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Nginx RTMP YouTube Stream Stops When SSH Disconnects: Fix on Ubuntu

If a YouTube stream ends when SSH disconnects, identify the publishing process first. Here’s how to run FFmpeg with systemd or diagnose an NGINX RTMP relay on Ubuntu.
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If your YouTube stream stops when you close SSH, first find out which process is publishing the stream. An FFmpeg command launched at an interactive prompt usually ends with that login session; run it as a systemd service instead. If NGINX RTMP is doing the push and NGINX is already a system service, check its status and logs—the SSH disconnect alone does not explain why the stream ended.

Identify what is publishing to YouTube

NGINX RTMP may receive a stream from FFmpeg and relay it to YouTube, or FFmpeg may publish directly. The fix depends on which process owns the outgoing connection to YouTube.

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  • FFmpeg launched in your SSH shell: move the publisher into a systemd service so it is managed independently of your login session.
  • NGINX RTMP pushes to YouTube: inspect the NGINX service and its logs. If NGINX is running as a system service, ending SSH should not by itself stop that service.
  • The publisher remains active but YouTube ends the stream: investigate ingest health, endpoint, key, network, and source output separately from SSH session behavior.

Before logging out, note the publishing process and its command without recording or sharing the stream key. After reconnecting, check whether the process is still present and whether its service failed or exited.

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Run an FFmpeg publisher as a systemd service

A systemd unit gives Ubuntu control of a long-running process independently of an interactive shell. Ubuntu’s Jammy systemd.service manual recommends Restart=on-failure for long-running services. That requests recovery after a failure; an intentional systemctl stop does not trigger a restart. Systemd also enforces start-rate limits, so repeated failures need diagnosis rather than an indefinite restart loop.

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1. Create a unit with the real publisher command

Use the actual FFmpeg executable path, input, encoding options, account, and working directory. For example, create /etc/systemd/system/youtube-publisher.service with this schematic unit, replacing the bracketed material before starting it:

[Unit]
Description=YouTube RTMP publisher
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=streamer
WorkingDirectory=/srv/stream
ExecStart=/usr/bin/ffmpeg [your input and encoding options] -f flv [your YouTube ingest URL]
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

This is a template, not a ready-to-run command: the input, encoding options, and destination must match your setup. Keep the stream key in private configuration accessible only to the service account. Do not place it in a world-readable unit file, source control, or public logs. Depending on your Ubuntu and systemd versions, use a restricted environment file or a systemd credential mechanism for secrets.

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2. Load, enable, and start the service

  1. After saving the unit, run sudo systemctl daemon-reload so systemd reads it.
  2. Run sudo systemctl enable --now youtube-publisher.service to enable it at boot and start it now.
  3. Check sudo systemctl status youtube-publisher.service for the current state and recent output.
  4. Read detailed logs with sudo journalctl -u youtube-publisher.service. Use the reported FFmpeg error to diagnose the input, codec, URL, authentication, or network problem.

Use absolute paths, and confirm that the streamer account can read the input file or access the input device. A command that works as your login user can fail as a service account because its permissions, environment, and working directory differ.

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If NGINX RTMP is the publisher

If NGINX sends the outgoing stream, inspect NGINX rather than assuming that a shell-launched FFmpeg process is responsible.

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  1. Reproduce the disconnect, then check sudo systemctl status nginx.
  2. Inspect recent service logs with sudo journalctl -u nginx and the configured NGINX logs.
  3. Before reloading a configuration change, run sudo nginx -t. Fix any reported errors before reloading.

The NGINX RTMP module is third-party in NGINX Open Source builds. NGINX’s cited module-package procedure is specifically for NGINX Plus, so do not assume it describes the package or module setup on an Ubuntu Open Source installation. See the NGINX RTMP module documentation for its stated package context and configuration guidance.

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Check the RTMP or RTMPS destination and YouTube ingest

RTMP is a transport protocol; FFmpeg’s documentation shows RTMP output using FLV. Confirm the destination URL, key, input, and codec arguments against your encoder setup and YouTube Live Control Room. The FFmpeg RTMP protocol reference describes URL components and protocol behavior; the Ubuntu Noble manual documents a particular distribution version, so check the FFmpeg version installed on your system.

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YouTube describes RTMPS as RTMP over TLS/SSL and instructs streamers to take the RTMPS URL from Live Control Room when selecting that endpoint. Use the endpoint shown there and confirm the encoder supports it. Changing an RTMP URL to RTMPS does not make a shell-launched process survive logout. See YouTube’s RTMPS streaming instructions.

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Troubleshoot the stream after SSH logout

  1. The publisher process is gone: check whether it was started directly in the interactive shell, whether its systemd unit failed, or whether it exited on its own. Inspect systemctl status <unit> and journalctl -u <unit> for the exit status and recent errors.
  2. The unit cannot read its input: verify the service account, file or device permissions, and absolute paths. Confirm the input remains available for the service’s lifetime.
  3. FFmpeg exits on an input or encoding error: use the journal output to correct the input and encoding arguments, then restart the service and verify its status.
  4. YouTube does not receive the stream: privately verify the ingest URL and stream key, check outbound network access, and confirm the source is producing data continuously. Never publish the key in logs or support posts.
  5. The stream uses RTMPS: compare the configured endpoint with the current URL in YouTube Live Control Room and verify encoder support.
  6. NGINX fails to reload or relay: run nginx -t, then review NGINX service and error logs before changing relay directives.
  7. The service repeatedly restarts: investigate the underlying error and systemd start-rate limiting. Restart behavior helps recover from failure; it cannot repair a bad command, missing file, invalid key, or unavailable input.

systemd service or a detached terminal session?

A terminal multiplexer such as tmux can keep an operator-managed shell detached from SSH, but detaching a session is not the same as managing a server service. For a persistent Ubuntu publisher, systemd is the more suitable default when you want explicit startup, status, logs, and a failure-restart policy. Use a multiplexer when you specifically need an interactive session to attach to; do not mistake it for a complete service lifecycle policy.

Or let it run in the cloud

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