A recorded live stream is a live broadcast of videos you made earlier. Viewers see a normal YouTube live stream with a live chat, and you do not have to be on camera. To run one 24/7, you put your videos in a playlist and use something that sends it to YouTube non-stop: OBS on a computer that never shuts down, or a cloud service that streams from its own servers.
What people stream 24/7 from recorded videos
A 24/7 stream works best for content people leave on in the background or come back to often:
- Lofi and music radio: music with a visual loop, for study, work or sleep. Our lofi hip hop stream guide covers this case step by step.
- Sleep and ambient: rain, nature and calm scenes.
- Church and worship: sermons and worship sets for people who missed the service.
- Gaming replays: tournament footage, speedruns and highlights.
- Lessons and podcasts: tutorials or past episodes in the order you choose.
A regular upload waits for someone to search for it. A 24/7 stream is live whenever a viewer opens it, at 3 a.m. in Tokyo or at 7 p.m. in London.
Before you start: what YouTube asks
Check three things before you prepare any files.
- Live streaming is turned on. Turn it on in YouTube Studio. YouTube Help says that enabling live streaming for the first time can take up to 24 hours. After that, you can go live at once.
- You have the rights to every file. YouTube scans all live streams for third-party content. If it finds some, it can replace your stream with a placeholder, and then interrupt or stop it. More on this in the copyright section below.
- You have enough material. Several videos in a playlist work better than one short clip on repeat. If you want to earn money, YouTube's monetization policies ask for content that is not "mass-produced, generic, repetitive, or manipulative". YouTube calls this the inauthentic content policy (it was renamed from "repetitious content" in July 2025).
Also know this before a long stream: YouTube saves a live stream as a video only when it is shorter than 12 hours. YouTube Help says that if a stream "exceeds 12 hours, it may not be captured at all." The live stream itself keeps going. Keep your own copies of the files.
For the full list of account requirements, read YouTube live stream requirements.
Prepare your videos
Viewers leave a 24/7 stream on for hours, so the files must look and sound the same from one video to the next.
Make every file match
A jump from sharp to blurry video, or from quiet to loud audio, makes viewers turn the stream off. Before you export, set every clip to the same format:
- Resolution: 1920x1080 (1080p).
- Frame rate: 30 frames per second. A calm scene or a music visual does not need 60.
- Audio: normalize every file to the same loudness, so no video is louder than the one before it.
Hide the joins between videos
An abrupt cut breaks the mood, most of all on a music or ambient stream. Two ways to hide it:
- A crossfade. Blend the end of one clip into the start of the next. On a slow lofi or meditation stream, a crossfade of about two seconds is hard to notice.
- A bumper. Put a short clip of 5 to 10 seconds with your logo between videos. The stream then feels like a channel, not a random playlist.
Export settings
Export every file as an MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio. Almost every streaming tool accepts this format. The bitrate and audio values in the table come from YouTube's recommended live encoder settings for 1080p at 30 fps (September 2026).
| Setting | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Container | MP4 | Accepted by OBS and by cloud services |
| Video codec | H.264 | Accepted by YouTube and by every encoder |
| Resolution and frame rate | 1080p, 30 fps | Sharp on every screen, small files |
| Video bitrate | About 10 Mbps | YouTube's recommended H.264 bitrate for 1080p at 30 fps |
| Audio codec | AAC, 44.1 kHz, stereo | YouTube's recommended audio for stereo |
| Audio bitrate | 128 kbps or more | YouTube recommends 128 kbps; music channels often use more |
If you stream with OBS, set the keyframe interval to 2 seconds. YouTube recommends 2 seconds and asks you not to go over 4.
One long file or a playlist
In OBS, one long file is the simplest setup: one media source, set to loop. A playlist of separate videos is easier to keep fresh. You can add a new video or change the order without exporting a file of several hours again.
Choose how to stream it
You have two options. You can run the stream from your own computer or a rented server with OBS, or you can upload the videos to a cloud service that streams them for you.
OBS on your computer or a VPS
OBS Studio is free. To stream a recorded video with it:
- Add a Media Source (one file) or a VLC Video Source (several files, needs VLC installed) to a scene.
- Turn on Loop in the source settings.
- In Settings, open Stream, choose YouTube and paste the stream key from YouTube Studio.
- Click Start Streaming.
