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Prepare the slideshow as a video first, then send that video to YouTube Live through an encoder such as OBS Studio. Use a consistent frame, check the complete sequence and loop point, and set the encoder to YouTube’s current recommendations for codec, bitrate, and keyframes. A 24/7 broadcast also requires a computer and internet connection that can stay available—or a cloud service that runs the uploaded video for you.
1. Turn your images into a stream-ready video
A slideshow file and a YouTube live broadcast are separate things: the video supplies the visuals, while an encoder sends them to YouTube Live. YouTube’s live-ingestion documentation does not require a particular slideshow authoring application, local playback format, or slideshow duration.
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Set up the visuals
- Use images you have permission to broadcast, including any images supplied by someone else.
- Choose one canvas size and aspect ratio, then arrange images, display times, transitions, and any titles. A 16:9 output is a practical target for the YouTube player; the OBS Project guide recommends it to avoid black bars.
- For SDR output, YouTube specifies Rec. 709 color and square pixels. These are output settings, not requirements for how you design the slideshow.
- Decide whether the stream should be silent or include music or narration. Confirm that you have broadcast rights for any audio.
Render and inspect the whole sequence
Preview the rendered video, not just the still images in your editor. Look for unexpected cropping or letterboxing, hard-to-read text, scaling artifacts, and abrupt transitions. Watch the final image return to the first: a visible jump at the loop point will repeat around the clock. If the slideshow should be silent, verify that no unintended audio is present; if it has audio, listen to the actual rendered track.
2. Choose YouTube encoder settings
YouTube recommends RTMPS for ordinary live content. Its current encoder guidance for RTMP/RTMPS supports H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 video, uses constant bitrate (CBR), and allows frame rates up to 60 fps. Set the keyframe interval to two seconds; YouTube says it should not exceed four seconds. For SDR, use Rec. 709 and square pixels.
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Recommended video bitrates
The following are recommendations published by YouTube; they are not independent performance test results. The figures below were listed on YouTube’s encoder settings page, checked October 3, 2026. Consult that page for other resolutions and frame rates, since recommendations can change.
| Output | AV1 or H.265/HEVC | H.264 |
|---|---|---|
| 720p at 30 or 60 fps | 6 Mbps | 8 Mbps |
| 1080p at 30 fps | 10 Mbps | 14 Mbps |
| 1080p at 60 fps | 12 Mbps | 17 Mbps |
These are encoder recommendations from YouTube’s live encoder settings guidance. Choose an output your upload connection can sustain reliably. For a mostly static slideshow, 30 fps is a reasonable starting choice, not a YouTube requirement.
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Audio settings
YouTube accepts AAC or MP3 for stereo audio and recommends 128 Kbps at a 44.1 KHz sample rate. If the stream has no audio, check that the encoder does not add an unintended track.
3. Connect OBS Studio to YouTube Live
OBS Studio is a free, open-source encoder option. Its community-maintained setup guide describes connecting to YouTube through RTMPS; interface labels can change, so follow the current YouTube Studio and OBS screens if they differ.
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- Enable and configure live streaming: In YouTube Studio, open the Live Control Room and confirm live streaming is enabled for the channel. Verify that the intended broadcast configuration is accepted; account eligibility and interface steps may change.
- Prepare the OBS scene: Add the rendered slideshow as a media source or otherwise make it available to OBS as a continuous video. Confirm the output canvas and framing, and set the chosen resolution, frame rate, codec, CBR bitrate, and two-second keyframe interval.
- Connect the stream: In OBS, choose YouTube RTMPS as the service and configure the stream key using the current YouTube connection workflow. Treat the key as a password: do not post it, share it, or include it in a public screenshot.
- Start a test broadcast: Start streaming from OBS and check the YouTube Live Control Room preview and status messages before relying on the stream. Inspect framing, audio, buffering, and dropped frames.
- Go live and monitor: Once the test looks right, run the broadcast and monitor stream health and YouTube’s messages. YouTube transcodes a live input into multiple formats for viewers, so check public playback at the quality your audience is likely to use.
For the current OBS-to-YouTube workflow, see the OBS Project’s YouTube streaming guide.
4. Choose RTMPS for the ordinary setup; use HLS only when needed
RTMPS is the straightforward starting point for this slideshow workflow. YouTube describes it as RTMP tunneled through SSL and recommends it for ordinary user content. Its technical documentation specifies the YouTube RTMPS endpoint, the RTMPS protocol, and port 443. In normal OBS use, follow the current YouTube connection workflow rather than sharing or exposing the stream key. See YouTube’s RTMPS ingestion documentation.
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HLS is a different, more specialized ingest path—not a format for making the local slideshow. YouTube describes it for premium content that needs high quality and resolution at relatively higher latency. It requires muxed audio and video in M2TS, H.264 or HEVC video, AAC audio, closed GOPs, and media playlists with short media segments sent to the HLS endpoint. Unless your encoder is specifically configured for YouTube HLS ingestion, these requirements are not needed for a basic OBS setup. Details are in YouTube’s HLS ingestion documentation.
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5. Preflight the stream and plan for continuous operation
- Rights: Confirm that you can broadcast every image and audio track. A live format does not grant permission to use copyrighted material.
- Full-length test: Test the actual visuals and audio, including the return from the final image to the first. A short test can reveal framing or connection issues, but a complete loop is needed to check its transition.
- Connection: Run a speed test and test at the intended output quality. YouTube recommends choosing settings the available connection can sustain, then monitoring stream health and messages while live.
- Machine and network availability: A local OBS stream depends on the encoder machine and its internet connection remaining available. Plan how they will stay on and how someone will notice an interruption. There is no established minimum computer specification for a 24/7 slideshow here; match the computer and encoder to the output you want, then test.
- Recovery plan: Decide who will respond if the encoder, network, or YouTube connection stops. A long-running broadcast needs an operational plan; YouTube does not guarantee uninterrupted operation.
Or let it run in the cloud
StreamNeo is a cloud service for keeping a YouTube channel live from uploaded videos. Upload the slideshow video, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live; StreamNeo loops the upload from the cloud, so your computer and home connection do not have to stay on. It is YouTube-only and plays uploaded video, not a live camera feed.
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