OBS does not configure a YouTube Live Redirect: it sends your video feed to YouTube, while you choose where viewers go in YouTube Studio. To hand viewers from your stream to a Premiere or another eligible live stream, set the redirect on the source stream in Studio and check both eligibility and destination permissions first.
This distinction matters because there is no redirect switch to find in OBS. OBS supplies the broadcast; YouTube manages the viewer handoff when the source ends. The steps below follow YouTube’s current documented workflow, but Studio labels can change, so check the official Live Redirect instructions if your screen differs.
OBS sends the feed; Studio sets the redirect
OBS is an encoder. It takes your scene, audio and video, then sends that programme to YouTube using the server information and stream key for your broadcast. YouTube’s encoder setup guidance covers that connection. It does not give OBS control over Live Redirect.
The redirect is a separate YouTube setting attached to the source livestream. In YouTube Studio, you choose a qualifying Premiere or live stream as the destination. When the source broadcast ends, YouTube can move viewers to that destination. In short, OBS determines what is being sent; Studio determines what happens to viewers after the source stream finishes.
That separation also helps when troubleshooting. If OBS is streaming but the redirect is missing, the likely issue is not an OBS scene or encoder setting: check the source stream’s Studio settings, eligibility, and the destination’s availability and permission. If OBS cannot send video at all, check its connection and stream key separately.
For a broader look at encoder and channel preparation, see this live stream setup guide. It covers the equipment and software side, while the redirect itself remains a Studio task.
Check whether the source channel is eligible
YouTube’s stated requirement for the creator sending a redirect is more than 1,000 subscribers and no Community Guideline strikes. These requirements apply to the channel that owns the source stream and sets the handoff. Using OBS does not bypass them, and meeting them does not remove the need to check the destination’s separate permissions.
Check the channel that will host the source broadcast before building the running order around a redirect. If it does not meet YouTube’s stated eligibility conditions, plan for viewers to find the next programme another way: for example, by sharing its watch page in chat or in the stream description. Do not assume an option that is absent from Studio can be enabled from OBS.
Eligibility is one part of the decision, not a guarantee that every destination will be selectable. YouTube still needs an eligible destination to be available, and another channel may need to allow your channel to redirect viewers to it. Treat the setup as a source-channel check followed by a destination check.
If the option or destination does not appear, return to YouTube’s Live Redirect help page and compare its current requirements with the channel and stream you are editing. The help material may be updated, and Studio can show different controls depending on the stream setup.
Confirm permission for the destination
A redirect to your own eligible content is different from a redirect to another channel’s live stream. For another channel’s stream, that channel must permit your channel to send viewers to its content. Ask the destination owner to check the relevant setting before you schedule the handoff, rather than discovering the restriction during a live event.
YouTube places this control in the destination channel’s Studio under Settings > Community. The owner can allow redirects from channels they subscribe to, from all channels, or from specific approved channels. The specific-channel list can include up to 100 channels, according to YouTube’s current help material; the owner can also use the subscriptions option alongside a specific list.
The subscriptions choice has a practical wrinkle: YouTube says public subscriptions can affect whether a subscribed channel qualifies under that choice. If you expect to rely on it, confirm the destination owner’s setting and whether the relevant subscription is visible as required. For a specific event or regular collaboration, an explicit approval is easier to verify than guessing which channels satisfy a broader rule.
If you run a channel that wants to receive incoming redirects, decide deliberately who may send them. Allowing all channels is broader than approving named partners. A devotional channel might approve a partner running a festival programme, while a local news channel may prefer to limit incoming handoffs to known publishers. The destination owner makes this choice; OBS cannot make it on their behalf.
If the destination does not appear later in the picker, permission is only one possible explanation. The target also needs to be an upcoming or active eligible live stream, or an upcoming Premiere. Check its status and timing as well as the permission setting.
Prepare the destination before the source
Create or schedule the destination Premiere or livestream before configuring the source redirect. YouTube recommends setting up the Premiere first. This gives you a real destination to select and time to check that the correct watch page is ready before viewers arrive.
Decide which destination suits the handoff. A Premiere can work when you want a prepared video to begin after the live introduction; a live stream suits a programme that will already be broadcasting. Check the timing: an upcoming Premiere or an available live stream is different from a video that has not been scheduled as either. A normal uploaded video is not automatically a redirect destination.
Coordinate with the destination channel if it belongs to someone else. Confirm the title, watch page, start time and permission before you tell your audience where they are going. If the destination changes at the last moment, return to the source stream’s redirect setting and verify the selected item; do not rely on a verbal agreement alone.
The handoff is a viewing transition, not a way to combine two broadcasts. Your source stream ends, then YouTube moves viewers towards the selected destination. If you are planning a continuous channel rather than a one-off event transition, this guide to running a 24/7 YouTube stream with Restream may help you think through the separate question of keeping a programme on air.
Find the source stream in YouTube Studio
Sign in to the YouTube account that owns the source livestream and open YouTube Studio. Go to Content, then select the Live tab. Find the source stream you intend to end into the next programme, hover over it, and choose Edit. The exact layout may shift, but make sure you are editing the source, not the destination.
