You can stream a local 4K 60fps video file to YouTube Live by playing it in OBS Studio’s Media Source and sending the scene through YouTube’s Live Control Room. The key decision is whether you want an SDR stream or HDR: a 10-bit file is not automatically an HDR stream. For 4K/60 ingest, YouTube’s current English settings page recommends 35 Mbps for AV1/H.265 or 50 Mbps for H.264, with CBR and a two-second keyframe interval.
What you need to decide first: SDR or HDR
“10-bit” describes the precision of the source video; it does not by itself establish that the file is HDR or that the live output will be HDR. You can stream a 10-bit source as SDR. If HDR is the goal, the encoder must send compatible HDR color signaling as well as use the required codec and profile.
YouTube’s HDR documentation specifies HEVC (H.265). Its OBS guidance calls for OBS 30.1 or later, a hardware HEVC encoder, Main 10 profile, P010 (4:2:0), and Rec. 2100 PQ or HLG color space. YouTube recommends HLG. Match the output metadata to the actual source format; toggling HDR for SDR footage does not turn it into correctly encoded HDR.
Hardware and software support vary. YouTube notes that encoding depends on formats supported by the device, so check that your specific system can encode HEVC Main 10 before planning an HDR workflow. Supported playback on the viewer’s device also affects whether the stream is displayed in HDR.
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Set up the YouTube Live event
- Create or schedule the broadcast: Open YouTube Live Control Room and create or schedule the stream. Use the stream URL and key shown for that event in your encoder, following the current protocol and key settings.
- Protect the stream key: Treat it like an account credential. Do not share or publish it; anyone with access may be able to send video to your stream.
- Choose the ingest path: YouTube documents RTMP(S) and HLS for HDR workflows. OBS’s documented HDR setup includes RTMP(S); HLS is not universally required. Choose a protocol supported by your encoder and follow the corresponding current Live Control Room settings.
Add the video file in OBS
- In OBS, add a Media Source to the scene and select the local video file. OBS lists MP4, TS, MOV, MKV, and other formats as supported containers; that list does not certify compatibility with every HDR profile.
- Enable Loop if you want playback to repeat. Use the restart-on-activation option if the source should begin again when its scene becomes active. Enable hardware decoding only if it is available and suitable for your system.
- Play the scene and confirm the picture is smooth and the expected audio is present. Check that the file’s audio track and your OBS audio routing are reaching the stream mix.
A capture card is not needed just to play a local file: OBS Media Source is the documented source for that job. A capture card is relevant to external video inputs, not this file-based workflow.
Configure 4K at 60fps and choose the matching bitrate
Set the outgoing canvas/output to 3840 × 2160 and the frame rate to 60 fps if those match the content and your system can sustain encoding at that rate. YouTube’s English live-encoder settings page, checked October 3, 2026, gives these 4K/2160p 60 fps ingest values:
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| Video codec | Listed minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| AV1 or H.265 (HEVC) | 10 Mbps | 35 Mbps |
| H.264 | 14 Mbps | 50 Mbps |
These are YouTube’s ingest recommendations, not a guarantee of the quality every viewer will receive. YouTube transcodes live input into multiple output formats for different devices and network conditions. Keep the codec and bitrate paired as in the table; do not treat one codec’s recommendation as universal. For HDR, YouTube’s HDR requirements specify HEVC.
Set rate control to CBR. Use a two-second keyframe interval; YouTube says not to exceed four seconds. Its settings page lists video frame rates up to 60 fps.
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Configure the HDR path when HDR output is required
- Confirm the source file’s actual HDR format and metadata rather than inferring HDR from its 10-bit depth.
- In OBS, select a hardware HEVC encoder, set the profile to Main 10, enable P010 (4:2:0), and select Rec. 2100 PQ or HLG as appropriate. YouTube recommends HLG.
- Keep color metadata consistent with the source. YouTube’s general HDR requirements identify BT.2020 primaries and compatible transfer and matrix characteristics.
- Verify the complete signal path with a test stream and an HDR-capable viewer device. Do not assume that a file’s original HDR characteristics survive every encoder configuration unchanged.
If using YouTube’s HDR HLS path, its documentation specifies additional requirements: an HLS stream key with manual resolution settings unchecked, TS segments lasting 1–4 seconds, a rolling playlist, HTTPS POST/PUT transport, and no byte-range mode. Follow the current instructions for the selected encoder. YouTube names several encoder/device paths, but confirm the exact model and capability before buying hardware.
Test the stream before the real broadcast
- Run a private or unlisted test using the same file, resolution, frame rate, codec, bitrate, audio path, and protocol planned for the event.
- Test representative motion and audio, not just a static opening frame. YouTube recommends checking stream health and reviewing any messages in Live Control Room.
- Provide upload capacity beyond the configured video bitrate. YouTube recommends 20% upload headroom; for example, a 35 Mbps video setting implies planning for at least 42 Mbps of sustained upload capacity before accounting for other traffic.
- Watch the encoder and network throughout the test. For an HDR goal, inspect the viewer-side result on an HDR-capable device as well.
Common problems and fixes
The stream is 10-bit, but viewers do not see HDR
Bit depth alone does not make a live stream HDR. Confirm that the source is genuinely HDR, that the encoder uses HEVC Main 10 and P010, and that the Rec. 2100 color space and compatible metadata match the source. Test on an HDR-capable device.
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The encoder cannot select HEVC Main 10
The device or encoder may not support that profile. Check the specific hardware and software capability before the event. You can use an SDR workflow instead, but do not label the output HDR merely because the source file is 10-bit.
The stream buffers or reports poor health
Check whether sustained upload capacity includes YouTube’s recommended 20% headroom above the configured stream rate. Reduce competing network traffic and test again. If the chosen bitrate is not stable, select a setting your connection and encoder can sustain.
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The outgoing bitrate seems wrong for the codec
Recheck the selected encoder codec and use its matching YouTube 4K/60 recommendation: AV1/H.265 and H.264 have different figures. Confirm the encoder is actually sending the selected codec and that rate control is CBR.
The file plays in OBS but the stream has no audio or repeats incorrectly
Check the Media Source’s selected file, loop and restart-on-activation behavior, then inspect OBS audio routing and the stream mix. Preview the scene before going live; file-container support alone does not validate every file’s tracks or HDR profile.
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