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Use FFmpeg’s concat demuxer to play a text-file playlist of story videos in order, and add -stream_loop -1 to repeat it indefinitely. For a continuous YouTube broadcast, pace file playback with -re and send the encoded output to the RTMPS URL and stream key shown in YouTube Live Control Room. The method works best when every video has matching streams, codecs, and time bases; otherwise, normalize the files or use the concat filter and re-encode.

Prepare the story videos and playlist

The concat demuxer reads a plain-text script and joins its file entries sequentially. The order in the script is the order viewers will hear and see the stories.

  1. Install an FFmpeg build that includes the demuxer and encoders you plan to use. Build contents vary by platform and compilation. Check your installed version and available encoders before choosing a command.
  2. Put the videos in a known directory and create a text file named playlist.txt with one entry per video, in playback order:
file 'story-01.mp4'
file 'story-02.mp4'
file 'story-03.mp4'

The official concat script syntax also permits ffconcat version 1.0 as the exact first line. Use paths that resolve from the directory where you run FFmpeg. Quote or escape paths containing spaces or special characters. The example command below uses -safe 0, which relaxes path restrictions; use it only with a playlist and paths you trust. Alternatively, use safe relative paths that meet the demuxer’s restrictions.

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Check compatibility before looping

The concat demuxer is not a general-purpose fixer for unlike files. FFmpeg’s documentation says, “All files must have the same streams (same codecs, same time base, etc.).” Compare the files before starting a long broadcast:

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  • Stream count and types, such as video and audio tracks.
  • Video codec, resolution, frame rate, and time base.
  • Audio codec, sample rate, channel count or layout, and time base.
  • Duration metadata. The demuxer uses each file’s duration to calculate timestamps for the next file, so incorrect duration metadata can cause gaps or artifacts at boundaries.

Use ffprobe on each input to inspect its streams and metadata. If the files do not match, normalize or transcode them to a common format first, or use FFmpeg’s concat filter and re-encode. FFmpeg’s FAQ recommends the concat filter when re-encoding is needed. Stream copying can reduce CPU use for compatible inputs, but it still requires compatible codecs, timestamps, and output handling; confirm YouTube accepts the resulting stream before relying on it.

Set YouTube’s live ingest details

In YouTube Live Control Room, create or open the live stream and copy its RTMPS ingest URL and stream key. Use the account-specific values shown there rather than a URL or key copied from an unrelated example. Treat the key as a password: do not publish it in screenshots, logs, shared scripts, or public command history. Supply it through a protected environment variable or another secret-handling method appropriate to your system.

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Choose an output YouTube can ingest

YouTube’s current RTMP/RTMPS guidance supports H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 video up to 60 fps, CBR bitrate encoding, and AAC or MP3 audio. Its recommended keyframe frequency is two seconds and must not exceed four seconds. For H.264, YouTube lists 10 Mbps at 1080p/30 fps and 17 Mbps at 1080p/60 fps as recommended video bitrates. Its stereo audio recommendation is 128 Kbps at 44.1 kHz. These are YouTube recommendations, not guarantees of picture quality; choose a bitrate your upstream connection can sustain reliably.

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The command below is an illustrative starting template for compatible H.264/AAC inputs, not a tested universal command. It assumes a 30 fps output, so a 60-frame GOP is two seconds. Confirm your installed build includes libx264 and AAC support, adjust the bitrate to the resolution, frame rate, and connection you can sustain, and check the settings YouTube shows for the specific stream.

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ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -f concat -safe 0 -i playlist.txt 
  -c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -b:v 5M -maxrate 5M -bufsize 10M 
  -g 60 -keyint_min 60 -sc_threshold 0 
  -c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100 -ac 2 
  -f flv "$YOUTUBE_RTMPS_URL/$YOUTUBE_STREAM_KEY"

Set YOUTUBE_RTMPS_URL and YOUTUBE_STREAM_KEY to the values from Live Control Room using your system’s protected environment-variable mechanism. Some encoders or ingest configurations accept the URL and stream key separately; follow the interface and stream details YouTube provides. In this template, -re and -stream_loop -1 are input options, so they appear before -i playlist.txt. The first paces file reading at its native frame rate; the second requests infinite repetition. The -g 60 and -keyint_min 60 settings create a 60-frame GOP at the assumed 30 fps. If you change the output frame rate, recalculate the GOP for a two-second interval.

Start, test, and monitor the broadcast

  1. Check that every playlist path is valid and that the files are readable from the working directory.
  2. Start the FFmpeg command and watch its console output for input, encoding, or connection errors.
  3. Confirm in Live Control Room that YouTube receives the feed and reports a healthy stream before sharing or relying on it.
  4. Listen and watch across at least one story boundary. Look for black frames, audio gaps, abrupt level changes, or timestamp errors.
  5. Keep monitoring during the broadcast. A successful connection at startup does not prove that later file boundaries or the upstream connection will remain healthy.

Fix common concat and YouTube problems

FFmpeg stops or errors at a file boundary

Check spelling, working directory, quoting, and whether every file is accessible. Run ffprobe on each input and compare stream count, codecs, time bases, frame rates, resolution, audio sample rate, and channel layout. Also verify duration metadata; incorrect durations can shift timestamps into the next file. If the inputs differ, normalize them or use the concat filter with re-encoding.

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FFmpeg reports unsafe paths

Use relative paths that satisfy concat demuxer path-safety rules, or use -safe 0 only for a trusted local playlist. Do not relax path safety for a playlist whose entries you do not control.

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YouTube does not receive or accept the stream

Copy the RTMPS URL and stream key again from the correct Live Control Room stream, and confirm the key has not been reset. Check the output codec, bitrate, frame rate, and keyframe interval against the stream’s ingest settings. If an RTMPS SSL error occurs, verify that you are using the correct rtmps URL; YouTube notes that port 443 may be needed in some cases.

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The stream connects but has choppy video or audio

Check whether the selected bitrate exceeds what the upload connection can sustain, and whether the machine can encode at the selected settings in real time. Inspect the FFmpeg output for dropped or late frames, then test with representative movement and audio. If the inputs are already compatible, stream copy may lower CPU demand, but verify timestamps and YouTube acceptance rather than assuming copying will resolve every issue.

Should you use HLS instead of RTMPS?

RTMPS is the straightforward option for conventional H.264/AAC live ingestion. YouTube describes HLS as an alternative for HDR or codecs unsupported by RTMP, but HLS uses segmented delivery and has greater latency. It also requires appropriate playlist, segment-duration, format, and HTTPS method configuration. Do not switch protocols without implementing those requirements.

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