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To send a prerecorded video to YouTube through MediaMTX, run FFmpeg to loop and publish the file to a MediaMTX path, then configure MediaMTX to forward that path to YouTube Live over RTMPS. These are separate steps: the FFmpeg command feeds MediaMTX; MediaMTX handles the YouTube destination. The commands below create a looping stream, but they do not by themselves provide an uptime guarantee or a complete unattended recovery system.
How the stream is connected
The route is FFmpeg → MediaMTX path → YouTube Live. FFmpeg reads and publishes the file in real time. MediaMTX receives it at a path such as mystream, then forwards that path to YouTube using the current RTMPS endpoint and stream key from your YouTube account.
MediaMTX is a live media server and proxy that can publish, read, proxy, record, and play back real-time media. Its documentation includes FFmpeg as a publishing option: MediaMTX: publish with FFmpeg.
1. Publish a looping file from FFmpeg to MediaMTX
Use the RTSP method MediaMTX recommends for FFmpeg publishing. Replace file.mp4 with the path to your input file and keep the path name consistent with the MediaMTX forwarding configuration in the next section.
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ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i file.mp4 -c copy -f rtsp rtsp://localhost:8554/mystream-rereads the file at its native playback rate instead of sending it as fast as the machine can process it.-stream_loop -1repeats the input indefinitely.-i file.mp4selects the source file.-c copypasses the input audio and video streams through without encoding them again.-f rtspselects the RTSP output format, and the URL publishes to the MediaMTX pathmystream.
MediaMTX also documents an RTMP/FLV publishing alternative:
ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i file.mp4 -c copy -f flv rtmp://localhost:1935/mystream| Publishing option | Documented output | How to choose |
|---|---|---|
| RTSP (recommended by MediaMTX) | rtsp://localhost:8554/mystream |
Use when RTSP publishing fits your MediaMTX deployment and is straightforward to troubleshoot there. |
| RTMP/FLV | rtmp://localhost:1935/mystream |
Use when RTMP better matches your existing setup or is easier to troubleshoot in your deployment. |
The cited MediaMTX guide documents both methods but does not establish that one is universally faster or more reliable. The examples use localhost, so they assume FFmpeg can reach the MediaMTX listener at that address. If they run on different machines, use an address reachable from the FFmpeg host and configure the server and network to permit that connection.
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Check the source before using stream copy
-c copy does not create, repair, or transcode tracks. Check that the file contains both video and audio and that its codecs and parameters are suitable for your intended YouTube output. MediaMTX warns that YouTube requires both tracks and may silently reject a video-only stream. If the file has no audio, this copy command will not add one; the documented example does not prescribe a method for supplying or synthesizing audio. See MediaMTX: forward a stream to YouTube.
2. Configure MediaMTX to forward the path to YouTube
In the MediaMTX configuration, associate the same path name used by FFmpeg with a forwarding destination. MediaMTX documents a destination in the form rtmps://a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2#streamKey, where the # separates the destination URL from the stream key. That hostname and URL are documentation examples, not a substitute for the values currently shown in your account.
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- Open the live-stream settings for the intended broadcast in YouTube Studio and reveal the RTMPS URL and stream key using the account interface. YouTube’s help page explains how to reveal the RTMPS URL from the stream settings lock control: YouTube Help: stream using an encoder.
- In the MediaMTX path configuration, set the forwarding destination for
mystreamto the current account-provided RTMPS URL, followed by#and the matching stream key. Follow the configuration syntax in the MediaMTX YouTube forwarding guide. - Keep the key private. Do not put a real key in a public configuration example, screenshot, shell history, or source-control repository. The documentation describes where the key goes, but does not establish a particular key-management system.
- Start or reload MediaMTX as appropriate for your installation, then start the FFmpeg publishing command. Check MediaMTX and YouTube Studio for whether the incoming stream is being received.
Use rtmps:// for encrypted transport. YouTube describes RTMPS as a secure extension of RTMP and recommends it for YouTube Live: YouTube Help: stream using an encoder. MediaMTX cautions that its example endpoint reflected what YouTube reported when its documentation was updated; retrieve the current endpoint from the target account instead of copying an old URL.
3. Match the output to YouTube’s encoder requirements
Stream copy is convenient only when the source already fits the required output. If it does not, the documented copy commands do not perform conversion. Decide the output resolution, frame rate, codec, audio, and bitrate based on the file and YouTube’s current guidance before relying on a long-running stream.
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- Video: the guidance lists H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1, with frame rates up to 60 fps.
- Audio: the guidance lists AAC or MP3 and recommends stereo audio at a 44.1 kHz sample rate and 128 Kbps.
- Rate control and keyframes: the guidance recommends constant bitrate (CBR), a two-second keyframe interval, and says not to exceed four seconds.
- Bitrate: recommendations vary with resolution and frame rate. Consult YouTube’s current bitrate table for the output you choose rather than applying one bitrate to every stream: YouTube Help: live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions.
- Tracks: include both audio and video. A video-only stream can be silently rejected according to MediaMTX’s forwarding documentation.
The YouTube encoder-settings page does not show a publication date in the cited material, so treat its figures as platform guidance to verify on the current page, not as a dated specification. If you need to change codecs, add audio, or alter resolution, use a transcoding workflow appropriate to your source; the commands above deliberately copy streams and do none of those things.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What “24/7” does—and does not—mean here
The infinite loop option tells FFmpeg to repeat a file while the process continues to run. It does not restart FFmpeg or MediaMTX after a crash, restore a dropped YouTube connection, handle a host or network outage, or prove that the full route will stay online continuously. The cited MediaMTX and YouTube pages do not provide a complete process supervisor, reconnect design, storage policy, or end-to-end 24/7 reliability plan.
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For unattended operation, plan those items separately: how each process is started and monitored, what happens after a disconnect, how the source remains available, and how you will detect a stream that has stopped reaching YouTube. Choose and verify a process-supervision and recovery approach for your operating system and deployment; do not infer automatic recovery from -stream_loop -1.
Troubleshooting common setup failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube does not receive the stream | MediaMTX is not forwarding the path, the forwarding path differs from FFmpeg’s path, or the endpoint or key is not current. | Confirm both configurations use mystream; retrieve the destination and key again from the target YouTube Live settings; review MediaMTX and YouTube Studio status. |
| Stream is rejected or has no usable audio | The file may be video-only, or stream copy is passing through unsuitable tracks. | Inspect the actual input tracks before launch. YouTube requires both audio and video; the copy command cannot synthesize a missing audio track. |
| FFmpeg cannot connect to MediaMTX | The server listener, address, port, or network path may not match the command. | Check that MediaMTX is running and listening at the address and port in the output URL. If FFmpeg is on another host, replace localhost with a reachable server address and verify network access. |
| Stream stops after a process or connection failure | The loop does not supervise or restart FFmpeg or MediaMTX, and does not provide a reconnection guarantee. | Check which process or network leg stopped, then implement and test a separate monitoring and recovery plan for your deployment. |
| Playback or ingest settings are not accepted | The source’s codec, resolution, frame rate, bitrate, keyframe interval, or audio may not match the intended YouTube output. | Compare the actual stream properties with YouTube’s current encoder requirements and bitrate guidance; do not assume stream copy makes an incompatible source compliant. |
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