To stream prerecorded video through OBS to YouTube Live, create or schedule a YouTube event, enter its stream URL and key in OBS, then send the video and audio you want viewers to see. After the broadcast, organize the archived video in a YouTube playlist. These are separate tasks: a YouTube stream key connects an encoder to a live event; it does not make OBS publish or manage a YouTube playlist.
Before you begin: understand the three parts
- YouTube event: The live event is created or scheduled in YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room.
- Encoder connection: OBS sends video and audio to that event using its stream URL and stream key.
- Video feed and archive: You must configure OBS to send the intended prerecorded program. After the event, YouTube may archive the broadcast, which you can then add to a playlist.
YouTube’s encoder instructions explain how to connect an encoder, but do not establish current OBS menu names or a particular OBS method for file playback, looping, or playlist replay. OBS interfaces and workflows can vary by version and setup, so use the current OBS documentation for those controls rather than assuming that connecting the key also selects a video file.
1. Create or schedule the YouTube Live event
- Open YouTube Studio and select Create > Go Live.
- In the Live Control Room, use the Stream tab to create a stream, or open Manage to schedule one. You can create a new scheduled stream or reuse settings from a previous event.
- Set the event’s title, description, privacy, and other available metadata. Check the visibility setting before going live: YouTube offers public, private, and unlisted options, and default visibility differs for users aged 13–17 and those 18 or older.
- Keep the Live Control Room open. You will need the stream URL and key for OBS, and for a scheduled event you will return here to check preview and start the event.
2. Enter the stream URL and key in OBS
YouTube’s general encoder guidance is to choose a YouTube preset if the encoder offers one. Otherwise, copy the stream URL into the encoder’s server or RTMP field and the stream key into its stream-key field. OBS is the encoder here; consult the current OBS documentation for the exact settings location and labels in your installed version.
A stream key is sensitive account access information. YouTube describes stream keys as “like your YouTube stream’s password and address.” Do not show it in a screenshot, screen recording, or example. If you believe it has been exposed, reset it in the Live Control Room and replace the saved key in OBS; only a channel owner or manager can reset a key. See YouTube’s encoder setup instructions.
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3. Send the prerecorded video and audio
Connecting OBS to YouTube only routes the encoder to the event; OBS still needs to send the intended program. Configure your OBS setup so its video output contains the prerecorded content and its audio output contains the program audio. The exact file source, scene selection, looping behavior, and audio routing depend on your OBS version and configuration; verify those details in current OBS documentation before the event.
Do not confuse playing a playlist during the broadcast with organizing a recording afterward. The YouTube guidance cited here does not verify an OBS playlist-replay technique or say that OBS creates a YouTube playlist. Test the specific playback method you intend to use before scheduling a real event.
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4. Test the connection, inspect preview, and start
- Set up and test the encoder well before the planned event. YouTube recommends starting the encoder before the scheduled start time so you have time to inspect the preview.
- Start the OBS output to the event. In the Live Control Room, wait for the incoming stream preview to appear and check that the expected video and audio are present.
- Confirm that the event is reachable with its selected visibility, and monitor audio and video quality. If the preview is wrong or absent, do not start the event until you have checked the connection and OBS output.
- For a scheduled stream, select Go live in the Live Control Room when you are ready to begin. Connecting the encoder and starting the event in YouTube are distinct actions.
- Keep a local recording if you need a dependable copy. YouTube recommends checking that the local archive is intact rather than relying only on the platform archive.
YouTube’s creator guidance recommends testing the setup, checking the Live Control Room preview, confirming the local archive, and monitoring audio and video. Its guidance also notes that expensive equipment is not necessary to get started; the key requirements for this workflow are a configured encoder and a tested video/audio feed.
5. Will YouTube save the live stream?
YouTube says streams shorter than 12 hours can be automatically archived. A stream longer than 12 hours may not be captured at all, so do not rely on the YouTube archive as the only copy of a long broadcast. Record locally as a backup and verify that the local file is usable. The archive and duration guidance is in YouTube’s live-stream archive help.
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6. Add the finished recording to a YouTube playlist
After the broadcast, find the archived video in YouTube Studio and use YouTube’s video and playlist controls to add it to an existing playlist or create one. You can also organize highlight clips alongside the full recording. This is post-stream organization: the cited YouTube guidance does not promise that the archive will appear immediately or that a playlist is created automatically. See YouTube’s playlist instructions.
Common problems and fixes
- No preview in Live Control Room: Check that OBS is sending to the correct event and that the stream URL and key match the event. Confirm OBS is actively outputting, then allow the Live Control Room to receive the feed before starting the scheduled event.
- Wrong video or silent audio: Check the OBS output scene and verify that the intended prerecorded feed and its audio are being sent. Test the complete playback and audio route before going live.
- The event is not visible to the intended audience: Recheck its public, private, or unlisted setting in YouTube Studio before starting.
- The key may have been exposed: A channel owner or manager should reset it in Live Control Room, then update the key stored in OBS.
- The archive is missing or incomplete: A stream longer than 12 hours may not be captured. For future events, keep a local recording and verify it rather than depending solely on YouTube’s archive.
- The recording is not in a playlist: Add the archived video through YouTube’s playlist controls after the event; the stream key and OBS do not perform that organization step.
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