If you want one cautious starting point for a 24/7 YouTube stream that software-encodes video in FFmpeg, look first at OVHcloud’s VPS-4 in its worldwide VPS range. That is a resource-based estimate, not a published YouTube or OBS minimum, a performance test, or a guarantee that your stream will stay uninterrupted.
The workload changes the answer. If FFmpeg only copies packets from a file that is already encoded for your stream, a smaller plan such as VPS-2 or VPS-3 may be worth testing; if it encodes, filters, or produces multiple outputs, CPU capacity matters as much as memory. None of the available sources establishes an exact minimum for your particular setup.
A practical starting point, not a minimum
OVHcloud’s worldwide page labels its current lineup “VPS 2027”. As listed on OVHcloud’s site in October 2026, VPS-1 has 2 vCores and 4 GB RAM, VPS-2 has 4 vCores and 8 GB RAM, VPS-3 has 6 vCores and 12 GB RAM, and VPS-4 has 8 vCores and 24 GB RAM. VPS-4 also has the largest listed storage and public-bandwidth allocations in that range. These are product specifications, not FFmpeg benchmarks. Check the current VPS configurations for your region before choosing: plan names, availability and regional details can change.
| Worldwide plan | vCores | RAM | Listed NVMe storage | Listed public bandwidth | How to treat it for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VPS-1 | 2 | 4 GB | 40 GB | 500 Mbps | A constrained starting point for a very simple workload to test, not a general recommendation for continuous encoding |
| VPS-2 | 4 | 8 GB | 75 GB | 1 Gbps | A candidate to test for stream-copy or a light workload |
| VPS-3 | 6 | 12 GB | 100 GB | 2 Gbps | More room for a modest workload, but still not a proven encoding capacity |
| VPS-4 | 8 | 24 GB | 200 GB | 3 Gbps | Cautious VPS starting point when software encoding needs more resource headroom |
Specifications and bandwidth figures above are as listed on OVHcloud’s site in October 2026; they do not show measured throughput from a particular VPS location to YouTube. The worldwide page also lists unlimited traffic and daily backups, and states a 99.9% SLA. Neither a backup nor that SLA means the FFmpeg process or a YouTube ingest session cannot fail. In particular, do not read a provider SLA as a promise of end-to-end live-stream continuity.
The useful starting estimate is therefore conditional: VPS-4 is the cautious VPS tier to investigate for software encoding, while VPS-2 or VPS-3 could be candidates for a simple copy workload. If you need intensive transcoding, multiple outputs or complex filtering, OVHcloud itself directs demanding FFmpeg workloads towards dedicated servers. Its FFmpeg use-case page is a reason to include dedicated capacity in your comparison, not proof that every VPS is unsuitable.
When 4 GB may be reasonable
Four gigabytes of RAM on VPS-1 may be reasonable when the job is deliberately simple and you are prepared to measure it: for example, a single already-encoded video source, one output, and FFmpeg copying compatible packets rather than decoding and encoding video. The FFmpeg documentation describes stream-copy as moving packets without decoding, filtering or encoding. That avoids the work of a video encoder, but it does not establish how a specific VPS will behave or how much CPU it will use for your complete command.
In this kind of setup, RAM is only one check. The machine still needs to read its media, keep the process and operating system running, write any logs, and send data continuously to YouTube. If you keep the source file on the VPS, include its storage needs; if it is fetched from elsewhere, the source must remain reachable. A connection interruption, unavailable file or stopped process can break the broadcast even when the memory graph looks calm.
A 4 GB machine is a poor choice to treat as a set-and-forget encoding box before a representative test. A change from packet copy to software re-encoding can make the CPU requirement substantially different; more filters, a higher output resolution, more frames per second, or another output also change the workload. Available memory can be reduced by the operating system, other programs and file handling. There is no reason to infer that a particular RAM amount compensates for CPU saturation or a weak network route.
If your stream is a pre-recorded playlist, clarify whether the workflow actually encodes the video or can pass through compatible media. Our guide to copy mode versus re-encoding explains why this distinction affects resource planning. For a straightforward file sequence, the article on streaming videos in order with FFmpeg is also useful for understanding the source-handling side of the job.
