To redirect viewers from one YouTube livestream to another, set a Live Redirect on the source stream in YouTube Studio before you end it. The sender must meet YouTube’s eligibility rules, and a destination on another channel must allow redirects from your channel.
When the source ends, YouTube can move viewers to the selected live stream or Premiere through autoplay. Viewers who have autoplay disabled need to click play, so announce the handoff and allow a short pause rather than treating it as an automatic transfer for everyone.
What Live Redirect does
Live Redirect connects the end of one eligible YouTube livestream or Premiere to a selected destination: another live stream or a Premiere. It is configured on the source item, so you choose where that audience should go before you end the source broadcast. This is useful for a devotional channel moving from a morning bhajan stream to a scheduled satsang Premiere, or for a local news channel handing viewers to a live briefing.
It is a YouTube viewing handoff, not a way to keep the source stream running. The source has to end for the transition to take place. Nor does the setting turn an external website, another platform, or an arbitrary video into a supported destination. YouTube’s Live Redirect instructions describe the supported destination types and the setup flow.
Think of the redirect as a planned next step in the programme. Tell viewers what is coming, give them the destination’s name, and make sure its event is active or scheduled. If you are arranging a continuous programme from recorded material, planning the sequence in advance matters too; the guide to broadcasting multiple video sources to YouTube Live covers a different way to organise source material within a stream.
Check that the sender is eligible
YouTube’s current Help guidance says the channel sending a redirect must have more than 1,000 subscribers and no Community Guidelines strikes. Check the channel that owns the source livestream: a receiving channel’s size does not substitute for the sender meeting these conditions. If you do not meet them, the Redirect controls may not be available, so do not plan a handoff that depends on them.
The receiving channel can be any size, according to TeamYouTube’s Live Redirect announcement. That does not remove the separate permission check: a small destination channel may receive viewers if it allows your channel, while a large one may not appear if its settings exclude you. Subscriber count and destination permission are different questions.
Before scheduling the source’s end, open YouTube Studio and confirm the channel’s current eligibility and controls. YouTube can change product rules or interface labels; if the Studio screen differs from the steps here, check the current Help page rather than relying on an old screenshot or an assumption based on another channel.
A redirect is only one part of a reliable changeover. If your channel broadcasts a prerecorded loop, you may also want to prepare the ending and next programme so viewers are not left with an abrupt cut. The guide to making a holding screen between playlist videos discusses that within-stream transition; it does not replace YouTube’s separate Live Redirect setting.
Confirm the destination channel permits redirects
For a destination on another channel, the receiving creator controls whether your channel may send viewers there. YouTube documents options to allow redirects from channels the recipient subscribes to, allow redirects from all channels, or allow only channels the recipient approves. Under the manual approval option, Help documents a list of up to 100 channels. The recipient’s subscription privacy can affect the subscribed-channels option, so it is better to agree on the setting directly than assume it is enabled.
The receiving creator can review these controls in YouTube Studio under Settings > Community, in the channel settings. Ask them to confirm that your source channel qualifies under their chosen option before the event. If they use an approved-only list, they need to add the channel that will send the redirect. You should do this while both creators have time to check the result, not as the source stream is ending.
Permission is about the sender being allowed to redirect to that destination; it is not a request for the recipient to take over your channel or your broadcast. It also does not guarantee that the destination will be available in the selector. The destination needs to be an eligible, active or upcoming live stream or Premiere, and the account’s settings must permit the handoff.
If the destination is missing from the selection list, check in a practical order: confirm you searched for the correct channel or event; ask whether the event is active or upcoming; then verify the recipient’s redirect controls include the sending channel. A mismatch between the account you are using and the account the recipient approved can also explain why a permission check appears to fail.
For channels coordinating a shared event, agree who will operate each side. The recipient should know when you expect to end the source and be ready to receive viewers. That simple coordination is especially useful when a live event has a fixed start time or when a Premiere is about to begin.
Open the source stream in YouTube Studio
Use this path in YouTube Studio: Content > Live. Find the source livestream that will end first, hover over its entry, and click Edit. Open Customization, find Redirect, and click Add. You are configuring the source item, not the destination event, so check the title and channel before making changes.
The same general route applies when the source is a Premiere: select the Premiere under the Live tab, edit it, open Customization, and use Redirect > Add to choose the destination. The YouTube Help setup page is the primary reference if YouTube changes the labels or layout.
Set this up before ending the source. It gives you time to check the selected destination, coordinate with the recipient, and tell viewers what to expect. Do not wait until the last moment to search for the next event, particularly if another channel needs to adjust its permission settings.
If you are managing a long-running channel with a prerecorded loop, the redirect only addresses the audience’s next destination; it does not solve the technical operation of the source broadcast itself. For help with that separate question, see the comparison of FFmpeg and OBS for 24/7 streaming. Keep the two tasks distinct: configure the programme handoff in Studio, and separately ensure the source stream is ready to end as planned.