The stream lasts only as long as that computer stays on. A power cut, a drop in your home internet, a crash or an automatic system update stops it, and you must restart it by hand. A VPS (a server you rent in a data center) removes the power and home internet risks. It costs about $15 to $60 a month, and you install, update and watch OBS on it yourself.
A cloud streaming service
A cloud service does the streaming from its own servers. You use your computer only to upload the videos:
- Upload your video files from your browser.
- Put them in a playlist. Choose the order or shuffle it.
- Paste your YouTube stream key and start the stream.
After the upload, you can turn your computer off. Your home internet speed no longer matters, and a power cut at home does not stop the stream.
| Topic | OBS on a PC or VPS | Cloud service |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | A PC or VPS runs all the time | Your computer can be off |
| Setup | Install and update an encoder | Set it up in your browser |
| Outages | A power cut or crash stops the stream | Home outages do not affect it |
| Restarts | You restart by hand | No encoder on your side to restart |
| Cost | OBS is free; a VPS costs $15 to $60 a month | A monthly fee per stream |
Cloud services differ on time limits. Restream stops a looped stream after 40 hours or 10 loops, and OneStream allows 30 days in a row, to YouTube only. 247 LiveStream has no time limit and costs $16 a month per stream. See the comparison of eight tools for prices and limits, and the pricing section for what the plan includes.
Make the stream easy to find
Your title and thumbnail tell a viewer what plays and that the stream is always on.
Put the words people search for in the title:
- Music: "Lofi Hip Hop Radio 24/7 - Beats to Relax/Study to"
- Ambience: "Rainy Coffee Shop Ambience 24/7 - Sounds for Sleep and Focus"
- Gaming: "Best Apex Legends Moments 24/7 - Wins and Fails"
On the thumbnail, a clear "24/7" or "LIVE" label tells viewers what they get. On the stream, add a small logo in a corner. On a music stream, a "Now playing" line with the artist and track name also gives the artist credit.
Earn money from a 24/7 recorded stream
A 24/7 stream earns through the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). To join, YouTube asks for 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 qualified public watch hours in the last 12 months, or 1,000 subscribers and 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days.
In the program, a live stream can earn in these ways:
- Ads. Pre-roll ads turn on with monetization. Mid-roll ads play during the stream, and YouTube lets you insert them automatically (its recommendation) or by hand.
- Super Chat and Super Stickers. Viewers pay to highlight a message in the live chat, also while you sleep.
- Channel memberships. Viewers pay a monthly fee for perks such as custom emoji and badges.
Outside YouTube's own tools, two more options fit a stream that plays on its own:
- Sponsors. Add a short "This stream is supported by..." bumper to the playlist, for example once an hour.
- Affiliate links. Put links to gear or apps that fit the stream in the description or in a pinned chat message.
Keep your channel safe from copyright claims
YouTube scans every live stream for third-party content. On a stream that runs 24/7, one unlicensed track can interrupt the stream or bring a copyright strike, and a strike can end your stream.
Use only content from these sources:
- Your own work. If you filmed the video and made the audio, you own it.
- Royalty-free libraries. Read the license and check that it covers live streaming on your channel.
- Written permission. Get a written agreement from the owner that covers continuous live streaming.
A license alone does not always stop an interruption. YouTube Help says that if you license third-party content, you should ask the owner to add your channel to their Content ID allowlist. Without that, "your live stream can be interrupted even if you've licensed the third-party content."
Music causes most of these problems. A track licensed for a regular video is not always licensed for a live stream. Our guide to royalty-free music for streaming lists sources that cover it.
Questions about recorded live streams
Is a recorded live stream a real YouTube live stream?
Yes. YouTube receives it like any other live stream from an encoder. Viewers watch, chat and subscribe as they do on a stream where you are on camera.
Does YouTube allow pre-recorded videos in a live stream?
In September 2026, YouTube Help had no rule against streaming pre-recorded videos live. The rules for every live stream apply: you need the rights to the content, and a monetized channel must follow the monetization policies.
Will YouTube save my 24/7 stream as a video?
No. YouTube saves streams shorter than 12 hours. A longer stream may not be saved at all, but the live stream is not affected.
Does a 24/7 stream use my home internet?
With OBS on your own computer, yes, all the time. With a cloud service, only while you upload the videos.
Can my computer be off while the stream runs?
Only with a VPS or a cloud service. With OBS on your own computer, the computer must stay on. Our FAQ answers more questions about how a cloud stream works.