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For a YouTube gaming VOD stream, configure FFmpeg to send 1920×1080 video using H.264, constant bitrate (CBR), and a two-second keyframe interval. YouTube recommends 14 Mbps for 1080p30 or 17 Mbps for 1080p60; use the frame rate your gameplay source and system can sustain. These are ingest settings—YouTube transcodes the incoming feed into viewer formats.
Choose 1080p30 or 1080p60
Use 1080p30 for a 30 fps source or when that is the frame rate your setup can reliably encode and upload. Choose 1080p60 when the game capture is 60 fps and your system and connection can sustain it. Converting a lower-frame-rate source to 60 fps does not create new motion detail.
| Setting | 1080p30 | 1080p60 |
|---|---|---|
| Video dimensions | 1920Ă—1080 | 1920Ă—1080 |
| Frame rate | 30 fps | 60 fps |
| Video codec | H.264 | H.264 |
| Video bitrate | 14 Mbps recommended; 5 Mbps minimum | 17 Mbps recommended; 6 Mbps minimum |
| Rate control | CBR | CBR |
| Keyframe interval | 2 seconds (60 frames) | 2 seconds (120 frames) |
| Ingest protocol | RTMPS preferred | RTMPS preferred |
| Audio | AAC or MP3; YouTube’s advanced recommendation for stereo is AAC at 128 Kbps | |
The bitrate figures are YouTube’s H.264 live-encoder recommendations; the minimums are not promises of good-looking video. Your upload connection must sustain the video and audio traffic reliably, with capacity to spare for normal network variation. YouTube recommends choosing a quality suited to your connection and running an upload speed test. See YouTube’s live encoder settings.
Set up FFmpeg and YouTube Live Control Room
- Create or select the YouTube stream. In YouTube Live Control Room, create or choose the event, then copy its stream URL and stream key into your FFmpeg configuration. The key authorizes the encoder to send video to your stream, so keep it private. See YouTube’s guidance on using a stream key.
- Set the output frame size. Configure FFmpeg to produce 1920Ă—1080 frames. Match 30 or 60 fps to the gameplay capture and the encoding machine’s capacity rather than converting unnecessarily.
- Configure video encoding. Select H.264, CBR, the bitrate for your chosen frame rate in the table, and a two-second GOP/keyframe interval. At a fixed frame rate, two seconds means 60 frames at 30 fps or 120 at 60 fps.
- Configure audio and transport. Choose an audio encoder supported by your FFmpeg build and compatible with YouTube; AAC or MP3 are listed options. Use RTMPS if your FFmpeg build and the endpoint support it. Copy the ingest URL from Live Control Room rather than guessing its format.
- Start a test and inspect it. Use representative gameplay motion and audio, check the Live Control Room preview and stream-health messages, and confirm the result before the actual broadcast.
YouTube recommends a two-second keyframe interval and says not to exceed four seconds. Its documentation also recommends square pixels, progressive scan, two B-frames, one reference frame, CABAC, Rec. 709 for SDR, and 8-bit SDR. These are advanced encoder recommendations; prioritize the correct dimensions, frame rate, bitrate, CBR, protocol, and keyframe interval first. YouTube lists 44.1 kHz for stereo audio and 48 kHz and 384 Kbps for 5.1 audio over RTMP/RTMPS.
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Automatic or manual resolution selection
YouTube detects encoder settings automatically by default. If you need to select the resolution manually, create a custom stream key and enable manual settings under Stream Resolution in Live Control Room. This controls the resolution YouTube ingests; YouTube transcodes that feed into multiple output formats for viewers.
FFmpeg command details and stream-key safety
FFmpeg can map the targets above to output dimensions, frame rate, H.264 encoding, CBR, bitrate, audio encoding, and a two-second GOP. Exact option syntax and the accepted output URL depend on the FFmpeg build and YouTube ingest endpoint. The YouTube settings guidance specifies the targets, but does not provide one universal, verified FFmpeg command for every version. Check the options supported by your installed FFmpeg version and confirm the endpoint details shown in Live Control Room before using a command.
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- Never publish, screenshot, or share a real stream key; avoid exposing it in shell history or logs.
- If the key is compromised, an authorized channel owner or manager can reset it, then update the encoder with the replacement.
For gaming VODs, encoding settings do not grant rights to the recording’s game footage, music, overlays, or other material. Check that you have permission to stream the content and review YouTube’s copyright and monetization rules, particularly if the video contains music or material reused from elsewhere. A technically healthy stream can still face a rights claim or other platform action.
Troubleshoot a stream that is not showing 1080p
- The preview shows a lower resolution. Check that FFmpeg is actually outputting 1920Ă—1080. If you use YouTube’s manual resolution selection, verify that a custom stream key and the intended Stream Resolution setting are in use; otherwise, allow time for automatic detection and inspect the preview.
- The stream buffers or drops frames. Check encoder load and sustained upload capacity. Lowering the frame rate from 60 to 30 reduces the target bitrate from YouTube’s recommended 17 Mbps to 14 Mbps for H.264, but the connection must still carry audio and tolerate fluctuations.
- YouTube reports an encoder or keyframe warning. Confirm CBR and set the keyframe interval to two seconds; do not let it exceed four seconds. Check that the selected H.264 bitrate matches the chosen frame rate.
- The encoder cannot connect. Re-copy the stream URL and key from the correct Live Control Room event, check that the key is current, and verify RTMPS support and URL compatibility in your FFmpeg build.
- The picture is jerky or audio is missing. Match output frame rate to the source, confirm the encoder can sustain it, and verify that the chosen audio encoder is available in your FFmpeg build and selected for the output.
- The key may have leaked. Reset it through an authorized channel owner or manager, then replace the key in your encoder configuration.
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