Neither AWS Elemental MediaPackage v1 nor v2 lists a 24-hour maximum runtime for a live channel. Their live-manifest limits are rolling playlist limits, not a timer that stops continuous operation: AWS’s published adjustable defaults are 5 minutes for v1 and 15 minutes for v2. Both versions list a 24-hour maximum time-shifted manifest and a 336-hour (14-day) maximum age for time-shifted content. Those limits describe playback and retention windows, not how long a channel can stay live.
For a 24/7 YouTube channel, identify which MediaPackage generation you use, check the actual quotas in the relevant AWS Region, and separately verify that your encoder or bridge can deliver a YouTube-compatible ingest feed. A MediaPackage playback endpoint is not automatically a YouTube ingest destination.
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What are the AWS Elemental MediaPackage limits for a 24/7 YouTube channel?
MediaPackage quotas differ by generation. The figures below are published AWS limits, accessed in 2026; AWS’s online quota pages do not state a publication year. Adjustable values are published defaults, not a guarantee of your account’s current quota. Check the actual value for your account and Region in AWS Service Quotas or the applicable AWS console.
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“Live manifest length” means the maximum length of the rolling live playlist. It is separate from continuous channel runtime. A channel can operate continuously while its live manifest rolls forward.
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MediaPackage v1
| Quota | Published limit | Type and scope |
|---|---|---|
| Channels | 30 | Adjustable default per Region/account |
| Endpoints | 10 per channel | Adjustable; count is per channel |
| Maximum live manifest length | 5 minutes | Adjustable |
| Concurrent harvest jobs | 10 | Adjustable |
| Ingest streams | 20 per channel | Hard limit |
| Tracks | 10 per ingest stream | Hard limit |
| Maximum content age for time-shifted viewing | 336 hours (14 days) | Hard limit |
| Maximum time-shifted manifest length | 24 hours | Hard limit |
| Maximum live-to-VOD manifest length | 24 hours | Hard limit |
| Input requests | 50 per second per channel | Hard limit |
| Media-segment output requests | 300 per second per endpoint | Hard limit; AWS describes this as indicative under typical CDN use |
| Manifest output requests | 5,000 per second per endpoint | Hard limit; AWS describes this as indicative under typical CDN use |
| REST API request rate | 5 requests per second steady state; 50 per second burst | Hard limits |
AWS notes that endpoint output request rates can be lower with misconfiguration or abnormal request patterns, such as many unique headers or query strings. Do not treat the indicative rates as a guaranteed viewer capacity.
MediaPackage v2
| Quota | Published limit | Type and scope |
|---|---|---|
| Channel groups | 3 per account | Adjustable default |
| Channels | 10 per channel group | Adjustable default |
| Channels | 20 per channel group | Hard limit |
| Endpoints | 10 per channel | Adjustable default; count is per channel |
| Maximum live manifest length | 15 minutes | Adjustable default |
| Manifests | 25 per origin endpoint | Adjustable default |
| Active harvest jobs | 10 per channel group | Adjustable default |
| Maximum content age for time-shifted viewing | 336 hours (14 days) | Hard limit |
| Maximum time-shifted manifest length | 24 hours | Hard limit |
| Input requests | 200 per second per channel | Hard limit |
| Media-segment output requests | 500 per second per endpoint | Hard limit; AWS says the value is indicative under typical CDN use |
| Manifest output requests | 10,000 per second per endpoint | Hard limit; AWS says the value is indicative under typical CDN use |
| Tracks | 10 per ingest stream | Hard limit |
| REST API request rate | 5 requests per second steady state; 50 per second burst | Hard limits |
As with v1, abnormal request patterns or configuration can reduce practical endpoint throughput below the indicative rates.
Can MediaPackage run continuously for 24 hours a day?
The quota tables do not specify a maximum live-channel runtime. The 24-hour value is the maximum length of a time-shifted manifest; v1 also lists a separate 24-hour maximum for live-to-VOD manifests. Neither value means a channel must stop after 24 hours. The 336-hour content-age limit applies to time-shifted viewing, not continuous operation.
