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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Use FFmpeg’s -stream_loop -1 to repeat a video indefinitely and -c copy to pass its existing encoded streams to YouTube Live without decoding and encoding them again. This works only when the file’s codecs and container can be muxed into the selected YouTube output; it does not promise a seamless loop boundary for every file.
What you need before you start
- A YouTube channel that is verified and has no live-stream restrictions in the previous 90 days. First-time live-stream activation can take up to 24 hours.
- A video file with audio and video streams that can be copied into the output format. Stream copy cannot convert codecs, resize video, apply filters, or otherwise transform the streams.
- FFmpeg installed on a computer that can remain online and connected to the internet for the duration of the broadcast.
- The stream URL and stream key from YouTube Studio. YouTube describes stream keys as “like your YouTube stream’s password and address.” Keep the key private; reset it in Studio if it is exposed. YouTube Help: Manage live stream settings
Set up and run the FFmpeg loop
- Activate live streaming and create an encoder stream. In YouTube Studio, select Create → Go Live, then create or select a stream for an encoder. If live streaming has not been activated on the channel before, allow up to 24 hours for activation. YouTube Help: Get started with live streaming
- Copy the destination details. In Live Control Room, copy the server URL and stream key shown for the stream. Insert both in the command where indicated below. Treat the key as a password: do not share it or include it in a public script or screenshot.
- Check the source file. Confirm that it contains the intended video and audio streams and that the streams are compatible with the chosen output.
-c copydoes not decode, filter, scale, or change codecs. If you need any of those operations, this is no longer a pure stream-copy workflow. - Start the loop. Run this command in a terminal, replacing the filename, server URL, and key with your own values:
ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i "input.mp4" -c copy -f flv "<YouTube server URL>/<stream key>"-repaces file input in real time;-stream_loop -1tells FFmpeg to loop the input indefinitely;-ispecifies the input;-c copyrequests stream copy; and-f flvselects the output muxer used in this command shape. Keep-stream_loop -1before-iand the output options after it. Check the documentation for your installed FFmpeg version, since this is a starting point rather than a universal command for every file and YouTube ingest configuration. FFmpeg documentation - Check the YouTube preview before going live. In Live Control Room, wait for the preview and verify both picture and sound. Monitor stream quality during the broadcast. YouTube recommends upload capacity with 20% headroom above the total stream bitrate; this is a bandwidth recommendation, not a target encoding bitrate. YouTube Help: Encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions
- Plan for the stream’s end and archive. YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. Do not assume a longer uninterrupted stream will be archived as one video; plan the broadcast and archive handling with that limit in mind. YouTube Help: Manage live stream settings
What “without re-encoding” means—and what it does not
In FFmpeg, -c copy copies packets from the input demuxer to the output muxer without decoding or encoding them. That avoids another encoding generation at your end, but it only works if the input streams can be carried by the selected output. A muxer may need information the source does not provide, and stream copy cannot apply filters or convert media formats. FFmpeg documentation
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It also does not mean YouTube plays back the original file bytes untouched: YouTube processes live streams for playback, and its cited guidance does not promise byte-for-byte preservation. Nor do the FFmpeg docs promise gapless transitions for arbitrary files. Loop boundaries can expose source-specific timestamp or media behavior, so test the actual file and feed before relying on an unattended broadcast.
Common problems and what to try
- FFmpeg rejects the output or reports an incompatible codec/container. Stream copy cannot convert a stream to make it compatible. Check the source streams and output requirements; if needed, create a compatible offline remux or re-encode, or use an encoding workflow instead.
- The loop has a pause, glitch, or timestamp problem at the boundary. The command does not guarantee seamless transitions. Test the file’s end-to-start transition in the actual stream. If that boundary is unacceptable, prepare a more suitable source or use a workflow that encodes the feed.
- YouTube does not receive the stream. Check that the server URL and key are the current values for the selected stream, that the key was copied correctly, and that the channel is eligible to go live. Reset a key if it may have been exposed.
- The preview is unstable or drops frames. Check the local connection and available upload capacity against the stream’s total bitrate, retaining YouTube’s recommended 20% headroom. Monitor the Live Control Room rather than assuming a successful command means the feed is healthy.
- There is video but no audio, or the wrong tracks appear. Confirm the file’s streams before starting. Stream copy carries streams; it does not repair missing or unintended audio/video tracks.
Other ways to keep prerecorded video live
| Approach | What it does | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| StreamNeo | Hosted cloud service for looping uploaded videos to YouTube Live. | Always-on from the cloud, any quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, and the first day is free. |
| Local FFmpeg | Can loop a compatible file and pass through its existing encoded streams using stream copy. | Requires command-line setup, a compatible source, and a computer and connection that stay online; it does not guarantee seamless boundaries. |
| OBS Studio | YouTube lists OBS as open-source streaming software available at no charge. | A practical graphical production option, but a normal OBS output encodes a composed live scene; do not assume adding a video preserves its existing encoding. |
| Gyre | YouTube’s encoder directory describes it as a cloud-based tool for 24/7 prerecorded-video streaming. | The directory entry does not establish whether Gyre avoids re-encoding; verify current features, pricing, and terms directly. |
YouTube’s encoder directory also lists hardware encoder products, including an AJA device with prerecorded-media functionality. These are optional professional solutions, not a prerequisite for the FFmpeg method. YouTube creators: live streaming tools
#1 Best Overall
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- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
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- The available storage capacity may vary.
Or let it run in the cloud
With StreamNeo, upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. StreamNeo loops uploaded videos from the cloud, so your computer and home connection do not have to stay on. Each slot streams what you upload at any quality up to 4K 60fps for one flat price, with automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card; the monthly option is $9.99 per month. Start your free StreamNeo day.
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- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
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- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop. Reformatting may be required for Mac
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
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- Easily store and access 5TB of content on the go with the Seagate portable drive, a USB external hard Drive
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
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- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
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