You can relay an authorized Spanish internet radio feed to YouTube from Linux by combining its audio with a visual in OBS or FFmpeg, then sending the encoded stream to the server URL and stream key shown in YouTube Live Control Room. First, confirm that you have permission to retransmit the station and its music on YouTube in the intended territories; being able to listen to a station online does not grant rebroadcast rights.
Before you set up the stream: confirm the feed and rights
Ask the station for an authorized feed URL, any required credentials, and permission to retransmit its programming on YouTube. Confirm that the permission covers your intended territories and the music, recordings, publishing, and broadcast rights involved. YouTube’s Livestream terms and conditions require the provider to have the necessary rights, including music licensing rights.
YouTube scans live streams for third-party content. If it detects a match, it may replace your stream with a placeholder; if the match is not resolved, it may interrupt or terminate the stream. Even licensed third-party content can be interrupted unless the content owner allowlists your channel. Ask the station and relevant rights holders to confirm permissions and any needed allowlisting before you plan a broadcast. See YouTube’s guidance on live-streaming restrictions.
Check what kind of feed the station provides
Get the direct stream URL if possible, rather than assuming a station website URL is a playable audio feed. Ask whether the feed redirects, requires authentication, or is delivered through a playlist. Its container, codec, TLS support, and access controls can determine whether OBS or your installed FFmpeg build can open it. The station is not specified here, so its URL, format, and access terms must be verified with the broadcaster.
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Choose a visual you have permission to use
YouTube needs a video signal even when the broadcast is audio-only. A still image with the station name or program information can work, but use artwork, logos, photographs, and other visuals only if you have the right to display them. Do not assume that permission to retransmit audio also covers a station’s logo or promotional images.
Choose an approach on Linux
| Option | Best suited to | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| OBS | A graphical desktop setup with scenes and visible source controls. | Convenient to operate interactively, but it depends on a working desktop session and compatible source support. |
| FFmpeg | A command-line setup, scripting, or a headless Linux host. | Flexible to automate, but the right input and encoding options depend on the feed and the installed FFmpeg build. |
| Liquidsoap | Radio-oriented scheduling or audio processing. | It may suit more involved radio workflows, but there is no single verified recipe here for every station feed; consult its current documentation for the specific configuration. |
Whichever option you choose, test the actual station URL and your installed software before relying on the setup. Feeds vary, and an example command copied from elsewhere is not guaranteed to work with your URL, authentication, redirects, or codecs.
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Create the YouTube live stream and protect its key
- In YouTube Studio, open Go Live and create a live stream or select the one you intend to use.
- In Live Control Room, find the stream’s server URL and stream key. Copy the current values into your encoder; do not reuse guessed or old ingest details.
- Choose RTMPS if your encoder supports it. YouTube describes RTMPS as RTMP over TLS/SSL, which encrypts the connection. Its RTMPS setup guidance explains the protocol.
- Treat the stream key like a password. Do not publish it, include it in a public script or screenshot, or share it with anyone who should not be able to broadcast to your stream. Reset it in YouTube if it is exposed.
Configure the encoder for RTMPS
For RTMP/RTMPS ingest, YouTube’s encoder settings guidance lists H.264 video and AAC or MP3 audio among the supported formats. For stereo audio, YouTube recommends a 44.1 kHz sample rate and 128 kbps. Use constant bitrate (CBR) encoding and set a two-second keyframe interval; YouTube recommends that the interval not exceed four seconds. These are platform recommendations, not a guarantee that a particular Linux distribution’s OBS or FFmpeg build has the required support.
- Video: H.264, including when the picture is a still image.
- Audio: AAC or MP3; for stereo, 44.1 kHz and YouTube’s recommended 128 kbps.
- Rate control: CBR.
- Keyframes: every two seconds is recommended; do not exceed four seconds.
- Upload connection: test available upload capacity and monitor YouTube’s stream-health indicators during the broadcast.
OBS: graphical setup
- Open OBS and create a scene for the radio broadcast.