Add and select the redirect destination
After clicking Add, choose a Premiere or search for another channel’s eligible live stream. The available destinations can include active or upcoming livestreams and upcoming Premieres when the relevant permission conditions are satisfied. Check the event title and channel carefully, especially if the destination channel has several scheduled events with similar names.
| Destination | Suits | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Another channel’s live stream | A handoff to an event already live or about to go live | The event is active or upcoming, and its channel permits your source channel |
| Premiere | A planned viewing handoff to a scheduled video event | The Premiere is set up and the title and start timing match your announcement |
The table describes practical uses, not a ranking of which format will retain more viewers. YouTube’s instructions do not quantify an audience-retention advantage for either type. Choose based on what viewers are being asked to watch next and whether the destination will be ready when the source ends.
Before you save or leave the page, verify the selection and communicate the timing to the receiving creator. If Studio asks you to confirm the redirect while ending the source, read the prompt and confirm that it names the destination you intend. Do not assume that choosing a destination means the source will end at a particular time by itself; you still control when to end the broadcast.
For a Premiere destination, YouTube recommends setting up the Premiere before the livestream. Its guidance also suggests pinning a live chat message on the Premiere watch page that points viewers to the livestream when the Premiere is serving as the destination for a later live event. Follow the direction that fits your schedule: the point is to make the next step clear wherever viewers arrive.
If the destination does not appear, do not select a near-match and hope viewers will find the intended event. Return to the permission and availability checks, then refresh your understanding of what is scheduled. An incorrect destination can send viewers somewhere other than the programme you announced.
Prepare viewers for the handoff
Explain the change before ending the source stream. A short spoken reminder, on-screen message, or pinned chat note can tell viewers the destination’s title and that they may need to wait briefly for the screen to reload. For example: “We are ending this stream now; the evening aarti Premiere is next. Please wait a few seconds, or press play if it does not start.” This sets an expectation without promising every viewer will move automatically.
YouTube’s live settings guidance recommends allowing a short reload pause, with approximately two seconds as practical advice. Treat that as guidance, not a guaranteed exact transition time: network conditions and the viewer’s playback settings can affect what they see. You can review the YouTube live settings guidance when planning the changeover.
Keep the announcement specific. A viewer listening while working may not see a chat message, and a viewer on a television may not read a description at the moment the stream ends. Using more than one cue, such as saying the destination aloud and displaying its name, gives people a chance to understand the change before the source disappears.
For an audience that follows a daily schedule, make the destination easy to recognise. Use the event title or familiar programme name rather than saying only “the next stream”. If the recipient’s event is delayed, agree how you will handle that before starting the source; a redirect should not be used as a substitute for telling viewers about a changed schedule.
What viewers see when the source ends
When the source livestream or Premiere ends, YouTube’s autoplay can move viewers to the selected destination. YouTube Help describes this behaviour, and the TeamYouTube announcement cautions that viewers with autoplay disabled need to click play at the destination. A redirect therefore provides a route for the handoff, but it does not force every viewer to transfer automatically.
A viewer may see the source end, wait through a brief reload, and then arrive at the destination. Someone with autoplay disabled may instead need to press play. That is why the advance announcement matters: viewers know the destination and are less likely to interpret a pause or end screen as an unexpected stop. Avoid describing the transition as seamless or guaranteed.
The redirect does not keep the source stream running in the background, and it does not give you control over a viewer’s autoplay setting. If a viewer leaves, has a connection problem, or does not start playback when required, the handoff may not result in that person watching the destination. The practical goal is to make the intended next event available and explain how to reach it.
After the source ends, the receiving creator should be ready to welcome arriving viewers, particularly if the event is live. If the destination is a Premiere, its scheduled presentation should already be prepared. A pinned message or opening note can orient viewers who arrive mid-conversation, but it cannot replace checking that you selected the correct event.
StreamNeo is relevant when the operational problem is keeping a prerecorded YouTube source running without leaving your own computer on overnight: it can run an uploaded file as a YouTube live stream, leaving you to plan the redirect in Studio separately. It does not change YouTube’s eligibility, destination-permission, or autoplay conditions.
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FAQ
How do I redirect viewers from one YouTube livestream to another?
In YouTube Studio, go to Content > Live, edit the source stream, open Customization, and use Redirect > Add to choose an eligible live stream or Premiere. Set it up before ending the source, then confirm the redirect if Studio presents a confirmation when you end the stream.
Does the destination creator have to approve the redirect?
The receiving channel must have settings that permit your channel to redirect viewers there. The creator can allow subscribed channels, all channels, or only specifically approved channels, so agree on the relevant setting before the event.
Can a small channel receive viewers through Live Redirect?
Yes, the destination can be any size according to TeamYouTube’s announcement. The sender still has to meet YouTube’s eligibility requirements, and the destination must permit the redirect.
Will viewers move automatically when the source ends?
Autoplay can move viewers to the selected destination, but people with autoplay disabled need to click play. Tell viewers where they are going and allow a short reload pause rather than promising that everyone will transfer automatically.