RadioDJ schedules and plays your station’s audio, OBS captures that audio, adds a visual scene and encodes the broadcast, and YouTube Live receives and publishes it. To stream RadioDJ to YouTube using OBS, you need to connect those three stages and verify the audio path on your own computer; there is no single routing method that fits every local setup.
The order matters. First organise and test the station in RadioDJ, then make its output available to OBS, configure a simple scene and encoder, and set up the broadcast in YouTube Studio. Before making it public, check both your music permissions and YouTube’s current rules for live streams and monetisation.
Set up RadioDJ scheduling and playout
Treat RadioDJ as the station’s playout desk, not as the YouTube encoder. It manages the library, rotations, scheduled events and the sequence of audio that is played. OBS comes later in the chain: it receives the audio output and sends the encoded programme to YouTube.
Before installing, check the requirements for the current RadioDJ release on the official RadioDJ feature page. Its publisher lists Windows 10 and Windows 11 as supported operating systems, along with sound-card compatibility and audio formats including MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC and AC3. It also describes Auto DJ rotations, jingles, scheduling, playlist advancement and support for multiple sound cards. These are publisher-provided details, not a guarantee that every computer will perform well under a particular workload. Requirements can change, so use the current page and documentation rather than relying on an old installation guide.
Build the library before you try to automate the whole day. Separate tracks into categories that reflect how you intend to programme them: for example, devotional music, instrumental interludes, station identifications and spoken announcements. Check the audio files for damaged, silent or unexpectedly quiet sections. A rotation can only make sensible choices from the material you have organised and the rules you have configured.
Create a short test schedule first. Add a few tracks and, if appropriate, one station identification; then observe whether RadioDJ advances as expected and whether scheduled events run at the intended time. Listen through the output rather than trusting the playlist display. Check transitions, track levels and the start and end of files. A track that plays correctly in a library preview may still expose a level or routing problem during continuous playout.
Once the small test behaves as intended, expand the rotation and schedule. Keep a record of what should play at different times and which categories may follow one another. For a station serving listeners across time zones, a written schedule also helps you notice when the programme has drifted or an event has failed to fire. Avoid introducing several kinds of automation at once: make one change, listen, and confirm its effect before changing the next rule.
RadioDJ’s publisher lists requirements such as a Windows-supported sound card, a .NET Framework recommendation for RadioDJ v2 or later, and MariaDB as highly recommended. Confirm the current release’s precise requirements before installing or upgrading. A database or operating-system detail in an older tutorial may no longer describe the version you are using.
Route RadioDJ audio into OBS on your computer
OBS needs to receive the audio that RadioDJ is playing. How you make that signal available depends on the computer’s audio devices, drivers and existing configuration. Do not assume that selecting a particular Windows device or following one menu path will work on every machine.
Start by identifying where RadioDJ sends its output. Then inspect the audio sources available to OBS and choose one that actually receives that output. The relevant input may be exposed through the computer’s sound configuration, a device driver or separate audio hardware. The OBS Project guide to streaming to YouTube explains the broadcast workflow, but neither that general guide nor RadioDJ’s feature page prescribes one universal RadioDJ-to-OBS routing recipe.
Make the first routing test with a short piece of audio rather than a full programme. Start playback in RadioDJ and watch the appropriate audio meter in OBS. A moving meter is evidence that OBS sees a signal, but it is not enough on its own: listen through OBS’s monitoring or output path as well. Confirm that the audio is intelligible, at a sensible level and not accompanied by a second copy of itself.
If there is no signal, work through the chain one step at a time. Check which output RadioDJ is using, whether that device is active, and whether OBS has selected an input that receives it. Review the computer’s device settings and any relevant audio controls. If the built-in arrangement does not expose the signal cleanly, an audio interface or other routing hardware may help, but that choice depends on the equipment and setup. It is not a required product or a guaranteed fix.
