Castr’s maximum length for one prerecorded video file is four hours on Premium, Ultra and Events, two hours on Standard, and one hour on Starter, according to its plan information accessed in October 2026. The four-hour figure is a cap on each file, not the maximum length of a broadcast that loops a playlist.
Castr lists infinite looping on Premium and higher, but not on Starter or Standard. If you need a continuous YouTube channel, check both the duration of every file and whether your plan includes looping; one feature does not remove the other’s limit.
Castr’s prerecorded limits at a glance
The key distinction is between a file and a broadcast. A file is one uploaded video asset in your playlist. A broadcast is the live programme sent to YouTube. Castr’s published duration limits apply to each uploaded prerecorded file, while its loop feature concerns how the playlist is played over time.
Here is Castr’s plan comparison as listed on Castr’s site in October 2026. Plan features can change, so use this as a reading guide and verify the live pricing matrix before committing.
| Plan | Maximum length of one prerecorded file | Files per prerecorded stream | Concurrent prerecorded streams | Infinite loop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 60 minutes | 2 | 1 | Not listed |
| Standard | 120 minutes | 2 | 1 | Not listed |
| Premium | 240 minutes | 10 | 2 | Included |
| Ultra | 240 minutes | 15 | 3 | Included |
| Events | 240 minutes | 15 | 3 | Included |
The number of files allowed in a stream and the number of simultaneous prerecorded streams are separate constraints. Storage is another: Castr lists 4 GB on Starter and Standard, 10 GB on Premium, and 20 GB on Ultra and Events, as listed on Castr’s site in October 2026. A collection of short clips may fit the file-count limit but exceed available storage, while one long programme may meet storage and still exceed the per-file cap.
For example, a 90-minute devotional recording is above Starter’s stated limit but within Standard’s. That does not mean Standard offers infinite looping; Castr does not list the feature there. If your goal is to have that recording repeat continuously, you need to consider the loop eligibility separately from whether the file fits.
Maximum file duration by plan
Castr’s listed limits are 60 minutes for Starter, 120 minutes for Standard, and 240 minutes for Premium, Ultra and Events, as listed on Castr’s site in October 2026. In hours, that is one, two and four hours respectively. The same limits appear in Castr’s prerecorded video product FAQ. Check the Castr pricing page and prerecorded video product page before making a plan decision because these specifications are vendor-controlled and may be updated.
Do not treat a four-hour file as a target you have to reach. A shorter, well-structured programme can be easier to review and update. If you record a long puja, class, music set or local information loop as one continuous asset, compare its finished duration with the cap on your actual plan before scheduling it. If it runs over, splitting it into separate files may be necessary, but then playlist order, transitions and repeat behaviour need testing.
The table also shows why choosing solely by the longest file can be misleading. Premium, Ultra and Events share the same four-hour per-file maximum and include infinite loop, but differ in file count, storage and concurrent prerecorded streams. Those other limits matter if you run more than one channel or want a playlist made from many segments. Castr’s published comparison does not establish which plan is the best value for any one workload; check the current plan details and your requirements rather than infer value from the maximum duration alone.
One file’s cap is not the broadcast’s runtime
A four-hour maximum does not mean Castr stops every stream after four hours. It means that an individual prerecorded upload must fit within the cap for its plan. On plans that include infinite looping, Castr describes a playlist that can keep playing continuously. Thus, a channel can be live for longer than one file by repeating or sequencing eligible files, without making any single uploaded file longer than the published limit.
This distinction is useful when you see broad statements about 24/7 streaming. Castr’s older Help Centre article about streaming 24/7 discusses live-source streaming and should not be read as overriding the explicit file-duration limit for prerecorded uploads. The subject here is the uploaded asset workflow. For its setup, Castr’s guide to starting prerecorded streams explains that you can upload video files and schedule a stream.
YouTube is a destination for the broadcast, not the source of Castr’s file cap. YouTube has separate rules and behaviour around live streams and saved archives. A Google-hosted production guide says streams up to 12 hours are automatically turned into video-on-demand, and advises manual recording for longer streams; its current status should be checked against YouTube’s own guidance before you rely on it. This archive context does not change Castr’s per-file limit. See the Google live production guide and check current YouTube Help for live streams.
Keep the operational question precise: “How long is each uploaded video?” is answered by your Castr plan. “How long can the channel remain live?” depends on the playlist and loop feature, as well as your schedule and destination behaviour. “How long will YouTube preserve the archive?” is a separate YouTube question. Conflating these can lead you to plan around the wrong limit.
How infinite looping works
Castr lists infinite loop as unavailable on Starter and Standard, and included on Premium, Ultra and Events, as listed on Castr’s site in October 2026. In practical terms, looping concerns playback after a playlist reaches its end. It does not allow a single uploaded file to exceed the duration assigned to the plan. A four-hour file remains subject to that four-hour cap even if it is part of a playlist that loops.
A playlist may contain one file or several, depending on the plan’s file-count allowance. If you have a two-hour programme and your selected plan allows that file length and looping, the programme may be set to repeat rather than ending after one pass. If you instead assemble a day’s programming from short devotional readings, music and announcements, the playlist can sequence those pieces before repeating. In both cases, every file must satisfy the individual duration cap and the total assets must fit the plan’s other limits.
Looping also changes what you should check in the output. A repeat can be technically continuous while still sounding or looking awkward at the join. A bhajan recording that ends with applause, a classroom lesson that starts with “good morning”, or a news update with a dated headline may be jarring when it restarts. Listen through the end-to-start transition and make sure the next play still makes sense to someone joining midway through.
