To loop a video through Restream, send FFmpeg’s live-paced output to a Restream RTMP ingest URL and stream key, then enable your YouTube channel as the Restream destination. The path has two hops: FFmpeg → Restream → YouTube. Use Restream’s URL and key for FFmpeg—not YouTube’s—when Restream is forwarding the stream.
The command below is a practical pattern, not a version-tested guarantee: confirm FFmpeg’s options and the exact ingest format shown in your Restream account before relying on it.
1. Prepare the YouTube destination in Restream
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Sign in to Restream and create a stream using Encoder | RTMP.
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Enable the connected YouTube channel you want to receive the feed. Restream’s streaming-software guide says to copy the Restream RTMP URL and stream key into the encoder, then start the encoder. Restream forwards the feed to the enabled channels.
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Copy the RTMP URL and stream key shown for that Restream stream. Keep the key private: it is a credential that permits an encoder to send a feed. YouTube explains live stream settings and keys in its Manage live stream settings page.
2. Decide whether to use a scheduled YouTube event
If you are streaming to a scheduled event rather than simply starting a channel destination, attach the event before sending video. Restream documents two approaches in its existing YouTube Event guide:
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YouTube integration: Connect the event through the YouTube integration when it is available for your setup.
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Custom RTMP: Add the event as a Custom RTMP channel using that event’s YouTube stream URL and key. Restream says this manual route requires a paid plan and has limitations, including availability of Restream API-dependent features such as Chat and Analytics.
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With auto-start disabled, start the feed and then click Go live in YouTube Live Control Room. With auto-stop disabled, stop the stream in YouTube after stopping the feed. Check these event settings beforehand so the stream does not remain in preview or an event does not stay open after FFmpeg exits.
3. Loop the file with FFmpeg
Use FFmpeg on a machine that can reach Restream’s ingest endpoint and has the video file available. The pattern below loops the input indefinitely, paces reading in real time, encodes video and audio, and sends the output as FLV to the Restream destination:
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ffmpeg -stream_loop -1 -re -i input.mp4 -c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -b:v 5M -maxrate 5M -bufsize 10M -r 30 -g 60 -c:a aac -b:a 128k -f flv "<Restream-RTMP-URL>/<STREAM_KEY>"
Replace input.mp4, the destination URL, and key with your own values. Treat the example’s encoder choices and output URL shape as a starting point only. The source material for this workflow does not certify the exact FFmpeg syntax against a particular FFmpeg release or establish that every Restream account formats its ingest URL and key as one combined address. Check the options supported by your installed FFmpeg version and use the exact connection details and format Restream supplies; do not add the slash or combine fields if Restream presents them separately.
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-stream_loop -1 is intended to repeat the input; -re is intended to read it at approximately real-time speed rather than racing through the file. Confirm both options’ behavior with your installed build. The sample encodes H.264 at 30 fps with a two-second GOP at the chosen frame rate; it is not suitable unchanged for every source, resolution, or target bitrate. Adjust output resolution, frame rate, codec, bitrate, and audio to fit the source and YouTube’s current guidance.
4. Set encoder quality for YouTube
YouTube’s encoder settings guide supports H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1, up to 60 fps. It recommends constant bitrate encoding and a two-second keyframe interval, and says the interval should not exceed four seconds. Select a bitrate for the codec, resolution, and frame rate you actually send; the figures below are YouTube guidance, not measurements of this workflow.
| Example format | YouTube H.264 bitrate guidance |
|---|---|
| 1080p at 30 fps | 5 Mbps minimum; 14 Mbps recommended |
| 1080p at 60 fps | 6 Mbps minimum; 17 Mbps recommended |
| 720p at 30 fps | 3 Mbps minimum; 8 Mbps recommended |
Restream’s encoder guide, published July 31, 2026, advises at least 10 Mbps upload and recommends 25 Mbps or higher for Full HD. That is general upload-capacity guidance, not a replacement for choosing the encoder bitrate from YouTube’s resolution- and codec-specific settings. Your connection needs headroom above the stream bitrate, particularly if other devices or applications use the same upload connection.
YouTube recommends RTMPS, its encrypted variant of RTMP. Use the protocol and ingest address Restream provides for your stream; do not substitute YouTube’s direct ingest details for Restream’s first-hop credentials.
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5. Start, verify, and end the stream
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Check that the input file plays correctly, including its audio, and that the machine’s upload connection can sustain the selected bitrate.
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Run FFmpeg and check that it connects to Restream without authentication or network errors.
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Open YouTube Live Control Room and confirm that the incoming preview appears. If the event is not set to auto-start, click Go live.
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While live, monitor stream health and messages. YouTube recommends testing beforehand with audio and movement similar to the planned stream, then monitoring stream health during the event. Its encoder instructions describe the direct-to-YouTube workflow; in this setup, FFmpeg’s first-hop destination remains Restream.
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To finish, stop FFmpeg. If the event’s auto-stop setting is off, end the broadcast separately in YouTube Live Control Room. YouTube says streams shorter than 12 hours are automatically archived.
6. Common problems and fixes
Restream or YouTube receives no video
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Verify that FFmpeg uses the Restream URL and key, and that the intended YouTube destination is enabled in Restream.
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Check for a typo, extra spaces, or an incorrect URL/key combination. Copy fresh credentials from the correct Restream stream if needed, and keep the key out of public logs or posts.
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Confirm that the FFmpeg output format and destination syntax match the details Restream provides; the example command’s combined URL shape is not guaranteed for every account.
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The video races through the file or does not repeat
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Check that your installed FFmpeg build accepts the loop and real-time pacing options as used. The intended pattern uses
-stream_loop -1to repeat and-reto pace file input; one does not replace the other. -
Inspect FFmpeg’s output for option or input errors, and test the command with a short file before scheduling a long run.
YouTube preview appears, but the event is not live
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Check the event’s auto-start behavior. If auto-start is off, select Go live in YouTube Live Control Room after the preview arrives.
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If using a scheduled event, verify that the event is attached to the correct YouTube destination in Restream.
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Stream health reports instability
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Check upload capacity, reduce bitrate or output resolution if the connection cannot sustain the selected rate, and monitor whether other traffic is competing for upload bandwidth.
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Confirm the encoder settings follow YouTube’s current codec, frame-rate, bitrate, and keyframe recommendations. Test audio and motion before the actual event.
7. Copyright and repeated video
Looping a file does not grant permission to stream its contents. Use video, music, and other material you own or are licensed to use, and review YouTube’s applicable copyright and live-stream rules before broadcasting. A technically accepted stream is not a guarantee that its content complies with YouTube’s policies.
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