Use FFmpeg’s scale video filter to create a 1920×1080 output, choose whether to preserve the whole image with bars or crop it to fill the frame, and loop the input file with -stream_loop -1. For a YouTube Live stream, send a real-time H.264 output over RTMPS with a two-second keyframe interval and a bitrate suited to the frame rate. A 1080p output does not make a lower-resolution source more detailed.
Choose how the source should fit a 1080p frame
A 1080p frame is 1920×1080 pixels, with a 16:9 aspect ratio. If your source is not 16:9, you must choose between showing the entire image with bars or cropping part of it. Stretching the image to fill the frame can distort people and objects.
| Approach | What it does | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Fit with bars | Scales the whole image inside 1920×1080 and pads the unused space. | Preserves the source image, but adds bars on two sides when its aspect ratio differs from 16:9. |
| Fill by cropping | Scales the image until the frame is filled, then crops the excess. | Fills 16:9, but loses content at the edges. |
The commands below use the fit-with-bars option. To crop instead, replace the filter with scale=1920:1080:force_original_aspect_ratio=increase,crop=1920:1080. FFmpeg’s scale filter documents aspect-ratio handling and the force_original_aspect_ratio behavior in its filters documentation.
Prepare YouTube Live and your stream settings
- In YouTube Studio, open the live control room for your stream and obtain its server address and stream key. Use the RTMPS server address YouTube provides, and keep the key private: anyone with it may be able to broadcast to your stream.
- Choose the output frame rate based on the source. Use 30 fps for ordinary motion or when the source is 30 fps; use 60 fps only when the source and your encoding and upload capacity can sustain it.
- Set the video bitrate for the codec, resolution, and frame rate you actually send. YouTube Help’s current H.264 guidance, accessed 2026-10-03, lists 5 Mbps minimum and 14 Mbps recommended for 1080p30; for 1080p60 it lists 6 Mbps minimum and 17 Mbps recommended. Other codecs have different table rows, so do not apply these H.264 figures to H.265 or AV1.
- Use CBR and a two-second keyframe interval; YouTube says not to exceed four seconds. YouTube recommends RTMPS: “We recommend streaming to YouTube Live with RTMPS, a secure extension to the popular RTMP streaming video protocol.” See YouTube’s encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions for its live guidance and codec-specific table.
Loop and scale the complete input file
For a complete-file loop, use FFmpeg’s input looping option rather than the video loop filter. The filter repeats buffered frames; for example, FFmpeg’s documented loop=loop=-1:size=1:start=0 repeats only one frame, not an entire video. The command below uses input looping and -re to read the file at its native rate for real-time streaming. FFmpeg documents -re for real-time output and -vf as the simple video-filter option in its command documentation.
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Set the three environment variables in your shell before running the command: INPUT to the video file path, YOUTUBE_RTMPS_URL to the server URL shown by YouTube, and YOUTUBE_STREAM_KEY to your private key. The stream destination format varies by YouTube’s server address; use the URL and key as YouTube presents them, with the key appended after a slash if the server address does not already include it.
1080p at 30 fps
ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i "$INPUT"
-vf "scale=1920:1080:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=1920:1080:(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2"
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -r 30 -pix_fmt yuv420p
-b:v 14M -minrate 14M -maxrate 14M -bufsize 28M
-g 60 -keyint_min 60 -sc_threshold 0
-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100
-f flv "$YOUTUBE_RTMPS_URL/$YOUTUBE_STREAM_KEY"1080p at 60 fps
ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i "$INPUT"
-vf "scale=1920:1080:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=1920:1080:(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2"
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -r 60 -pix_fmt yuv420p
-b:v 17M -minrate 17M -maxrate 17M -bufsize 34M
-g 120 -keyint_min 120 -sc_threshold 0
-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100
-f flv "$YOUTUBE_RTMPS_URL/$YOUTUBE_STREAM_KEY"These examples use H.264, CBR-style bitrate limits, AAC audio, and a GOP length of two seconds (60 frames at 30 fps or 120 at 60 fps). They assume the input has an audio stream. If it has no audio, remove the -c:a, -b:a, and -ar options; if it has multiple audio or video streams, explicitly select the intended streams with FFmpeg stream specifiers. The scale filter can enlarge smaller sources to 1920×1080, but that changes output dimensions rather than restoring detail that was not recorded.
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Input-loop option syntax can vary with FFmpeg build and version; confirm that your installed build accepts -stream_loop -1 by checking its command help before relying on it. If the output server rejects the destination, check YouTube’s exact server URL and key format rather than assuming the concatenation matches your control room.
Test the stream and watch YouTube’s health messages
A command that runs locally is not proof that YouTube is receiving a healthy stream. Before using it for an event, test with representative motion and audio, and use an upload speed test to check that the connection can sustain the chosen bitrate. YouTube recommends monitoring stream health and messages during the event; see its encoder guidance.
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- Confirm YouTube reports the expected resolution and frame rate.
- Check for dropped frames, bitrate instability, audio problems, or other stream-health warnings.
- Verify the loop transition. A source with a visible or audible jump at its end may repeat with the same discontinuity.
- Run the process in a terminal session that will remain active. This command configures a loop, but does not establish automatic reconnection or process restart if FFmpeg or the connection stops.
Troubleshoot common failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| FFmpeg reports an unrecognized option or exits before opening the file | The installed build may not accept the input-loop syntax, or the input path is wrong. | Check the installed FFmpeg command help for -stream_loop, confirm the file path, and run a short test before starting the live output. |
| YouTube does not receive the stream | The server URL or stream key is incorrect, or the destination was assembled in the wrong format. | Copy the current RTMPS address and key from YouTube’s live control room; do not expose the key when sharing logs or commands. |
| Image is stretched or has unexpected bars | The source aspect ratio differs from 16:9, or the filter does not match the intended fit/crop choice. | Use the fit-and-pad filter to preserve the full image, or the increase-and-crop filter to fill the frame while sacrificing edges. |
| Stream health reports instability or dropped frames | The selected bitrate may exceed sustainable upload capacity, or encoding may be struggling. | Test the connection, choose a sustainable bitrate using the matching YouTube codec/frame-rate row, and test again with similar motion and audio. |
| Video is silent or audio options fail | The input may lack an audio stream or have a different stream layout. | Inspect the input streams; remove audio output options for a silent source or target the intended audio stream explicitly. |
| The stream stops after FFmpeg closes or the computer loses power | The command runs on the local machine and depends on its process, power, and network remaining available. | For local operation, keep the machine and process running and monitor the output. This command does not itself provide a supervisor or automatic recovery. |
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