Find the RTMPS URL in the active stream’s settings in YouTube Live Control Room—not by guessing a universal address. Open the stream’s Stream settings, reveal the RTMPS URL using the lock control in the Stream URL field, and copy the matching stream key. In FFmpeg, send your encoded output to the copied URL with the key in the format your FFmpeg build and command support.
Where to find your YouTube RTMPS URL
- Open YouTube Live Control Room and select the stream you want to use, or schedule a stream.
- Open the Stream tab and find Stream settings.
- In the Stream URL field, use the lock control to reveal the RTMPS URL. YouTube may show the ordinary RTMP URL by default; copy the secure RTMPS address instead.
- Copy the stream key associated with that same stream. Treat it like a password: anyone with the key may be able to send video to your live stream.
You need an encoder that supports RTMPS. The URL and key are stream-specific, so use the values shown for your active stream rather than a URL found in an unrelated tutorial.
How the RTMPS URL and stream key work
RTMPS is RTMP carried over TLS/SSL. The URL identifies YouTube’s ingest endpoint; the stream key (also called a stream name in API documentation) identifies the stream. Some encoders have separate URL and key fields. Others take a combined destination in the form STREAM_URL/STREAM_NAME. Follow the input format expected by the encoder; do not append the key if the encoder handles it separately.
Getting the endpoint through the YouTube API
If you manage streams through the YouTube Live Streaming API, the LiveStreams resource provides connection details. Its primary secure endpoint is cdn.ingestionInfo.rtmpsIngestionAddress; the optional backup is cdn.ingestionInfo.rtmpsBackupIngestionAddress. The stream name is provided separately. YouTube’s API guidance describes connecting to the supplied host on port 443 and using the hostname as SNI in the TLS handshake. See the YouTube RTMPS ingestion guidance and the LiveStreams resource.
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Start with the primary endpoint for a basic setup. The backup endpoint is intended for redundant simultaneous ingest in workflows that support it; it is not usually needed for a single FFmpeg output.
Send a prerecorded file to YouTube with FFmpeg
This is an illustrative command pattern, not a guarantee for every FFmpeg package, operating system, file, or stream configuration. Replace the placeholders with the exact input path, RTMPS URL, and matching key from your stream:
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ffmpeg -re -i INPUT -c:v libx264 -c:a aac -f flv 'RTMPS_URL/STREAM_KEY'-re paces a file input in real time, while -f flv selects the output format commonly used for RTMP-family ingest. Keep the destination quoted, particularly if it contains shell-sensitive characters. Do not publish a command containing your real stream key: it can be exposed in screenshots, shared logs, or shell history.
Use URL and key fields separately when required
If your command or wrapper accepts a separate URL and key, use that interface rather than adding the key to the URL yourself. The correct arrangement depends on the encoder. Likewise, for live capture, replace INPUT with the actual capture source and confirm that the device and FFmpeg build support the selected input and codecs; the file example is not a camera-capture command.
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Choose encoder settings for the stream
Match the resolution and bitrate to the intended YouTube profile rather than selecting arbitrary maximum values. YouTube’s current general encoder guidance recommends CBR, a two-second keyframe interval (do not exceed four seconds), and supported frame rates up to 60 fps. Its guidance lists H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 in supported contexts, with AAC or MP3 audio. Check the platform’s current encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions for the profile you plan to send; supported formats and appropriate bitrates depend on the stream configuration.
The command above selects H.264 video and AAC audio as a basic example, but it does not set a bitrate, resolution, frame rate, or keyframe interval. Add the appropriate encoding options for your source and chosen YouTube profile, and verify the resulting stream’s health in Live Control Room.
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Check whether your FFmpeg build supports RTMPS
FFmpeg package capabilities vary. FFmpeg’s protocol documentation describes RTMPS as RTMP over a secure SSL connection, and documents an RTMPS variant through librtmp that requires a build configured with --enable-librtmp. Do not assume that every download or operating-system package has the same protocol support. Consult the FFmpeg protocol documentation and check the protocols available in your local build if an RTMPS output is rejected.
Troubleshoot FFmpeg connection and ingest problems
- SSL certificate or TLS error: Confirm you copied the RTMPS URL, not the default RTMP address; check the hostname and ensure the connection uses TLS. YouTube’s RTMPS endpoint uses port 443. A custom/API encoder must also send the supplied hostname as SNI.
- Connection timeout: Re-copy the endpoint from the active stream settings, verify the
rtmpsscheme and port 443, and check that the FFmpeg build supports RTMPS. A wrong URL or an encoder without RTMPS support can cause connection failures. - Stream key rejected or wrong stream receives video: Make sure the key belongs to the same stream as the URL. Check whether your command expects separate URL and key values or a combined
STREAM_URL/STREAM_NAMEdestination. - Connection succeeds but stream health is poor: Review the status and health indicators in Live Control Room. Compare the output codec, bitrate, frame rate, resolution, and keyframe interval with YouTube’s current encoder guidance.
- FFmpeg reports an unsupported protocol: Check the protocol support in the installed build and its documentation. A package without the required RTMPS support cannot be made to connect merely by changing the stream key.
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