To keep FFmpeg streaming after you disconnect from SSH, run it under systemd on your Linux VPS, sending the video to the exact RTMPS endpoint and stream key shown in YouTube Live Control Room. systemd can supervise the process; it cannot fix a bad key, missing input, overloaded server, insufficient outbound capacity, or an unhealthy YouTube broadcast.
How the setup works
The path is: a video file or other input on your VPS → FFmpeg encodes or forwards it → YouTube receives it over RTMPS. systemd starts and supervises FFmpeg independently of your SSH session. A service showing as active only tells you about the local process; verify the stream itself in YouTube Live Control Room.
YouTube recommends RTMPS, an encrypted extension of RTMP. Its RTMPS ingestion uses port 443 and requires the hostname for TLS SNI authentication. Use the endpoint provided for your stream, not a guessed URL. YouTube’s RTMPS instructions and RTMPS ingestion documentation explain the connection requirements.
What you need before configuring systemd
- A Linux VPS and its distribution/version. The exact package installation and service conventions depend on the OS image and installed systemd version.
- An FFmpeg build that supports your chosen input, codecs, and RTMPS output. Check the installed build rather than assuming every distribution package has the same features.
- A defined input: for example, a local video file. A live capture or network source needs a different input and reconnect strategy.
- A YouTube Live event, the current RTMPS URL and stream key from its Live Control Room, and permission for the VPS to make outbound connections to the ingestion service on port 443.
- Enough measured CPU capacity to encode the selected profile and enough outbound capacity for its bitrate, with room for variation. The available evidence does not establish a suitable OVHcloud plan, instance performance, or bandwidth allowance; check OVHcloud’s current terms and benchmark the actual VPS before relying on it.
Get the current RTMPS URL and stream key
- Open the relevant event in YouTube Live Control Room.
- In the Stream URL field, use the lock control to reveal the RTMPS URL, then copy that exact URL.
- Copy the stream key associated with the event. Treat it like a password: do not publish it, commit it to a repository, include it in screenshots, or place it in a configuration readable by everyone on the server.
- If you rotate or replace the key in YouTube Studio, update the server-side credential too. A process that continues running with an old key will not authenticate successfully.
YouTube’s instructions describe where to reveal the RTMPS URL and retrieve the key: Encrypt your stream using RTMPS.
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Choose a YouTube-compatible FFmpeg profile
YouTube’s encoder guidance, checked 2026-10-03, lists RTMP/RTMPS; H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1; frame rates up to 60 fps; AAC or MP3 audio; and constant bitrate (CBR). It recommends a two-second keyframe interval and says not to exceed four seconds. For RTMP/RTMPS, 5.1 surround sound is supported only with AAC. YouTube says it detects resolution and frame rate by default; manual settings are available with a custom stream key. See the current YouTube encoder settings for the full table and any changes.
These H.264 figures are YouTube’s published minimum and recommended bitrates, not a promise that a particular VPS can encode or send them. Select the row that matches the actual output resolution and frame rate:
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| Output | H.264 minimum | H.264 recommended |
|---|---|---|
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| 1440p, 30 fps | 7 Mbps | 21 Mbps |
| 1080p, 60 fps | 6 Mbps | 17 Mbps |
| 1080p, 30 fps | 5 Mbps | 14 Mbps |
| 720p, 60 fps | 3 Mbps | 8 Mbps |
| 720p, 30 fps | 3 Mbps | 8 Mbps |
| 480p, 30 fps | 0.4 Mbps | 4 Mbps |
| 360p, 30 fps | 0.4 Mbps | 4 Mbps |
For AV1 and H.265/HEVC, consult YouTube’s current table for the exact resolution/frame-rate row rather than borrowing H.264 figures. The listed recommendations differ; for example, at 1080p30 YouTube lists 10 Mbps for AV1/H.265, while at 1080p60 it lists 12 Mbps. Audio guidance specifies 44.1 kHz for stereo and 48 kHz for 5.1; audio bitrate is 128 Kbps for stereo and 384 Kbps for 5.1.
FFmpeg documents this general real-time file-to-RTMP pattern: ffmpeg -re -i myfile -f flv rtmp://myserver/live/mystream. That is an illustrative RTMP example, not a complete YouTube command. RTMPS is RTMP over an encrypted connection; adapt the output using the exact YouTube endpoint and stream key, and confirm your installed FFmpeg supports the required output protocol. See FFmpeg’s protocol documentation.
