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For a Linux command-line setup, use FFmpeg to combine the station’s audio stream with a still image or looping video, encode the result to YouTube’s live-stream requirements, and send it to the ingest endpoint shown in YouTube Live Control Room. Use Liquidsoap when you need radio-focused scheduling or processing; choose OBS if you prefer a graphical workflow and have a desktop session available. The right choice depends on your station’s feed and how you plan to operate the broadcast.
What you need before you start
The workflow described here sends compatible audio and video to YouTube Live. A radio feed supplies audio, so add a visual signal—a station image or looped visual—to produce the broadcast. YouTube’s encoder guidance covers video and audio settings for this workflow: YouTube encoder settings.
- A direct, working URL for the station’s audio stream, plus information about its format or access requirements.
- A still image or video to use as the visual component.
- A YouTube channel with access to Live Control Room, where you can create or select a stream and retrieve its ingest endpoint and stream key.
- A Linux system and enough upstream bandwidth for the chosen video output. For unattended broadcasting, the system must remain running and be monitored.
- Permission to rebroadcast the station’s audio. Technical ability to relay a feed does not grant broadcasting rights.
Find the actual audio stream
A station’s web-player page is not necessarily its direct media URL. Use a stream URL published by the station or follow its own documentation, then test that URL locally. The correct input handling depends on the feed’s transport, codecs, access controls, and format; there is no universal extraction method for every station. FFmpeg’s protocol documentation describes supported network protocols, but the right input demuxer and output muxer depend on the specific feed and destination.
Check rights before relaying
Check the station’s terms and obtain permission from the relevant rights holders where required. The fact that a feed is publicly playable online does not establish that you may rebroadcast it on YouTube. YouTube may also apply its own copyright policies and enforcement to a live broadcast; check the current rules that apply to your channel and content before going public.
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Choose a Linux workflow
| Option | Best fit | Trade-off to consider |
|---|---|---|
| FFmpeg | A straightforward relay that combines a network audio input with an image or looped video. | Command-line control is flexible, but you must configure and maintain the process yourself. |
| Liquidsoap with FFmpeg | Radio-oriented scheduling or more involved audio processing, with FFmpeg handling the YouTube output path. | It adds a radio-focused layer to the pipeline; you still need to configure and maintain the destination and recovery behavior. |
| OBS | A graphical workflow with audio and visual sources, especially on an active Linux desktop. | It is less natural for a headless server without a desktop session, and the desktop environment must remain available for an ongoing broadcast. |
There is no universal winner. Choose based on whether you need scheduling or processing, whether a desktop is available, how you want to handle reconnection, and how comfortable you are maintaining a long-running process. The Liquidsoap book illustrates a pipeline using an FFmpeg encoder and a YouTube RTMP URL; treat that as an example of the pipeline shape, not as a substitute for current YouTube settings.
Set up the YouTube broadcast
- Create or select the live stream. In YouTube Live Control Room, create a broadcast or select the one you intend to use. Copy the displayed ingest endpoint and stream key for your encoder.
- Prefer RTMPS when available. YouTube recommends RTMPS for secure ingestion. Use the endpoint shown for your stream rather than copying a URL from an old tutorial.
- Keep the key private. Do not put the stream key in public scripts, screenshots, logs, or shared repositories. Store it with appropriate access controls and rotate it in YouTube if it is exposed.
- Choose a compatible output mode. Check YouTube’s current encoder guidance for the resolution, frame rate, video codec, and bitrate you intend to use. Those details should match both the selected ingest method and what your Linux encoder supports.
YouTube lists H.264, H.265 (HEVC), and AV1 video options, up to 60 fps, and recommends constant bitrate (CBR) with a two-second keyframe interval that does not exceed four seconds. It recommends AAC or MP3 audio; for stereo, its general recommendation is 44.1 kHz at 128 kbps. These are YouTube’s general recommendations and supported options, not a guarantee that every codec works with every protocol or encoder. Check the current encoder guidance for your chosen mode before publishing a command.
