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To stream a prerecorded video to YouTube Live from a Windows 11 PC, add the video to an OBS Studio scene as a Media Source, connect OBS to the stream URL and key from YouTube Live Control Room, then start streaming and check YouTube’s preview and stream health. Turn on the source’s Loop option if you want the video to repeat. The basic encoder workflow is the same in India as elsewhere, but your channel must be eligible and your local upload capacity must support the chosen bitrate.

Check that your YouTube channel can go live

In YouTube Studio, open Go Live and check whether live streaming is enabled for your channel. YouTube requires a verified channel with no live-streaming restrictions in the past 90 days. First-time activation can take up to 24 hours, so enable it well before an event. Check your own account in Live Control Room; the general instructions do not establish eligibility for any individual account or a separate India-specific setup. YouTube Help: Get started with live streaming

Create the YouTube stream and protect its key

  1. In YouTube Studio, select Go Live, then create or schedule a stream in Live Control Room.

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  2. Copy the stream URL and stream key shown for that stream. In OBS, you can select YouTube or YouTube RTMPS if available, or enter the server URL and key supplied by Live Control Room.

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  3. Treat the stream key like a password. Do not show it in a screenshot, overlay, recording, or public instructions. Reset it in YouTube if you believe someone else has obtained it. YouTube Help: Set up your encoder for live streaming

Add the prerecorded video in OBS

  1. Open OBS Studio and create a scene for the broadcast. Scenes and sources make up the OBS layout; the scene is what you send to YouTube.

  2. In the Sources dock, choose + → Media Source. Name the source if useful, then select the local video file. OBS Media Source supports common formats including MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, and WebM. OBS Project: Media Sources

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  3. Enable Loop if the video should restart when it reaches the end. Loop is off by default. If you need a playlist rather than one file, OBS’s VLC Video source supports looped playlists and requires VLC to be installed.

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  4. Look at the OBS preview and check that the picture is framed as intended and that audio is present. Confirm the video’s sound is routed through the source and is not muted in OBS.

Set OBS to send a compatible stream

  1. Open OBS streaming settings and choose YouTube/YouTube RTMPS, or enter the stream URL and key you copied from Live Control Room. Use RTMPS when supported; it carries RTMP over TLS/SSL for an encrypted connection. YouTube Help: Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions

  2. For a conventional SDR broadcast, use H.264 video, constant bitrate (CBR), and a 2-second keyframe interval. YouTube recommends two seconds and says not to exceed four seconds. Its RTMP/RTMPS guidance supports frame rates up to 60 fps.

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  3. Choose resolution and bitrate to match the source video, your PC, and the upload bandwidth available where you are streaming. Consult YouTube’s current bitrate table for the resolution you choose rather than assuming the highest resolution is best. Do not set the bitrate above what your connection can sustain.

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YouTube recommends RTMPS when supported and a conventional RTMP/RTMPS profile for ordinary SDR streams. HLS is a separate option for specific needs such as HDR or codecs not supported over RTMP; it uses segmented delivery, has higher latency, and entails additional format and HTTPS requirements. It is not necessary for the basic prerecorded SDR workflow. YouTube Help: encoder settings · YouTube Help: HLS ingestion

Test the stream before the event

  1. If appropriate, use a private or unlisted test stream. Start OBS and check YouTube Live Control Room’s incoming preview and stream-health messages before relying on the public event.

  2. Verify moving video and audio, and make sure the event page is accessible to its intended audience. YouTube recommends setting up the encoder at least two hours before an event and starting it at least 15 minutes before the scheduled time.

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  3. Leave upload capacity above the total stream bitrate. YouTube recommends 20% headroom. As YouTube Help puts it, “The total bitrate you’re streaming cannot exceed the amount of upload bandwidth available.” These are platform recommendations, not measurements of typical Indian connections; choose settings based on the connection at your actual location. YouTube Help: encoder setup · YouTube Help: streaming tips

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Start and end the live broadcast

  1. When the preview and health checks look right, start streaming in OBS. Keep Live Control Room open during the event so you can watch stream health.

  2. When the broadcast is over, stop the encoder after the YouTube event has stopped. If the media file finishes before then, OBS will restart it only if Loop is enabled; YouTube does not loop the file for you.

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Troubleshoot common problems

Copyright and channel policy checks

Before broadcasting, make sure you have the rights needed to stream the video and its audio. A prerecorded file still goes through YouTube Live; using a recording does not itself establish permission or guarantee that the stream will remain available. Check YouTube’s policies and any rights or restrictions relevant to your content, and monitor Live Control Room for notices during the stream. This guide does not determine whether a particular video is lawful to use in India or elsewhere.

Or let it run in the cloud

If the goal is an always-on YouTube stream rather than learning the OBS workflow, StreamNeo is a cloud alternative: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; it loops uploaded videos and does not broadcast from a camera. Any quality up to 4K 60fps streams as uploaded at one flat price per slot, with no re-encode or quality tiers. It automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly billing is $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo or start the free day.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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