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Choose the design before writing Compose
Docker keeps the FFmpeg process and its configuration together; it does not supply a capable encoder, install host GPU drivers, make incompatible playlist files compatible, or improve an unstable uplink. Establish these details first:
- Host and runtime: operating system, Docker Engine and Compose version, CPU, and—if applicable—GPU, driver, and container runtime.
- Media: video and audio codecs, resolution, frame rate, stream layout, and whether the files share compatible parameters.
- Output: H.264, H.265, or AV1; SDR or HDR; audio format; and whether the host can sustain encoding at real time.
- Playlist behavior: whether files may be concatenated as-is, whether transitions must be seamless, and what should happen at the end of the list.
- Operations: how the stream key will be protected, how failures will be noticed, and whether a process restart is enough or you need an external supervisor.
- Network: stable upload capacity with headroom above the chosen video and audio bitrate. A bitrate target by itself is not evidence that your connection can sustain it.
The examples below are a starting point for a local-file, SDR, H.264 stream. They are not a tested universal image or hardware recipe. Check the actual image and host before leaving a stream unattended.
Set YouTube’s 4K60 output targets
YouTube Help’s current encoder settings page, accessed 2026-10-03, lists 2160p (4K) at 60 fps. Its published recommended and minimum rates differ by codec:
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| Output codec | YouTube 4K60 minimum | YouTube 4K60 recommended |
|---|---|---|
| H.264 | 14 Mbps | 50 Mbps |
| H.265 or AV1 | 10 Mbps | 35 Mbps |
These are YouTube’s published encoder targets, not a guarantee that a particular encoder, file, or internet connection will perform well. Do not treat 50 Mbps as a universal 4K60 requirement: it is YouTube’s recommended H.264 figure; the published recommendation for H.265 or AV1 is 35 Mbps. Confirm that YouTube supports your chosen ingest codec and that your FFmpeg build and hardware can encode it. For an SDR stream, YouTube specifies Rec. 709 guidance; HDR has separate guidance, including a recommendation for H.265 over RTMP(S), so do not apply SDR settings blindly to HDR.
YouTube specifies CBR, recommends a two-second keyframe interval, and says not to exceed four seconds. It supports RTMP and RTMPS and recommends RTMPS for secure ingest. Its guidance lists AAC or MP3 audio; the page specifies AAC-only support for 5.1 surround over RTMP/RTMPS. See YouTube’s encoder settings, bitrate, and resolution guidance and the YouTube Live Streaming API ingest reference.
Prepare and check the media playlist
Use a concat list only for compatible files
FFmpeg’s concat demuxer joins media at the packet level. It is appropriate when the listed files have matching stream layouts and compatible codec parameters; it is not a general-purpose converter for a mixed library. For a predictable long-running playlist, prepare the files to a common format before deployment, or build and test a different filter-based workflow for the specific inputs. FFmpeg documents its media input and processing options in the command-line documentation.
Create a playlist file on the host at ./media/playlist.txt. Paths below are container paths after the media directory is mounted. Quote paths containing spaces, and use the concat demuxer’s escaping rules for apostrophes or other special characters.
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file '/media/video-01.mp4'
file '/media/video-02.mp4'
file '/media/video-03.mp4'Check that each file plays through to its end and has the expected video and audio. A list that works for one set of files may fail when a later file has different parameters. A successful concat does not itself prove that transitions are visually seamless.
Pick the encoder you can sustain
Software encoding avoids GPU passthrough, but 4K60 encoding can be demanding and no universal CPU threshold is established here. Test the selected preset on the actual host while watching whether FFmpeg keeps pace with real time. A faster preset may reduce encoding load at the cost of compression efficiency; a slower one can demand more processing. If FFmpeg falls behind, the stream may stutter even when the network is adequate.
GPU encoding is optional, not automatic. NVIDIA’s FFmpeg integration documents encoder families such as h264_nvenc, hevc_nvenc, and av1_nvenc; actual availability depends on the compatible GPU, host driver, container runtime, and FFmpeg build. See NVIDIA’s FFmpeg hardware-acceleration guidance. Do not select an encoder solely because the GPU supports it: check YouTube ingest support and playback needs too.
Build a starting Docker Compose service
Use an FFmpeg image you have chosen and checked, rather than assuming any image contains the needed encoder and RTMPS support. The Compose example uses an FFMPEG_IMAGE variable so the deployment explicitly supplies that image. Put it in a private .env file alongside the Compose file; do not commit the file to a public repository. The mounted media directory is read-only inside the container.
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services:
youtube-live:
image: ${FFMPEG_IMAGE:?Set FFMPEG_IMAGE to a tested FFmpeg image}
container_name: youtube-live
restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
- ./media:/media:ro
environment:
YOUTUBE_STREAM_KEY: ${YOUTUBE_STREAM_KEY:?Set YOUTUBE_STREAM_KEY}
entrypoint: ["/bin/sh", "-c"]
command:
- >
exec ffmpeg
-hide_banner
-nostdin
-re
-stream_loop -1
-f concat -safe 0
-i /media/playlist.txt
-map 0:v:0 -map 0:a:0
-vf scale=3840:2160,fps=60
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -pix_fmt yuv420p
-b:v 50M -minrate 50M -maxrate 50M -bufsize 100M
-x264-params nal-hrd=cbr:force-cfr=1:keyint=120:min-keyint=120
-c:a aac -b:a 192k -ar 48000
-f flv "rtmps://a.rtmps.youtube.com:443/live2/$${YOUTUBE_STREAM_KEY}"
This example assumes one compatible video and one compatible audio stream in the playlist, H.264 SDR output, and a working libx264 encoder. The scale filter sets a 3840×2160 frame; fps=60 requests 60 fps. Those filters do not create missing visual detail or guarantee that the source can be converted smoothly. -re reads the local input at its native rate rather than sending it as fast as possible; it does not ensure a stable live connection.
