You can broadcast an internet radio station on YouTube by bringing its audio feed into OBS, adding a still image or designed visual, and sending the output to YouTube Live. First confirm you have permission to rebroadcast the station’s music and other content; then test the station’s direct stream URL, connect OBS to YouTube with a stream key, and check the preview before going live. A radio station’s public web player does not, by itself, grant rebroadcast rights.
Before you start: confirm the broadcast rights
Ask the station and relevant rights holders whether your permission covers retransmission on YouTube, the territories where viewers may watch, and any archived copy. YouTube’s livestream terms say providers must have the necessary rights for use on Google services, including music licensing rights. YouTube scans live streams for third-party content; a stream may be interrupted or terminated if a match is detected. Even if you have licensed the content, the rights owner may need to add your channel to its Content ID allowlist to prevent interruptions, as explained in YouTube’s live-stream copyright guidance.
Do not assume a station’s permission to stream music on its own website extends to your YouTube broadcast. Clarify the rights for the actual recordings, live transmission, territories, and archive with the station and rights holders before making the stream public.
What you need
- OBS Studio and the station’s direct audio-stream URL, if it provides one. A web-player page is not necessarily the media stream itself.
- A visual for the broadcast, such as a station logo, schedule, or still image.
- A YouTube channel enabled for live streaming. YouTube says first-time activation can take up to 24 hours.
- Permission to retransmit the audio on YouTube, as described above.
- VLC installed if you plan to use OBS’s VLC Video source. OBS says 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
The official OBS and YouTube setup guidance describes a software workflow; it does not establish that extra hardware is required.
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Set up the radio audio and visual in OBS
- Create a scene and visual. In OBS, add a suitable image or other visual source to the scene. Keep the visual within the canvas and check how it appears in the preview.
- Add the station audio. For a network feed, try OBS’s VLC Video source and enter the station’s direct stream URL. OBS documents that the source uses VLC libraries, supports playlists, and lets you select audio tracks. VLC must be installed. OBS lists 400 ms as the source’s default network-caching setting; that is a software default, not a guaranteed or universally suitable setting. See OBS Media Sources.
- Check the mixer. Confirm the audio meter moves when the station is playing, then listen to the audio you intend to send. Avoid capturing desktop audio if it could also include alerts or unrelated applications. OBS describes audio, media, and audio-capture sources in its Sources Guide.
- If the URL fails, isolate the problem. Test the URL outside OBS and confirm it points to the actual audio endpoint rather than just a web-player page. OBS’s standard Media Source documentation lists local formats including MP3, AAC, OGG, and WAV, but its documentation does not guarantee that every radio URL, protocol, codec, or authentication method will work. If the station only plays in a local application, test an appropriate audio-capture source and make sure it captures only the sound you want broadcast.
Test with the station feed you will actually use. Do not treat a successful test with one endpoint as proof that another station’s URL or reconnect behavior will work.
Connect OBS to YouTube Live
- In YouTube Studio, open Live Control Room and create or select an encoder stream. Follow YouTube’s encoder setup instructions.
- Copy the stream URL and stream key from YouTube into OBS’s stream settings, or select YouTube in OBS if an appropriate integration is available. YouTube describes the stream key as the address and password used to direct an encoder feed; treat it like a credential and do not share it.
- Start streaming from OBS and wait for the incoming feed to appear in YouTube’s preview. Check the picture and audio there, then start the public broadcast when you are ready.
Set the stream’s public, unlisted, or private visibility intentionally. YouTube’s stream settings guidance explains the encoder settings and stream-key controls.
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Choose audio and connection settings, then test
For RTMP or RTMPS audio, YouTube’s published encoder guidance recommends AAC or MP3, 128 Kbps for stereo, and a 44.1 kHz stereo sample rate. It recommends constant bitrate and a two-second keyframe interval (no more than four seconds). YouTube recommends RTMPS, an encrypted extension of RTMP. These are platform recommendations, not a test of your specific station feed or computer. Check the current YouTube encoder settings before broadcasting.
Choose a stream quality your connection can sustain and leave upload capacity beyond the total stream bitrate. YouTube’s streaming tips recommend 20% upload headroom for the combined bitrate, including a backup stream where applicable. Test the actual setup in advance rather than relying on a speed-test result alone.
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- Listen for silence, clipping, sudden level changes, or unwanted desktop sounds.
- Check that the visual is readable and correctly framed in YouTube’s preview.
- Confirm YouTube reports healthy incoming audio and video before going live.
- Check that the intended watch page can be accessed at the chosen visibility setting.
Monitor the broadcast and plan for interruptions
During a broadcast, watch YouTube’s stream health and listen to the output; also monitor the computer and network running OBS. YouTube recommends monitoring stream quality. A network radio source may stop, change endpoint behavior, or fail to reconnect, so validate those conditions with your station feed and setup rather than assuming OBS will keep an unattended broadcast uninterrupted.
YouTube says encoder streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. Do not assume the same archive behavior for a broadcast lasting 12 hours or longer. See YouTube’s encoder setup guidance.
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Common problems and fixes
- OBS has no audio: Check that the stream URL is the direct media endpoint, confirm the source is active and the mixer meter moves, then test the endpoint outside OBS. If using VLC Video, verify VLC is installed with the architecture matching OBS.
- The audio plays locally but not in YouTube’s preview: Check OBS’s mixer and output configuration, then confirm the incoming feed and audio status in Live Control Room before taking the stream live.
- Unwanted computer sounds are audible: Disable or change desktop-audio capture and use a source that captures only the station feed. Check the mixer while alerts and other applications are active.
- The feed drops or buffers: Test the station endpoint and connection over time. Review the source’s network-caching setting if using VLC Video, but do not assume its 400 ms default is right for every endpoint. Verify whether the station feed itself has stopped before changing YouTube settings.
- YouTube interrupts the stream: A third-party content match or missing rights-owner allowlisting may be involved. Contact the station or rights holder to verify permission and Content ID status; do not repeatedly restart a stream without resolving the rights issue.
- The stream key no longer works: Recheck the stream URL and key in YouTube Studio and OBS. Keep the key private; if it may have been exposed, replace it in YouTube Studio and update OBS.
- The broadcast is not archived: Check the duration. YouTube’s stated automatic-archive condition is for encoder streams under 12 hours.
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