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To send Liquidsoap audio to a YouTube radio livestream, configure a Liquidsoap source, an encoder, and the YouTube output with the ingest URL and stream key from YouTube Live Control Room. On Liquidsoap 2.4.5, the dedicated output is output.youtube.live.rtmp. Check your installed version before using an example: the operator name and arguments changed in recent releases.
What you need before configuring Liquidsoap
- A working Liquidsoap installation. Check its version and use the matching documentation; this guide uses the Liquidsoap 2.4.5 API.
- An audio source, such as a playlist or another supported input. The source supplies program audio; the output sends it toward YouTube.
- Encoder support and the codecs required by your chosen stream format. The 2.4.5 reference describes the YouTube output’s encoder as most likely an FFmpeg encoder.
- A YouTube channel with access to YouTube Live Control Room, where you can create or select a stream and retrieve its ingest URL and stream key.
- A machine or hosted server able to run Liquidsoap and maintain an internet connection for as long as you want the stream to run. Neither a capture card nor a dedicated audio interface is inherently required for this software workflow.
Start with the Liquidsoap 2.4.5 source and output reference. The exact configuration depends on your Liquidsoap release, available FFmpeg support and codecs, and whether your stream includes video.
Configure the YouTube stream in Liquidsoap
- Confirm the installed version. Use the documentation for that release. For Liquidsoap 2.4.5, the dedicated YouTube RTMP output is
output.youtube.live.rtmp; do not mix its arguments with older examples. - Create or select your stream in YouTube Live Control Room. Copy the stream URL and stream key shown for that stream. YouTube’s live stream settings guidance explains that the key identifies where the encoder sends its feed and lets YouTube accept it.
- Define the source. Set up the playlist or other audio input that Liquidsoap will pull from. A playlist or remote source can fail or take time to prepare, unlike an infallible source.
- Define the encoder. Select an encoder configuration supported by your installation and compatible with your intended YouTube stream. Apply YouTube’s relevant codec, bitrate, frame-rate, audio, and keyframe recommendations (below).
- Configure the YouTube output. Provide the URL, secret key, encoder, and source to
output.youtube.live.rtmp. In the 2.4.5 reference, its default URL isrtmp://a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2; use the endpoint supplied in Live Control Room if it differs. The operator also hasfallibleandstartoptions that affect behavior when the source is unavailable and whether the output starts. - Start Liquidsoap and verify reception. Check that YouTube detects the incoming feed in Live Control Room before relying on it for a scheduled broadcast. Monitor stream health and messages during the stream.
This is the configuration path, not a universally valid copy-and-paste script: the cited API and platform guidance do not establish one script that works across every Liquidsoap release, FFmpeg build, codec installation, and audio/video setup.
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Set encoder parameters for YouTube
YouTube’s encoder guidance covers RTMP and RTMPS ingest, H.264, H.265/HEVC, or AV1 video, AAC or MP3 audio, frame rates up to 60 fps, constant bitrate (CBR), and a two-second keyframe interval; YouTube says not to exceed four seconds. It recommends RTMPS for encrypted ingest. Confirm that your installed build and the endpoint provided in Live Control Room support the protocol you choose.
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| Setting | YouTube guidance |
|---|---|
| Video codec | H.264, H.265/HEVC, or AV1 |
| Frame rate | Up to 60 fps |
| Rate control | CBR |
| Keyframe interval | 2 seconds recommended; do not exceed 4 seconds |
| Stereo audio | AAC or MP3; 44.1 kHz and 128 Kbps recommended in YouTube’s advanced settings |
| 5.1 audio | AAC; 48 kHz and 384 Kbps recommended in YouTube’s advanced settings |
Choose video bitrate from YouTube’s table for the actual codec, resolution, and frame rate. For H.264 at 30 fps, YouTube lists 3 Mbps minimum and 8 Mbps recommended for 720p, and 5 Mbps minimum and 14 Mbps recommended for 1080p. These are YouTube’s encoder recommendations, not a guarantee of the quality your connection or audience will receive. The figures and settings above are from YouTube’s encoder settings guidance, accessed October 3, 2026; the page does not state a publication year.
Allow upload capacity above the stream’s total bitrate. YouTube’s streaming tips recommend 20% additional bandwidth headroom. Test with audio and visual motion representative of the planned program, then check YouTube’s incoming signal and health messages.
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Choose the right output and visual setup
Dedicated YouTube output or generic encoder output
Use output.youtube.live.rtmp as the direct YouTube route when it is available in your installed Liquidsoap version. Liquidsoap also documents output.url for encoder-driven output, including cases where the encoder handles its own data output. That route offers more generic encoder control and includes options such as fallible, restart_delay, and self_sync; the reference notes self-synchronization for certain %ffmpeg RTMP use cases. Prefer the dedicated YouTube output for the straightforward YouTube workflow, and consult the API for the installed release if you need the generic route.
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Whether an audio-only source is sufficient depends on the encoder and output you configure. If that configuration expects video, add a visual track, such as a static image or video source, and mux it with the audio. A Liquidsoap community discussion illustrates one radio-audio-plus-video approach, but treat it as an example rather than authoritative syntax; use the versioned Liquidsoap API for your installation.
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RTMP or RTMPS
YouTube recommends RTMPS for encrypted ingest. Do not assume every Liquidsoap or FFmpeg build supports the protocol or that every endpoint accepts the same URL format. Verify the available protocol support in your build and use the endpoint displayed in Live Control Room.
Handle source failures and version differences
Liquidsoap outputs pull content from sources. The Liquidsoap quickstart explains that a normal output expects an infallible source, while playlists and remote inputs may fail or take time to prepare. In the 2.4.5 YouTube output, fallible allows the child source to fail; if it does, the output stops until the source becomes available again. Choose the behavior deliberately for your source rather than treating a stopped output as proof that YouTube is at fault.
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Older snippets may show output.youtube.live or a generic output.url(url=..., encoder, source) with the key embedded in an RTMP URL. Liquidsoap’s change notes in the versioned reference say output.youtube.live was renamed output.youtube.live.rtmp, and older bitrate or quality arguments were removed in favor of an encoder argument. Do not combine arguments from different releases.
Troubleshoot a stream that will not start or stay up
| Symptom | What to check | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Liquidsoap rejects the output operator or arguments | Installed Liquidsoap version and the API syntax in the example you followed | Use the documentation for the installed release. For 2.4.5, use output.youtube.live.rtmp and its encoder-based arguments. |
| YouTube does not receive a feed | Ingest URL, stream key, selected stream, encoder configuration, and outgoing network capacity | Copy the URL and key for the intended stream again, verify encoder and protocol support, and allow the recommended upload headroom. |
| Liquidsoap reports a fallible source or the output stops | Whether the playlist or remote input is available and how the output handles source failure | Restore the source and set the output’s fallibility behavior to suit it. With the 2.4.5 YouTube output configured to allow child-source failure, the output stops until the source becomes available again. |
| Audio arrives but the expected picture does not | Whether your chosen encoder/output configuration includes a video track | If it requires video, add a visual source and mux it with the radio audio; test the resulting feed in Live Control Room. |
| The stream key may have been exposed | Whether the key appeared in a public script, issue, or other shared location | Reset the key in YouTube Live Control Room’s Stream tab, then update the Liquidsoap configuration. Do not share the replacement key. |
| RTMPS connection fails | Support for RTMPS in the installed build and the protocol/endpoint shown in Live Control Room | Verify protocol support and endpoint details. YouTube’s recommendation does not establish that every local build can use RTMPS. |
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