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ffmpeg -re -i /path/to/input.mp4
-c:v libx264 -b:v 14M -maxrate 14M -bufsize 28M
-r 30 -g 60 -keyint_min 60 -sc_threshold 0
-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100
-f flv 'RTMPS_URL/STREAM_KEY'This is a template, not a universal preset: it illustrates a 1080p30 H.264 bitrate target, two-second keyframe interval at 30 fps, and stereo AAC settings. Match the bitrate, frame rate, GOP/keyframe behavior, scaling or input dimensions, audio settings, and output URL to your source and the current YouTube profile. Replace both placeholders with the exact event values; never paste a real key into a public example. If the file is not 1080p30, revise the profile rather than forcing these settings.
Create and validate the systemd service
Because systemd unit syntax and service security conventions vary by distribution and version, do not paste an unverified unit into production. Check the systemd manual installed for your VPS and your distribution’s service guidance before creating it. The unit needs, at minimum, an appropriate service user, a reliable executable path and working directory, the FFmpeg command, a deliberate restart policy, and a secure way to provide the stream key. Protect any credential file with permissions that prevent other local users from reading it. Avoid putting the key in a world-readable unit or a public repository.
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- Install or select the required FFmpeg build using the package source and procedure documented for your distribution. Verify that the executable and chosen codecs/protocols are available on this host.
- Place the input file where the service user can read it. Check file ownership and permissions, and decide how the input should behave at end-of-file. A finite file does not loop unless you configure looping deliberately; live network inputs require their own reconnect handling.
- Create the unit under the location prescribed by your distribution, using the syntax and directives documented for its systemd version. Set the service user and working directory explicitly; keep credentials out of the unit text where possible.
- Validate the unit with the systemd tooling documented for the installed version before enabling it. Then enable/start it using the distribution’s normal service-management procedure.
- Inspect the service’s status and logs using the commands documented for your system. Confirm FFmpeg has opened the input and is sending output; then separately confirm YouTube receives a healthy preview.
No particular systemd unit, directive set, or restart behavior is established here. In particular, a restart policy can relaunch a process after exit but cannot make an invalid key valid, restore a missing input, or solve a persistent connection or capacity problem. Verify every directive and recovery behavior against the systemd manual for your installed version.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Test the stream before relying on it
YouTube’s guidance says, “Make sure to test before you start your live stream.” Send a representative test from the VPS, including typical movement and audio, and inspect the preview, stream health, and messages in Live Control Room. A speed test on your home internet is not a substitute: the relevant upload path is the outbound connection from the VPS that will run FFmpeg. Measure from that environment and leave practical headroom above the selected video bitrate.
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- Confirm the selected event and current stream key are correct.
- Confirm the exact RTMPS URL, hostname, application path, and outbound access on port 443.
- Check the installed FFmpeg build supports the selected codecs, input, and encrypted output.
- Verify the source has the intended duration/loop behavior, movement, and audible audio.
- Check server load and outbound capacity while encoding the actual profile, not just while idle.
- Wait for a healthy YouTube preview and review messages before starting a public broadcast.
Troubleshooting FFmpeg and YouTube streaming
| Symptom | Likely area to check | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Service stops as soon as SSH disconnects | FFmpeg was launched in the interactive shell rather than as a systemd service, or the unit did not start successfully. | Check service status and logs using the installed system’s documented commands; validate the unit and executable path. |
| Service is active but YouTube shows no incoming stream | Local process status does not prove successful ingestion; possible causes include a wrong event/key/URL, blocked outbound connection, or FFmpeg output error. | Read FFmpeg and service logs, verify the current Live Control Room values, and confirm RTMPS egress on port 443. |
| SSL or TLS connection error | Incorrect protocol or server, an incorrect endpoint, or a connection issue. | Use the exact RTMPS URL and hostname shown by YouTube. YouTube’s SSL guidance says to check protocol and server and to try port 443 if the URL appears correct; RTMPS ingestion documentation specifies port 443. |
| YouTube reports an unhealthy or unstable stream | Encoder settings may not match the chosen profile, or the VPS’s compute/network capacity may be inadequate or variable. | Match codec, resolution, frame rate, CBR bitrate, keyframes, and audio to YouTube’s current guidance. Measure the actual VPS under representative encoding load and lower the profile if needed. |
| FFmpeg cannot open the input or exits at end-of-file | Wrong path, service-user permissions, unavailable network source, or an input that ends without loop behavior. | Test the same input as the service user, correct access/path, and configure looping or source reconnection appropriate to the input. |
| Service repeatedly restarts but the stream never recovers | Automatic process restart is repeating the same persistent failure, such as an expired key, absent source, or unreachable endpoint. | Use logs to identify and fix the underlying failure before relying on restarts; confirm recovery by observing a new healthy preview in YouTube. |
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