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RTMPS or HLS?
RTMPS is YouTube’s recommended secure extension to RTMP and is the simpler fit for an encoder workflow when the encoder supports it. HLS has protocol-specific setup and higher latency because it sends media in segments. YouTube’s HLS instructions require an HTTPS ingest URL, MPEG-TS segments from one to four seconds, a rolling playlist with no more than five outstanding segments, and HTTPS POST/PUT. The HLS page lists AAC, AC3, and EAC3 audio codecs. Use HLS only if your encoder can meet those requirements and you have a reason to choose it; see YouTube’s HLS setup guide.
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Build the stream on Linux
FFmpeg: combine station audio and a visual
For a simple relay, configure FFmpeg to read the station’s actual network audio input and combine it with a still image or looped video. Set the output video and audio codecs, resolution, frame rate, bitrate, keyframe interval, and audio format to match the mode you selected in YouTube Live Control Room. Send the encoded output to the displayed YouTube ingest endpoint using its stream key.
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The exact FFmpeg command depends on the station’s URL, protocol, codecs, visual file, FFmpeg build, and YouTube ingest mode. The general FFmpeg protocol reference does not validate a ready-to-run command for an unspecified station, so do not paste a generic command without checking the input and output options against your actual setup. Consult FFmpeg’s protocol documentation and YouTube’s current encoder guidance.
Liquidsoap: add radio-oriented processing
If you need radio scheduling or more involved processing, use Liquidsoap as part of the pipeline and route its output through FFmpeg to YouTube. The Liquidsoap book demonstrates an FFmpeg output aimed at a YouTube RTMP URL. Adapt its example to the current YouTube endpoint, transport, codec, and keyframe recommendations rather than treating an example URL or settings as current credentials.
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OBS: configure a desktop workflow
In OBS, add the station audio as an input and add a still image or video source for the visual. Configure the YouTube destination with the ingest details from Live Control Room, select output settings that match YouTube’s current recommendations, and confirm that both sources are active before starting the stream. OBS is most appropriate when a Linux desktop session is available; a graphical session must remain running for this approach to continue broadcasting.
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Test before going public
- Start a private or otherwise controlled test broadcast in Live Control Room.
- Confirm that the visual appears and that the station audio is audible. Listen for silence, distortion, or clipping rather than relying only on an encoder’s indication that it is sending data.
- Check YouTube’s stream-health information and resolve any warnings about the incoming signal before making the broadcast public.
- After changes to the station URL, visual source, encoder settings, or ingest mode, repeat the test. A successful connection alone does not confirm the audio, picture, or rights are suitable for public broadcasting.
YouTube’s Live Streaming API documentation describes live-stream resource behavior; use Live Control Room’s stream-health feedback to inspect the broadcast you are setting up.
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Keep a Linux stream running unattended
For a continuous broadcast, the machine running the encoder must stay on, connected, and able to reach both the station feed and YouTube. A Linux VPS is one possible deployment choice, but this workflow does not establish a recommended provider, service level, or bandwidth plan. Plan how you will monitor the process, detect a dropped input or output, and restart it when needed; no host or process is failure-proof.
- Check that the station feed remains reachable and has not changed format or access requirements.
- Monitor the encoder and YouTube stream health so a stalled process or lost ingest does not go unnoticed.
- Decide in advance how you will restart the stream and verify that recovery worked.
- Keep stream-key access limited and avoid exposing credentials in process logs or public files.
Or let it run in the cloud
If you want a 24/7 YouTube stream of uploaded recordings rather than a live relay of a station feed, StreamNeo runs the stream from the cloud: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; it streams the uploaded video as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot; it automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month. Each slot includes 10 GB of storage, pooled across active slots. The service is for YouTube and uploaded videos, not a live camera or direct relay of a radio feed. Start a free trial at StreamNeo.
Quick Recap
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