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YouTube usually saves a livestream as a replay automatically. After the broadcast, check YouTube Studio → Content → Live, set the replay’s visibility, and use Studio’s Editor to trim or cut it. Keep a local recording too: YouTube warns that streams longer than 12 hours may not be captured.

1. Find the livestream archive

When the broadcast ends, open YouTube Studio → Content → Live and check whether the replay is there. YouTube’s archive guidance covers encoder, webcam, and mobile streams under 12 hours. It also identifies 1440p and 2160p (4K) streams as automatically archived. These are not guarantees for every broadcast, so confirm that your video appears in Studio. YouTube Help: Archive live streams.

Do not rely on YouTube to capture a stream that exceeds 12 hours; YouTube says it may not be captured at all. YouTube recommends recording a local archive as a backup. Its guidance does not prescribe a particular recording device or storage capacity.

2. Set who can watch the replay

Open the archive’s details in Studio, change Visibility to the setting you want, and save. For archives of mobile livestreams, YouTube also says you can make the video private or delete it from My videos. The available visibility choices let you decide whether the replay should be broadly accessible or limited; check the setting before sharing its link.

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3. Trim the replay without uploading it again

On a computer, open the video in YouTube Studio and use the Editor to remove unwanted material from the beginning, end, or middle. YouTube says this trim-and-cut feature is for videos shorter than six hours. YouTube Help: Trim your videos.

  1. In YouTube Studio, select Content and open the livestream archive.
  2. Select Editor, then Trim & cut.
  3. For the beginning or end, adjust the blue selection box so it covers the portion you want to keep.
  4. To remove a section in the middle, choose New cut and mark the section to remove.
  5. Preview the result, then save only after checking that the edit is correct.

Studio trimming does not require reuploading: YouTube says the video URL, views, and comments remain. There are two important cautions. YouTube says unedited videos with more than 100,000 views may not be eligible to save changes unless the channel is in the YouTube Partner Program, with face blurring as an exception. And, as of June 2025, saved Editor changes can no longer be undone with “Revert to original.” Review carefully before saving.

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4. Create a separate highlight instead

If the full replay is too long for what you want to share, make a shorter highlight during or after the livestream. You can add stream markers at useful moments while live; those markers appear on the Editor timeline later. Select the segment, enter its title, privacy, and description, then create the highlight. YouTube says the highlight is published automatically. YouTube Help: Create a highlight.

A mobile livestream Short highlight is a specific path, not a requirement for keeping the full replay. YouTube lists these criteria for that path: the stream must be 10 minutes to 12 hours, vertical, streamed using the YouTube mobile app, have chat enabled, not be “Made for Kids,” and meet YouTube’s safety standards. YouTube Help: Promote your live stream.

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5. Choose the right version to publish

Option Best when What to know
Keep the full replay Viewers may want the entire event. Check that the archive exists and set its visibility in Studio.
Trim or cut the replay You want to clean up pauses, setup time, or an unwanted middle section while retaining the existing video. For videos shorter than six hours; YouTube says the URL, views, and comments remain, but saved changes cannot be reverted using “Revert to original” as of June 2025.
Publish a highlight You want a distinct, shorter selection from the broadcast. YouTube says highlights are published automatically; mobile-stream Short highlights have separate eligibility criteria.
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Or let it run in the cloud

If your goal is to keep a pre-recorded video looping as a YouTube livestream, StreamNeo is a cloud option: upload a video or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; it streams the uploaded video as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot, and automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month. StreamNeo is for YouTube and uploaded video, not going live from a camera. Learn more at StreamNeo, or start the free day.

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