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What you need before batch encoding
- An Ubuntu system with FFmpeg installed. Installation commands and package versions can vary by Ubuntu release, so use the package source appropriate to your release and check the installed build with
ffmpeg -version. Ubuntu’s Noble manpage is available at Ubuntu Manpage: ffmpeg; it does not establish a package version for every release. - A YouTube channel eligible to go live from an encoder. YouTube’s computer guidance says the channel must be verified and must not have had live-streaming restrictions in the preceding 90 days: YouTube live streaming tips – Computer.
- The current YouTube Live ingestion address and stream name (often treated as the stream key). Retrieve them from the live setup you intend to use; do not reuse a value from an old tutorial or publish it publicly.
- Enough sustained outbound upload capacity for the chosen profile, plus room for normal network variation. Test at the actual broadcast location in India rather than assuming a connection can sustain its advertised peak.
YouTube’s mobile live rules are a separate case: its Android help page lists a 50-subscriber minimum, verification, no restrictions in the last 90 days, and that first activation may take up to 24 hours. Those mobile requirements should not be applied to encoder streaming. See YouTube’s Android mobile live-streaming guidance.
Inspect and plan the batch
Before encoding, check each source’s duration, dimensions, frame rate, audio presence and layout, and orientation or aspect ratio. The goal is not to force every file through one profile blindly: decide whether to preserve each source’s frame rate or deliberately normalize the batch to a common output profile. Avoid accidental stretching, unwanted frame-rate conversion, or silent loss of audio.
A quick inspection command is:
ffprobe -v error -show_entries format=duration:stream=codec_type,width,height,r_frame_rate,avg_frame_rate,sample_rate,channels -of json "input.mp4"Use the results to group similar inputs or adjust the command for unusual files. Check that FFmpeg’s installed build includes the encoders you plan to use; availability depends on how that Ubuntu package was built.
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Choose YouTube Live ingest settings
YouTube’s current encoder guidance recommends RTMP or RTMPS ingest, constant bitrate (CBR), a two-second keyframe interval (not more than four seconds), and video in H.264, H.265/HEVC, or AV1 up to 60 fps. It recommends RTMPS where supported for encrypted transport. For a broadly compatible workflow, the examples here use H.264 and AAC. YouTube’s published settings are general guidance, not India-specific settings. Source: YouTube: Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions, reviewed 2026-10-03.
Selected H.264 bitrate recommendations
The values below are YouTube’s recommended H.264 ingest bitrates, not guarantees of image quality or proof that a particular connection will hold steady. Match the output to the profile you select and test it on your own upload connection.
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| Resolution and frame rate | YouTube-recommended H.264 bitrate |
|---|---|
| 720p at 30 fps | 8 Mbps |
| 720p at 60 fps | 8 Mbps |
| 1080p at 30 fps | 14 Mbps |
| 1080p at 60 fps | 17 Mbps |
| 1440p at 30 fps | 21 Mbps |
| 1440p at 60 fps | 34 Mbps |
| 2160p at 30 fps | 42 Mbps |
| 2160p at 60 fps | 50 Mbps |
For context, YouTube’s H.264 minimums include 6 Mbps for 720p30, 12 Mbps for 720p60, 5 Mbps for 1080p30, and 6 Mbps for 1080p60; these are minimum recommendations, not the recommended targets in the table. Other supported codecs have different recommendations—for example, YouTube lists 10 Mbps for 1080p30 and 12 Mbps for 1080p60 with AV1 or H.265. Choose a codec only if your FFmpeg build and the complete ingest workflow support it reliably.
Other profile details
- For SDR, YouTube lists Rec. 709, 8-bit, square pixels, and progressive scan.
- For stereo audio, YouTube’s guidance specifies 44.1 kHz and 128 Kbps; AAC is used in the examples below.
- At a constant frame rate, a two-second GOP is approximately twice the frame rate: for example, 60 frames at 30 fps. Set the GOP to match the actual output frame rate.
Batch encode the files offline
FFmpeg’s -g sets the maximum GOP size, and the libx264 bitrate option is expressed in bits per second. For a 1080p30 H.264 ingest target, the following is an illustrative starting command—not a tested universal preset. It assumes the input is already 30 fps and does not scale or normalize it.
