OBS Studio is the best free computer-based option for sending a prerecorded video to YouTube as a live stream. It is open-source and free to use, but your computer and internet connection must stay available; OBS alone does not guarantee uninterrupted 24/7 streaming. If you want the stream to run without leaving a computer on at home, StreamNeo is a cloud alternative.
OBS Studio: free software for a prerecorded YouTube live stream
The OBS Project says OBS is open-source software distributed under GPLv2 and free for any use, with no watermark or usage limitations. YouTube supports software encoders, including computer apps such as OBS. That makes OBS a no-cost encoder choice—not a guarantee of continuous uptime. OBS Project Help Portal · YouTube: Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder.
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This is different from uploading a video as a normal YouTube video: with OBS, the prerecorded file is sent to YouTube as the source of a live encoder feed. The computer running OBS and its connection need to remain available while the broadcast is live.
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Prepare your YouTube channel and stream
- Enable live streaming. YouTube requires a verified channel with no live-streaming restrictions in the previous 90 days. First-time activation may take up to 24 hours. YouTube states that creators must be at least 16 to live stream. Check eligibility and activation in YouTube Studio before planning a broadcast. YouTube: Get started with live streaming.
- Create or select a stream in YouTube Studio. Open Live Control Room and set up the stream. YouTube’s encoder setup provides the stream URL and stream key to enter in your encoder.
- Keep the stream key private. Treat it like account access information: do not publish it or share it with people who should not be able to broadcast to your channel. If it is exposed, replace it in YouTube Studio and update OBS.
- Configure OBS with your prerecorded video. Add the video as a source, then check the preview and audio before going live. OBS layout and labels can change, so consult the current OBS guide for the exact source and looping controls in your installed version. Confirm that the video repeats as intended rather than ending after one play.
- Start the encoder and check the live preview. In YouTube Live Control Room, confirm that the incoming feed appears and monitor stream health while it runs. YouTube recommends checking video and audio quality continuously and verifying that local archive recordings remain intact and grow as expected. YouTube live streaming tips – Computer.
Plan around YouTube’s 12-hour archive and DVR limits
YouTube says a stream shorter than 12 hours can be automatically archived, but a stream longer than 12 hours may not be captured at all. A single continuous 24-hour broadcast therefore is not a reliable way to ensure a complete YouTube replay. If replay completeness matters, keep local recordings and consider ending and restarting the broadcast in sessions shorter than 12 hours. YouTube: Archive live streams.
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DVR rewind may also be limited or unavailable on streams longer than 12 hours. That affects viewers trying to rewind during a long live broadcast, even if the live feed itself is running. YouTube: Turn on DVR on live streams.
Copyright and content checks before going live
Only send video and audio that you have the necessary rights to use. YouTube scans live streams for third-party content; a match may replace the stream with a placeholder, interrupt it, or terminate it. Even licensed content can be interrupted if the rights holder has not added your channel to its Content ID allowlist. YouTube’s live-stream terms put responsibility for obtaining the needed rights, including music licenses, on the creator. YouTube: Copyright issues with live streams · YouTube: Livestream terms and conditions.
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Common problems and what to check
- YouTube does not receive a feed: check that OBS has the current stream URL and stream key from the intended YouTube stream, and that the encoder is running.
- The video stops instead of looping: revisit the source’s loop setting in your installed OBS version and verify the behavior in preview before starting the broadcast.
- The broadcast drops: check the computer, OBS, and internet connection. A local encoder depends on them staying available; this setup does not promise automatic recovery.
- The live stream is interrupted or replaced: check YouTube’s live copyright notices and confirm that the channel has the rights and, where required, Content ID allowlisting for the material.
- The replay is missing or incomplete: YouTube may not capture streams longer than 12 hours. Retain a local recording and use shorter sessions if a complete replay is important.
Or let it run in the cloud
If you do not want a computer or home connection to stay on, StreamNeo is a YouTube-only cloud service for looping uploaded videos. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It runs from the cloud, supports the uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, and automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card required; it is one free day per account.
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