You can use vMix to schedule prerecorded video inputs and send the resulting program to YouTube Live with a stream key. The setup has two separate parts: build and test the sequence in vMix, then connect vMix to the stream URL and key shown in YouTube Studio. For a channel meant to stay live around the clock, plan for monitoring and recovery too—starting the encoder does not guarantee an uninterrupted broadcast.
Before you build the playlist: check YouTube readiness
In YouTube Studio, open Go Live or the Live Control Room and create or select the stream you intend to use. YouTube says a channel must be verified and have no live-streaming restrictions in the preceding 90 days. First-time live-stream activation may take up to 24 hours, so check access before scheduling a launch. See YouTube’s encoder setup guidance and live-streaming tips.
In the stream settings, select or create a stream key, then copy both the displayed stream URL and the key. YouTube permits custom keys for reuse. Treat the key like a password: do not publish it in screenshots, presets, or public configuration files. If it is exposed, reset it in Live Control Room and replace the saved key in vMix. See YouTube stream settings.
Choose the right vMix playlist method
Use PlayList to automate multiple inputs
For a planned show made from separate vMix inputs, use the vMix PlayList feature. It can automate multiple inputs with per-item start times, durations, and transitions. Add the video inputs you need, then configure the sequence and transitions in PlayList. The exact controls can vary by installed version; consult the help for your version and test the sequence before relying on it unattended. The official vMix feature overview describes PlayList, and the vMix training videos include tutorials.
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Use a List Input to group media files
If you want multiple media files to appear as one vMix input, use a List Input. vMix documents support for video files, audio files, and M3U playlist files. This is different from PlayList: List Input groups files into an input, while PlayList automates a sequence of inputs. Do not assume a particular repeat, end-of-file, missing-file, or gapless-transition behavior without checking your version and testing it.
Connect vMix to the YouTube stream
- Copy the correct YouTube destination details. From the selected stream in Live Control Room, copy its stream URL and key. Keep the URL and key paired with the same stream.
- Open vMix’s streaming configuration. Use the YouTube Live destination flow if it is available in your installed version, or configure the streaming destination with the server/URL and stream key shown by YouTube. vMix’s YouTube Live guide explains the key handoff. Menu names and positions may differ by release, so use the installed version’s help rather than relying on a menu path from another version.
- Match the protocol to the URL. YouTube supports RTMPS, which is RTMP over TLS/SSL, when the encoder supports it. The RTMPS URL is available in Live Control Room stream settings; YouTube notes that the lock control may need to be opened because the ordinary RTMP URL is displayed by default. Use the URL matching the protocol selected in vMix. Check your vMix version’s protocol support rather than assuming it is the same across releases. See YouTube’s RTMPS guidance.
- Save the settings and verify the preview. Start the vMix stream and check that YouTube’s Live Control Room receives a preview before making the broadcast public. YouTube’s live-streaming tips recommend checking the preview and event accessibility.
Test the complete playlist before announcing it
Run a test stream with visibility set appropriately for your purpose, such as unlisted or private where available. Watch the sequence through transitions and item endings; check video, audio, and the YouTube watch page on desktop and mobile. YouTube recommends testing and continuously monitoring audio and video. A test is especially important because the cited vMix feature descriptions do not establish every version’s repeat, gapless playback, or recovery behavior.
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For an always-on channel, decide who will notice a failure and how the stream will be restarted. Account for the local computer, vMix, power, network, stream key, and YouTube service as possible failure points. If you use a UPS, treat it only as protection against brief local power interruptions: it will not fix network or platform outages, and neither vMix nor YouTube specifies a required model.
Plan around YouTube’s stream-duration and archive guidance
YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. That guidance does not establish that every longer stream will be saved, or that one broadcast session can run indefinitely. Check YouTube’s current duration and archive rules and decide whether your channel’s programming needs separate broadcast sessions or a restart plan. See YouTube’s encoder setup page.
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Troubleshooting common setup problems
- YouTube does not show an incoming preview: confirm the channel is eligible to livestream, activation is complete, and the selected stream URL and key belong together. Recheck the destination fields in vMix and ensure you have not mixed RTMP and RTMPS URLs.
- The key may have been exposed or no longer works: reset it in YouTube Live Control Room, then update the saved key in vMix. Keep the replacement private.
- The playlist does not behave as expected: determine whether you need PlayList automation or a List Input, then test item endings, transitions, repeat behavior, and missing files in the installed vMix version. Do not assume these behaviors are identical across versions.
- The channel goes offline after launch: check the computer, vMix, network, power, and YouTube status, then use the recovery plan you arranged. YouTube recommends continuous monitoring; an encoder start alone is not a continuity guarantee.
- The stream is not archived as expected: check YouTube’s current archive guidance. Its cited help says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived; do not infer the same outcome for longer broadcasts.
Or let it run in the cloud
If you want the prerecorded playlist to keep streaming without leaving a local computer on, StreamNeo is a YouTube-only cloud option: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It runs from the cloud, supports uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, and automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month. Start your free day on StreamNeo.
Quick Recap
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