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Use FFmpeg’s concat demuxer to play an ordered playlist of video files and send the output to YouTube Live. The clips should have compatible stream layouts, codecs, and time bases; if they do not, normalize or re-encode them. You will also need an eligible YouTube channel, its current ingest URL and stream key, and enough upload bandwidth for the selected video settings.
What you need before starting
- An Ubuntu Server with FFmpeg installed. Package versions and build options vary, so check the build on the target server with
ffmpeg -versionandffmpeg -protocols. - A verified YouTube channel with no live-streaming restriction in the previous 90 days. YouTube’s guidance sets 16 as the minimum age for live streaming. See YouTube’s live-streaming eligibility guidance.
- Video files stored on the server and readable by the account that will run FFmpeg.
- Access to YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room to create or select a stream and retrieve its current server URL and stream key.
- Upload capacity that can sustain the full outgoing bitrate, with spare bandwidth for fluctuations and other network use.
This workflow is not a claim that a particular command has been tested on every Ubuntu release or FFmpeg build. Check the installed build and test with your own files before relying on it for an event.
Get the YouTube stream URL and key
- Open YouTube Studio and go to the Live Control Room.
- Create or select the stream you intend to use, then copy its current ingestion URL and stream key from the stream settings. YouTube’s encoder instructions say to enter both values in the encoder; the exact endpoint and key are account- and stream-specific. See YouTube’s encoder setup instructions.
- Keep the key secret. Treat it like a password: do not put it in a public script, share it in screenshots, expose it in logs, or leave it in shell history.
For a scheduled event, start the encoder and check the incoming preview before using the Live Control Room’s Go live control when that step is presented. Starting FFmpeg sends the feed; it does not necessarily publish a scheduled event by itself.
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Check whether the videos can be concatenated directly
FFmpeg’s concat demuxer joins files by reading an explicit playlist in order. It works best when every clip has the same stream layout, codecs, and time bases. It is not an automatic converter: mismatched clips can fail, show artifacts, or produce timing problems at transitions. Consult the FFmpeg concat demuxer documentation.
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Inspect the clips
Use ffprobe (included with many FFmpeg packages) to inspect each file’s video and audio streams. Compare codec, dimensions, frame rate, pixel format, audio codec, sample rate, channel layout, and stream presence. For example:
ffprobe -v error -show_streams -of json "clip.mp4"
Check every file, not only the first one. A playlist containing some clips without audio and others with audio, or clips with different video codecs or time bases, may not join cleanly as a single stream-copy sequence.
Choose stream copy or re-encoding
| Approach | When it fits | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Concat demuxer with stream copy | Clips have matching stream layouts, codecs, and time bases. | Avoids re-encoding and its associated quality loss, but is less tolerant of unlike inputs. |
| Normalize or decode/filter/re-encode | Clips differ in format or need a consistent output profile. | Can accommodate differences, but uses more CPU and re-encoding can reduce quality. |
For a mixed folder, normalize files to a common profile before making the playlist, or build a filter-and-encode pipeline suitable for the actual inputs. Do not assume that changing only the output codec fixes incompatible concat inputs.
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Create an ordered FFconcat playlist
- Choose the playback order and create a text file named
playlist.ffconcat. - Make the first line exactly
ffconcat version 1.0. - Add one
filedirective for each clip, in the order you want it played.
Example for files in the same directory as the playlist:
ffconcat version 1.0
file 'morning.mp4'
file 'afternoon.mp4'
file 'evening.mp4'
The concat demuxer adjusts timestamps as files follow one another. Incorrect or estimated durations can lead to artifacts or gaps. Use accurate media and verify transitions in a test stream rather than assuming every playlist will be gapless.
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By default, concat’s safe-path setting is enabled. Relative paths using a restricted portable character set are the safest choice. Avoid disabling path checks for playlist files you do not trust. See FFmpeg’s concat options and format syntax.
Set YouTube-compatible output settings
YouTube recommends RTMPS for typical encoder streams, H.264 video, CBR, AAC or MP3 audio, and a keyframe interval of two seconds (not over four seconds). The bitrate depends on resolution and frame rate; use the current YouTube encoder settings table for the chosen output. Its H.264 recommendations include 10 Mbps for 1080p at 30 fps and 12 Mbps for 1080p at 60 fps. These are recommendations for those specific modes, not a universal bitrate.
- Resolution and frame rate: Choose an output mode your source material and server can sustain. Higher frame rates and resolutions generally require more bitrate.
- Rate control: Use constant bitrate (CBR) for the YouTube encoder output.
- Keyframes: Set a two-second interval; do not exceed four seconds.
- Video and audio: Use H.264 video and AAC or MP3 audio for the recommended RTMP workflow.
