How to Run a 24/7 Livestream on a VPS in 2026: OBS, FFmpeg and YouTube

Published on 2026-06-24

Complete guide to running a 24/7 livestream on a VPS: OBS setup, FFmpeg loops, YouTube and Kick streaming keys, bandwidth, and keeping your stream online.

Running a 24/7 livestream on a VPS is the most reliable way to stream lo-fi radio, ambient video, camera feeds, or automated content around the clock. Here is how to set it up.

Two Approaches

1. FFmpeg (No GUI, Most Efficient)

FFmpeg runs in a terminal and loops a video file or playlist to a streaming platform. No desktop environment needed.

ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i /path/to/video.mp4 \
  -c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -b:v 2500k \
  -c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100 \
  -f flv rtmp://a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2/YOUR-STREAM-KEY

This loops the video file indefinitely and streams to YouTube via RTMP.

2. OBS on a Windows/Linux VPS (Full GUI)

Install OBS on a VPS with a desktop environment. Use remote desktop (RDP or VNC) to configure scenes. Leave OBS running.

VPS Requirements

Quality	CPU	RAM	Bandwidth
480p FFmpeg loop	1 core	1 GB	2 Mbps upload
720p FFmpeg loop	2 cores	2 GB	5 Mbps upload
1080p FFmpeg loop	2 cores	4 GB	8 Mbps upload
1080p OBS (software encoding)	4 cores	4 GB	10 Mbps upload
1080p OBS (GPU encoding)	2 cores + GPU	4 GB	10 Mbps upload

Keeping It Online

Screen or tmux (FFmpeg)

tmux new -s stream
# start FFmpeg command
# detach with Ctrl-B, D

systemd service (auto-restart)

[Unit]
Description=24/7 Stream

[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/bin/ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i /path/to/video.mp4 -c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -b:v 2500k -c:a aac -b:a 128k -f flv rtmp://a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2/KEY
Restart=always
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

OBS Auto-Reconnect

OBS has built-in reconnect settings. Enable "Automatically Reconnect" in Settings > Advanced.

YouTube vs Twitch vs Kick

YouTube: Best for 24/7. No timeout for continuous streams. Use RTMP.
Twitch: 48-hour broadcast limit. Requires restarting the stream periodically.
Kick: Allows 24/7 but check current TOS.

FAQ

What VPS should I use for 24/7 streaming? A VPS with 2+ cores, 4 GB RAM, and unmetered bandwidth. Space-Node streaming VPS plans start at 9.99 EUR/month.

Is FFmpeg better than OBS for 24/7? For simple loops, yes. FFmpeg uses less CPU and does not need a GUI.

How much bandwidth does 24/7 streaming need? At 1080p 2500kbps: about 1 TB/month. Ensure your VPS has unmetered bandwidth.