Short answer: FFmpeg’s concat demuxer does not document a reliable way to reload a playlist file after a running process has opened it. Editing or replacing that file may not change what the process will play next. To change videos while keeping a YouTube output session running, separate video selection from publishing: use a scheduler or playout layer to feed a stable output process, and verify the handoff with your particular FFmpeg build and destination.
Why editing the concat list may not change the running stream
The concat demuxer reads a text script containing files and directives, then demuxes those files sequentially. FFmpeg documents how to provide that list, but does not promise that a process will reread the script or apply edits made after it has started. Consequently, changing the file on disk is not a dependable hot-reload method.
Before choosing a fix, identify what the active process actually reads: a concat script, one file set to loop, several inputs, or a playlist supplied by another application. The right way to change the next source depends on that design and on the output destination. There is no single drop-in command that can be recommended without the current command and source arrangement.
What the concat demuxer requires
If your loop uses concat, treat its script as the input sequence for that FFmpeg run, not as a documented live control interface. The FFmpeg concat demuxer documentation describes the list format and its constraints.
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Keep the files compatible
FFmpeg requires the files in a concat-demuxer sequence to have the same streams, codecs, and time base. In practice, check that each item has the expected audio and video streams and compatible encoding characteristics before adding it. Mixing materially different layouts can make concatenation fail or create visible or audible problems.
Check duration and timestamps
The demuxer places each file after the preceding file according to duration information. Incorrect duration metadata can cause timestamp artifacts, and mismatched audio and video lengths can leave gaps. Prepare and inspect the files as a consistent set rather than assuming that a playlist edit will fix timing differences.
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Do not treat a segment list as an input playlist
FFmpeg’s segment muxer creates output segments and related lists; it is a packaging approach, not a documented way to change the input sequence of an already-running concat demuxer. Segment boundaries depend on keyframes. The segment muxer documentation says it works best with a single constant-frame-rate video, and notes that cuts occur at suitable keyframes. If you use segmentation, set and verify keyframes where you need boundaries; do not assume every requested cut will happen at an arbitrary frame.
How to change the next video while keeping publishing separate
For a dependable design, make source selection a separate responsibility from the process that publishes the stream. A scheduler or playout layer chooses the next video and supplies it to a stable output process. The output process maintains the publishing connection while the upstream source changes. This is an architectural pattern, not a built-in, universally applicable FFmpeg hot-reload command: the implementation depends on how the playout layer supplies media and on whether the destination is YouTube Live over RTMP, HLS, local playback, or something else.
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- Map the current pipeline. Record the exact FFmpeg command, the input type, and the output protocol. Establish whether the loop is driven by concat, a repeated single file, multiple inputs, or an upstream playlist.
- Choose where selection happens. Configure a scheduler or playout layer to decide which compatible video comes next, independently of the stable publishing process. Select an integration suited to your source and output protocol; FFmpeg’s concat documentation does not specify this scheduler.
- Prepare the media. Normalize stream layout, codecs, and time bases for concat-compatible files, and check duration and audio/video alignment. Test the intended transition with representative files before using it on a live channel.
- Test continuity at the destination. Verify that a source handoff does not interrupt the output connection or produce timestamp, audio, or video artifacts. The result depends on the actual application, protocol, and FFmpeg build, so a successful local transition alone does not establish YouTube-side continuity.
- Use segmentation only for its output role. If your design packages output into segments, align and verify keyframes at intended boundaries. Do not rely on segment lists to control which input a running process selects.
The exact configuration cannot be made more specific without your current command and destination. Keep the source-selection logic and the publishing connection conceptually distinct, then validate their handoff in the real setup.
What FIFO can and cannot do
FFmpeg’s FIFO pseudo-muxer can add queueing around muxing and attempt recovery from output failures. That may help with output-side resilience, but FIFO does not choose the next input video or reload a concat script. See the FIFO pseudo-muxer documentation for its scope and options.
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Common problems and practical checks
- The edited list has no effect: the running process may already have read the list, and live reload is not promised by the concat documentation. Use an independently controlled playout layer or start a process with the updated list, recognizing that restarting may interrupt publishing.
- Concatenation fails or a transition looks or sounds wrong: compare the files’ streams, codecs, and time bases, then inspect duration metadata and audio/video lengths. Make the files compatible and retest.
- A segment starts later than the requested boundary: the segment muxer cuts on a suitable keyframe. Set and inspect keyframe placement, and use a single constant frame rate where appropriate.
- Output recovers after a failure but the video does not change: FIFO recovery concerns muxing/output failures, not input selection. Put selection in a scheduler or playout layer.
- Behavior differs from an online example: the FFmpeg online documentation is regenerated nightly and corresponds to the newest revision. Check the documentation and available options for the installed build before relying on them; see the FFmpeg documentation page.
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