The Tool Desk
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Plan for one important YouTube limitation: a stream longer than 12 hours may not be captured as an archive, and DVR rewind may be limited or unavailable. If you need a complete recording, make a separate local recording and plan storage and retention.
What you need to set up first
- An OCI account and an Ubuntu VM with enough sustained CPU and outbound network capacity for your chosen stream settings.
- A media file stored on the VM, or a playlist of files you have rights to broadcast.
- YouTube Live enabled for your channel, plus the stream URL and a stream key from YouTube Studio.
- SSH access to administer Ubuntu, and a plan for local recording if a complete archive matters.
Canonical documents Ubuntu images for OCI, while Oracle’s instance guide covers selecting an image, configuring networking and SSH, and checking capacity. Available capacity varies by shape, region, and availability domain; do not assume a particular free-tier shape is available or suitable for sustained encoding. See Canonical’s Ubuntu on Oracle documentation and Oracle’s Creating an Instance guide.
Understand the 24/7 archive limitation
A continuously running broadcast does not mean YouTube will provide one complete recording of the entire broadcast. YouTube says streams exceeding 12 hours may not be captured at all; automatic archiving applies to streams under 12 hours. DVR rewind can also be limited or unavailable for streams longer than 12 hours. If you need a full archive, record locally, provision storage for the expected file size, and decide how recordings will be rotated or retained. Details: YouTube’s archive guidance and DVR guidance.
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Create and prepare the OCI Ubuntu VM
Choose a shape, image, and storage
In the OCI Console, create a compute instance using an Ubuntu platform image documented for OCI. Select a shape with enough CPU for your encoding choice, and configure boot storage for Ubuntu and your media. Capacity depends on the target region and availability domain, so verify it when provisioning rather than building a plan around an assumed shape.
Configure network access
Set up the required VCN and subnet rules. For direct Internet communication from outside the VCN, the instance needs a public IP; SSH access can instead be arranged through a bastion. Restrict inbound SSH access to trusted sources where possible. The broadcast itself needs adequate outbound bandwidth; see the bandwidth section below.
Connect and install FFmpeg
After connecting to Ubuntu over SSH, update package metadata and install FFmpeg using the package available for your selected Ubuntu release:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install ffmpegThese are generic Ubuntu package commands, not an OCI-certified FFmpeg recipe. Confirm the installed version and available encoders on your VM before configuring a long-running broadcast:
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ffmpeg -version
ffmpeg -encodersA headless FFmpeg workflow does not require a desktop environment. Use OBS when you need an interactive graphical scene compositor; a GUI also brings desktop-session management to the server. The sources cited here do not establish comparative performance or benchmark results for either approach.
Enable YouTube Live and protect the stream key
- Open YouTube Studio and go to the Live Control Room. Enable live streaming in advance if it is not already enabled. YouTube says first-time activation can take up to 24 hours.
- Create or select a stream and copy the server URL and stream key shown in the Live Control Room. They are separate encoder settings; use the values YouTube currently provides rather than relying on a hard-coded endpoint.
- Prefer the RTMPS server URL when YouTube provides one. YouTube recommends RTMPS, a secure extension to RTMP.
- Treat the stream key like a password. Do not put a real key in a shell command, shell history, logs, screenshots, or source control. If it is exposed, reset it in YouTube Studio.
YouTube describes stream keys as “like your YouTube stream’s password and address.” See Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder and Manage live stream settings.
The example below uses a placeholder. Do not replace it in a command you save or share with your actual key. For a real service, put the key in a protected configuration file or another secret-injection mechanism appropriate to your deployment. The exact secure mechanism depends on how you implement the service.
Choose conservative encoder settings
YouTube’s encoder guidance recommends CBR, a two-second keyframe interval (not more than four seconds), and supports frame rates up to 60 fps. For H.264, its recommended bitrate is 5 Mbps for 1080p at 30 fps or 6 Mbps for 720p at 30 fps. The recommended stereo audio bitrate is 128 Kbps; AAC or MP3 audio is supported. These are YouTube ingest recommendations, not a promise that your OCI VM can encode a given setting reliably.
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| Example output | Video bitrate guidance | Useful FFmpeg settings |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p, 30 fps, H.264 | 5 Mbps recommended by YouTube Help | -r 30 -b:v 5000k -minrate 5000k -maxrate 5000k -bufsize 10000k -g 60 |
| 720p, 30 fps, H.264 | 6 Mbps recommended by YouTube Help | -r 30 -b:v 6000k -minrate 6000k -maxrate 6000k -bufsize 12000k -g 60 |
The table translates YouTube’s recommended bitrate and two-second keyframe interval into example FFmpeg options for 30 fps. Check that your selected encoder accepts the options and that the source file’s dimensions, frame rate, and audio format suit the output. YouTube’s current settings are at Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions.
