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To show a title card between prerecorded videos on YouTube Live, make the card a video segment, place it between the clips in sequence, and concatenate the segments into one encoder feed. For text, FFmpeg can generate a colored frame with color and drawtext; for a designed graphic, use an image as a timed segment. The exact filtergraph depends on your files’ dimensions, frame rates, audio streams, and FFmpeg build, so treat the patterns below as starting points and test them before going live.
Choose how to make and join the card
Use a filtergraph when the card needs to be generated or when your clips need conversion to a common format. FFmpeg’s concat filter is intended for joining segments in a filtergraph and is the appropriate route when re-encoding is needed; the FFmpeg FAQ describes this operation as recommended when re-encoding is required (FFmpeg FAQ).
| Approach | Best fit | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
Generated card with color and drawtext, then the concat filter |
Text-led cards, precise duration, or clips that need normalization | The assembled feed is re-encoded; the streams must be made compatible at the concat point. |
| Image-backed card as a timed segment, then the concat filter | A graphic designed in another application | Set and verify the still’s duration, dimensions, frame rate, pixel format, and audio behavior before joining. |
| Concat demuxer | All inputs, including an already-rendered card, have compatible stream parameters and you want to avoid re-encoding | It joins existing compatible media; it does not create a card or replace rendering it into a matching video segment. |
FFmpeg’s drawtext filter depends on how FFmpeg was built, including FreeType support. Check ffmpeg -filters or the build configuration if the filter is unavailable. Font selection and text shaping can depend on additional optional libraries (FFmpeg filters documentation).
Prepare the segments before concatenating
The concat filter expects corresponding streams for each segment. In practice, normalize the video to shared dimensions, frame rate or time base, and pixel format; normalize audio sample rate, channel layout, and other relevant audio properties. Do not assume clips from different cameras, editors, or downloads will connect cleanly without conversion. If your filtergraph includes audio, give the title-card segment a matching audio stream—usually silence—so that the segment topology aligns.
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- Inspect each clip’s video and audio streams before building the graph.
- Choose the output resolution and frame rate based on the program and your available upload capacity.
- Decide whether the card should have silence or continuous audio. A silent card needs silent audio if the other concat inputs carry audio.
- For an image card, make it a timed video segment or combine it with a generated background; the image must not be left as an unmatched still input.
These are structural requirements, not a universal command: the necessary filters and conversions depend on the source files. The official FFmpeg manuals document the building blocks, but no single command is valid for every combination of inputs.
Build a generated text card in a filtergraph
The basic pattern is to create a full-frame color source, draw readable text on it, give the card a chosen duration, normalize it alongside the clips, and connect the segments in order with concat. In a real filtergraph, specify dimensions, frame rate, pixel format, audio handling, and input labels to match your media. This schematic is not a copy-and-run command:
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color source → drawtext → normalize card video/audio → concat(video 1, card, video 2, …) → encodeFor the text, use a legible font, strong contrast, and safe margins so the title remains visible on different screens. Set the duration long enough to read, and ensure the card’s audio stream matches the other segments if the output includes audio. Verify that drawtext is available in your build before relying on it.
Use a designed image as the card
If you already have a graphic, use it to form a timed video segment at the program’s output dimensions and frame rate. FFmpeg’s overlay filter can layer an image over a video or generated background; the resulting card segment can then be joined between clips with the concat filter (FFmpeg filters documentation). Confirm its duration, pixel format, frame rate, and audio stream behavior rather than assuming a still image automatically matches the video segments.
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When the concat demuxer may avoid re-encoding
The concat demuxer can be appropriate if every file—including the rendered card—already has compatible streams and parameters. It is not a way to generate a card inside the join. If the card or clips need conversions, use a filtergraph and re-encode instead. FFmpeg’s FAQ distinguishes these approaches and recommends the concat filter when re-encoding is needed (FFmpeg FAQ).
Connect the finished feed to YouTube Live
- Open YouTube Live Control Room. Create or open the live stream and retrieve the stream URL and stream key shown for the encoder.
- Protect the key. YouTube describes the stream key as being like a password and address for the encoder connection. Do not publish it in a command example, screen recording, or source repository. Use the actual RTMPS URL displayed in Live Control Room when supported (YouTube Help: Set up your encoder for live streaming).
- Set encoder parameters for the output. YouTube’s encoder guidance lists RTMP/RTMPS ingestion, H.264, H.265 (HEVC), or AV1 video, frame rates up to 60 fps, AAC or MP3 audio, and constant bitrate (CBR) encoding. Its recommendation is a two-second keyframe interval, with four seconds as the maximum. Select the bitrate from YouTube’s current table for your codec, resolution, and frame rate; for example, the page recommends 10 Mbps for H.264 1080p30 and 12 Mbps for H.264 1080p60. These are YouTube platform recommendations, not guarantees of performance, and the guidance can change (YouTube Help: Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions).
- Test before the event. Send a test feed with audio and movement similar to the planned stream. Preview the title card and clip transitions in Live Control Room, and monitor stream health and messages during the broadcast. YouTube explicitly advises testing before starting (YouTube encoder settings guidance).
- End the broadcast cleanly. Stop the FFmpeg feed, then follow the end-stream flow in Live Control Room (YouTube Help: Set up your encoder for live streaming).
Copyright and reused-content checks
A title card does not grant permission to use the videos or music in the stream. Before broadcasting, confirm you have the rights needed for every clip and audio track, and check YouTube’s applicable live-stream and channel monetization policies. A stream assembled from prerecorded clips should not be treated as automatically eligible for monetization merely because it is live; permission, originality, and channel-policy requirements are separate questions. Check YouTube’s current rules for your channel and material before scheduling a broadcast.
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Troubleshoot common failures
drawtextis unavailable: Your FFmpeg build may lack the required FreeType support. Check the filter list or build configuration; use an image-backed card if you cannot use the filter.- The concat filter reports mismatched streams or parameters: Compare the segments’ video dimensions, frame rate or time base, and pixel format, plus audio sample rate and channel layout. Normalize the mismatched properties and make sure each segment has the corresponding streams expected by the graph.
- The card is missing, too short, or displayed incorrectly: Check that it is actually part of the sequence, that its duration is set, and that an image has been converted into a timed video segment or overlaid on a generated background.
- The stream is not accepted or its health is poor: Verify the Live Control Room stream URL and key, selected protocol, codec, CBR setting, keyframe interval, and bitrate against YouTube’s current guidance. Test with the planned resolution and frame rate, then review Live Control Room’s health messages.
- Audio drops or the join fails at the card: Check that the card segment’s audio is present if required by the graph and matches the other segments’ audio layout and sample properties. If silence is intended, supply a matching silent stream.
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