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You can keep a YouTube Live stream playing from a Vultr Cloud Compute server by uploading your media to an Ubuntu instance, configuring OBS Studio to send it to YouTube, and enabling OBS’s Loop option. The server—not your home computer—then supplies the repeating video. Vultr documents this OBS-based workflow, but its guide does not promise uninterrupted uptime or establish that every playlist format will work unchanged.
What this setup does—and what “playlist” means here
This guide covers a server-side OBS workflow for looping media to YouTube Live. Vultr’s Broadcaster guide advises uploading source files to the server for a 24/7 stream and turning on OBS’s Loop option. The source-backed example is looping media in OBS; it should not be read as a guarantee that every playlist format or ordered multi-file playlist is supported without adjustment. See Vultr’s Broadcaster instructions.
YouTube distinguishes the incoming stream—the audio/video feed and its settings—from the broadcast event shown to viewers. A stream can be reused across recurring broadcasts; the YouTube API also documents a scenario in which a 24/7 broadcast can coexist with a second broadcast using the same live feed. These concepts matter when planning an event that should stay available continuously. See YouTube Live Streaming API documentation.
What you need before you start
- A Vultr Cloud Compute instance running Ubuntu, with sufficient CPU, memory, disk space for your media, and monthly bandwidth for continuous outgoing video.
- OBS Studio and FFmpeg installed on the server, following Vultr’s OBS and Ubuntu guide.
- The source media uploaded to the server and a YouTube live event set up in YouTube Studio.
- A YouTube stream key, which is a publishing credential. Keep it private; anyone who obtains it may be able to send a feed to your channel.
Vultr’s 2025 OBS tutorial lists 2 vCPUs, 4 GB RAM, 80 GB storage, and 3 TB bandwidth as its prerequisite example. Treat those as the tutorial’s baseline, not a benchmark, a universal minimum, or a guarantee for every resolution, bitrate, encoder, or workload. Vultr says Cloud Compute uses shared CPU and that configurations can be scaled; whether a shared-CPU instance can encode your chosen output smoothly depends on actual load. Check Vultr’s current provisioning details at Vultr Cloud Compute documentation.
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Set up the 24/7 stream
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Create an Ubuntu instance
In Vultr, provision a Cloud Compute instance and choose an Ubuntu image. Select a plan based on vCPU, memory, media storage, and included bandwidth. The tutorial figures above are a starting reference only; current plan prices and allowances are not established here, so check the live plan details before provisioning.
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Install OBS Studio and FFmpeg
Follow the commands and installation steps in Vultr’s OBS/Ubuntu tutorial. This is an OBS workflow. The available instructions do not provide a complete supported headless FFmpeg command for arbitrary playlists, so do not substitute an improvised command if you need a command-line-only service.
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Create or schedule the YouTube Live event
In YouTube Studio, create or schedule the live stream and retrieve the stream URL and key from its live setup. In OBS, configure the YouTube service and enter the stream credentials as described in Vultr’s tutorial. Do not publish the key in a script, screenshot, or public support request.
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Upload media and enable looping in OBS
Transfer the source media to the instance. In OBS, add the media source, select the uploaded file, and enable Loop in that source’s properties. Preview it before going live: confirm picture, sound, and that playback returns to the beginning as intended. Vultr’s Broadcaster instructions specifically support uploading the source and enabling Loop for a continuous stream: Vultr Broadcaster guide.
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Choose a YouTube ingestion protocol
YouTube supports RTMP, RTMPS, HLS, and DASH for third-party ingestion. For the basic OBS setup, use the YouTube service and endpoint details provided in the live setup flow, rather than guessing an address. RTMP and RTMPS are used for normal through ultra-low latency; RTMPS encrypts the connection. HLS and DASH are encrypted options associated with advanced codecs and higher latency. The right option depends on encoder support, codec and resolution requirements, and acceptable delay. Compare the options in Google’s YouTube ingestion protocol guide.
Google describes RTMPS this way: “RTMPS is a regular RTMP (RealTime Messaging Protocol) video stream tunneled through an SSL connection.” For RTMPS, the endpoint must have a valid RTMPS URL/path and use port 443; SNI authentication requires the server hostname. Use the exact address and key supplied by the channel’s live setup or API response, not a copied or invented endpoint. See Google’s RTMPS ingestion documentation.
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Enable reconnect behavior and monitor the encoder
Vultr’s OBS tutorial recommends automatic reconnect settings and monitoring CPU and bandwidth. If CPU load is high or frames are dropping, reduce output demands or move to a larger compute configuration. For a stream intended to run continuously, also decide how OBS will be started again after a server restart. The reviewed Vultr tutorials do not supply a tested systemd service definition, so validate any startup or restart method against the Ubuntu and OBS versions you actually deploy rather than assuming one will work unchanged.
Plan for bitrate, storage, and monthly transfer
Continuous streaming consumes outgoing bandwidth for as long as the encoder sends video. Estimate transfer from your configured outgoing bitrate and the number of hours streamed, then allow extra for protocol overhead and compare the estimate with the instance’s current monthly bandwidth allowance. For orientation, a constant 1 Mbps stream sends about 10.8 GB over 24 hours before overhead; at 30 days, that is about 324 GB. These are arithmetic estimates, not Vultr plan allowances or recommended YouTube settings.
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Secure the network and stream key
OBS pushes the encoded feed outward to YouTube. For a push connection to YouTube over RTMPS on port 443, you do not need to expose public inbound RTMP port 1935 just to let YouTube receive the stream. Port 1935 is relevant to configurations receiving RTMP input or operating an RTMP relay, not this basic outbound-push arrangement.
Vultr Firewall Groups filter inbound traffic and can be attached to an instance. Restrict administrative access to trusted sources, and check both the Vultr firewall and Ubuntu’s host firewall if OBS cannot connect or you cannot administer the server. Do not open unrelated inbound ports as a troubleshooting shortcut. See Vultr Firewall Groups documentation.
Common problems and fixes
- OBS cannot connect to YouTube: Recheck the URL and stream key in the live setup, verify the server can make outbound connections, and confirm any RTMPS endpoint details, including port 443 and hostname/SNI requirements. Do not open inbound port 1935 for an outbound push connection.
- Video stutters or OBS drops frames: Inspect CPU and bandwidth use. Vultr’s tutorial identifies high CPU load as a possible cause; lower output demands or scale compute if the encoder cannot keep up.
- The video plays once and stops: Confirm that Loop is enabled on the OBS media source and verify repeat behavior in the preview before starting the public broadcast.
- The source will not load: Confirm that the media is on the server, the OBS process can access it, and there is enough disk space. The cited setup does not establish support for every playlist or file format.
- The stream stops after a server restart: OBS must be launched again for the outgoing feed to resume. Set up and validate a startup/restart approach for the specific Ubuntu and OBS versions; the cited tutorials do not provide a tested service unit.
- The stream key may have been exposed: Treat it as compromised, replace or reset it through YouTube’s live setup, and update OBS with the new credential.
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