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Yes—but Google Drive cannot send a video directly to YouTube Live. Use an encoder such as OBS between them: make the Drive video available as a local file, enable looping in the encoder, then send that encoder’s feed to YouTube. Drive is the file source; the encoder creates the live broadcast.

Why Google Drive alone is not enough

Google’s Drive playback help explains how to open and watch a video in Drive; it does not document a built-in feature for broadcasting that video as a YouTube Live stream. YouTube’s documented live workflow uses an encoder to send the feed. The practical route is to download or synchronize the video to a computer, play it in encoder software, and send the output to YouTube.

Google documents downloading video file content through its Drive API, while OBS Media Source is designed to play local media files. A Drive share link pasted directly into an encoder may work in some configurations, but the official documentation cited here does not establish it as supported or reliable. Use a local or synchronized copy for the documented workflow. Drive’s stated playback maximum of 1920 × 1080 describes Drive playback, not YouTube’s maximum livestream output.

Set up a looping stream with Drive and OBS

  1. Check YouTube Live eligibility. The channel must be verified and must not have had livestream restrictions in the previous 90 days. First-time live activation can take up to 24 hours, so enable it ahead of your planned broadcast. See YouTube’s live streaming tips and encoder setup guidance.
  2. Make the video available locally. Download the Drive video to the computer running OBS, or use a synchronized local copy. Confirm the file plays correctly, and that you have enough local storage for it. The official Drive playback page is Google’s guide to playing videos in Drive; its API documentation covers downloading file content.
  3. Add the video in OBS. In OBS, add a Media Source and select the local video file. Enable the source’s Loop property so OBS starts the file again after playback completes. OBS documents this behavior in its Media Sources guide. Preview the scene and listen through the point where the file restarts; check for an unwanted black frame, silence, or abrupt transition.
  4. Connect OBS to YouTube Live. In YouTube Live Control Room, create or select the stream and copy its stream URL and stream key into OBS’s streaming settings, or connect through YouTube’s encoder setup flow. A stream key is a credential that tells the encoder where to send its feed; do not share it or expose it in a recording or screenshot. YouTube’s encoder guide explains the workflow.
  5. Set output quality and protocol. YouTube recommends RTMPS. Its published encoder guidance supports H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 for RTMP/RTMPS ingestion, up to 60 fps, constant bitrate encoding, and a two-second keyframe interval (no more than four seconds). Choose the bitrate range YouTube recommends for your selected codec, resolution, and frame rate, and keep it within what your upload connection can sustain. Check YouTube’s current live encoder settings before a production stream, since specifications can change.
  6. Test, then go live. Start the encoder, check YouTube’s preview and stream-health indicators, and test with audio and motion similar to the actual video. YouTube recommends previewing and monitoring quality in its live streaming tips. For a long-running broadcast, plan how you will notice if the computer, OBS, network, or video playback stops; looping a file does not itself restart a failed encoder or restore a lost connection.

What to plan for in a 24/7 broadcast

Computer and connection must keep running

In this do-it-yourself setup, OBS runs on the computer and sends the live feed over your internet connection. The computer must stay powered on, OBS must keep running, and the connection must have enough upload capacity for the chosen stream settings. A loop only repeats the media while the source and encoder are operating.

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Do not rely on YouTube’s archive for a full day

YouTube says streams shorter than 12 hours can be automatically archived, but a stream exceeding 12 hours may not be captured at all. If you need a complete recording of a 24/7 broadcast, keep a separate local recording or other archive; YouTube recommends a local archive backup. See YouTube’s archive live streams guidance.

Confirm rights before broadcasting

You are responsible for having the rights needed to use the video and its music in a live stream. YouTube scans live streams for matches to third-party content; it may replace a stream with a placeholder and warn the creator, and persistent content can lead to interruption or termination. Even licensed third-party content may require the rights owner to add your channel to its Content ID allowlist. Review YouTube’s terms and its guidance on copyright issues with live streams before going live.

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Troubleshooting common failures

  • OBS cannot find or play the video: Check that the selected path points to a local file that still exists and is accessible to the computer account running OBS. Re-select the file in the Media Source if it was moved or renamed.
  • The video plays once and stops: Open the Media Source properties and enable Loop. Verify by watching the end-to-start transition in the preview.
  • YouTube shows no incoming video: Confirm OBS is sending to the intended YouTube stream URL and that the stream key is current and entered correctly. Treat the key as private; if it has been exposed, replace it in YouTube and update the encoder.
  • Stream health reports instability: Check that the selected bitrate is within YouTube’s recommended range for the output settings and that the connection can sustain it. Lower the output quality or bitrate if necessary, then preview and monitor again.
  • Broadcast stops after an interruption: A loop setting does not guarantee recovery from an encoder crash, computer shutdown, or network failure. Check the computer, OBS, connection, and YouTube status, then restore the feed and monitor it. YouTube’s stream-health checks help identify transmission issues, but do not replace operational monitoring.
  • The stream is interrupted for copyrighted material: Review the rights for every video and audio track and check whether a rights owner must allowlist your channel in Content ID. Do not assume that owning a copy of a file or having a licence automatically clears it for YouTube Live.
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