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You can run FFmpeg on an AWS Lightsail Linux VPS and send its video output to YouTube Live. Create a Linux instance, install and verify an FFmpeg build for your distribution, then configure it with the ingest URL and stream key shown in YouTube Live Control Room. YouTube recommends RTMPS, constant bitrate (CBR), and a two-second keyframe interval; the exact command and sustainable output depend on your input, FFmpeg build, and server capacity.
How the Lightsail-to-YouTube workflow works
FFmpeg runs on the VPS, reads a local or otherwise accessible media input, encodes or packages the audio and video, and pushes the resulting stream to YouTube. Lightsail supports Linux/Unix images including Ubuntu and Debian, and AWS documents browser-based SSH and standard SSH-client access. AWS Lightsail instance information
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Set up the Lightsail instance and access
1. Create a Linux instance
- In the Lightsail console, create an instance and select a Linux/Unix image, such as Ubuntu or Debian. Choose the region and instance plan appropriate to your workload. AWS’s creation guide covers the console flow: Create a Lightsail instance.
- Choose capacity based on the work FFmpeg will actually do. Re-encoding video can require substantially more CPU than passing through compatible streams; this research does not establish that any particular plan can sustain a given resolution, frame rate, or bitrate. Test the exact source and output profile on the instance before relying on it.
- Connect with Lightsail’s browser-based SSH or an SSH client. Restrict inbound SSH access to your own source address when practical, and avoid exposing services you do not need.
2. Decide whether you need a static IP
A Lightsail instance’s default public IPv4 address can change after you stop and restart it. Attach a static IPv4 if you need a stable address for administration or an external reference; that address is not required for the outbound YouTube stream itself. Create and attach a Lightsail static IP
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Install and verify FFmpeg for your Linux image
The right installation command depends on the selected distribution and its repositories, so do not assume one command or one package build applies to every Lightsail image. After installation, verify that the FFmpeg binary you will run includes the required input support, video and audio encoders, and RTMP or RTMPS protocol support. Package versions and enabled features can differ between OS repositories and builds.
Before building a long-running service around the command, confirm that the selected binary can connect using the protocol and endpoint displayed in YouTube Live Control Room. In particular, do not assume RTMPS support is enabled just because the binary is called FFmpeg.
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Get the YouTube ingest URL and protect the stream key
- Open YouTube Live Control Room and create or select the live stream you intend to use.
- Copy the server or ingest URL and stream key shown for that stream into your FFmpeg configuration. Use the current values displayed in Live Control Room rather than guessing an endpoint path.
- Treat the stream key like a password: do not commit it to source control, include it in public screenshots, or print it in publicly accessible logs. If it is exposed, reset it in YouTube’s stream settings. YouTube: Manage live stream settings
Choose an output profile YouTube can ingest
YouTube’s encoder guidance supports RTMP/RTMPS workflows, H.264, H.265, and AV1 video, up to 60 frames per second, and AAC or MP3 audio. For a broadly compatible starting profile, use H.264 video and AAC audio with CBR, then choose resolution, frame rate, and bitrate to match both the source and the VPS’s measured capacity. The values below are YouTube’s H.264 recommendations on its encoder-settings page, accessed 2026-10-03; they are platform guidance, not evidence that a particular Lightsail plan can encode them continuously. YouTube encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions
| Output profile | YouTube H.264 recommended video bitrate |
|---|---|
| 1080p at 30 fps | 14 Mbps |
| 1080p at 60 fps | 17 Mbps |
| 720p at 30 fps | 8 Mbps |
| 720p at 60 fps | 8 Mbps |
These are not universal rates for every codec or profile. YouTube’s table varies recommendations by resolution, frame rate, and codec; consult the current table for combinations not listed here rather than extrapolating a value. The same guidance recommends CBR and a two-second keyframe interval, and says not to exceed four seconds. For stereo audio, it lists a 44.1 kHz sample rate and 128 Kbps audio bitrate in its advanced settings. Up to 60 fps is supported by the cited encoder guidance.
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Use RTMPS when your FFmpeg build supports it
YouTube describes RTMPS as a secure extension to RTMP and recommends it for encrypted transport: “You can stream to YouTube Live with RTMPS, a secure extension to the popular RTMP streaming video protocol.” YouTube: Encrypt your stream using RTMPS
Use the RTMPS ingest URL shown in Live Control Room if the FFmpeg build on your instance can connect to it. If it cannot, check the build’s protocol support and resolve that limitation before choosing another route; do not describe an unencrypted RTMP connection as encrypted.
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Test before relying on the stream
- Run a pre-event test using representative video motion and audio, not just a static frame or silent clip.
- Check that YouTube’s preview appears and that audio, motion, and stream-health indicators behave as expected.
- Watch YouTube’s stream-health messages during the actual event and respond to warnings before they become prolonged interruptions. YouTube recommends testing in advance and monitoring stream health. YouTube encoder settings and testing guidance
Troubleshoot common setup failures
| Symptom | What to check |
|---|---|
| YouTube does not receive a signal | Confirm that FFmpeg is using the current ingest URL and stream key from Live Control Room, and that the instance can make outbound connections. Check the binary’s RTMP/RTMPS support and its error output. |
| The RTMPS connection fails | Verify that the endpoint is the RTMPS URL displayed in Live Control Room and that this FFmpeg build supports the required secure protocol. Do not assume all distribution packages include the same features. |
| The preview appears but health warnings persist | Compare the selected codec, resolution, frame rate, bitrate, keyframe interval, and audio settings with YouTube’s current encoder guidance. Test a lower output profile if the instance cannot sustain the selected encoding workload. |
| The stream works until the instance is stopped and restarted, then an external reference breaks | The default public IPv4 may have changed. Attach a static IP if a stable address is required; it is not a fix for an outbound ingest problem. |
| The stream key may have been disclosed | Reset the key in YouTube’s live stream settings, then update the FFmpeg configuration and secure any logs or scripts containing the old value. |
Run FFmpeg yourself or let it run in the cloud
A Lightsail VPS gives you control over the Linux environment and FFmpeg workflow, but you remain responsible for the server, process supervision, configuration, and verifying capacity for the exact stream. For a continuous 24/7 workload, this evidence does not establish a particular Lightsail plan’s suitability, cost, or guaranteed uptime; calculate the current AWS cost and test the chosen instance rather than assuming it will hold a profile indefinitely.
Or let it run in the cloud
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