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To send AWS Elemental MediaLive to YouTube, copy the current server URL and stream key from YouTube Studio, put them in MediaLive’s RTMP output as the destination URL and Stream Name, then start the channel. If the YouTube stream is scheduled, starting MediaLive only sends the feed: confirm its preview in Live Control Room and click Go live.
Before you begin
- Have an AWS Elemental MediaLive channel with an input and video and audio outputs configured.
- In YouTube Studio, create or select the live stream whose settings you will use. YouTube provides both the server URL and stream key; the pair must match the current stream.
- Treat the stream key as a credential. Anyone who obtains it may be able to send a feed to your stream, so do not include it in screenshots, public documentation, or shared configuration files.
YouTube’s instruction is: “To start streaming, enter your YouTube Live server URL and stream key into your encoder.” YouTube Help: Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder.
Get the current YouTube server URL and stream key
- In YouTube Studio, select Create → Go live to open Live Control Room.
- Open the Stream tab. Create a stream or load the configuration for the stream you intend to use.
- Copy the server URL and stream key shown in that stream’s settings. Use the current values rather than an endpoint from an old guide or another platform. YouTube allows you to load a previous stream’s settings, including its key, but verify that the selected configuration is the one you mean to broadcast.
Keep the URL and key separate. MediaLive has a destination field for the endpoint and a distinct Stream Name field for the key.
Add the YouTube destination in MediaLive
- In the AWS Elemental MediaLive console, open Channels and edit the channel that will send the YouTube feed.
- Add an RTMP output group to the channel.
- For RTMP destination A, enter the YouTube server URL in the destination URL field.
- Enter the YouTube stream key in the destination’s Stream Name field. Do not paste the key into the URL field.
- Configure the video and audio outputs to suit the source and YouTube’s current requirements. AWS’s tutorial uses H.264 video and AAC audio as an example and says the output dimensions should not exceed the input dimensions; those examples are not a complete or universal YouTube settings prescription.
- Save or update the channel.
The distinction between the RTMP endpoint and stream name is also reflected in the MediaLive API reference. For the console workflow, see AWS’s RTMP output documentation.
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Choose protocol and encoding settings
Prefer RTMPS when the MediaLive output supports it
YouTube recommends RTMPS, the encrypted extension to RTMP, for live ingest. Use the ingest URL YouTube currently presents and ensure the MediaLive output supports the protocol represented by that URL. Do not assume an older RTMP URL or a sample endpoint is interchangeable with the current one. See YouTube’s live encoder settings guidance.
Usually leave resolution and frame-rate detection automatic
YouTube automatically detects resolution and frame rate by default and recommends that behavior. If you need a fixed resolution or frame rate, YouTube says to create a custom stream key and enable manual stream-resolution settings. Select codec, resolution, frame rate, bitrate, and protocol together based on what the source and encoder can actually deliver and YouTube’s current guidance; do not treat settings from an old blog post as universal presets.
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Account for HDR separately
For HDR, YouTube recommends H.265 over RTMP(S). If the encoder cannot provide the required capabilities through RTMP, YouTube says HLS may be considered. AWS documents an HLS ingest workflow for a particular 4K HDR setup, but its URL shape, segment duration, H.265 profile, bitrate, frame rate, and other values are worked-example details, not safe defaults for every channel. Recheck current YouTube and MediaLive guidance before adapting them. See AWS’s YouTube HDR HLS workflow.
Start MediaLive and take the YouTube stream live
- From the MediaLive Channels page, start the channel. Starting MediaLive begins sending the encoder feed; it does not necessarily publish a scheduled YouTube event to viewers.
- For a scheduled YouTube stream, wait for the incoming encoder signal and preview in Live Control Room. Check that the picture and sound are right, then select Go live.
- For a non-scheduled encoder stream, YouTube’s instructions say to start the encoder to send the stream live.
- When ending a scheduled stream, stop sending content and select End stream in Live Control Room as directed by YouTube.
Troubleshoot a missing preview or failed start
| Symptom | What to check | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| No encoder preview appears in Live Control Room | Check for a stale or mismatched URL/key pair and verify that each value is in its correct MediaLive field. | Copy the current YouTube server URL to destination URL and the matching key to Stream Name, then update the channel. |
| The YouTube event is scheduled, but viewers cannot see it | Confirm whether Live Control Room shows an encoder preview and whether the event has been manually started. | After the preview arrives, select Go live for the scheduled event. |
| MediaLive does not appear to be sending | Check the MediaLive channel status and confirm the channel and RTMP output group are running. | Resolve any channel or output-group issue, then verify the incoming signal again in Live Control Room. |
| The key may have been exposed | Assume a published or improperly shared key is compromised. | Replace or rotate it in YouTube Studio, then update MediaLive with the new key. |
| The stream is rejected or the picture does not match expectations | Check that the chosen protocol, codec, dimensions, frame rate, and bitrate are supported together by the source, MediaLive output, and YouTube ingest. | Use YouTube’s current encoder guidance and the current endpoint shown in Studio; for HDR, review the separate H.265/RTMP(S) or HLS considerations above. |
Understand the AWS cost variable
MediaLive cost depends in part on output configuration: AWS notes that width, height, frame rate, and bitrate affect cost. The setup steps alone do not establish a reliable price. Estimate using current AWS pricing and the actual channel configuration rather than carrying over a price from an example workflow.
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Or let it run in the cloud
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