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To stream a repeating sequence of local videos on YouTube Live, put their paths in an ordered FFmpeg concat script, then send that input to YouTube’s encoder ingest URL with a stream key. FFmpeg can loop the sequence and pace file playback in real time, but the files should have compatible streams and YouTube’s automatic archive behavior is separate from FFmpeg’s infinite loop.
What “playlist” means here
This method creates a live feed from a sequence of local files; it does not create a YouTube playlist object. FFmpeg’s concat demuxer reads a text script and presents the listed files one after another. The sequence is only as ordered as that script: a folder by itself is not an automatically maintained playlist.
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FFmpeg’s documentation says, “All files must have the same streams (same codecs, same time base, etc.).” See the FFmpeg concat demuxer documentation. The instructions below are a documentation-based workflow, not a command tested on your particular files. FFmpeg’s concat documentation is rolling master documentation, so check the behavior against your installed version.
1. Create an ordered concat file
Make a UTF-8 plain-text file named playlist.txt. The first line must be exactly ffconcat version 1.0 for automatic format recognition. Put one file entry per line, in the order you want viewers to hear and see them:
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ffconcat version 1.0
file 'clip-01.mp4'
file 'clip-02.mp4'
file 'clip-03.mp4'Save the script in the media folder and use paths relative to the process working directory, or list paths relative to another known working directory. If paths contain spaces or special characters, quote and escape them according to concat-script syntax; do not assume ordinary shell quoting rules are interchangeable with the script’s rules.
By default, the concat demuxer applies safe=1 and rejects paths it considers unsafe. Prefer safe relative paths when possible. Use -safe 0 only when the paths require it, such as absolute paths, and only if you trust every entry in the playlist: disabling the check accepts arbitrary file names. If the folder’s contents change over time, regenerate the script in a deliberate, deterministic order before starting a broadcast. FFmpeg does not automatically add files to a concat script already in use.
2. Check that the videos are compatible
Concat demuxing joins files; it does not turn unrelated media into matching inputs. Check each file’s streams and properties with FFmpeg tools before broadcasting. The files should have matching stream structure, codecs, and time bases; consistent dimensions, frame rates, audio codecs, and audio layout also make transitions more predictable.
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The demuxer uses each file’s duration to place the next one. Incorrect or unavailable duration metadata can cause artifacts, including at transitions. If a duration is known accurately, a duration directive in the concat script can override the stored duration; do not guess a value. Where files differ, transcode them beforehand to a consistent format. Re-encoding uses CPU or GPU capacity and can alter quality, but it is the safer general approach for mixed sources. Stream copying can reduce processing when inputs already match, but matching file extensions alone do not guarantee clean transitions or an acceptable ingest stream.
3. Set up YouTube Live and protect the key
- In YouTube Studio, open the Live Control Room and create or schedule an encoder stream.
- Copy the stream URL and stream key shown in that stream’s settings. The URL is the ingest destination; the key identifies and authorizes your broadcast.
- Keep the key private. Do not put it in a public script, screenshot, or log. You can place it in a shell environment variable rather than a shared file.
- For a scheduled broadcast, start sending the feed and wait for the preview in Live Control Room. YouTube’s encoder setup instructions say to click Go live once the preview is ready.
Use the exact ingest details displayed for the active stream. YouTube’s instructions are at YouTube encoder setup.
4. Send the playlist to YouTube with FFmpeg
For a compatible set of H.264/AAC MP4 files and an RTMP endpoint, this is an illustrative command shape, not a universal or tested copy-and-run recipe:
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ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -f concat -safe 0 -i playlist.txt
-c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p -preset veryfast -b:v 5M -maxrate 5M -bufsize 10M
-r 30 -g 60 -c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100
-f flv "$YOUTUBE_RTMP_URL/$YOUTUBE_STREAM_KEY"-re paces file input in real time, and -stream_loop -1 repeats the input indefinitely. Both are input options. The concat demuxer reads playlist.txt; the video and audio options re-encode the feed; -f flv specifies the output container used in this RTMP implementation pattern. See the FFmpeg command-line documentation.
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Adjust frame rate, bitrate, keyframe interval, audio handling, and resolution for your actual inputs and YouTube’s current stream settings. If using stream copy instead of re-encoding, remove the encoding options and validate that the sources’ codecs, parameters, transitions, and ingest container are compatible. That can save compute, but it is not a guarantee of seamless playback.
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5. Choose settings for YouTube’s ingest
YouTube’s encoder settings page lists H.264, H.265, and AV1 for RTMP/RTMPS video, frame rates up to 60 fps, AAC or MP3 audio, and CBR. It recommends a two-second keyframe frequency and says not to exceed four seconds. For advanced video settings, it recommends square pixels, progressive scan, and Rec. 709 for SDR; its audio guidance includes stereo AAC at 128 Kbps. Use the ingest URL supplied by Live Control Room; YouTube recommends RTMPS for encryption where available.
The same settings page lists these H.264 bitrate recommendations and minimums (YouTube’s current page, accessed 2026-10-03). Recommendations are not minimum requirements; choose a setting that your connection can sustain.
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| H.264 output | YouTube recommended bitrate | YouTube minimum |
|---|---|---|
| 720p30 | 8 Mbps | 3 Mbps |
| 1080p30 | 14 Mbps | 5 Mbps |
| 1080p60 | 17 Mbps | 6 Mbps |
These figures are YouTube’s published encoder recommendations and minimums, not guarantees of quality or a promise that a particular internet connection can sustain them. Measure sustained upload capacity, leave headroom for network variation, and test before the broadcast. The example’s 5 Mbps video bitrate is only a starting value and is below YouTube’s listed 1080p30 recommendation.
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6. Start, monitor, and end the broadcast
- Run FFmpeg and check its output for errors while it reads the playlist and sends the feed.
- In Live Control Room, wait for the incoming preview and check stream health, audio, and video. For a scheduled stream, click Go live when the preview is ready.
- Monitor upload stability throughout the broadcast. YouTube recommends testing in advance and monitoring stream health.
- To end the broadcast, stop the encoder and use Live Control Room’s End Stream workflow where applicable.
YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. An FFmpeg process that loops indefinitely does not mean YouTube will archive an indefinitely long broadcast; plan the broadcast duration around YouTube’s stated archive condition. See YouTube’s encoder setup guidance.
Common problems and fixes
Concat errors or files are missing
- Check that every listed path exists relative to FFmpeg’s working directory and that names are quoted or escaped correctly.
- If the playlist uses absolute or otherwise unsafe paths, verify whether
-safe 0is required. Use it only with trusted playlist contents.
Video or audio glitches at transitions
- Compare stream count and structure, codecs, time bases, dimensions, frame rates, and audio layout across the files.
- Check duration metadata. Normalize mismatched inputs, or specify a duration only when its value is known accurately.
YouTube does not show a preview
- Confirm FFmpeg is using the exact ingest URL and key for the active stream, and that the key has not been reset.
- Check that FFmpeg is sending a format accepted by the configured stream and inspect its output for connection or encoding errors.
Dropped frames or poor stream health
- Lower resolution or bitrate to fit sustained upload capacity, while following YouTube’s codec-specific guidance.
- Test the complete setup ahead of time and monitor stream health while live.
The broadcast is longer than its archive
Do not treat -stream_loop -1 as a way to override YouTube’s under-12-hour automatic archive statement. Plan your stream and archive expectations separately.
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