- Add the permitted still image or other visual as a video source. Add the station’s authorized feed as an audio source using the source type available in your OBS installation. If OBS cannot open the feed directly, verify its format and access requirements before choosing another input method.
- Set the video and audio output to compatible RTMP/RTMPS settings, including the CBR and keyframe guidance above. Check the installed OBS build for the available encoders.
- Open OBS’s stream settings, select the YouTube service if available, and enter the server URL and stream key from Live Control Room. If you enter a server URL manually, use the current RTMPS value shown by YouTube when supported.
- Start streaming in OBS. Check the Live Control Room preview and stream health before making the event public or continuing an already scheduled event.
FFmpeg: command-line setup
FFmpeg can combine an audio input with a still image or looped video and send the result to YouTube, but a universal command would be misleading: station feeds differ, and FFmpeg builds do not all include the same protocols or encoders. Confirm that your build can open the station’s authorized URL, handle its redirects or authentication, and encode H.264 video plus AAC or MP3 audio. Then construct the command with the feed and visual as inputs, the recommended output settings, and the RTMPS destination and key from Live Control Room.
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Before using a command in a public or continuous broadcast, test it with the actual feed and visual. Keep the stream key out of shared logs and public scripts; use a private configuration method suitable for your system. Confirm in YouTube’s preview that both audio and video arrive, and that the stream-health indicators are acceptable.
When HLS is relevant
HLS is an alternative ingest protocol only if your encoder supports it and you set it up as an HLS stream in YouTube. Its requirements are distinct from RTMPS: YouTube documents transport and segment constraints, including TS segments of 1–4 seconds, and notes that HLS has higher latency than continuous RTMP. For a basic radio feed with a visual, RTMPS is the simpler default when supported. See YouTube’s HLS setup guidance.
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Test the broadcast, then operate it
- Start the encoder and wait for Live Control Room to show the incoming stream and preview.
- Listen for the station audio in the preview. Check that it is not silent, distorted, or clipping, and confirm the visual is present.
- Watch stream health and verify that the radio feed remains connected. A successful initial connection does not establish that the station feed or your host will remain available.
- Once the preview and settings are correct, start or continue the event in YouTube as configured.
- To stop, stop the encoder first and then end the live event in YouTube Studio/Live Control Room. Confirm that YouTube has ended the event.
A continuous broadcast needs a plan for feed failures, host or network interruptions, and encoder recovery. A sample FFmpeg command or a successful short test does not make a Linux setup reliably continuous; monitoring and recovery depend on the host, software, and station feed.
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| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| The encoder cannot open the station URL. | The URL may be a webpage or playlist rather than a direct feed; it may redirect, require credentials, use an unsupported format, or rely on a protocol absent from the installed build. | Ask the station for the direct authorized feed and its access details. Verify the feed format and your encoder’s protocol and codec support. |
| YouTube receives video but no sound. | The audio source may not be connected to the scene or may not be decoding. | Check OBS’s source and audio meters, or the FFmpeg input and output mapping. Listen to the selected feed independently if permitted. |
| YouTube receives sound but no picture. | The scene may lack an active visual source, or the video encoder may not be producing a compatible signal. | Confirm the still image or video is visible in OBS’s program output or FFmpeg’s output, and check the video codec and stream preview. |
| The preview is unstable or stream health reports a problem. | The upload connection may not sustain the output, or encoder settings may not match YouTube’s recommendations. | Test available upload capacity, check CBR and the keyframe interval, and monitor Live Control Room while using a representative feed and visual. |
| The stream is interrupted after a third-party match. | YouTube may have detected station audio or other content that matches a third party. | Stop and resolve the rights issue with the station and rights holders. Confirm required permissions and channel allowlisting before restarting; do not try to evade detection. |
| The stream stops when the Linux computer or session goes offline. | A local OBS or FFmpeg setup depends on the host, its network, and—depending on the workflow—a running desktop session. | For a DIY setup, keep the required host and session running and arrange monitoring and restart procedures; alternatively, use a cloud service designed to continue without a home computer. |
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