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First identify what failed
“File error” can describe several different events, and each needs a different response. Check FFmpeg’s last log lines and exit status before changing options.
- Normal end of file: the input finished normally. Use
-stream_loop -1to repeat it. - Corrupt packets, but FFmpeg continues: the input may be partially readable. The
discardcorruptflag can discard corrupted packets in supported formats. - File cannot be opened, demuxed, or decoded: looping cannot fix an input FFmpeg cannot use. Validate or replace it, or select a fallback.
- HTTP source disconnect: HTTP protocol reconnect options may apply, depending on the failure and configured retry conditions.
- Output or YouTube publishing failure: investigate the destination connection and stream health separately. Input-looping and HTTP input flags do not guarantee recovery of an RTMP/RTMPS output.
Keep the log and exit status together: a restart without diagnosing the cause can turn one failure into a rapid, repeated restart cycle.
Loop a readable local file
For a single local input, place -stream_loop -1 before the input it controls. FFmpeg defines -1 as an infinite loop; it is an input option, not a process supervisor.
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ffmpeg -nostdin -stream_loop -1 -re -i input.mp4
-c:v libx264 -c:a aac -f flv "$YOUTUBE_RTMP_URL"This is an illustrative command shape, not a tested end-to-end configuration. Supply the actual YouTube server URL and stream key securely. Choose codec, bitrate, resolution, frame rate, and keyframe interval to match YouTube’s current encoder guidance and your source. -re reads the file at its native rate rather than as fast as possible; -nostdin avoids terminal input handling for a background job. Neither option restarts FFmpeg.
FFmpeg options generally apply to the next input or output, so option placement matters when a command has multiple inputs. Check the documentation for your installed build: FFmpeg’s online nightly documentation tracks the newest revision and options may differ by version.
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Handle damaged packets without mistaking it for recovery
For an input with some damaged packets, you can try the input flag -fflags +discardcorrupt, placed before the relevant -i:
ffmpeg -nostdin -stream_loop -1 -fflags +discardcorrupt -re
-i input.mp4 -c:v libx264 -c:a aac -f flv "$YOUTUBE_RTMP_URL"FFmpeg documents this flag as discarding corrupted packets. It may let processing continue past some damage, but it does not repair a container, guarantee every error is recoverable, or make an unreadable file usable. Test against a copy of the media before relying on it for an unattended stream. See FFmpeg’s component and protocol documentation.
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Restart FFmpeg with a supervisor and fallback
If FFmpeg exits on a persistent local-file failure, recovery requires something outside that FFmpeg process: a service manager or wrapper that notices the exit and launches a new process. A robust design validates the intended file, waits a bounded interval, and chooses a known-good fallback or stops and alerts you if the input remains bad. There is no universal restart command: exact syntax depends on your operating system and supervisor.
- Capture diagnostics: record stderr, exit status, input path, and restart time so repeated failures can be distinguished from transient ones.
- Wait before relaunching: use a bounded delay and avoid a tight restart loop that repeatedly opens the same bad file.
- Check the input: confirm it exists and can be read or probed before restarting the same playlist item.
- Choose a recovery action: retry a transient problem, switch to a known-good fallback file, alert an operator, or stop after a configured number of failures.
- Verify the new output: confirm FFmpeg is publishing and check YouTube’s stream health; a successful process launch alone does not prove that viewers are receiving a healthy stream.
-xerror tells FFmpeg to stop and exit on an error, while -max_error_rate affects the exit-code threshold for decoding failures; crossing that threshold does not terminate processing. Neither option launches another process. See FFmpeg’s command-line documentation and its FAQ for background-job guidance.
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Use reconnect flags only for the matching HTTP input
FFmpeg documents HTTP-specific reconnect behavior, including retries for disconnects, EOF, network errors, and selected HTTP status codes, with retry limits. These options address HTTP input protocol events. They do not retry a local file that fails to open or decode, and they do not establish that a YouTube RTMP/RTMPS publishing connection will resume.
Keep recovery paths separate: validate or replace a local file; configure HTTP reconnect behavior for an HTTP source; and troubleshoot the output connection when publishing fails. FFmpeg documents RTMP separately from HTTP in its protocol documentation.
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Check YouTube’s encoder and stream health separately
A healthy input loop does not ensure a healthy YouTube stream. YouTube’s current guidance lists RTMP/RTMPS ingestion and CBR, recommends a two-second keyframe interval that does not exceed four seconds, and provides bitrate guidance by resolution and other settings. Use the current table rather than applying one bitrate to every stream. YouTube also recommends testing before going live and monitoring stream health. Its streaming tips recommend about 20% upload bandwidth headroom and testing encoder failover. These are YouTube’s operational recommendations, not guarantees that a local file or connection will recover.
Protect the stream key as you would a password: YouTube says it tells the encoder where to send the feed and allows YouTube to accept it. Find current guidance in YouTube’s stream settings, encoder settings, and streaming tips.
Choose the response that matches the failure
| Situation | Suitable response | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| Readable file reaches EOF | -stream_loop -1 before -i |
Recover an unreadable file or restart an exited process |
| Some damaged packets in a supported input | -fflags +discardcorrupt |
Repair the whole file or guarantee continued decoding |
| FFmpeg exits after a persistent local-file failure | External supervisor, validation, and a fallback or stop condition | Provide automatic recovery through FFmpeg alone |
| HTTP input disconnect or retryable HTTP response | Applicable HTTP reconnect options and retry limits | Recover a local file or guarantee RTMP output recovery |
| YouTube stream is unstable | Check encoder settings, upload headroom, stream health, and failover | Fix a broken input file |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does -stream_loop -1 restart FFmpeg after a file error?
No. It repeats a readable input indefinitely; an external supervisor is needed to relaunch FFmpeg after the process exits.
Will FFmpeg’s HTTP reconnect options fix a local MP4 error?
No. Those options apply to HTTP input connections and retry conditions, not local-file decoding or opening failures.
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