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To send a Liquidsoap radio feed to YouTube Live, create a Liquidsoap source, configure an encoder, and connect it to YouTube’s ingest URL with your stream key. On Liquidsoap 2.4.5, the dedicated output is output.youtube.live.rtmp. Check your installed version before copying examples: recent releases changed the operator name and arguments.
What you need
- A working Liquidsoap installation and an audio source, such as a playlist or other input.
- An encoder supported by your Liquidsoap build. The versioned YouTube output documentation describes an encoder argument and says it is most likely an FFmpeg encoder.
- A YouTube Live ingest URL and stream key from Live Control Room.
- A video track if your selected encoder/output configuration expects video. Audio-only radio may require a static image or other visual source.
You do not need a capture card or streaming peripheral for this software workflow. Liquidsoap can run on a computer or hosted server; the deployment choice is separate from configuring the YouTube output.
Configure Liquidsoap for YouTube
Use the Liquidsoap 2.4.5 source/output reference for the exact signature. Its dedicated YouTube operator is output.youtube.live.rtmp, with optional fallible, start, and url settings, and required key, encoder, and source arguments. The documented default URL is rtmp://a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2.
- Check the installed version. Match the operator and arguments to that release’s documentation. Do not combine older snippets with the 2.4.5 signature.
- Define the source. Set up the playlist or other audio input you want Liquidsoap to play. Sources and outputs are separate: the output pulls content from the source.
- Choose the encoder. Configure the encoder for the media you intend to send, and confirm that your installation includes the needed FFmpeg and codec support. If you are sending audio with a static visual, configure the video track as required by that encoder.
- Set the YouTube output. Supply the ingest URL, secret stream key, encoder, and source to
output.youtube.live.rtmp. Setfallibleandstartdeliberately for your source and startup behavior. - Start Liquidsoap and verify receipt. Check YouTube Live Control Room for the incoming feed and stream-health messages before relying on it for a broadcast.
The exact working script depends on the Liquidsoap version, installed encoder support, and whether the stream includes a visual track. The documented API does not establish one script that works unchanged on every installation.
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Get the ingest URL and protect the stream key
In YouTube Live Control Room, create or select a stream and copy its stream URL and key into your encoder configuration. YouTube describes the key as the detail that tells the encoder where to send the feed and lets YouTube accept it. Treat it like a password: do not publish it in a script, issue, or example. If it is exposed, reset it in the Stream tab and update Liquidsoap. See YouTube’s live stream settings guidance.
Choose compatible encoder settings
YouTube’s encoder settings guidance covers RTMP/RTMPS ingest; H.264, H.265/HEVC, or AV1 video; AAC or MP3 audio; and frame rates up to 60 fps. It recommends constant bitrate (CBR) and a two-second keyframe interval, with four seconds as the maximum. YouTube recommends RTMPS for encrypted ingest, but protocol availability depends on your Liquidsoap/FFmpeg build and the endpoint supplied in Live Control Room.
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Video bitrate examples for H.264
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|---|---|---|
| 720p at 30 fps | 3 Mbps | 8 Mbps |
| 1080p at 30 fps | 5 Mbps | 14 Mbps |
These are YouTube’s published recommendations for the listed H.264 settings, not a guarantee of quality on a particular connection. Select the bitrate row that matches your codec, resolution, and frame rate rather than applying these examples to every configuration.
Audio settings
For stereo, YouTube’s advanced settings recommend AAC or MP3 at 44.1 kHz and 128 Kbps. For 5.1 audio, YouTube recommends AAC at 48 kHz and 384 Kbps. Choose the setting that matches your program and encoder.
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Audio-only radio or radio with a visual?
The source can be an audio playlist, but the output’s media requirements depend on its encoder configuration. If it expects video, provide a visual track, such as a static image. A community example illustrates muxing radio audio with a video source and sending an FFmpeg FLV encode to YouTube, but treat it as an illustration rather than a replacement for the current versioned API: Savonet Liquidsoap community discussion.
Handle sources that can fail
Playlists and remote inputs can be fallible or take time to prepare. Liquidsoap’s quickstart explains that a normal output expects an infallible source. The 2.4.5 YouTube output’s fallible option allows the child source to fail; in that case, the output stops until the source becomes available again. Set this behavior to suit the source rather than assuming every input is always ready.
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Test and troubleshoot before going live
Test with representative audio and any planned visual motion before an event. Confirm that YouTube detects the feed, check stream-health warnings, and monitor messages during the broadcast. YouTube’s streaming tips recommend keeping upload capacity 20% above the total stream bitrate.
| Symptom | What to check | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Liquidsoap rejects the operator or arguments | Installed Liquidsoap version and operator name | Use the API documentation for the installed release. The older output.youtube.live name was renamed to output.youtube.live.rtmp; older bitrate/quality arguments were removed in favor of an encoder argument. |
| YouTube does not receive the stream | Ingest URL, stream key, encoder availability, codec settings, and outgoing network capacity | Check each value against Live Control Room and your installed build. YouTube recommends RTMPS, but support for it is not established for every build; verify supported protocols and the supplied endpoint. |
| Liquidsoap reports a fallible source | Whether the playlist or remote input is ready and reliable | Check the source and configure output fallibility as appropriate. With the YouTube output’s fallible behavior enabled, the output stops while the child source is unavailable. |
| The feed arrives but lacks the intended visual | Whether the encoder/output expects a video track | Configure a visual source, such as a static image, if the chosen setup requires video. |
| The stream key may have been exposed | Whether it appeared in a public script, issue, or other shared location | Reset the key in YouTube Live Control Room and replace it in the encoder configuration. |
Dedicated YouTube output or generic encoder output?
The dedicated output.youtube.live.rtmp is the straightforward route when you want Liquidsoap’s YouTube-specific output. Liquidsoap also documents output.url for encoder-driven output when the encoder handles its own data output. That alternate API includes fallible, restart_delay, and self_sync controls; the reference notes self-synchronization for certain %ffmpeg RTMP use cases. Prefer it when you need generic encoder control, and follow the matching release documentation.
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Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is an always-on YouTube radio stream from uploaded recordings rather than a live Liquidsoap input, StreamNeo is a cloud alternative: upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops the uploaded videos from the cloud, so nothing has to stay on at home. Any quality up to 4K 60fps streams as uploaded at one flat price per slot, with no re-encode or quality tiers; automatic recovery is included if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly billing is $9.99 per month. StreamNeo plays uploaded video; it is not a camera input or a Liquidsoap relay.
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