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To send an AAC internet radio feed to YouTube Live, open the station’s audio URL in an encoder such as OBS Studio or FFmpeg, add a still image or other permitted visual, then send the resulting audio-and-video stream to YouTube using the broadcast’s stream URL and stream key. YouTube recommends RTMPS. The AAC radio URL is the encoder’s input; it is not, by itself, a complete YouTube live stream.
What you need before you start
- A reachable AAC radio stream URL. The station may require a particular URL, headers, or authentication; confirm those details with the provider.
- A YouTube channel with live streaming available, and a broadcast created or selected in YouTube Studio.
- An encoder: OBS Studio for a graphical setup, or FFmpeg for a command-line workflow.
- A still image, looped video, or other visual you have permission to use. YouTube receives an audiovisual encoder feed, so radio audio alone is not enough.
- A stable internet connection with sufficient upload capacity for your chosen output settings.
The exact configuration depends on how the station serves its AAC feed. A URL can use different transports, authentication, or headers, and not every encoder build can open every stream type. The examples below are templates, not confirmation that any particular station URL works.
Prepare the YouTube broadcast and protect its key
- In YouTube Studio, create or select the live broadcast in the Live Control Room.
- Copy the ingest URL and stream key shown for that broadcast. Use the values for your own stream, not an example key or endpoint.
- Keep the stream key private. Anyone who obtains it may be able to send video to your broadcast. If it is exposed, replace or reset it in the channel’s live-stream settings.
- Use RTMPS when your encoder supports it. YouTube recommends RTMPS; its developer guidance requires a valid YouTube ingest endpoint and path, TLS on port 443, and the correct host name for SNI authentication. Use the exact RTMPS URL YouTube provides rather than constructing one yourself.
YouTube describes the incoming encoder feed as a liveStream resource and the viewer-facing broadcast as a liveBroadcast. In YouTube’s health/configuration reporting, audio-related issues can include noAudioStream, codec problems, or sample-rate warnings.
Choose OBS or FFmpeg
| Your situation | Good starting point | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| You want to set up and operate a visual scene in a graphical interface | OBS Studio | The practical radio workflow uses OBS as the desktop GUI option. Confirm that your OBS installation or source plugin can open the station’s exact AAC URL and stream type. |
| You want a simple image-plus-audio pipeline or automation | FFmpeg | FFmpeg can take a radio URL as input, pair it with a still image or looped video, encode the output, and send it to YouTube. |
| You want an unattended relay | FFmpeg on a server with process supervision, or a graphical setup you actively maintain | A restart policy can restart an exited process, but cannot fix a failed source, bad key, network outage, or YouTube-side issue. |
Set up the relay in OBS Studio
OBS labels can vary slightly by version and operating system. The essential setup is a scene containing both a visual source and the radio audio source, with the YouTube service and stream credentials configured in output settings.
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- Open OBS and create a scene for the radio broadcast.
- Add a visual source, such as Sources > + > Image for a station image, or a media source for a permitted looped video. Make sure it fills the canvas and remains visible.
- Add the radio stream as an audio source. Depending on the OBS version and installed sources, this may be a media source or a compatible URL-input plugin. Enter the station’s exact stream URL and any required access details. If the source cannot open it, verify the URL and format with the station before changing YouTube output settings.
- Check the OBS audio mixer while the station is playing. Confirm that the radio source’s meter moves and that it is not muted. Avoid adding desktop audio unless you intend to transmit it.
- Open Settings > Stream, select YouTube or the applicable YouTube RTMPS option, and enter the broadcast’s stream key if OBS does not connect through an account integration. Use the broadcast-specific details from YouTube Studio.
- Open Settings > Output and configure streaming output to use constant bitrate (CBR). Set the audio encoder to AAC or MP3 for RTMP/RTMPS. For stereo, use 44.1 kHz and 128 kbps as YouTube’s recommended audio baseline.
- Set a two-second keyframe interval; YouTube says not to exceed four seconds. Choose a supported video encoder and resolution that your system and upload connection can sustain.
- Start streaming, then check YouTube’s Live Control Room for incoming video, audible audio, and stream-health status before promoting or relying on the broadcast.
Send the feed with FFmpeg
FFmpeg is useful when the source can be opened directly and you want a compact image-plus-audio pipeline. This template loops a local image, reads the radio URL, encodes video and audio, and sends the result to a YouTube RTMPS destination. Replace every uppercase placeholder with your own values; do not publish the stream key.
ffmpeg -re -loop 1 -framerate 30 -i station-image.jpg -i "$RADIO_URL"
-map 0:v:0 -map 1:a:0
-c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -tune stillimage -pix_fmt yuv420p
-r 30 -g 60 -b:v 2500k -maxrate 2500k -bufsize 5000k
-c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100 -ac 2
-f flv "$YOUTUBE_RTMPS_URL/$STREAM_KEY"This is an example starting point, not a universal command. In particular, the radio input must expose an audio stream FFmpeg can read, the image must exist locally, and the RTMPS destination must match the URL and key format YouTube supplies. Protect shell history and process listings on shared systems if they could expose credentials. For an authenticated station feed, add the provider’s required options without sharing credentials publicly.