- Ingest protocol: Prefer RTMPS when available. RTMPS is RTMP over TLS/SSL; verify that your FFmpeg build supports the selected protocol and TLS combination. YouTube documents HLS for cases such as HDR or codecs not supported over RTMP, and it requires an HLS-configured stream key. Do not substitute HLS settings or a key intended for another ingest type.
Check YouTube’s current settings before a planned broadcast because supported recommendations can change.
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Protect the key and run FFmpeg
The outline below shows the required pieces without including a literal stream key or pretending one set of codec settings fits every source. Build the command for your files, chosen output profile, current YouTube URL, and FFmpeg build. FFmpeg documents input looping, concat inputs, and FLV/RTMP output in its command documentation and protocol documentation.
- Store the stream key in a protected environment file or secret store accessible only to the streaming account. Restrict file permissions and avoid shell tracing, verbose logs, or process-monitoring arrangements that reveal the expanded URL.
- Use the concat playlist as the input and real-time pacing (
-re) so stored files are sent at playback speed. Map the intended video and audio streams explicitly, especially if inputs have extra streams. - Use
-stream_loop -1to request infinite input looping, and select the output encoding and rate-control options required for your chosen YouTube profile. - Send the output in the format and protocol YouTube assigned, typically FLV over RTMPS for the recommended encoder workflow, using the exact ingest URL and key from Live Control Room.
- Watch FFmpeg’s output for connection, encoding, and input errors, and confirm that Live Control Room receives a preview with both picture and sound.
FFmpeg documents -stream_loop -1 as infinite input looping. For an ordered playlist, validate the loop boundary on the installed build with the actual media. The option does not guarantee gapless playback for every heterogeneous playlist.
For a deployment, avoid placing the key directly in a command typed at an interactive prompt: commands can persist in shell history or be visible to local process inspection. Protect the secret and test how your service manager handles environment variables and logs before automating the stream.
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Measure upload capacity and test before going public
The server’s sustained upload must cover the total outgoing bitrate. YouTube recommends leaving 20% spare upload bandwidth; account for other traffic and any simultaneous primary or backup feeds. A download-speed result does not establish sufficient upload capacity. See YouTube’s streaming tips.
- Run an upload-speed test from the server’s network and compare sustained upload capacity with the selected stream bitrate, including the recommended headroom.
- Start with an unlisted or otherwise appropriate test stream.
- Check the Live Control Room preview for video, audio, stable arrival, and transitions between files.
- Check FFmpeg’s output and YouTube’s stream health indicators while the test runs.
- For an event, YouTube recommends setting up encoders at least two hours beforehand and starting them at least 15 minutes before the event. Treat these as readiness recommendations, not requirements for every personal stream.
Why a stream shows a black screen or stops between videos
Black screen or missing picture
- Wrong stream mapping: The selected stream may not be the video track you expect. Inspect inputs with
ffprobeand map the intended video stream. - Unsupported or mismatched source: The playlist may include incompatible codecs, dimensions, pixel formats, or stream layouts. Normalize the clips or decode and re-encode to a consistent profile.
- Encoder has not sent a usable preview: Confirm FFmpeg is connected and producing output, then check the Live Control Room preview before making a scheduled event public.
Black gaps, freezes, or audio changes at clip boundaries
- Inconsistent inputs or timing: Concat works most reliably with matching stream layouts, codecs, and time bases. Check each file and normalize where necessary.
- Playlist duration or timestamp problems: Incorrect or estimated durations can create artifacts or gaps. Test transitions and correct the inputs or use a re-encoding workflow.
- Playlist looping behavior: Confirm the installed FFmpeg build’s behavior at the end of the playlist; infinite looping does not promise gapless transitions for all files.
Stream disconnects or does not appear in YouTube
- Wrong endpoint or key: Copy the current ingest URL and key from the selected stream in Live Control Room. Do not reuse a key configured for a different ingest type.
- Protocol or TLS incompatibility: Check that the FFmpeg build supports the RTMPS/TLS combination in use. Prefer the RTMPS endpoint YouTube provides for a typical encoder stream.
- Insufficient or unstable upload: Check sustained upload from the server and preserve the recommended 20% headroom, including capacity for other traffic.
- Encoder or network interruption: Inspect FFmpeg output, server connectivity, and YouTube stream health, then reconnect using the current stream settings.
Copyright, reused content, and keeping an archive
Having a video file does not by itself establish permission to broadcast its contents. Use material you own or are licensed to stream, and consider music, performance, and other rights included in each clip. YouTube’s eligibility or technical acceptance of a live feed is not a substitute for rights clearance or a guarantee about monetization under its policies.
YouTube says streams shorter than 12 hours are automatically archived after the encoder stops. That platform archive is not a replacement for keeping the source files if you need a dependable copy. See YouTube’s encoder instructions on ending and archiving streams.
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