How To Live Stream 24/7 on YouTube

Lock your loop (image, GIF, video file, or live feed), background music or station audio, title, description, tags, and credit links. Write them before touching OBS so the stream does not sit idle on a test title.

Install OBS Studio and VLC 64-bit on the Windows host. VLC unlocks the VLC Video Source for folder-based audio playlists. Test the scene locally before leaving the machine unattended.

OhBubble sells browser-accessible Windows desktops with OBS pre-installed and tuned for 24/7 streams. Published monthly plans (September 2026): Platinum $19.99 (1080p at 1 FPS), Sapphire $39.99 (720p at 30 FPS), Gold $49.99 (1080p at 30 FPS), Diamond $69.99 (1440p at 30 FPS). Expect a short provisioning queue after purchase; support can adjust encoder settings if you are new to OBS.

Paperspace is now part of DigitalOcean but existing Core machines still launch from the Paperspace console. Windows instances with included GPU licenses bill hourly or monthly. Core tiers start around Air $22/month, Standard $35/month, Advanced $65/month, and Pro $120/month (storage included on monthly plans). Pick monthly billing for always-on streams; disable auto-shutdown in the console or the VM will power off.

Open Settings > Stream. Set service to YouTube, server to Primary YouTube ingest, and paste the stream key from YouTube Studio Live or the live dashboard. Keep the key private.

Under Settings > Output, choose Software (x264) on Paperspace unless NVENC is available on your plan. OhBubble presets are usually locked; ask support before changing bitrate targets.

In Settings > Video, match base and output resolution (720p at 30 FPS is a safe default for lo-fi). Set common FPS to 30 unless your host plan advertises a lower cap.

Add sources to your scene:

• Image for a static background or looping GIF file.
• Media Source with loop enabled for a single video or audio file.
• VLC Video Source (requires VLC 64-bit) for a folder of tracks; enable Loop Playlist and Always play even when not visible.

Mute unused entries in the audio mixer so only your intended track reaches YouTube.

Clone the setup on a second host. In Settings > Stream, switch the server to Backup YouTube ingest with the same stream key. Keep the backup machine off until the primary fails to avoid duplicate streams.

Run a private test stream first. When audio and video loop cleanly, set visibility to public, click Start Streaming, and leave OBS running (minimize instead of closing the remote session). Monitor YouTube Studio for dropped frames and copyright claims on music.