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Use FFmpeg’s concat demuxer to read a playlist of story videos, -stream_loop -1 to repeat it indefinitely, and YouTube Live’s RTMPS ingest URL and stream key to send the feed. The loop only repeats the input: your host, network, FFmpeg process and YouTube ingest still need monitoring and recovery plans.
What you need before you start
- An installed FFmpeg build with the encoders and RTMPS support your command will use.
- A YouTube channel with live streaming enabled. YouTube says first-time activation can take up to 24 hours.
- A set of story clips with compatible streams if you plan to concatenate them without re-encoding.
- A computer or server that can remain on, adequate storage, and stable upload bandwidth for the chosen bitrate.
- The server URL and stream key for your YouTube live event, copied from Live Control Room. Treat the key like a password.
The examples below are command templates, not tested commands. Replace bitrate, keyframe and ingest placeholders with values for your stream. Do not publish a real stream key in a command, screenshot or repository.
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Prepare a concat playlist
Create the playlist file
Save a plain-text, UTF-8 file named stories.ffconcat. If you rely on FFmpeg detecting the concat format from its signature, make the first line exactly ffconcat version 1.0, with no byte-order mark:
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file 'story-01.mp4'
file 'story-02.mp4'
file 'story-03.mp4'Relative paths are generally more portable and work with the demuxer’s default safe-path setting. Quote or escape paths containing spaces or special characters. Absolute paths and other unsafe path forms may be rejected under the default setting. The command later in this guide shows -safe 0 for playlists that use such paths; only disable the check for a playlist you trust.
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Check that the clips can be concatenated
The concat demuxer joins packets and adjusts timestamps so each file follows the previous file. FFmpeg expects the files to have the same streams, codecs and time bases. Differences in resolution, frame rate, codec, audio layout or timing can cause errors, gaps or playback artifacts; unequal stream durations can also create gaps because timestamp adjustment is global.
Inspect each clip before choosing stream copy. If the inputs are not compatible, first transcode them to a shared format or use a filter-based concat workflow that re-encodes the combined output. FFmpeg distinguishes the concat demuxer, useful when compatible packet streams can be joined without re-encoding, from the concat filter, generally used when re-encoding is needed.
If a file’s duration is known accurately but FFmpeg’s estimate is wrong, the concat format supports a duration directive to override it. An incorrect duration can itself cause timestamp problems, so do not guess.
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- In YouTube Studio, create or schedule the live stream and open its Live Control Room.
- In Stream settings, expose and copy the server URL and stream key for the event. If you are using encrypted ingest, select the RTMPS URL. YouTube describes RTMPS as RTMP over TLS/SSL.
- Keep the key private. Put it only in a protected local command, configuration or secret store; avoid shell history or shared logs where practical.
- Use the ingest address and key exactly as YouTube provides them. Some encoder configurations use a combined
STREAM_URL/STREAM_NAMEform; follow the format for the endpoint and FFmpeg setup you are using.
YouTube’s Live API documents a primary RTMPS ingestion address and stream name. The endpoint and key are event-specific, so do not copy a sample address or key from someone else’s setup.
Send the playlist to YouTube with FFmpeg
Re-encode for a consistent output
Re-encoding is a practical choice when clips differ or when you need to set a consistent output format. This template uses H.264 video and AAC stereo audio:
ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -f concat -safe 0 -i stories.ffconcat
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -pix_fmt yuv420p
-b:v VIDEO_BITRATE -maxrate VIDEO_BITRATE -bufsize VIDEO_BUFFER
-g KEYFRAME_INTERVAL_FRAMES -keyint_min KEYFRAME_INTERVAL_FRAMES
-sc_threshold 0 -c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100
-f flv 'rtmps://YOUTUBE_INGEST_URL/YOUR_STREAM_KEY'Replace the video bitrate, buffer size, keyframe interval and URL/key placeholders. -re reads file input at its native rate instead of sending it as fast as the machine can process it. -stream_loop -1 repeats the input indefinitely and must appear before the relevant -i. The concat demuxer input is the playlist, not a directory of videos.
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-safe 0 permits unsafe path forms such as absolute paths; prefer relative paths and omit that override if your playlist works with the default safe-path checks. Keep it only for a trusted playlist.
Use stream copy only for compatible files
If every clip’s packet streams, timestamps and output container are compatible, you can avoid video re-encoding with stream copy:
ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -f concat -safe 0 -i stories.ffconcat
-c copy -f flv 'rtmps://YOUTUBE_INGEST_URL/YOUR_STREAM_KEY'This is not a universal shortcut for arbitrary MP4 files. If YouTube’s preview or stream-health panel reports codec, timestamp, resolution or audio problems, normalize the clips or switch to a re-encoding workflow.
