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AWS Elemental MediaTailor channel assembly can schedule VOD and live sources into a continuous linear playback stream, but its playback endpoint is not itself a YouTube Live publishing integration. To put the assembled stream on YouTube, you must separately establish and verify a delivery path from that endpoint to YouTube’s ingest. The steps below cover MediaTailor setup and identify where that separate integration begins.

What MediaTailor channel assembly does—and does not do

MediaTailor assembles manifests into a linear channel from existing VOD and live content; the underlying media segments remain served by their origin. AWS describes it as “a manifest-only service that allows you to create linear streaming channels using your existing video on demand (VOD) content mixed with live content.” AWS explains channel assembly.

A MediaTailor output is a playback endpoint for a compatible player. The AWS channel-assembly documentation cited here does not describe direct publishing to YouTube Live. Treat YouTube distribution as a separate integration: verify how the MediaTailor output will be fetched, encoded or otherwise delivered to YouTube’s ingest, and test that path independently. Do not assume that copying a MediaTailor playback URL into YouTube is sufficient.

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Choose the schedule model

Model What goes in the schedule Key consideration
VOD-to-live Programs referencing library VOD sources Package configurations and source durations must meet compatibility requirements for the setup.
Live-to-live Programs referencing incoming live sources Each live source needs a package configuration, compatible manifests, and a corresponding channel output.
Mixed live and VOD Scheduled VOD programs alongside live-source programs Check live-source compatibility independently of where each program appears in the schedule.

A “24/7” channel is an operating goal, not a special switch or an uptime guarantee documented for channel assembly. Build a schedule and playback configuration intended to remain continuous, then monitor the resulting output. See MediaTailor concepts and AWS’s guidance on working with live sources.

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Prepare origins, sources, and manifests

  1. Create a source location. In the MediaTailor channel-assembly workflow, provide an origin name and an HTTP(S) base URL. AWS lists S3, a standard web server, a CDN, and a packaging origin such as MediaPackage as possible origins. S3 can optionally use SigV4 authentication. Follow AWS’s source-location procedure.
  2. Add VOD sources and package configurations if scheduling a library. For the getting-started VOD-to-live setup, sources within a package configuration need the same number of child streams, and source package durations must align. AWS recommends a consistent encoding template for that setup and cautions that per-title or automated ABR methods can violate those conditions. Confirm current service requirements against your own packaging workflow before encoding a production library. See Getting started with channel assembly.
  3. Add live sources when using live or mixed programming. Configure a package format and manifest location; a source must have at least one package configuration. The channel must have corresponding outputs for the source groups and formats you use. See Adding live sources.

Check live-source manifest compatibility

  • For HLS, include #EXT-X-PROGRAM-DATE-TIME on the first segment in the manifest window and on every discontinuity.
  • Use DATERANGE for HLS ad markers.
  • AWS recommends that the source manifest window be at least as long as the channel manifest window; its live-source guidance suggests 30 seconds longer as a best practice.
  • Match target duration and number of child playlists with existing sources. For a package configuration, AWS says live sources should have the same number of child streams.

These requirements concern source compatibility; correct scheduling order cannot compensate for a manifest mismatch. Consult the current live-source requirements when configuring your origin.

Create a channel and its playback outputs

  1. Create the channel in MediaTailor channel assembly and select a playback mode suited to the behavior you want. The documentation distinguishes channel playback behavior; choose based on your intended schedule rather than assuming that “24/7” names a mode.
  2. Define outputs that correspond to the package configurations and source groups/formats in use. HLS and DASH are examples of supported package formats in the channel-assembly documentation.
  3. Record the playback endpoint supplied by the output. It is for playback by a compatible client; it does not, by itself, establish YouTube ingest.

AWS’s getting-started guide walks through creating a channel and its outputs.

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Build the schedule from programs

  1. Open the channel’s schedule workflow and add programs in the intended order.
  2. For each program, select its VOD source or live source. VOD-to-live lineups can schedule library assets; live sources can be scheduled alongside VOD or other live sources.
  3. For a live program, set its duration in milliseconds in the console workflow. Plan the duration and transitions so the next scheduled item is ready when the current one ends.
  4. Use the documented schedule transition controls to position programs relative to one another, then review the lineup for gaps or unintended overlaps.

See AWS’s instructions for adding a program to a channel schedule and creating a program within a channel schedule.

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Account for near-term edits on looping channels

On a looping channel, an edit to a program scheduled within the next 10 minutes may not appear until the next loop. Schedule urgent changes with that behavior in mind and validate the service’s current behavior before making operational commitments. AWS documents this caveat in its program scheduling guidance.

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Start the channel and verify playback

  1. Start the channel using the channel controls in the MediaTailor workflow.
  2. Request the output playback URL in a compatible player. Confirm that the manifest loads and advances, that each scheduled program appears, and that transitions behave as planned.
  3. Separately test the YouTube delivery path. Verify that the system consuming the MediaTailor output can deliver a valid live feed to YouTube, and check the YouTube live status and playback before relying on it. The MediaTailor playback test alone does not verify YouTube publishing.
  4. Monitor both schedule behavior and the separate ingest path during operation. The cited AWS channel-assembly material describes setup and schedule mechanics, not a special continuous-play guarantee.

AWS includes starting and testing the channel in its getting-started procedure.

Cost and operational planning

AWS’s getting-started tutorial states a channel fee of $0.10 per hour, says active channels incur it, and says inactive channels are not charged. The tutorial’s publication year is not stated, so this figure should not be treated as a verified current quote. Check the applicable AWS pricing page and your account terms before budgeting. This is a MediaTailor channel fee; it does not establish the cost of any separate service needed to deliver the stream to YouTube.

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Common problems and what to check

  • The MediaTailor endpoint plays, but YouTube is not live: the playback endpoint and YouTube ingest are distinct steps. Validate the component and configuration that carries MediaTailor playback to YouTube; the cited channel-assembly documentation does not specify that integration.
  • A live source fails or behaves inconsistently: check HLS date-time tags on the first segment and at discontinuities, use DATERANGE ad markers, and compare the source manifest window, target duration, and child-playlist count with the channel and other sources.
  • Programs do not fit the VOD package setup: verify that package sources have matching child-stream counts and aligned durations for the documented getting-started workflow. Recheck current requirements before changing an encoder or packaging profile.
  • A schedule change does not show immediately: if the channel loops and the affected program is scheduled within the next 10 minutes, the edit may wait until the next loop.
  • The lineup is not continuous: inspect the program order, durations, schedule transitions, playback mode, and manifest progression. Channel assembly does not document a dedicated 24/7 switch that fills schedule gaps automatically.

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