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Classic BUTT does not directly send a stream to YouTube. It is designed to send live audio from a computer’s microphone or line input to a Shoutcast or Icecast server. To simulcast your station, keep BUTT pointed at your radio server and use a YouTube-compatible encoder such as OBS to capture the station audio and send it to YouTube Live.
What you need to simulcast internet radio to YouTube
- A YouTube channel with live streaming enabled.
- Your existing internet-radio output, if you are continuing to broadcast through Shoutcast or Icecast.
- An encoder that supports YouTube Live, such as OBS, plus a way to make the station audio available to that encoder.
- A still image or other permitted visual source for the YouTube stream.
- A reliable internet connection with enough upload capacity for the encoder’s stream.
The exact audio-capture method depends on your operating system, radio playout software, and signal path. The setup below separates the two destinations: BUTT handles the traditional radio server, while OBS handles YouTube.
1. Enable live streaming and get the YouTube stream details
- Verify your YouTube channel and enable live streaming. YouTube says enabling a first live stream may take at least 24 hours after the first request, so complete this before the time you intend to broadcast. YouTube: Get started with live streaming
- In YouTube Studio, create or schedule a live stream and retrieve its current server URL and stream key. The exact controls can change, so follow the current Studio workflow for your channel.
- Keep the stream key private. Enter it only in the encoder’s stream settings; do not share it in screenshots, public configuration examples, or with anyone who should not control your broadcast.
2. Keep BUTT connected to your radio server
Use BUTT for the Shoutcast or Icecast destination it supports. Its manual describes the core use as sending live audio from a computer microphone or line input to a Shoutcast or Icecast server; it is not described as a YouTube RTMP encoder or as an automatic playlist streamer. BUTT manual
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsYou do not need to remove your existing radio-server output to add YouTube. Treat YouTube as a separate output that will be created by OBS or another compatible encoder.
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3. Route your station audio into OBS
Choose the capture source based on where the actual program audio is available. OBS supports audio input and output capture sources on Windows and macOS, and ALSA or PulseAudio sources on Linux. See the OBS audio sources guide for the available source types.
- Audio already playing on the computer: use the appropriate system or application audio capture source supported by your OBS version and operating system.
- Audio available from an audio device: select that device as an audio input capture source.
- External line-level output: the computer needs a suitable input path to capture it. A physical audio interface is one possible option, but it is not universally required; the connection depends on your existing equipment.
If you add a device as a scene-specific source, OBS warns against also capturing that same device globally, because capturing it twice can create echo. Check the OBS audio mixer meters while the station is playing, then monitor the stream audio for doubling, silence, or distortion.
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4. Add a visual and configure the YouTube encoder
- In OBS, create a scene and add the station audio source you identified above.
- Add an image source, such as a station logo you have permission to use. OBS documents image sources in its image source guide. A still image is a practical visual option, but a particular image setup is not a guarantee that every stream meets YouTube’s current policies or account requirements.
- Open OBS stream settings and select YouTube or the relevant YouTube service option. Enter the server URL and stream key obtained from YouTube Studio. YouTube’s encoder workflow requires these live-stream details. YouTube: Stream using an encoder
- Use OBS’s preview to confirm that the visual appears and the audio meters respond. Do a short test before relying on the setup for a scheduled broadcast.
5. Check upload capacity and stream health
YouTube advises estimating the combined target bitrates for simulstreaming, testing upload speed under realistic conditions, and monitoring stream health. Its example says a combined target of 10 Mbps suggests 15–20 Mbps of upload headroom on a shared connection; this is an illustrative YouTube example, not a universal minimum or a bitrate recommendation specific to internet radio. YouTube: Simulstreaming
Once the encoder is running, check the incoming preview and stream-health information in YouTube Studio. If other people or devices share the connection, test while they are active or leave additional capacity for their traffic.
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Can BUTT stream to multiple servers?
The BUTT developer documents running multiple BUTT instances with separate configuration files when sending to multiple traditional radio servers. One instance does not stream to multiple servers at the same time. That workaround is for radio-server destinations; it does not add a YouTube-compatible output. BUTT project documentation
Troubleshooting
YouTube does not accept the stream
- Confirm live streaming has been enabled for the channel; a first-time activation may take at least 24 hours.
- Check that OBS is using the current server URL and stream key shown for the intended YouTube stream.
- Make sure the encoder is configured for YouTube, rather than assuming BUTT’s Shoutcast or Icecast destination is interchangeable with YouTube.
The YouTube preview has no audio
- Confirm the correct system, application, or input device is selected in OBS.
- Check that the relevant OBS mixer meter moves while the radio program is playing.
- For an external source, verify the physical connection and that the selected input is the one receiving that signal.
The audio echoes or sounds doubled
Check whether the same device is captured both as a scene-specific source and as a global audio device in OBS. Remove one capture path, then listen to the YouTube preview again.
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The stream is unstable or YouTube reports poor health
Measure upload speed under the same conditions as the broadcast, account for other traffic on the connection, and compare available capacity with the stream’s target bitrate. YouTube recommends monitoring stream health rather than relying on a single speed test.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your station’s YouTube stream is made from uploaded recordings rather than a live microphone or line input, StreamNeo is a cloud option for keeping a YouTube channel live from uploaded videos: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; it streams the uploaded video as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot, with automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly billing is $9.99 per month. It plays uploaded videos rather than broadcasting live camera or microphone input, so it is not a replacement for the OBS method above when you need to capture a live radio feed. Start the free day with StreamNeo.
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