, and send the output to the RTMPS ingest URL and stream key shown in YouTube Live Control Room. The loop flags are a documented FFmpeg pattern; the AWS example they come from targets IVS, not YouTube, so treat the command below as a template and verify it in YouTube’s preview before starting the event.
What you need before starting
- An AWS account and an Ubuntu EC2 instance in Asia Pacific (Mumbai), region code
ap-south-1. AWS lists its regions and codes. - A video file accessible on the instance, with enough disk space to store it.
- A YouTube channel eligible to create a live stream, and access to YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room.
- An SSH client and the instance’s private key, or a browser-based access method such as EC2 Instance Connect or Systems Manager Session Manager. AWS says SSH requires passing instance status checks and a security group that permits SSH from your IP address. See AWS’s Linux SSH guidance.
Create and secure the Mumbai instance
- In the AWS console, choose region Asia Pacific (Mumbai) (
ap-south-1) and launch an Ubuntu EC2 instance. Select instance capacity based on the source file’s codec, target resolution and frame rate, and whether you will encode or copy the video. Do not assume a small tutorial instance is sufficient for your workload; check CPU use during a representative test and leave headroom. - Configure the security group as a virtual firewall. Limit inbound SSH access to your administrator IP rather than opening it to all addresses. Permit the outbound access the instance needs to install packages and reach the YouTube ingest endpoint. The port rules in AWS’s IVS tutorial are for IVS; they are not YouTube requirements. AWS explains security-group rules here.
- Connect after the instance passes status checks. Use the correct public address or configured connection method and the matching private key. If SSH fails, check the instance state, status checks, security-group source address, network route, username and key permissions.
Install FFmpeg and make the video available
On Ubuntu, update package metadata and install FFmpeg:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install ffmpegCheck that the binary is available:
ffmpeg -versionUpload the video to the instance using a secure transfer method, or retrieve it from storage you control. Confirm its path and inspect its streams before broadcasting:
ffprobe -hide_banner "/path/to/video.mp4"Note the video’s resolution, frame rate, codec and audio format. Those properties affect whether you can copy streams without re-encoding or need to encode them to a YouTube-compatible output. Ensure the file has usable audio if the broadcast is meant to include sound.
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Create the YouTube Live event and protect its key
- Open YouTube Studio and go to Create → Go live to enter Live Control Room. Create or select the stream/event you intend to broadcast.
- Copy the server/ingest URL and stream key displayed for that event. YouTube describes the key as the credential that lets an encoder send video to the channel; treat it like a password. YouTube’s encoder workflow explains creating a live stream.
- Use the RTMPS server destination offered in the current Live Control Room. YouTube recommends RTMPS, a secure extension to RTMP, and says it encrypts data to and through Google’s servers. Do not assume a URL format from an old example: use the exact URL and key arrangement shown for your event. YouTube’s current encoder settings and recommendations.
- Keep the key out of public scripts, source-control repositories, screenshots and shared terminal transcripts. Avoid placing it directly in a shell command that may be saved in history. If it is exposed, replace or reset it in Live Control Room before broadcasting.
Choose an output profile before building the command
YouTube’s encoder guidance lists RTMP/RTMPS transport, H.264, H.265 (HEVC) or AV1 video, AAC or MP3 audio, and frame rates up to 60 fps. It recommends constant bitrate (CBR), a two-second keyframe interval, and says not to exceed four seconds. Its recommended bitrate depends on codec, resolution and frame rate, so choose the target first rather than copying a bitrate from an unrelated setup.
| H.264 output | YouTube-recommended video bitrate |
|---|---|
| 720p at 30 fps | 6 Mbps |
| 720p at 60 fps | 8 Mbps |
| 1080p at 30 fps | 10 Mbps |
| 1080p at 60 fps | 17 Mbps |
These are YouTube’s displayed H.264 recommendations, not measurements of what a particular EC2 instance can encode. Consult the full, current table for other codecs and output modes before choosing. A higher resolution or frame rate can require more CPU when encoding and more sustained network bandwidth.
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- Video: H.264 is a broadly practical choice for an FFmpeg example. Use square pixels, progressive scan and Rec. 709 for SDR where appropriate; avoid forcing a conversion that changes the source’s appearance.
- Keyframes: For 30 fps, a two-second interval corresponds to 60 frames, hence
-g 60. At a different frame rate, adjust the GOP to preserve the interval. - Audio: YouTube recommends stereo at 44.1 kHz and 128 Kbps. Match the source and intended output; if converting, check that the source has an audio stream and listen to the result.