When to consider 8 GB or more
VPS-2, with 8 GB RAM and 4 vCores, is a reasonable tier to consider testing if stream-copy is not the whole story but the job remains modest: perhaps a small supporting service runs alongside FFmpeg, or your chosen workflow needs more working memory. This is a planning estimate, not a threshold validated by OVHcloud, YouTube, or OBS. More memory can leave room for other processes; it does not make a CPU-bound encode faster by itself.
VPS-3’s 12 GB and 6 vCores give more listed resources than VPS-2, and VPS-4’s 24 GB and 8 vCores give the most listed in this VPS range. For software re-encoding, VPS-4 is the cautious starting tier among the listed VPS choices because it has the largest allocation. That recommendation remains an inference from product resources: no cited source reports a benchmark for a particular codec, preset, resolution or number of simultaneous outputs on these plans.
Think of the plan choice as a test ladder rather than a universal prescription. Start by describing the stream, check the CPU and memory during the actual workload, and move up or consider a dedicated server if the encoder cannot keep up or headroom is too narrow. A 24/7 channel has little room for a task that works only when the machine is otherwise idle. If you want to avoid managing an always-on computer yourself, StreamNeo removes the specific burden of keeping your own FFmpeg machine running by turning an uploaded video into a YouTube live stream from the cloud; it is YouTube-only.
Price is not a reliable substitute for workload evidence. The research page’s starting prices are not repeated here because checkout prices and plan details can vary by region and time. Check the current listing for your country and compare the cost of a larger VPS with the cost and operational fit of a dedicated machine, rather than assuming the lowest monthly price will carry your encoder comfortably.
Count OBS sources, filters and other services
If OBS is part of your setup, count what the machine does beyond sending a file. A scene with browser sources, animated elements, transitions, audio processing and filters has a different resource profile from a single unaltered video input. Depending on the workflow, OBS may be rendering and encoding; FFmpeg may then be doing additional work. Running both on one VPS means they share CPU and memory with the operating system and any monitoring or playlist services.
Write down the actual workload before comparing plans: source type, resolution, frame rate, video codec, encoder and preset, filters, output count, and what else runs on the machine. Include the moments that are busiest, such as a scene change or source transition, rather than describing only the quietest frame. If you use OBS for a pre-recorded loop, the practical walkthrough on streaming a pre-recorded video with OBS on Linux Mint can help you identify which parts of the pipeline your own setup must sustain.
Adding a second output is not just a small configuration change. It may require another encode, depending on how the outputs are produced, and a filter can add work before encoding. If a process restarts after a failure, it also needs to recover the correct scene, file position or playlist state. Memory use can rise when sources, buffers and accompanying applications are active, but CPU and recovery behaviour still need separate attention.
Keep the VPS role narrow where you can. If it is an FFmpeg sender, avoid loading unrelated jobs onto it without testing the combined load. If it also runs a control panel, a file downloader, a database or OBS, include those in the test. A plan that is adequate for FFmpeg alone may not be adequate once those services compete for resources.
Check CPU, encoder and network capacity
For video that must be re-encoded, CPU is often the decisive constraint to investigate. FFmpeg’s encoder work depends on choices such as codec, output resolution, frame rate, quality or preset, filters and number of outputs. The research sources do not provide comparative OVHcloud plan tests for those combinations, so do not translate a vCore count into a guaranteed resolution or encode speed. A software encoder that cannot process frames as they arrive will fall behind even if RAM remains available.
For stream-copy, the opposite distinction matters: if the source already matches the desired ingest format and FFmpeg only copies the packets, it skips decoding, filtering and encoding. That makes a smaller plan plausible to test, but the source format, input reliability, output protocol and network path still matter. Copy mode is not a cure for a file that is incompatible with the planned output or a connection that drops.
Network planning is about sustained outbound capacity to the selected YouTube ingest, not only a headline port speed on a VPS page. YouTube’s encoder guidance recommends a speed test and testing before going live; its bitrate recommendations are targets for the specified stream formats, not minimum OVHcloud plan requirements. As listed on YouTube Help in October 2026, its H.264 table recommends 14 Mbps for 1080p30, 17 Mbps for 1080p60, 42 Mbps for 4K30 and 50 Mbps for 4K60. Allow room above the chosen stream bitrate for protocol overhead and route variation, then test from the actual VPS location.
