To stream a video file from a Linux VPS to YouTube Live while you disconnect from SSH, run FFmpeg inside a named tmux session. Copy the RTMPS ingest URL and stream key from YouTube Live Control Room, start FFmpeg with real-time input, then detach from tmux. The session keeps the command accessible after SSH disconnects, but tmux does not restart FFmpeg if it exits.
What you need before starting
- A Linux VPS with sustained upload capacity for your selected resolution and bitrate. No universal VPS size or provider has been established for this workload; compare sustained egress, CPU if encoding, storage, region, and provider availability or restart features.
- FFmpeg and tmux installed on the VPS, with the source video at a stable path readable by the account running FFmpeg.
- A YouTube Live stream’s ingest URL and stream key from YouTube Live Control Room.
Use your VPS distribution’s package manager to install FFmpeg and tmux; package names and commands vary by distribution and version, so verify them against your OS documentation. Check the installed FFmpeg build’s help or build configuration for RTMPS support before using an RTMPS endpoint.
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- In YouTube Studio, open Live Control Room and create or select the stream you intend to use.
- Copy the stream URL and stream key shown for the stream. If you intend to use encrypted RTMPS, select and copy the RTMPS URL rather than assuming the displayed default is RTMPS.
- Keep the key private. Do not publish it in examples or screenshots, or expose it in shell history or files readable by other users. YouTube documents resetting a key if it is compromised.
YouTube describes RTMPS as RTMP over a TLS/SSL connection and recommends it for encrypted transmission. Use the exact endpoint format supplied for your stream, and confirm your FFmpeg build supports the protocol. See YouTube’s RTMPS instructions and encoder setup guidance.
Start FFmpeg inside a named tmux session
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SSH into the VPS and create a session named
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tmux new -s ytstream -
Inside that session, run FFmpeg using the source file and the RTMPS endpoint and key copied from YouTube. The general command shape is:
ffmpeg -re -i /path/to/video.mp4 -f flv 'rtmps://HOST/APP/STREAM_KEY'What’s actually slowing this PC down?
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Replace the example path and endpoint with your own values. Do not put an actual stream key in a public command example or shared shell history. This follows FFmpeg’s documented real-time file-to-RTMP pattern; it is a template, not a tested command for every FFmpeg build. The installed build must support RTMPS.
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Wait for FFmpeg to begin sending and check the YouTube Live preview and stream health before detaching. To detach from tmux without ending the session, use the configured detach sequence—commonly
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After reconnecting to the VPS over SSH, return to the session with:
tmux attach -t ytstream
FFmpeg’s documented sending pattern is ffmpeg -re -i myfile -f flv rtmp://myserver/live/mystream. The command above adapts that pattern to a YouTube RTMPS endpoint. See FFmpeg’s documentation and tmux documentation.
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Choose settings your VPS can sustain
YouTube’s encoder recommendations accessed on October 3, 2026, include RTMP or RTMPS, H.264, H.265 or AV1 video, up to 60 fps, constant bitrate (CBR), AAC or MP3 audio, and a two-second keyframe interval (do not exceed four seconds). For H.264, its selected recommended bitrate figures are 10 Mbps at 1080p30 and 8 Mbps at 720p60. These are YouTube recommendations, not proof that a particular VPS or network path can sustain those rates continuously.
| Choice or setting | YouTube guidance or practical criterion |
|---|---|
| H.264 at 1080p30 | 10 Mbps recommended by YouTube Help, accessed October 3, 2026 |
| H.264 at 720p60 | 8 Mbps recommended by YouTube Help, accessed October 3, 2026 |
| Keyframe interval | 2 seconds recommended; maximum 4 seconds in YouTube Help accessed October 3, 2026 |
| Rate control and audio | CBR; AAC or MP3 audio |
| VPS upload capacity | Must sustain the chosen stream rate; no universal VPS size or provider was established |
The example command sends the input using FFmpeg’s real-time input pattern; it does not by itself configure every codec, bitrate, frame rate, or keyframe interval. If you need to encode or alter those properties, choose FFmpeg options appropriate to the input and installed build, then verify the output in YouTube’s preview. YouTube advises testing with audio and movement similar to the intended broadcast, checking upload bitrate, and monitoring stream health. Consult YouTube’s current encoder settings and bitrate guidance for the full settings relevant to your stream.
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What tmux does—and what it does not
tmux keeps a terminal session available to reattach after its client detaches or your SSH connection closes. This makes it useful for administering FFmpeg remotely, but it is not a process supervisor: if FFmpeg exits, tmux does not restart it or automatically retry the stream. If you need supervised restarts, select and configure a separate approach for your OS, input, and FFmpeg version, and test its behavior rather than assuming a universal retry command or policy.
Test, monitor, and handle failures
- No stream appears in YouTube: Check that the stream URL and key are from the intended Live Control Room stream, the endpoint is copied exactly, and FFmpeg supports the selected protocol. Check FFmpeg’s output while attached and the YouTube preview and stream health.
- Stream health is poor or the stream drops: Check the VPS’s sustained upload path against the selected bitrate. Test with comparable audio and video movement, reduce the chosen resolution or rate if the VPS cannot sustain it, and monitor the next test in Live Control Room.
- SSH disconnects: Reconnect and run
tmux attach -t ytstreamto inspect the session. Detaching preserves access to a live tmux session; it cannot recover an FFmpeg process that has already exited. - The stream key may be exposed: Reset it through YouTube’s stream controls and update the endpoint used by FFmpeg before streaming again.
- The stream is expected to run for a long time: YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived after the encoder stops sending. Do not assume the same archive outcome for streams longer than 12 hours; monitor the stream and verify the resulting archive.
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