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Use FFmpeg’s scale video filter to create a 1920×1080 output, preserve the source’s shape rather than stretching it, and send the result to YouTube Live at a bitrate that matches your frame rate and codec. To repeat a complete video, loop the input file; the loop filter instead repeats buffered video frames. The command below uses input looping and real-time pacing.
Choose how the source fits a 16:9 frame
A 1080p frame is 1920×1080, with a 16:9 display aspect ratio. If your source is also 16:9, scaling to those dimensions is straightforward. For a source with a different shape, decide whether to show the entire image with bars or fill the frame by cropping the edges. Stretching the image to exactly 1920×1080 distorts people and objects.
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- Fit: preserve the whole image and add bars where needed. This is usually the safer choice when no part of the source should be lost.
- Fill: enlarge the image until the frame is covered, then crop the excess. This removes part of the image at the edges.
The examples below use FFmpeg’s scale filter with force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease to fit within 1920×1080 without stretching. Check the result for your source’s aspect ratio and sample aspect ratio; the filter documentation explains the scaling options and aspect-ratio behavior in the FFmpeg Filters Documentation.
Loop a complete file and scale it to 1080p
For a file-based loop, the following command pattern repeats the input and paces reading at the source’s frame rate for live output. Replace video.mp4, the RTMPS ingest URL, and the stream key with your own values. Confirm the input-loop option syntax with the documentation or help for your installed FFmpeg build before relying on it.
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ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i "video.mp4"
-vf "scale=1920:1080:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease"
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -b:v 5M -maxrate 5M -bufsize 10M
-r 30 -g 60 -keyint_min 60 -sc_threshold 0
-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100
-f flv "rtmps://YOUR-INGEST-URL/YOUR-STREAM-KEY"This is an adaptable command pattern, not a guarantee that every source or FFmpeg build will work unchanged. In particular, verify the input-loop option and inspect the output dimensions, frame rate, audio, and YouTube stream health before using it for an event.
What the main options do
-rereads the input at its native frame rate, a useful pacing mode for real-time output. It is an input option; FFmpeg documents it in its command-line documentation.-stream_loop -1requests repeated input playback. Do not confuse whole-file input looping with the videoloopfilter.-vfapplies a video filter. Here,scale=1920:1080:force_original_aspect_ratio=decreasefits the image within the target dimensions without stretching it. It may leave unused space; this command does not add a background to fill that space.-c:v libx264selects H.264 encoding.-b:v,-maxrate, and-bufsizeset video-rate control values; the example’s 5 Mbps is not a universal recommendation.-r 30requests 30 fps output. Choose a frame rate appropriate to the source rather than assuming that converting to 60 fps improves it.-g 60sets a 60-frame GOP at 30 fps, corresponding to a two-second keyframe interval.-keyint_min 60and-sc_threshold 0are included to keep keyframe spacing predictable with this x264 pattern.-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100encodes audio as AAC at the shown bitrate and sample rate. Confirm that your source has an audio stream and that it sounds correct in the live preview.-f flvselects the output container commonly used for RTMP/RTMPS ingest. The destination must be the ingest address and stream key supplied by YouTube, not a guessed URL.
Choose YouTube settings for the actual codec and frame rate
YouTube Help recommends RTMPS, CBR bitrate encoding, up to 60 fps, and a keyframe frequency of two seconds (not exceeding four seconds). It also advises choosing a quality your connection can reliably sustain, testing upload speed, and testing with similar audio and motion while monitoring stream-health messages. YouTube’s H.264 bitrate guidance, accessed 2026-10-03, distinguishes these two 1080p cases:
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| H.264 output | Minimum bitrate | Recommended bitrate |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p30 | 5 Mbps | 14 Mbps |
| 1080p60 | 6 Mbps | 17 Mbps |
These figures are YouTube’s current H.264 guidance, not guarantees of picture quality or connection capacity. The sample command’s 5 Mbps video rate is the listed minimum for H.264 1080p30, not YouTube’s recommendation for that format. A bitrate set above the reliable upload capacity can cause instability; test the connection and leave capacity for audio and other network use. For H.265 or AV1, consult YouTube’s row for that codec and frame rate rather than carrying over an H.264 figure.
YouTube Help states: “We recommend streaming to YouTube Live with RTMPS, a secure extension to the popular RTMP streaming video protocol.” See its encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions for the codec-specific table and current instructions.
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Fit, crop, or add bars deliberately
The fit filter in the command preserves the full source image but does not by itself create a finished 1920×1080 canvas when the source has a different aspect ratio. If YouTube or your playback chain requires a fixed 16:9 canvas, add padding after scaling, choosing a background color that suits the video. If you prefer a full frame with no bars, use a crop-to-fill workflow and review the cropped edges. In either case, inspect the encoded output rather than assuming that a filter expression matches the desired composition.
For a 16:9 source, a direct scale=1920:1080 target is appropriate. For other shapes, preserve aspect ratio and explicitly decide what should happen to the remaining canvas. Do not force both the entire original image and a full 16:9 fill: for mismatched shapes, that requires bars, cropping, or distortion.
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Whole-file looping is not the video loop filter
The command pattern uses input looping to replay a complete file. FFmpeg’s loop video filter instead repeats a buffer of video frames; its size controls how many frames are buffered, and start identifies the first frame. The documented example loop=loop=-1:size=1:start=0 repeats only the first frame indefinitely, so it is not a whole-video loop. Use the filter only when repeating a chosen set of frames is actually the goal. See the filter documentation for its parameters.
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- Check the source. Confirm the file decodes, has the expected video and audio streams, and has a shape and frame rate you intend to use.
- Run a short test. Confirm FFmpeg accepts the options in your installed build and that the output reaches YouTube’s live preview.
- Inspect framing and motion. Look for distortion, unwanted crop, bars, judder, or frozen video. Use representative motion, not only a still opening frame.
- Check audio. Listen for silence, clipping, dropouts, or audio/video sync problems, including at the point where the file repeats.
- Watch YouTube’s stream health. Review its messages during the test and adjust bitrate or output settings to match the actual connection and ingest codec.
A successful local encode only shows that FFmpeg can process the file; it does not establish that YouTube is receiving a healthy stream. The cited setup guidance covers encoding and testing, not unattended process supervision, reconnection, or restarting FFmpeg after a failure.
Common problems and what to check
- The image looks stretched: remove a forced width-and-height resize that disregards aspect ratio. Use an aspect-preserving fit or crop workflow, and inspect the output.
- Black bars or empty canvas appear: fit preserves the full picture, so a non-16:9 source will not fill a 16:9 canvas without a background or crop. Add padding if you want bars on a deliberate canvas, or crop after scaling if filling the frame matters more.
- YouTube reports unstable ingest: lower the target bitrate to a level your upload connection can sustain, check for competing network use, and test with the same codec, frame rate, audio, and motion planned for the stream.
- The stream is rejected or does not appear: verify the YouTube ingest address and stream key, the RTMPS destination, the selected output format, and YouTube’s current encoder requirements. Do not publish or share the stream key.
- The video repeats a still frame instead of the file: check that you have not used the frame-loop filter with a buffer size of one when you meant to restart the entire input.
- Audio is missing or wrong: verify that the input contains audio and that FFmpeg’s selected audio encoding is accepted; monitor the live preview and stream-health messages.
- The stream stops when FFmpeg exits: this command does not provide supervision or process-restart behavior. Plan how the process will be monitored and restarted if you need a longer-running stream.
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