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To send an AAC internet radio feed to YouTube Live, use an encoder such as OBS Studio or FFmpeg to receive the radio audio, pair it with a still image or video, and send the resulting audiovisual stream to YouTube. Use the stream URL and key created for your broadcast; YouTube recommends RTMPS for a secure connection. Test the actual feed and monitor stream health before relying on it.
What you need before starting
- An internet radio AAC URL that your chosen encoder can open. The exact URL may require particular headers, authentication, or a supported transport; check with the station if access details are unclear.
- A YouTube channel with live streaming enabled, plus the broadcast’s ingest URL and stream key from YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room.
- An encoder: OBS Studio for a graphical desktop setup, or FFmpeg for a command-line or automated pipeline.
- A video source, even if it is only a still station image. The radio URL supplies audio, not the video component YouTube expects from an encoder.
- Permission to retransmit the station’s programming and use any associated artwork. Technical ability to relay a feed is not permission to rebroadcast it.
Keep the stream key private: anyone who has it may be able to broadcast to your channel. YouTube’s API distinguishes the incoming encoder feed (liveStream) from the viewer-facing broadcast (liveBroadcast); its health status can report configuration issues. YouTube Live Streaming API documentation.
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Choose OBS Studio or FFmpeg
| Situation | Starting point | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| You want a graphical interface and may change scenes or visuals while live. | OBS Studio | Verify that the input method you use can open the exact AAC URL and stream type. |
| You want a simple image-plus-audio pipeline or automation. | FFmpeg | You will need to configure the input, video, audio, and YouTube output, and diagnose failures from logs or stream health. |
| You want an unattended relay. | FFmpeg on a server with process supervision is one option. | Automatic restart can relaunch an exited process, but cannot fix a failed radio source, network outage, invalid key, or YouTube-side problem. |
The practical workflow and its still-image, looping-video, and server examples are described in this radio live-streaming guide. The particular radio URL matters: its scheme, access controls, and stream format can determine whether OBS or your FFmpeg build can read it. The sources here do not verify any individual station feed.
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- Open YouTube Studio and go to the Live Control Room. Create or select the broadcast you intend to use.
- Find the stream’s encoder connection details and copy the ingest URL and stream key exactly as displayed. Do not substitute an example endpoint or key.
- Use the stream key only in the encoder’s private configuration. If it is exposed, replace or reset it through the channel’s live-stream controls before broadcasting again.
- Choose RTMPS when the encoder supports it. YouTube’s encoder guidance recommends RTMPS, and its API documentation specifies a valid YouTube endpoint and path, TLS on port 443, and the correct host name for SNI authentication. YouTube encoder settings; RTMPS ingestion guide.
Add a video signal to the radio audio
With OBS Studio
- Add an audio input that can open the station’s AAC URL. Depending on the station stream and your OBS setup, that may require a compatible media source or another input method. Confirm playback in OBS before going live.
- Add a video source, such as a station image, a looping video, or a restrained visualizer. Use material you have permission to broadcast.
- Check the audio meter while the station is playing and confirm that the video preview is not blank. An audio feed alone is not an audiovisual encoder stream.
- In OBS’s stream settings, select the YouTube service or configure the custom server with the exact ingest URL, then enter the broadcast’s stream key. Use RTMPS if the supplied endpoint and encoder support it.
- Set the output settings described below, start a test broadcast, and confirm that YouTube receives both picture and sound before scheduling or relying on the relay.
With FFmpeg
FFmpeg can read an audio URL, combine it with an image or looped video, encode the output, and send it to YouTube. The exact command depends on the URL’s format, any required headers or credentials, your FFmpeg build, the visual source, and YouTube’s current ingest URL. Do not paste a guessed command or a public example key into production: use the actual station access details and the exact ingest URL and key shown for your broadcast. If FFmpeg cannot open the feed, first verify the URL and access requirements with the station, then check that the installed build supports that input.
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- Test the radio URL locally from the same machine or server that will run the relay. Confirm that it plays continuously and that the encoder can decode its audio.
- Choose a still image or a looped video as the video input. Confirm it continues for the duration of the audio input rather than ending early.
- Configure outgoing audio as AAC or MP3 for RTMP/RTMPS, and configure supported video encoding, constant bitrate, and a two-second keyframe interval.
- Set the output destination to the exact YouTube RTMPS ingest URL and provide the private stream key through your encoder’s configuration.
- Run a short test and check both the encoder output and YouTube’s stream health before leaving it unattended.
- For an unattended service, use process supervision or a restart policy to relaunch FFmpeg if it exits. Treat this as process recovery only, not a guarantee that the source, network, or YouTube connection will remain available.
