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RadioDJ schedules and plays your station’s audio, OBS captures that audio, adds a visual scene and encodes the broadcast, and YouTube Live receives and publishes it. To set it up, configure RadioDJ on Windows, make its audio available to OBS, create a YouTube live broadcast, and test the complete signal path privately before going public. The main caveats are that audio routing depends on your PC, music rights must cover your actual uses, and a continuous automated playlist is not automatically eligible for monetization.
How the RadioDJ–OBS–YouTube setup works
- RadioDJ: organizes, schedules and plays the station audio on a Windows PC.
- OBS Studio: receives that audio, combines it with a scene such as a station graphic, and encodes the outgoing stream.
- YouTube Live: provides the broadcast settings and ingest details, receives the stream, and manages its publication and archive.
RadioDJ is the playout system, not the YouTube encoder. The audio handoff is the part that varies most: OBS needs an audio source that actually receives RadioDJ’s output, and the correct device depends on your Windows audio setup.
What you need before setup
A Windows PC and RadioDJ
RadioDJ’s feature page lists Windows 10 and Windows 11 as supported; other Windows versions may work but are unsupported. Its publisher lists a minimum 1 GHz CPU and 8 GB RAM, Windows-supported sound-card compatibility, and support for MariaDB or MySQL. The same page says RadioDJ v2+ needs .NET Framework 4.8 and recommends MariaDB. These are publisher-stated requirements, not a guarantee of performance for every station. Confirm the requirements for the current release on RadioDJ’s feature page before installing. The page lists MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC and AC3 among supported formats, along with Auto DJ rotations, jingles, scheduled events, manual or automatic playlist advance, and support for up to six sound cards.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →OBS Studio and YouTube Live access
YouTube identifies OBS as a no-charge, open-source encoder. Your channel must have live streaming enabled. First-time enablement may take up to 24 hours, according to YouTube’s encoder setup guide. Have access to YouTube Studio so you can create or schedule a broadcast and retrieve its stream URL and key.
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Music permissions
Clear rights for each recording and composition you plan to use, for the territories and uses involved, including live transmission and any archived playback. Do this before testing publicly: a private or unlisted test is still a stream, and YouTube’s livestream terms require the necessary rights for Live Content. Owning a recording, crediting an artist, or having a consumer music subscription does not by itself establish that those rights are covered.
Set up RadioDJ, OBS and YouTube in order
- Install and prepare RadioDJ. Install a supported Windows release, configure its database as required, and import and organize your audio. Build categories, rotations and scheduled events; add jingles or other station elements if they are part of your format. Run the playlist locally and confirm that tracks advance as intended before involving OBS.
- Route RadioDJ audio into OBS. In OBS, add or select an audio input that receives RadioDJ’s playback. The exact device and menu path depend on your PC; the RadioDJ feature page and YouTube’s general encoder instructions do not prescribe one universal routing method. Watch OBS’s audio meters while RadioDJ plays, then listen through OBS’s monitor/output path. If your current audio device does not expose the signal cleanly, an optional USB audio interface or other audio-routing hardware may help; check the devices already available on the computer first.
- Build a simple OBS scene. Add a station logo, program graphic or other suitable visual. A camera or presenter is optional. Confirm the scene uses the intended RadioDJ feed. Avoid capturing the same sound through two sources at once, which can cause doubled audio or echo.
- Create the YouTube broadcast. In YouTube Studio, open the Live Control Room and create or schedule a stream. Choose its visibility and copy the stream URL and stream key into OBS’s YouTube/stream settings. Alternatively, use OBS’s YouTube account integration to link the account and manage broadcasts; the OBS Project guide describes that route. Treat the stream key like a password: do not share it or show it in a broadcast.
- Test the incoming preview. Start streaming from OBS and check the preview and audio in the Live Control Room. Use the controls shown for that broadcast: depending on its settings, YouTube may require a separate Go Live action, so starting OBS does not always publish a scheduled stream by itself.
- End deliberately and verify the archive. Stop the broadcast using the relevant OBS and YouTube controls, then confirm the stream ended and the archive is available if you expect one. YouTube says streams shorter than 12 hours are automatically archived. Do not plan a single uninterrupted stream beyond that documented boundary without checking YouTube’s current guidance and deciding how to handle restarts and archives.