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ffmpeg -i "input.mp4"
-c:v libx264 -b:v 14M -maxrate 14M -bufsize 28M
-g 60 -pix_fmt yuv420p
-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100
"output.mp4"For another profile, replace the bitrate and GOP values to match the intended resolution and frame rate. For example, 1080p60 requires a different bitrate and a two-second GOP of about 120 frames. If inputs do not match the intended frame rate, add a deliberate conversion and verify the result; do not treat -g 60 as a two-second interval for every source. Scaling, audio layout, codec availability, source characteristics, rate-control behavior, and container choice can all call for changes. FFmpeg’s option behavior is documented at FFmpeg Documentation (all options).
Process a directory without overwriting source files
This Bash example writes MP4 outputs to a separate directory, preserves each input’s base name, handles spaces in filenames, and records failed conversions. It applies the illustrative 1080p30-oriented settings above, so use it only for sources that suit that profile or edit the settings first.
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mkdir -p encoded failed
shopt -s nullglob
for input in ./*.mp4; do
name=${input##*/}
output="encoded/${name%.*}.mp4"
if ffmpeg -i "$input"
-c:v libx264 -b:v 14M -maxrate 14M -bufsize 28M
-g 60 -pix_fmt yuv420p
-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100
"$output"; then
printf 'Encoded: %sn' "$input"
else
printf 'Failed: %sn' "$input" | tee -a failed/encode-errors.txt
fi
doneThe loop processes only files matching ./*.mp4; change the glob or handle additional extensions intentionally. It does not make every input suitable for the same output profile. Review the failed-file log and inspect sample outputs before using the whole batch.
Send a prepared file to YouTube Live
Offline conversion should normally use the machine’s available processing capacity; do not add -re to slow an ordinary batch encode to the source’s playback speed. During live playout, however, FFmpeg’s -re reads a file at its native frame rate to simulate a live input. FFmpeg documents this use in its ffmpeg Documentation.
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- In YouTube Studio, open the live setup for the intended broadcast and copy the current ingestion address and stream name. Keep the stream name private. YouTube’s Live Streaming API documents primary RTMP and RTMPS addresses and separately supplied stream names: LiveStreams | YouTube Live Streaming API.
- Use the RTMPS address when YouTube provides it and your FFmpeg workflow supports it. Insert the actual URL and stream name only on your own machine; do not paste a real key into a public post or shared script.
- Start the file at real-time speed with a profile appropriate to the file and stream. The following shows the credential structure without real credentials or a fixed endpoint:
ffmpeg -re -i "encoded/video.mp4"
-c:v libx264 -b:v 14M -maxrate 14M -bufsize 28M
-g 60 -pix_fmt yuv420p
-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100
-f flv "CURRENT_INGEST_URL/CURRENT_STREAM_NAME"This example reflects a 1080p30 H.264 target and assumes the input is 30 fps. Replace the endpoint with the current values YouTube assigned to the broadcast. YouTube may supply the address and stream name separately or allow them to be combined as STREAM_URL/STREAM_NAME. Do not publish or commit a populated command containing your stream key.
Rehearse and troubleshoot
Run a test using representative motion and audio, then monitor YouTube’s stream health messages during the rehearsal and broadcast. YouTube’s bitrate recommendations are starting points; stream health and the actual connection determine whether the chosen settings work in practice.
- Stream does not connect: confirm that the broadcast is set up and that you copied the current ingestion address and matching stream name. Check for a typo or extra whitespace, and make sure the stream name has not been exposed or replaced.
- YouTube reports unstable or insufficient bitrate: test outbound upload capacity from the broadcast location. Lower the resolution, frame rate, or bitrate to a profile the connection can sustain rather than relying on peak speed.
- Keyframe interval is wrong: verify the output frame rate and set
-gto approximately twice that rate for a two-second GOP. A fixed value of 60 is not two seconds at 60 fps. - Audio is absent or mismatched: inspect whether the source contains an audio stream and check the encoded output before streaming. Adjust channel layout and sample-rate handling for the source rather than assuming every input is stereo.
- Files have the wrong aspect ratio, size, or motion cadence: revisit the source inspection and decide explicitly whether to scale, preserve the original frame rate, or normalize it. The sample command does not perform those transformations.
- An encoder name is unavailable: check the installed FFmpeg build and its compiled encoder support. Ubuntu package builds can differ; install or select a build appropriate to the encoder you need.
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