Recommended output settings for YouTube
These are YouTube’s encoder recommendations, not properties that automatically carry over from the AAC station feed. The incoming radio audio and outgoing YouTube encode are separate stages: the encoder may need to decode the source and encode it again in an accepted output configuration. See YouTube’s current encoder guidance.
| Setting | Recommended starting point or supported choice | How to apply it |
|---|---|---|
| Ingestion protocol | RTMPS recommended; YouTube also documents RTMP, HLS, and DASH. | Use the RTMPS endpoint supplied for your broadcast unless a specific codec or delivery requirement calls for another documented protocol. |
| Audio format | AAC or MP3 over RTMP/RTMPS. | Set the outgoing encoder format, not merely the incoming source format. |
| Stereo audio | 44.1 kHz sample rate and 128 kbps recommended. | Use as a baseline for a stereo radio program, then test the resulting stream. |
| 5.1 audio | YouTube lists 48 kHz and 384 kbps; 5.1 over RTMP/RTMPS is supported only for AAC. | Use only if your program and setup genuinely provide 5.1 audio. |
| Video codec and frame rate | H.264, H.265/HEVC, or AV1; up to 60 fps. | Pick a codec supported by your encoder and protocol, and a frame rate appropriate to the visual. |
| Video bitrate | Resolution- and codec-specific. For H.264, YouTube lists 4 Mbps for 720p at 30 or 60 fps and 5 Mbps for 1080p at 30 fps. | Consult the current YouTube table for your chosen resolution, codec, and frame rate. A static visual may not need high resolution, but still needs a supported video signal. |
| Rate control | Constant bitrate (CBR). | Use CBR for the outgoing encoder stream. |
| Keyframe interval | Two seconds recommended; do not exceed four seconds. | Set the encoder’s keyframe interval explicitly if it does not use the recommended default. |
Choose a video bitrate your internet connection can sustain steadily, and test upload capacity before the broadcast. Lower resolution or bitrate if the stream is unstable; a nominally higher setting is not useful if the uplink cannot maintain it.
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RTMP, RTMPS, HLS, and DASH
YouTube documents RTMP, RTMPS, HLS, and DASH as ingestion choices. RTMP is unencrypted; RTMPS encrypts the RTMP connection and is the straightforward default for an ordinary radio relay. YouTube describes HLS and DASH as encrypted options with additional codec possibilities, but their segmented delivery typically adds latency. The YouTube ingestion protocol comparison explains the trade-offs. For RTMPS, use the precise endpoint, port 443, TLS, and hostname expected by YouTube.
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- Start with a short test using the actual station URL, intended image or video, encoder settings, and YouTube broadcast.
- Listen to the YouTube output and inspect its picture. Check that the audio is present and not silent, and that the visual remains on screen.
- Check YouTube’s stream-health indicators before and during the live broadcast. The LiveStreams API documents audio-related issues such as
noAudioStream,audioCodec, and sample-rate warnings; available indicators depend on your workflow. LiveStreams resource and health status. - For a long-running relay, monitor the source feed, encoder process, network connection, and YouTube health separately. A successful start only confirms that the chain worked at that moment.
Troubleshooting common failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check or change |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube shows no video or no signal. | The encoder has no video source, or the visual ends instead of continuing. | Add a still image or looping video and confirm that it remains active in the encoder preview and output. |
| No audio or silence. | The radio URL is unreachable from the encoder host, authentication is missing, or the encoder cannot decode the source. | Test the URL from that host, verify access requirements with the station, and inspect the selected input and YouTube health indicators. |
| Audio format or sample-rate warning. | The outgoing settings do not match YouTube’s supported or recommended configuration. | For RTMP/RTMPS, set AAC or MP3; for stereo, use 44.1 kHz and 128 kbps as the recommended baseline, then check health reporting. |
| RTMPS connection or TLS failure. | Wrong endpoint or path, wrong port, missing TLS, or incorrect hostname/SNI handling. | Copy the current RTMPS URL exactly, use port 443, and confirm the encoder supports TLS and the required hostname handling. |
| Unstable or interrupted transmission. | The selected outgoing bitrate may exceed stable upload capacity, or the network/source is failing. | Test upload capacity, lower resolution or bitrate to a sustainable setting, and monitor stream health. |
| An unattended FFmpeg relay stops. | The FFmpeg process exited, or an upstream dependency failed. | A supervisor can restart an exited process; separately diagnose the station feed, stream key, network, and YouTube ingest because restarting alone will not repair them. |
Rights and YouTube policy are separate from setup
Before broadcasting, obtain authorization that covers retransmission of the station’s music, spoken programming, advertisements, and artwork in the relevant territories. Rights can differ by repertoire and country, and the available technical guidance does not establish whether a particular station feed is cleared for YouTube. Review YouTube’s current rules as well as the station’s licensing terms. Stream availability in an encoder is not evidence of permission to rebroadcast it.
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Or let it run in the cloud
If you want a pre-recorded program to loop on YouTube without keeping a home computer running, StreamNeo is a cloud option. It plays uploaded videos, not a live camera or an AAC internet radio URL, so it is not a direct replacement for the radio-feed relay described above. The setup is three steps: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live.
- Nothing has to stay on at home; the stream runs from the cloud.
- Each slot streams your upload as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot rather than quality-based tiers.
- Automatic recovery attempts to resume the stream if YouTube drops it.
- The first day is free with no card; one free day is available per account.
Monthly billing is $9.99 per month. Start your free StreamNeo day.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send an AAC radio feed to YouTube without video?
No. The encoder feed needs a video component as well as audio; a still image or looping visual can provide it.
Does an AAC source bitrate set the YouTube audio bitrate?
No. The encoder’s outgoing audio settings are a separate stage from the incoming station feed.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- The new generation of the artist's interface: Connect your mic to Scarlett's 4th Gen mic pres. Plug in your guitar. Fire up the included software. Start making your first big hit
- Studio-quality sound: With a huge 120dB dynamic range, the newest generation of Scarlett uses the same converters as Focusrite’s flagship interfaces, found in the world's biggest studios
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- With Scarlett 4th Gen, you have all you need to record, mix and master your music: Includes industry-leading recording software and a full collection of record-making plugins
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