Calculate outbound bandwidth
YouTube recommends 20% headroom over the total stream bitrate, counting primary and backup feeds. For one 5 Mbps feed, applying that recommendation means at least 6 Mbps of usable outbound capacity (5 Mbps plus 1 Mbps headroom). This is upload capacity, not download speed. Allow more margin if the bitrate varies or the connection is shared. See YouTube’s streaming tips.
Prepare media and test an FFmpeg loop
Put the media on the VM
Copy your file to a predictable location, such as /srv/stream/media.mp4, and ensure the account that will run FFmpeg can read it. For a playlist, first confirm every listed file exists and has compatible audio and video streams. A malformed or missing source can stop an unattended process.
Try a one-time stream before automating
The following is an illustrative FFmpeg pattern, not a tested or officially supported OCI/FFmpeg recipe. Validate option compatibility on your Ubuntu release and with your media. Replace the placeholder input and URL with your file path and the RTMPS URL supplied in YouTube Studio. Supply the stream key using a protected method rather than embedding a real key in a command that may appear in history or process listings.
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ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i /srv/stream/media.mp4
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -pix_fmt yuv420p
-r 30 -g 60 -b:v 5000k -minrate 5000k -maxrate 5000k -bufsize 10000k
-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100 -ac 2
-f flv "rtmps://YOUR_YOUTUBE_INGEST_URL/YOUR_STREAM_KEY"Use a real RTMPS URL from the Live Control Room. The visible placeholders are not working credentials. If your deployment uses a credential file or secret mechanism, adapt the command accordingly; the exact method is implementation-specific. Before making the service persistent, watch the stream in YouTube’s Live Control Room, inspect stream health messages, and verify that the picture and audio repeat as intended.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Run the encoder under systemd
A systemd unit can restart FFmpeg after a process failure and make status and logs easier to inspect. The unit below is an illustrative Ubuntu pattern, not an official OCI or YouTube unit and not a tested end-to-end configuration. Adapt it to your Ubuntu version, service user, file permissions, and chosen secret handling. Do not place a real stream key in this example’s command line.
[Unit]
Description=YouTube live stream via FFmpeg
Wants=network-online.target
After=network-online.target
[Service]
Type=simple
User=stream
WorkingDirectory=/srv/stream
ExecStart=/usr/bin/ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i /srv/stream/media.mp4 -c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -pix_fmt yuv420p -r 30 -g 60 -b:v 5000k -minrate 5000k -maxrate 5000k -bufsize 10000k -c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100 -ac 2 -f flv [protected-RTMPS-destination]
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.targetSave an adapted unit as /etc/systemd/system/youtube-stream.service, then have systemd load and start it:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now youtube-stream.service
sudo systemctl status youtube-stream.serviceUse the actual FFmpeg destination through your protected configuration approach; [protected-RTMPS-destination] is explanatory text, not valid FFmpeg syntax. Review the logs with:
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sudo journalctl -u youtube-stream.service -fA restart policy can relaunch a failed encoder process; it cannot guarantee a seamless broadcast. VM maintenance, resource limits, network interruptions, invalid media, and YouTube-side state can all interrupt continuity.
Verify operation and troubleshoot common failures
YouTube does not show an incoming stream
- Check that live streaming has been enabled and allow up to 24 hours for first-time activation.
- Confirm the server URL and stream key are both current and entered in the right fields.
- Check FFmpeg output and systemd logs for connection, authentication, or input-file errors.
The stream disconnects or has unstable health
- Confirm usable outbound capacity exceeds the combined feed bitrate by YouTube’s recommended 20% margin.
- Check VM CPU use, especially when encoding in software, and reduce the selected output demand if the VM cannot sustain it.
- Inspect YouTube Live Control Room stream health and its messages, then test again with a representative media file.
FFmpeg exits or restarts repeatedly
- Verify that the file path exists and the service account can read the media.
- Check that FFmpeg supports the selected encoder and options on the installed Ubuntu release.
- Read the unit’s journal for the first error rather than relying only on the systemd restart status.
The archive is incomplete or DVR rewind is missing
This may be a consequence of a broadcast longer than 12 hours, not a fault in the VM. For an archive you control, record locally and provision enough storage for the bitrate, duration, and retention policy you need.
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