YouTube recommends RTMPS and lists H.264, H.265 or AV1, up to 60 fps, constant bitrate and a two-second keyframe interval (not over four seconds) in its live encoder settings. Use the settings appropriate to your intended output and verify the current guidance; YouTube may revise it. A listed VPS bandwidth tier does not prove you can sustain that stream to YouTube at all times, and an ordinary speed test may not capture conditions during a long broadcast.
Measure memory during a representative stream
Test before committing to a smaller tier. Use the same file or live source, codec, resolution, frame rate, encoder preset, filters, output count and YouTube ingest settings you intend to keep. Include audio with the level and movement characteristics of the real programme: a static test picture may not exercise the same encoding work as a devotional video with changing visuals, a news loop with transitions, or a study stream with moving elements.
Observe memory and CPU over a meaningful run that includes source changes and the normal supporting services. Note whether memory steadily rises, whether CPU remains pressured, whether FFmpeg reports that it is falling behind, and whether the output remains healthy in YouTube’s stream health view. The goal is not to hit a universal RAM number; it is to find whether this particular machine has usable headroom under the workload it will actually carry.
Repeat the test after changes that affect work: a different encoder, a higher frame rate, a new filter, another output, or a larger OBS scene. Record the settings along with the result, so a change can be compared against a known baseline. If a test is inconclusive, choose more headroom or simplify the workload rather than treating a short successful session as proof of overnight reliability.
For network checks, use the intended VPS region and the actual output path, and compare sustained upload behaviour with the chosen YouTube bitrate. Follow YouTube’s advice to test before going live and monitor stream health during the broadcast. A test confirms conditions at that time; it cannot promise the route or source will behave identically later.
Plan monitoring and recovery, not just resources
A live channel needs a response to failure. Supervise the FFmpeg process so it can be restarted when it exits, and decide what should happen if the source disappears, the network connection fails or YouTube stops receiving the stream. A restart policy can bring a process back, but it cannot repair a missing source file, correct a bad stream key or resolve an encoder that repeatedly runs out of capacity. Test recovery deliberately before relying on it.
Set up alerts that reach someone who can act, and check the broadcast from YouTube’s side as well as from the VPS. Keep track of process status, CPU and memory, logs, source availability, and whether the live stream is still receiving data. A machine can remain reachable while FFmpeg has stopped; a running process can also be producing output that YouTube cannot use. Monitoring only one layer leaves gaps.
Backups protect data, not the live process. OVHcloud lists daily backups for its VPS plans, but a restored machine is not the same as an automatically resumed broadcast. Keep a copy of configuration and source material where appropriate, protect the stream key, and write down the steps for restarting and verifying the stream. If the channel cannot tolerate a long interruption, consider what manual intervention or a separate recovery setup would be needed; do not infer that a VPS SLA covers the full path from your file to YouTube viewers.
For a playlist channel, scheduling and restart behaviour are as important as the machine size. The guide to keeping playlist schedules in sync across two VPS servers is relevant if you are planning a more involved recovery arrangement. A second server adds its own configuration and testing work, so use one only when the additional recovery capability addresses a real requirement.
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FAQ
Which OVH VPS is enough for FFmpeg?
There is no published minimum for this specific 24/7 workload in the cited material. VPS-2 or VPS-3 may be candidates to test for a simple stream-copy job, while VPS-4 is the cautious starting point among the listed VPS plans for software encoding. Measure your actual settings before settling on a tier.
Can I run FFmpeg 24/7 on an OVHcloud VPS?
A VPS can run a continuously supervised FFmpeg process, but RAM alone does not establish that it will keep streaming without interruption. Source availability, encoder capacity, network behaviour, YouTube ingest and recovery planning all matter. Test the full path and monitor it after launch.
Do I need a dedicated server to stream to YouTube?
Not necessarily. A simple copy workload may fit a VPS after testing, but OVHcloud points demanding FFmpeg transcoding workloads towards dedicated servers. Consider one if software encoding, complex filters or multiple outputs exceed the headroom you observe on VPS plans.
How much bandwidth does a 1080p YouTube live stream need?
YouTube’s current encoder table gives H.264 recommendations of 14 Mbps for 1080p30 and 17 Mbps for 1080p60, as listed on YouTube Help in October 2026. Treat these as ingest bitrate guidance, not a guaranteed VPS network requirement. Test sustained upload from the server’s location and leave headroom for overhead and variation.