Choose encoder settings and bitrate
YouTube’s current encoder-help guidance lists RTMP/RTMPS, H.264, H.265 (HEVC) or AV1 video, up to 60 fps, AAC or MP3 audio, CBR encoding, and a recommended two-second keyframe interval that should not exceed four seconds. The following H.264 bitrate values are YouTube’s published recommendations, not independent performance measurements; the page does not state a publication year.
| H.264 output | YouTube-listed minimum | YouTube-listed recommended bitrate |
|---|---|---|
| 720p30 | 3 Mbps | 8 Mbps |
| 720p60 | 3 Mbps | 8 Mbps |
| 1080p30 | 5 Mbps | 14 Mbps |
| 1080p60 | 6 Mbps | 17 Mbps |
Use a bitrate that matches your actual codec, resolution, frame rate and sustained upload capacity; leave headroom rather than setting the encoder at the full measured connection speed. Run a speed test and test the stream with representative motion and audio before leaving it unattended. For stereo, YouTube recommends AAC or MP3 at 44.1 kHz and 128 kbps. For 5.1 AAC, it recommends 48 kHz and 384 kbps. YouTube lists Rec. 709 for SDR.
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The command template’s AAC settings are for stereo. Adjust the video keyframe interval to two seconds in frames: for example, 60 frames at 30 fps or 120 frames at 60 fps. Use a CBR-compatible configuration and confirm the resulting stream in YouTube’s preview and health information.
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Launch and keep the stream healthy
- Configure the YouTube event and copy its current ingest details before starting FFmpeg.
- Start FFmpeg and watch its output for input, encoder or connection errors.
- Wait for the YouTube preview, then check Live Control Room’s stream health and messages before treating the stream as ready.
- Run a representative test with moving video and audio, as YouTube recommends, before relying on a long broadcast.
- For an unattended setup, use an operating-system-appropriate process supervisor, persistent logs, disk-space checks and alerts. Choose restart behavior deliberately and test it by simulating failures.
FFmpeg’s input loop does not restart a crashed process or repair a failed host, exhausted disk, network outage or rejected YouTube ingest. The official FFmpeg and YouTube guidance does not prescribe one universal supervision configuration or guarantee uninterrupted operation; validate the specific machine and recovery plan you use.
Understand the 12-hour archive boundary
YouTube’s live-stream setup guidance says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. A continuous 24/7 broadcast exceeds that stated window, so do not assume the entire feed will become a normal archived video. Plan separate retention for the story files and verify YouTube’s current handling if you need an archive of a long-running event.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting common failures
FFmpeg rejects a playlist path
Check the spelling and quoting in each file line. Try relative paths from the playlist’s working directory; if absolute paths are necessary, use -safe 0 only with a playlist you trust.
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Compare the files’ streams, codecs, time bases and durations. The concat demuxer is not a general-purpose converter. Normalize incompatible clips, or use a filter-based concat workflow and re-encode. Correct any duration override using a verified duration rather than an estimate.
YouTube does not receive the stream
Confirm that the event is configured, live streaming is enabled, and the server URL and key were copied from the correct Live Control Room event. Check that the installed FFmpeg build supports the selected encoder and RTMPS connection, and inspect FFmpeg’s connection errors and YouTube’s stream-health messages.
YouTube reports poor stream health
Check that the bitrate is appropriate for the selected resolution and frame rate and that sustained upload capacity has room above it. Verify CBR, the two-second keyframe target, codec and audio settings, then test again with representative motion and sound.
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The stream runs, but the host is not resilient
A looping command does not protect against a computer sleeping, a server rebooting, a full disk or a dropped process. Keep the host awake, monitor storage and connectivity, log the process, and configure and test a supervisor that can restart FFmpeg after failure.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the order or add stories while FFmpeg is running?
The concat demuxer reads the playlist as an input; stop and restart the process after changing the file list so the new order is used.
Does FFmpeg need a paid hosting service to stream to YouTube?
No. FFmpeg itself does not require paid hosting; you do need an available computer or server, storage and network connection for the duration of the stream.
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Can YouTube automatically choose the encoder settings?
YouTube says it automatically detects which encoder settings you chose. Its guidance also describes custom stream keys for manually selecting resolution.
Quick Recap
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