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Adjust the video and audio output
YouTube’s encoder guidance supports H.264, H.265/HEVC, or AV1 video at up to 60 frames per second, with RTMP/RTMPS and AAC or MP3 audio. The template uses H.264 at 30 fps and a 2-second GOP/keyframe interval; its 2,500 kbps video rate is only an example. YouTube’s current recommended H.264 video rates include 4 Mbps for 720p at 30 or 60 fps and 5 Mbps for 1080p at 30 fps. Other codecs and frame rates have different recommendations. A static radio visual may not need a high resolution, but the output still needs a supported video stream. Check YouTube’s current codec-and-resolution table for the exact setting you choose.
For stereo, YouTube recommends 44.1 kHz and 128 kbps audio. That recommendation concerns the outgoing encoder feed; the bitrate of the station’s incoming AAC stream does not automatically determine the bitrate YouTube receives. The encoder may decode and re-encode the source to meet the selected output settings. For 5.1 audio, YouTube’s guidance lists 48 kHz and 384 kbps, and says 5.1 over RTMP/RTMPS is supported only for AAC; ordinary stereo radio generally uses the stereo baseline instead.
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Keep a relay running unattended
For a continuously operated FFmpeg relay, run it on a machine or server that remains available and use a process supervisor or service restart policy to restart the process if it exits. Treat this as process recovery, not an uptime guarantee: it will not make an unavailable station feed reachable or resolve incorrect credentials, a network failure, or a YouTube ingest problem. Monitor the source and YouTube stream health as well as the process itself.
Choose an ingest protocol
| Protocol | Encryption and practical use |
|---|---|
| RTMP | Unencrypted. It is an option YouTube documents, but RTMPS is the safer default when supported. |
| RTMPS | Encrypted RTMP. YouTube recommends it for most ordinary streams, including streams where normal, low, or ultra-low latency is needed. It is the straightforward default for this workflow. |
| HLS | Encrypted and supports additional video codec options, but typically has higher latency because it transmits segments. |
| DASH | Encrypted and supports additional video codec options, but typically has higher latency because it transmits segments. |
Use another protocol only when a specific codec or delivery requirement justifies it and your encoder supports YouTube’s corresponding ingest configuration.
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Test the actual station feed before relying on it
- Start with the exact station URL and access conditions you will use during the broadcast.
- Listen to the encoder’s audio output and verify that the visual is present. A moving audio meter alone does not confirm that the video feed is reaching YouTube.
- Send a test stream and inspect YouTube’s Live Control Room for video, audio, and stream-health feedback. YouTube recommends testing with representative audio and video and monitoring health during the event.
- Test any process restart or recovery procedure deliberately before depending on it for an unattended relay.
Troubleshoot common failures
| Symptom | Likely causes | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube shows no video or no signal | The encoder has no active video source, or the source is not outputting continuously. | Add or enable a still image or looped video, check the scene/source visibility, and verify the encoder is sending video. |
| No audio or silence | The radio URL is unreachable from the encoder host, authentication is missing, or the selected input cannot decode the actual stream. | Confirm the URL and access requirements with the station, test the input in the chosen encoder, and inspect YouTube’s stream-health or configuration indicators where available. |
| Audio format warning | The outgoing codec or sample rate does not match a supported or recommended configuration. | For RTMP/RTMPS, set outgoing audio to AAC or MP3; for stereo, use 44.1 kHz and 128 kbps as the YouTube-recommended baseline. Check any health warning for the reported issue. |
| RTMPS connection fails, times out, or reports an SSL problem | The endpoint or path is wrong, the connection is not using TLS on port 443, or host/SNI handling is incorrect. | Use the exact RTMPS URL from YouTube, confirm your encoder supports RTMPS, and check the endpoint, port, TLS, and host-name handling. |
| Video stutters or the connection is unstable | The upload connection cannot sustain the selected video settings or the network is inconsistent. | Test upload capacity, select a lower supported resolution or bitrate if needed, and retest while watching stream health. |
| An unattended FFmpeg relay stops | The process exited, or the underlying station feed, network, credentials, or YouTube ingest became unavailable. | Use process supervision to restart an exited process, then diagnose the underlying source, network, key, or platform issue. A restart policy alone does not correct those failures. |
Confirm you have permission to rebroadcast the station
Being able to receive a radio feed does not establish that you may retransmit it on YouTube. Permission can depend on the station’s music, spoken programming, advertisements, artwork, repertoire, and the countries where you broadcast. Obtain the authorization applicable to the content and territory, and check YouTube’s current platform rules before going live. The technical workflow does not determine whether a particular station or program is licensed for rebroadcast.
Or let it run in the cloud
StreamNeo is an option when your goal is to keep a YouTube channel live from uploaded video rather than relay a station’s live AAC URL directly. It plays uploaded videos; it does not ingest a live radio URL or broadcast from a camera. If you have the necessary rights and can prepare the program as a video file, upload it, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. StreamNeo loops the uploaded video in the cloud, so your computer and home connection do not have to stay on.
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- It automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream.
- The first day is free with no card required; it is one free day per account.
The monthly option is $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo for details, then start your free day.
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