This is an important distinction if your channel has several scheduled streams or past broadcasts. The redirect belongs to the outgoing source. Selecting the destination’s details page will not configure what happens to viewers on the source watch page.
If you have not created the source yet, finish its stream setup and make sure it is the right event entry before continuing. For an encoder broadcast, OBS sends the feed using the stream key and server details shown for that event in YouTube’s Live Control Room. YouTube recommends checking the preview and stream status before going live; its streaming guidance explains the controls for ending encoder streams. Follow the instructions shown for your stream type, since scheduled events and other setups may have slightly different end steps.
Add the destination under Customization > Redirect
With the source stream open for editing, select Customization. Find Redirect, choose Add, and select the Premiere or eligible live stream you prepared. Review the selected item carefully before saving or leaving the editor. A similarly named event, a previous broadcast, or the wrong channel is an avoidable source of confusion.
If you cannot find the destination, check these points in order:
- Is it an upcoming Premiere or an active or upcoming live stream that YouTube offers as a destination?
- Has the destination channel enabled permission for your channel, if it belongs to someone else?
- If the destination uses the subscriptions permission, does the relevant subscription meet YouTube’s visibility requirements?
- Are you editing the correct source stream and signed in to the channel that owns it?
Once selected, confirm that the redirect is attached to the intended source entry. The Studio setting is separate from the OBS profile, scene collection and stream key. Changing the OBS output does not select a different destination; changing the redirect in Studio does not alter what OBS sends.
For a channel that grows through regular collaborations, it helps to coordinate this step as part of the event plan. You can also review ways to promote a YouTube live stream, but promotion does not replace checking that the destination is selectable and permitted.
End the source and prepare viewers for the handoff
When the source broadcast finishes, YouTube can autoplay the selected Premiere or live stream for viewers. YouTube advises telling people to wait briefly while their screens reload; its instructions give an approximate wait of two seconds for a Premiere. Some viewers may see a short transition, so explain it before the closing moment rather than leaving them to wonder whether the stream has stalled.
End the source in the way appropriate to its setup. For an encoder stream, stop sending content from OBS; for scheduled streams, YouTube’s instructions may also direct you to choose End Stream in Live Control Room. Check the current on-screen instructions for the event rather than assuming that closing OBS and ending the YouTube event are always the same action.
Before the event, check the source preview in Live Control Room and confirm that the stream is healthy. YouTube recommends checking the preview and stopping the encoder after the event has stopped on YouTube. If the picture or audio is still live, do not rush through the ending simply because the destination is ready. The redirect should be part of a deliberate finish, not a substitute for checking the outgoing programme.
Give viewers a simple instruction in the closing remarks and, where useful, a pinned chat message: wait for the screen to reload, then follow the destination. If the target is another channel, name its programme clearly. For a Premiere, YouTube also recommends using the Premiere watch page’s pinned chat to direct viewers to the source livestream when that is the desired flow; consider which direction is appropriate for your event.
Choose the destination by timing and permission
There is no single best destination type for every event. The useful comparison is whether you are sending viewers to a prepared Premiere or to a live programme, whether it is available at the intended handoff time, and whether the channel relationship permits the redirect.
| Destination | When it fits | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Your own upcoming Premiere | A prepared video or scheduled programme should begin after the source | Create it first and confirm the correct Premiere is available to select |
| Your own live stream | The next programme will already be live | Check that the intended event is active or upcoming and selectable |
| Another channel’s live stream | A partner’s programme is the next stop | Confirm its availability and that the destination channel permits your redirect |
For a bhajan channel ending a short introduction before a scheduled devotional programme, a Premiere may be simpler to prepare in advance. For a local station handing viewers to a partner’s live coverage, permission and coordination matter as much as the start time. In either case, tell viewers what to expect and avoid promising that every screen will change at precisely the same instant.
This feature is useful for a planned transition, not for keeping a source stream continuously running. If the underlying need is to keep a loop on air while your computer is off, that is a different operating problem from Live Redirect. StreamNeo can remove the specific burden of leaving a personal computer running for a file-based YouTube broadcast, but it does not configure Live Redirect, bypass YouTube’s eligibility or permissions, or extend beyond YouTube.
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 I set up YouTube Live Redirect inside OBS?
No. OBS sends the video feed as an encoder, while the redirect is selected on the source stream in YouTube Studio. Look under the source stream’s Customization > Redirect settings.
Can OBS bypass the subscriber or strike requirements?
No. YouTube’s stated requirements for the channel sending the redirect still apply regardless of encoder. Check YouTube’s current Live Redirect help page before planning around the feature.
Why is another channel’s livestream missing from the destination list?
Check that the destination is an upcoming or active eligible stream, then ask its owner to confirm the redirect permission setting. If permission is based on subscriptions, YouTube says public subscription visibility can also affect eligibility.
Do viewers move as soon as I stop OBS?
YouTube can autoplay the selected destination once the source stream ends, but follow the end-stream steps shown for your event in Studio. Tell viewers to wait briefly for the screen to reload rather than promising an instant transition.