You can simulcast an online radio station on YouTube by sending its audio and a simple visual—such as your station logo—from an encoder to YouTube Live. OBS Studio is one software option: create a scene, route in the station audio, then connect OBS to YouTube with the server URL and stream key from YouTube Studio. First confirm your channel can livestream and that your music rights cover YouTube and any resulting archive.
Before you start: check channel access and music rights
Enable YouTube live streaming in advance
Your YouTube channel must be verified and must not have had a live-stream restriction in the preceding 90 days. First-time activation can take up to 24 hours, so enable live streaming well before your planned broadcast. See YouTube’s live-streaming eligibility guidance.
Confirm rights for the broadcast and archive
Having permission to play music on your radio station does not automatically establish that you may simulcast it on YouTube. You need the necessary rights for the live broadcast and any recording YouTube makes available afterward. YouTube’s Livestream terms and conditions place responsibility on the content provider for music licensing rights, including rights involving artists, record labels, publishers and other royalty participants. Confirm that your licenses cover YouTube, the territories where the stream may be available, and any on-demand archive; seek advice from your licensing organization or counsel if the scope is unclear.
Choose how to send the station audio
An encoder is the bridge between the station feed and YouTube Live. It combines audio with a visual scene and sends the encoded live feed to YouTube. For a basic radio simulcast, a station image or logo can serve as the visual; you do not need a camera just to show that image.
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| Option | When it fits | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Software encoder, such as OBS Studio | You have a computer available and want to build a scene from supported audio, media and image sources. | The computer, encoder and audio route need to remain running for the broadcast. A particular station URL or protocol may not work as a direct source, so test it. |
| Standalone hardware encoder | You need a dedicated device or a more involved production setup. | It is an optional alternative, not a requirement for a simple simulcast; it adds hardware and budget considerations. |
YouTube documents both software apps and standalone hardware encoders, and notes that a laptop and available equipment can be enough to start. This walkthrough uses OBS Studio. Its scenes can combine sources such as audio, media, images and text; it also documents a VLC video source for playlists when VLC is installed. OBS documentation reviewed for these source concepts is dated 2022, and does not establish that every online radio URL or streaming protocol works in every current setup. See OBS’s sources guide and media sources guide.
Set up the YouTube encoder stream
- Open YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room. Choose the encoder workflow and create a new stream, or schedule one if you want a listing and planned start time. YouTube provides a server URL and stream key for the encoder. Follow YouTube’s encoder setup instructions for the current interface.
- Keep the stream key private. It tells your encoder where to send the feed and lets YouTube accept it. Do not publish it, place it in a public scene, or share it with people who should not be able to stream to your channel. If it is exposed, replace or reset it through YouTube Studio before broadcasting.
- Prepare OBS. Install and open OBS Studio, then create a scene for the radio stream. Give the scene a recognizable name, such as “Station live,” so you can find it easily if you later add more scenes.
Add a station visual and route in its audio
Build a simple radio scene
- In OBS, select the scene and add an image source for your station logo or other artwork. Check that it is legible and fits the canvas without unintended cropping.
- Add the station audio using a source OBS supports. If your feed is available as compatible media, test it as a media source. OBS also documents a VLC source for playlists when VLC is installed.
- Test the actual station URL and format before relying on it. Official OBS source guidance does not guarantee that every network-radio URL or protocol can be pasted in and played. If direct ingestion fails, use a supported capture path: play the station on the computer and select the playback device as an audio input in OBS, or use another supported route appropriate to your operating system and source.
Avoid duplicate audio capture
If you capture station playback through an audio device, avoid capturing that same device both as a scene source and as a global audio device in OBS. OBS warns that duplicate capture can create echo. Check OBS’s audio and video capture guidance and listen to the preview with headphones before going live.
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Set audio quality, connect OBS, and test
Use YouTube’s published stereo recommendations
YouTube’s general encoder guidance lists AAC or MP3 as audio codecs. For stereo audio, its recommended advanced settings include a 44.1 kHz sample rate and 128 Kbps bitrate. Start with a YouTube-compatible encoder preset if your software offers one, and verify the actual output in the Live Control Room. See YouTube’s encoder settings.
Connect the encoder to YouTube
- In OBS, open Settings > Stream, choose YouTube as the service if available, and enter or select the stream key. If the service setup asks for a server URL, use the one shown in YouTube Studio. Interface labels can vary by OBS version.
- Start streaming in OBS. Leave YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room open and wait for its preview to appear.
- Before clicking Go live in YouTube Studio, confirm that the preview shows the intended visual, the station audio is present, and the audio meter is moving. Listen for silence, clipping, distortion or echo.
- Monitor the stream after going live. YouTube recommends testing the setup and checking audio and video quality; its live-stream monitoring guidance explains what to watch for.
End the broadcast and understand the archive
When the broadcast is finished, end it in YouTube Live Control Room and stop sending from OBS. YouTube says streams shorter than 12 hours are automatically archived. Treat that recording as a separate use of the music: your rights must cover the on-demand archive as well as the live simulcast. Review the result in YouTube Studio and remove or restrict it if you do not have archive rights.
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Troubleshoot common problems
- You cannot start a live stream: check that the channel is verified, has no live-stream restriction within the preceding 90 days, and that first-time live activation has completed. Initial activation can take up to 24 hours.
- YouTube Studio does not receive a signal: check that OBS is streaming, that the selected service/server URL and stream key match the stream in Live Control Room, and that the key has not been replaced. Keep the key private.
- The visual appears but the radio is silent: confirm the station feed itself plays, then check the selected OBS source and its audio meter. If the URL or protocol is unsupported as a direct source, try a supported playback-capture route instead.
- The audio echoes: check whether the same playback device is captured both in the scene and globally in OBS; remove the duplicate route.
- The preview sounds poor or is missing audio: verify the audio codec and stereo settings, then listen to the Live Control Room preview and monitor the broadcast rather than relying only on local playback.
- Music is claimed, blocked or unavailable: check the specific YouTube notice and your license scope. A radio-distribution license alone does not prove that your YouTube live broadcast or archive is authorized.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is a continuous YouTube stream of uploaded recordings rather than a live relay of your station’s current feed, StreamNeo is a cloud option: upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops uploaded videos; it does not capture a live radio URL or broadcast from a camera.
- Nothing has to stay on at home; the stream runs from the cloud.
- Any uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps streams as made, at one flat price per slot with no re-encode or quality tiers.
- StreamNeo automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream.
- The first day is free with no card, one free day per account.
The Monthly plan is $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo plans and pricing, or start your free first day.
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