Use scheduling deliberately. Castr’s Help Centre describes options for looping and for scheduling broadcasts by date or time. A scheduled start is not the same as an indefinite loop: one controls when a broadcast begins, while the other determines whether playback continues through repetition. Read its scheduling modes guide and confirm which mode is selected before relying on unattended playback.
Check your plan and playlist setup
Before uploading a programme, make a simple inventory. Record the duration of each file, its format, and its size; then note how many files you want in one playlist and whether you need one or multiple prerecorded streams running at the same time. Compare those facts with your current plan rather than choosing from the channel’s total daily runtime.
Castr’s Help Centre says the prerecorded workflow accepts MP4 files and can combine multiple videos into a playlist. Do not assume that a supported format or playlist means every file will upload successfully: encode and inspect your material, and test the actual setup. For a continuous stream, verify the order, the end-of-playlist action, and whether loop is available to your account. Keep a note of the selected YouTube destination and the intended start time so that a scheduled test does not accidentally go public at the wrong moment.
A practical check might look like this: you have six 30-minute lessons and want them to play in sequence, then repeat. Each lesson is below even Starter’s published one-hour file cap, but Starter’s table allowance is two files per prerecorded stream and does not list infinite loop. So the six-file playlist and the repeat requirement do not fit those published Starter features as described. Splitting or shortening files will not solve a file-count or loop eligibility mismatch.
If you already have an active YouTube channel built around a changing playlist, update the content with care. A file swap can affect transitions, continuity and what viewers see while changes take effect. The guide to updating videos in an active YouTube Live playlist is relevant if you need to plan an update without treating the change as merely a duration issue. For a channel that needs to keep running without your home computer, compare the workflow in hosting a continuous relaxation stream without a home computer.
Where the schedule is more complex than a single repeating programme, write down the intended sequence before you set it up. Decide whether the playlist repeats as a whole, whether different programmes need separate scheduled sessions, and what viewers should see if the stream ends. A cloud service comparison for streaming recorded classes 24/7 can help frame that broader operating choice. If you plan to use a local encoder instead, the practical concerns shift to the machine and playlist: see how to replace a file in an OBS playlist without ending YouTube Live.
These alternatives solve different problems. Castr’s prerecorded workflow avoids needing to keep an encoder or OBS running for that particular cloud-played file stream, according to Castr’s product description. A local computer may suit you better if you need frame-level control or already maintain a resilient playback setup. StreamNeo can remove the specific burden of leaving your own computer on for a file-based, always-on YouTube stream; decide based on whether that is the problem you need solved, and verify the workflow against your channel’s needs.
Separate file limits from YouTube archive limits
A live stream and its recording on your channel are not identical things. You can be asking how long the source file may be, how long the live broadcast continues, or how much of the broadcast YouTube will retain as an archive. Castr’s plan matrix answers the first question. Looping addresses how playback can continue. YouTube’s own current guidance is the place to check archive behaviour.
The Google-hosted production guide cited earlier gives a 12-hour threshold for automatic VOD handling, but the document’s publication date was not established in the research for this article. Treat that statement as context, not a guarantee about present YouTube behaviour. If a complete recording is important to your channel, consult current YouTube Help, test your archive process, and consider keeping a separate recording rather than assuming a long broadcast will be preserved in the way you expect.
That is especially relevant for a local news loop, long devotional programme or study channel where viewers may want to replay a particular segment later. A continuous live channel can serve people joining at different times, but it does not automatically make navigation through a long archive convenient. Consider whether a series of shorter uploads or separate recordings better serves viewers who arrive after the original live event.
Choose around the full workload
Start with the programme you actually intend to run. If every asset is under an hour and you only need a single short playlist without a continuous repeat, a lower plan’s file cap might be adequate, subject to its count and storage limits. If you require a continuous loop, Castr lists that capability beginning at Premium, so the necessary tier may be driven by looping rather than file duration.
Then check the shape of the playlist. A stream made from two long recordings needs fewer file slots than a schedule assembled from fifteen short items. Simultaneous prerecorded streams matter if you operate separate channels or events at once. Storage matters if you retain multiple high-resolution assets in the account. The duration cap is only one row in the plan comparison, not a full measure of fit.
Finally, estimate the cost using the current vendor page, not a cached comparison or old tutorial. Prices and package boundaries can change, and no price is needed to answer the duration question. Confirm the exact plan name, file maximum, file-count allowance, storage, concurrent-stream allowance and looping status before paying. Keep a screenshot or written note of the plan terms you relied on if the workflow is business-critical, and revisit them when your channel changes.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
Can one Castr prerecorded file be longer than four hours?
No. Castr’s published maximum is four hours per file on Premium, Ultra and Events, as listed on Castr’s site in October 2026. The loop feature does not extend that individual-file cap.
How long can one prerecorded file be on Starter or Standard?
Castr lists a maximum of 60 minutes on Starter and 120 minutes on Standard, as listed on Castr’s site in October 2026. Check the current plan comparison before uploading because published limits can change.
Does every Castr plan support infinite looping?
No. Castr lists infinite loop on Premium, Ultra and Events, but not on Starter or Standard, as listed on Castr’s site in October 2026. The file-duration and loop requirements should both be checked before you choose a plan.
Is Castr’s four-hour cap the same as YouTube’s live archive limit?
No. Castr’s cap concerns the duration of each uploaded prerecorded file; YouTube’s archive handling is a separate matter. Check current YouTube Help guidance before relying on an archive for a long broadcast.