These figures alone cannot establish that an entire 24/7 workflow will meet a particular audience or availability target. You must also account for the source encoder, processing and delivery path, account quotas, and YouTube ingest behavior.
What is the difference between MediaPackage v1 and v2 quotas?
The generations use different resource structures and publish different values for some limits. In v1, the published channel quota is 30 channels per Region/account. In v2, the account is organized into channel groups, with an adjustable default of 3 groups and 10 channels per group, alongside a hard limit of 20 channels per group. Do not treat those as equivalent channel-count allowances.
The most relevant live-playlist difference is the adjustable maximum live manifest length: 5 minutes in v1 versus 15 minutes in v2. Other notable differences include input request limits and endpoint output request rates. Time-shift retention, time-shifted manifest length, tracks per ingest stream, and REST API request rates are listed at the same values in the two quota sets shown above.
How to check and plan around your actual quota
- Identify the generation. Confirm whether the channel and endpoints are MediaPackage v1 or v2. Use the matching AWS quota table; the channel hierarchy and manifest defaults are not interchangeable.
- Check the relevant Region and account. Review the quota shown for the AWS Region where the channel runs. AWS’s published adjustable default may differ from the value currently assigned to your account.
- Separate adjustable values from hard limits. Where AWS marks a quota adjustable, use AWS Service Quotas or the applicable AWS quota process to check eligibility and request an increase if available. Hard limits cannot be raised through a quota request.
- Model ingest and endpoint traffic separately. Input requests are per channel; segment and manifest output rates are per endpoint. Estimate origin requests after accounting for CDN caching and actual request patterns rather than equating request-rate figures directly with viewer counts.
- Design time-shift behavior explicitly. Keep the 24-hour maximum time-shifted manifest and 336-hour maximum content age distinct. Neither is a 24/7 runtime allowance.
Can I send a MediaPackage HLS endpoint directly to YouTube Live?
Do not assume so. AWS describes MediaPackage as a live packaging and origin service: an upstream encoder sends it a stream, and MediaPackage exposes packaged output through origin endpoints for players or downstream CDNs. AWS identifies MediaLive as an example upstream encoder and CloudFront as an example downstream CDN. That architecture does not by itself establish that a MediaPackage playback URL can be used as YouTube’s ingest feed.
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For a 24/7 design, draw the full path—source, encoder or processing service, any bridge, and YouTube ingest—and confirm how each component hands off the stream. A MediaPackage endpoint being active and able to deliver content when requested does not make it an ingest endpoint for YouTube.
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Troubleshooting quota and ingest problems
- You reach a channel, endpoint, or channel-group ceiling: verify whether the resource is v1 or v2, check the account’s actual Region quota, and request an increase only if AWS marks it adjustable. Do not assume a v1 channel allowance applies to v2.
- Live output stops or a manifest is rejected: compare the configured live manifest against the correct generation’s limit—5 minutes for v1 or 15 minutes for v2 at published defaults—and check the actual adjustable quota.
- Time-shift playback is unavailable for older content: check both the 24-hour manifest maximum and the 336-hour (14-day) content-age ceiling. These constrain time-shift playback, not the channel’s runtime.
- Origin requests exceed expectations: distinguish input requests per channel from output requests per endpoint. Review CDN caching and request headers or query strings; AWS warns that abnormal patterns can lower indicative output rates.
- YouTube does not accept the feed: confirm you are sending to YouTube’s ingest workflow rather than pointing YouTube at a playback URL. For HLS, check TS format, 1–4 second segments, HTTPS POST/PUT, and the five-outstanding-segment playlist limit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find the official AWS MediaPackage quota tables?
AWS publishes the applicable limits in its MediaPackage v1 and v2 documentation and AWS General Reference. Check the table for your generation and the quota assigned to your account and Region.
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