The H.264 rate-control values target YouTube’s published 50 Mbps recommendation. The 100M buffer is an example encoder buffer setting, not an additional YouTube requirement. At 60 fps, a 120-frame key interval corresponds to two seconds. The AAC settings are an example stereo output; choose audio mapping and channel layout to match your files and intended stream. YouTube’s page lists AAC or MP3, with AAC required for 5.1 over RTMP/RTMPS.
In Compose, $$ escapes the dollar sign so the container shell expands YOUTUBE_STREAM_KEY. Set that variable in the private .env file, restrict its permissions, and never paste the key into a public Compose file, screenshot, log, or shared repository. This approach does place the key in the FFmpeg process arguments while it runs; use a secret-handling arrangement appropriate to your host if that exposure is unacceptable. A YouTube stream key is a credential: rotate it if it is exposed.
Verify the image before going live
FFmpeg options depend on how the binary was built. Before relying on the service, check the actual container image:
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docker compose run --rm youtube-live -version
docker compose run --rm youtube-live -protocols
docker compose run --rm youtube-live -encodersConfirm the output includes the encoder you selected and the required RTMPS protocol support. The official FFmpeg protocol reference documents protocol options, including RTMPS. A successful version check is not a full streaming test; validate the selected image and command with your media and channel before scheduling a continuous broadcast.
Connect the container to YouTube Live
- Open YouTube Studio’s live control room. Create or select the live stream and locate its stream key in the stream setup. Interface labels may change; use YouTube’s current live control room rather than copying a key from an untrusted source.
- Set the key privately. Add
YOUTUBE_STREAM_KEYto the private environment file used by Compose. Keep that file out of source control and limit who can read it. - Start the service. Run
docker compose up -d. Check startup and encoding output withdocker compose logs -f youtube-live. - Confirm the preview and status in YouTube Studio. Verify the incoming resolution, frame rate, audio, and stream health before making the broadcast public or scheduling unattended playback.
- Stop deliberately when needed. Use
docker compose downto stop the service. A configured Docker restart policy handles some process exits, not every network or YouTube-side failure.
Decide how looping and recovery should work
The example uses FFmpeg’s input looping option on the concat playlist. That is a simple repeat strategy, not a promise of gapless playback. Different file parameters, timestamps, audio endings, or transition requirements can produce discontinuities; test the exact playlist. If each item must be normalized or transitions must be composed, make that a separate, explicit media-processing design instead of assuming a loop flag solves it.
restart: unless-stopped asks Docker to restart a stopped process under the policy’s conditions. It does not establish that YouTube has accepted a reconnect, that an internet outage has cleared, or that a stream resumes at the desired place. Decide which component owns recovery: FFmpeg’s behavior, Docker restart behavior, an external supervisor, or an operator. Monitor container status and logs, and check the YouTube control room after a failure. Test interruption and recovery before depending on the stream.
Optional: expose an NVIDIA GPU to the service
Only add GPU access if you have a compatible NVIDIA device and an FFmpeg build with the desired NVENC encoder. Install and configure the host driver and NVIDIA Container Toolkit first; Docker does not install these prerequisites. Docker Compose documents a GPU reservation under deploy.resources.reservations.devices:
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services:
youtube-live:
# Keep the image, volumes, environment, and command from the main example.
deploy:
resources:
reservations:
devices:
- driver: nvidia
count: 1
capabilities: [gpu]Use either count or device_ids, not both. The reservation alone does not change the FFmpeg command: select a supported hardware encoder and verify its options in the actual image. Docker’s guides cover GPU reservations in Compose and GPU access and NVIDIA Container Toolkit prerequisites. Host and runtime support varies, so validate passthrough on the target machine.
Common failures and what to check
- Compose says the image variable is missing: define
FFMPEG_IMAGEin the Compose environment or private.envfile. Use an image you have tested, not an assumed tag. - FFmpeg reports an unknown encoder or protocol: the selected binary lacks that build feature. Check
-encodersand-protocols, then use a build with the required encoder and RTMPS support. - The playlist fails at a later file: inspect that file’s codecs, stream count, timestamps, and parameters. The concat demuxer is not a universal mixed-format playlist handler; normalize the files or implement a tested filter-based approach.
- YouTube rejects or does not receive the stream: confirm the key, RTMPS destination, output format, codec, bitrate, and stream setup in YouTube Studio. Never expose the key while sharing logs or configuration.
- Video stutters or FFmpeg falls behind: check CPU/GPU utilization and whether encoding keeps real time. Test a faster preset or a supported hardware encoder, then verify image quality and stream health rather than assuming the bitrate alone is the cause.
- Connection drops or the stream does not resume: distinguish a container process exit from an uplink interruption or YouTube ingest issue. Inspect Docker logs and Studio status, then test the recovery path you intend to rely on; a Docker restart policy is not a universal reconnect guarantee.
- Colors, shape, or motion look wrong: check source aspect ratio, scaling, frame-rate conversion, and SDR/HDR assumptions. The sample filter forces 3840×2160 and 60 fps; it is not suitable unchanged for every source.
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