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Choose the concat method that fits your VODs
| Decision | Concat demuxer with stream copy | Concat filter with re-encoding |
|---|---|---|
| Use it when | The files have matching streams, codecs, and time bases, and you want to avoid re-encoding. | The files need decoding, normalization, or filtering before they can be joined. |
| Processing | Copies packets without decoding or encoding; filters cannot be applied. | Decodes and re-encodes as needed. Exact codecs and settings depend on the source files and delivery target. |
| Main boundary concern | Unequal stream lengths or inaccurate duration metadata can affect timestamps and create gaps or artifacts. | Can address technical format differences, but does not guarantee content-level continuity or a seamless edit. |
FFmpeg describes the concat demuxer as the option for avoiding a re-encode when the format does not support file-level concatenation. Its documentation requires the files to have the same streams, codecs, and time base. A shared extension such as .mp4 does not establish that they match. See the FFmpeg concat demuxer documentation and the FFmpeg concatenation FAQ.
Prepare and check the playlist
Create a plain-text playlist in the order you want the VODs to play. For automatic format recognition, the first line must be exactly ffconcat version 1.0, with no leading space or byte-order mark. Add one file directive per file:
ffconcat version 1.0
file 'vod-part-01.mp4'
file 'vod-part-02.mp4'Use paths that point to the actual files. Paths with spaces or special characters require the escaping or quoting described in FFmpeg’s documentation. If you use absolute paths or paths outside the concat demuxer’s safe-path rules, you may need -safe 0; use it only with a playlist you control.
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The demuxer places each next file according to the preceding file’s duration. If you know a stored duration is wrong and have a reliable corrected duration, a duration directive can override it for that playlist entry. Do not guess a duration just to suppress a warning. FFmpeg warns that inaccurate duration information can cause artifacts, and that streams within a file that are not exactly the same length can leave gaps in the global timestamp adjustment.
Join compatible files without re-encoding
For compatible sources, this is an illustrative command to create a joined file:
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ffmpeg -f concat -safe 0 -i playlist.ffconcat -c copy joined.mp4-f concat selects the concat demuxer, -i supplies the playlist, and -c copy copies packets rather than decoding and encoding them. The command is a pattern, not a universally validated command for every set of VODs or every streaming destination. Confirm that the output container supports the copied streams, then inspect and play the joined file before sending it to a live endpoint. With stream copy, you cannot apply filters or use the command to reconcile incompatible streams.
Use the concat filter when the files need changes
If the source segments differ in ways that require decoding and normalization, or you need filters, use FFmpeg’s concat filter and re-encode. FFmpeg’s FAQ distinguishes this from the demuxer, which is intended to avoid re-encoding when the inputs are compatible.
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There is no single reliable filter command or encoder setting for every collection of gaming VODs: the correct choices depend on the files and delivery target. A common output format alone does not prove that the edit will be seamless. Check that picture cadence, audio layout, stream durations, and the actual gameplay and audio at each cut work together; these are practical checks, not a guarantee that transcoding will eliminate a perceptible boundary.
Send the joined video as a live rerun
When FFmpeg reads local files for live output, -re reads input at its native frame rate (equivalent to -readrate 1). It controls input pacing when output packet speed matters, such as in live streaming. It does not repair wrong durations, make incompatible streams match, or smooth an abrupt visual or audio edit. FFmpeg documents this behavior in its input pacing options.
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The exact ingest command and settings depend on your VODs and YouTube encoder configuration. The available documentation for this scenario does not establish a universal bitrate, resolution, keyframe interval, or audio setting, so do not treat one generic command as a guaranteed YouTube configuration. Validate the media and the resulting live output with your actual setup.
Why a concat may still have a gap or glitch
- The files only share an extension: inspect their streams; matching filenames or containers do not prove matching codecs, time bases, or stream layouts.
- One file’s duration is wrong or estimated: the next file’s timestamps are based on the preceding duration. Use a playlist
durationoverride only when you have a trustworthy corrected value. - Audio and video streams have unequal lengths: the demuxer’s global timestamp adjustment can leave a gap when streams do not finish together.
- You used
-c copyon files that need changes: stream copy does not decode, normalize, or filter. Use the concat filter and re-encode when those operations are necessary. - The stream runs too quickly or slowly: for file-based live output, check input pacing.
-rereads at native frame rate; it does not fix a bad join. - The edit itself is abrupt: a technically valid join can still cut between unrelated frames, sounds, or gameplay moments. Review the boundary in the joined output.
Use YouTube Live Redirect only for an end-of-stream handoff
YouTube Live Redirect is a separate YouTube Studio feature: when a live stream ends, it can send viewers to a Premiere or another live stream. It does not join VOD files or make an in-stream concat boundary seamless. YouTube’s Live Redirect help page describes setup and eligibility, including that redirecting viewers to another channel’s live stream requires that channel’s permission.
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Or let it run in the cloud
If you want a YouTube gaming VOD rerun without leaving a home computer running, StreamNeo is a cloud service for keeping a YouTube channel live from uploaded videos. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live; StreamNeo loops the uploaded video from the cloud. It is for uploaded videos, not camera streaming, and streams to YouTube only.
- Nothing has to stay on at home for the stream to continue.
- Any quality up to 4K 60fps streams as uploaded, at one flat price per slot, with no re-encode or quality tiers.
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