Get RadioDJ audio into OBS reliably
The goal is straightforward: RadioDJ plays; an OBS audio source receives that playback; OBS meters move in time with the audio; and the monitored output sounds clean. Windows audio configurations differ, so there is no single device choice that fits every PC. Start by inspecting the input devices OBS can select and checking whether one already carries RadioDJ’s output. If not, investigate the PC’s audio-device configuration or consider an interface or routing hardware appropriate to your setup.
- Check the OBS meter while a track is playing, not just while the scene is idle.
- Listen for silence, clipping, unintended system sounds, echo or doubled audio.
- Confirm only the intended copy of the RadioDJ signal is active in the scene.
- Recheck the selected device after changing sound hardware or Windows audio settings.
OBS’s meters verify that signal is reaching the encoder; they do not prove that you have permission to broadcast the music.
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Stream URL, stream key and RTMPS
The safest setup for most operators is to copy the URL and key shown for the specific YouTube broadcast or use OBS’s account integration. Do not manually assemble an ingest address unless you have a specific reason. Google’s RTMPS documentation describes RTMP carried over SSL/TLS, with an rtmps URL, a valid YouTube endpoint and application path, port 443, and correct hostname/SNI handling. A wrong protocol, endpoint or port can prevent a connection. When troubleshooting, compare the values with YouTube’s displayed settings rather than guessing an address.
Rights, copyright checks and channel allowlisting
YouTube’s livestream terms and conditions state: “You represent and warrant that you have all necessary rights for the exploitation of the Live Content on the Google Services throughout the world, including, without limitation, music licensing rights from artists, record labels, publishers (including public performance licenses) and any other royalty participants.” Which permissions a station needs depends on its repertoire, territories and intended uses; verify coverage with the relevant rights holders or qualified local advice.
YouTube scans live streams for third-party content. Its copyright guidance for live streams says a stream may be replaced with a placeholder and the operator warned; if the material remains, YouTube may interrupt or terminate the stream. For licensed third-party content, YouTube advises asking the rights owner to add the channel to its Content ID allowlist. A license does not necessarily prevent an interruption if the channel is not allowlisted. Rights clearance and platform-side allowlisting are separate issues to check.
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Can a 24/7 automated radio stream be monetized?
Not automatically. YouTube says live streams may be monetized for channels in the YouTube Partner Program, but eligibility and ad serving remain subject to YouTube’s current rules. Its channel monetization policies apply to live streams and say repetitive or mass-produced content may be ineligible. A rotating playlist that runs continuously is not a guaranteed monetization strategy; consider whether the programming offers original, sufficiently varied value to viewers, and check the current policy before relying on revenue.
Troubleshooting common problems
OBS shows no RadioDJ audio
The selected OBS source may not receive the device RadioDJ is playing through. Check which input carries the playback, select the appropriate source in the scene, and watch the meter while a track plays. If the PC does not expose the signal to OBS, review the audio-device setup or consider suitable routing hardware.
The audio is doubled, echoed or distorted
Two active OBS sources may be capturing the same signal, or the monitored/output path may be feeding audio back into the capture. Disable the duplicate source and retest. If the sound clips, check the signal levels through the path rather than assuming the YouTube connection is at fault.
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YouTube does not receive the stream
Check that live streaming is enabled, the correct broadcast is selected, and the stream URL and key match that broadcast. If using RTMPS, a mismatched protocol, endpoint or port can also block the connection. Use YouTube’s displayed ingest details or OBS account integration instead of constructing an address by hand.
OBS is streaming but the scheduled broadcast is not public
Check the Live Control Room for the incoming preview and any required Go Live action. Broadcast controls vary with the stream’s settings; do not assume the encoder’s start button also publishes the event.
YouTube interrupts the stream for music
Review the claimed material and the permissions for the specific works, territories and live/archive uses. If the material is licensed, ask the rights owner about Content ID allowlisting for the channel; YouTube says unallowlisted streams can still be interrupted.
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The stream ends or the archive is missing
Check that the broadcast was ended using the relevant controls and verify YouTube’s current archiving guidance. YouTube documents automatic archiving for streams shorter than 12 hours; plan restart and archive handling rather than assuming a longer uninterrupted stream will be archived in the same way.
Or let it run in the cloud
If you want a YouTube channel to loop uploaded recordings without leaving this RadioDJ-and-OBS PC running, StreamNeo is a cloud alternative. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It plays uploaded videos rather than broadcasting a live camera feed.
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Quick Recap
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