- Network: The instance must sustain the selected video and audio bitrate to the ingest endpoint. Check stream health in Live Control Room rather than treating a successful FFmpeg start as proof of a stable stream.
Run the loop with FFmpeg
The flags -re -stream_loop -1 -i pace the input in real time and repeat a file continuously. AWS documents this pattern in an FFmpeg example for IVS; adapting the loop to YouTube requires YouTube’s own current ingest URL, key and compatible settings. The following is a proposed H.264 720p30-class template, not a command independently tested against YouTube. It uses YouTube’s 6 Mbps H.264 recommendation for 720p30:
VIDEO="/path/to/video.mp4"
# Set INGEST securely to the exact RTMPS destination and key format
# shown in your current YouTube Live Control Room.
INGEST="<YouTube RTMPS ingest URL and stream key>"
ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i "$VIDEO"
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -pix_fmt yuv420p
-r 30 -g 60 -b:v 6000k -maxrate 6000k -bufsize 12000k
-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100 -ac 2
-f flv "$INGEST"Replace the placeholder with the exact ingest destination and credential arrangement YouTube currently shows; do not publish a real key. The command encodes video and audio, so verify the instance can maintain real-time encoding. If the source already matches your intended output, stream-copying may reduce CPU load, but only use that approach when the source codecs, timestamps, pixel format and container are accepted by the selected ingest workflow. Re-encoding offers more control but uses compute. Test either approach with your actual file.
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To stop FFmpeg, send an interrupt in the terminal (usually Ctrl+C). YouTube’s encoder workflow says to end a stream by stopping content from the encoder; the event’s settings determine the next steps in Live Control Room.
Test, start and monitor the broadcast
- Start FFmpeg and watch its output for connection errors, encoder failures, timestamp warnings or a frame rate that falls behind real time.
- In Live Control Room, wait for YouTube’s preview and check that the picture and audio are present and that the stream health indicators do not show a problem.
- Start the event in Live Control Room when the preview and event settings are ready. Test a representative portion of the video and, for a loop, observe the transition at the file boundary for gaps, abrupt audio changes or failed reconnects.
- Continue monitoring FFmpeg and YouTube stream health. A process can remain running while the ingest connection or encoded output is unhealthy.
Plan for long broadcasts, rights and archives
YouTube’s encoder workflow says streams shorter than 12 hours are automatically archived. The cited guidance does not establish what happens for a longer continuous broadcast, so verify YouTube’s current duration limits and archive behavior before relying on an unattended event. Plan how the Live Control Room event will be ended or restarted if your stream approaches a service limit.
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A prerecorded video still has to comply with YouTube’s rules. Confirm that you own or have permission to use the video, music, images and other included material for a live broadcast and any resulting archive. Repeated playback does not grant rights, and an unattended loop should not be treated as exempt from copyright or channel policies. Check current live eligibility and policies for your channel and content before leaving a stream running.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot common failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| SSH connection times out | Instance not reachable, status checks failing, or SSH ingress not allowed from your current IP | Confirm instance status checks, public addressing or network route, security-group source IP, and that you are using the correct key and login details. |
| FFmpeg cannot open the file | Wrong path, missing upload, or insufficient file permissions | Check the path with ls, confirm the file arrived, and run ffprobe against that exact file. |
| Live Control Room never receives a signal | Wrong event key or server URL, malformed destination, blocked egress, or expired/replaced key | Copy the current event’s URL and key again, check outbound connectivity and FFmpeg’s connection messages, and keep the credential private. |
| Preview appears but stream health is poor | Insufficient CPU for encoding, unstable outbound bandwidth, or bitrate/profile mismatch | Check FFmpeg’s speed and CPU use, test a lower YouTube-recommended output profile, and confirm sustained network capacity. |
| Audio is missing or distorted | Source has no audio stream or conversion does not match the source | Inspect streams with ffprobe; review audio mapping and sample rate, then listen to the preview before starting. |
| Loop boundary glitches or the stream stops | Source timestamps, encoder behavior or ingest connection interruption | Test multiple loop boundaries, inspect FFmpeg logs, and check YouTube stream health. Make sure the file itself ends cleanly. |
Estimate the AWS cost before leaving it on
There is no single Mumbai-instance cost for this workflow: the total depends on instance type, operating system, disk, runtime and network transfer. Check current AWS pricing for the exact region and configuration you plan to run, including whether your instance or storage continues billing while the stream is idle or stopped. Do not infer a suitable instance size or total from a tutorial example; measure the workload and compare the cost of the required always-on capacity.
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