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Yes. You can reuse the same YouTube stream key in OBS and FFmpeg, including at different times. YouTube says custom stream keys can be reused. But whether two separate encoders can push to the same broadcast at once is not established by YouTube’s published limits, so use one active sender per broadcast unless you have tested that exact setup.
What a YouTube stream key does
A stream key is a credential that identifies and authorizes an encoder’s feed for YouTube. YouTube describes stream keys as “like your YouTube stream’s password and address.” Keep yours private: anyone with the key and the relevant destination details may be able to send a feed using it. YouTube Help: Manage your live stream settings
The key is not the whole connection. YouTube’s setup flow has you copy both the stream URL and the stream key into your encoder: the URL goes in the server or RTMP-server field, and the key goes in the stream-key field. YouTube Help: Get started with live streaming
Sequential reuse versus simultaneous use
Using OBS and FFmpeg at different times
This is the straightforward case. Select or create a custom key in YouTube Studio, then enter that key in whichever encoder you are using. YouTube says a custom stream key can be reused, so switching from OBS to FFmpeg does not by itself require a new key. Each encoder still needs the correct stream URL and compatible output settings.
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Running both encoders at once for one broadcast
YouTube Help currently publishes a limit of up to three active streams per key and up to ten active streams per channel. Those are platform limits; they do not say whether two independent encoders sending separate feeds with the same key to one broadcast will both be accepted, whether one will replace the other, or whether the connection will fail. Do not treat the limit as a promise of dual-encoder ingest or seamless failover. YouTube Help: Get started with live streaming
For one broadcast, configure one active sender unless you have tested the exact simultaneous workflow on a private or otherwise appropriate test broadcast. If the first encoder is still connected, stop it cleanly before starting the other.
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One feed sent to separate broadcasts
A YouTube live stream and a YouTube live broadcast are distinct API concepts. A stream holds delivery settings; a broadcast is a separate event or video. Google’s API documentation says one stream can be bound to up to three broadcasts and gives an example of one feed serving multiple simultaneous broadcasts. That is different from two encoders competing to send feeds through the same key, and it does not establish that the competing-encoder setup is supported. YouTube Live Streaming API documentation
Set up the key in OBS or FFmpeg
- Get the destination details. In YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room, select the stream configuration and copy its stream URL and stream key. Do not guess an ingest endpoint; use the URL YouTube provides for that configuration.
- Configure OBS. Open OBS’s streaming settings, choose the YouTube destination or a custom server option as appropriate, and put the YouTube stream URL in the server field and the key in the stream-key field. Labels can vary by OBS version and selected service.
- Configure FFmpeg. Supply the YouTube ingest URL and stream key in FFmpeg’s output configuration. The official guidance supports the general encoder workflow but does not provide a specific FFmpeg command, so use the settings and syntax appropriate to your FFmpeg build rather than treating an unverified command as an official recipe.
- Check protocol support. YouTube recommends RTMPS. Confirm that the selected YouTube endpoint and encoder support the same protocol; YouTube specifically advises checking the server URL and encoder’s RTMPS support when troubleshooting a connection failure. YouTube Help: Troubleshoot live stream issues
- Start only the intended sender. Confirm that the encoder targets the intended broadcast, then start it and check the Live Control Room for the incoming feed before relying on the stream being live.
If the key is for backup or failover
Having OBS and FFmpeg configured with the same key is not, by itself, a verified backup arrangement. The published limit of three active streams per key does not specify how YouTube handles two encoder processes competing for one broadcast, nor does it promise a seamless handoff. Test the planned sequence on a private or otherwise appropriate test broadcast: verify how you stop the primary sender, start the backup, and confirm that the intended broadcast receives the feed. For a production stream, avoid relying on simultaneous connections until that exact arrangement has been validated.
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Troubleshoot a connection that will not start
- Check the URL and key together. Copy both from the selected stream configuration. A correct key paired with the wrong destination URL can still prevent the encoder from reaching the intended ingest.
- Check for a second active sender. If OBS and FFmpeg are both running, stop one and retry with a single sender. YouTube’s published per-key limit does not explain same-broadcast competition.
- Confirm RTMPS support. YouTube recommends RTMPS; check that the encoder supports it and that the URL matches the selected endpoint.
- Regenerate or replace a compromised key. Since the key is a credential, do not share it publicly. If it may have been exposed, change it in YouTube Studio and update the encoder configuration that uses it.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is to keep uploaded videos looping as a 24/7 YouTube stream rather than switch between OBS and FFmpeg, StreamNeo is a cloud option: upload a recording or playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. Your computer and home connection do not need to stay on. It streams the uploaded video as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot; it automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card, and the monthly option is $9.99 per month. Start with StreamNeo.
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