Be alert to duplicated audio. OBS might be capturing the same programme through more than one source, such as a direct device input and an additional system-audio capture. The result can sound louder, hollow or echoing. Disable one path at a time and listen again to find out whether you have a duplicate. Keep a note of the working device and source names so that a later driver or equipment change does not leave you guessing.
People who are deciding between a local computer and a different operating arrangement may find the discussion of a Linux VPS streaming setup useful for comparison. It does not change the local routing issue described here: RadioDJ’s output still needs to reach the encoder that sends the stream, and the particular audio path must be verified in the setup you choose.
Build the OBS scene and encode output
Once OBS can hear RadioDJ, make a scene that suits a radio programme. A station logo, programme title or still graphic may be enough when the audio is the main content. Add a camera or presenter only if it serves the broadcast. Keep text legible on a phone screen and make sure the visual does not imply a different programme from the one listeners hear.
In OBS, check the selected scene and its sources before starting the encoder. Confirm that the intended RadioDJ feed is active and that you have not also captured a second copy of the same sound. Watch the audio meters while RadioDJ plays a representative track. Listen for silence, clipping, noise and changes in level between items. A scene can look complete while its audio source is disconnected, so check both picture and sound.
The encoder settings should be chosen for the source, computer and connection rather than copied as a universal preset. YouTube’s general encoder instructions do not establish one bitrate or resolution that is best for every radio stream. A static programme graphic with audio has different visual demands from a camera broadcast, and your available connection and computer capacity matter too. Use current guidance in YouTube Studio and OBS, then test the result rather than assuming that a setting suited to someone else’s stream will suit yours.
Give the scene a clear name and save the OBS profile when it works. If you have a separate test scene, label it so you do not accidentally send an unfinished visual to the live channel. Keep a written note of any settings you have changed and the audio device OBS expects. That simple record can make recovery easier after an update or a change to the computer’s sound devices.
For a radio-first channel, the image is still part of the published programme. Use artwork and text that you have permission to show, and avoid displaying a logo, album cover or promotional graphic simply because it was easy to find online. Visual rights are separate from the music permissions discussed below.
Configure the YouTube Live broadcast
YouTube Live is the receiving and publication stage. Enable live streaming for the channel if it is not already available, then create or schedule a broadcast in YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room. YouTube says first-time enablement may take up to 24 hours, so do not leave that step until the hour you plan to launch.
Set the title, description, visibility and other broadcast details in Studio. A private test can help you check the signal without making the programme public. Copy the stream URL and stream key shown for that broadcast into OBS, or use OBS’s YouTube account integration to connect and manage a broadcast. Follow the controls shown for the specific event; a scheduled stream may require a separate action in YouTube Studio before viewers can see it.
Treat the stream key as a secret credential. Do not put it in a public document, screenshot or message, and avoid showing it during a screen share. If it is exposed, use YouTube Studio’s controls to replace it and update OBS. Most operators should copy the endpoint YouTube provides or use the account integration rather than manually constructing a server address.
If you do enter a server address yourself, make sure it matches the protocol and endpoint YouTube expects. Google’s YouTube Live streaming API ingestion documentation describes RTMPS as RTMP carried over SSL/TLS and documents requirements such as the rtmps URL, port 443 and correct hostname handling. Those details are useful when diagnosing a connection failure; they are not a reason to guess at an endpoint when YouTube supplies one for your broadcast.
Start OBS streaming and confirm that YouTube receives the signal in its preview. Check video, sound and stream status in Live Control Room. YouTube’s encoder setup instructions explain the general workflow. Whether the broadcast becomes public when you start the encoder depends on the event’s settings and controls, so do not assume that pressing “Start Streaming” in OBS also completes every publication step.
Test privately before a public broadcast
A test should follow the entire signal chain: scheduled or manual playout in RadioDJ, audio capture and scene in OBS, then the incoming preview and controls in YouTube Studio. A local meter alone cannot tell you whether YouTube is receiving the right broadcast, and a visible preview alone cannot confirm that the programme sounds clean to a listener.
Choose a representative passage rather than testing only a silent gap or one unusually quiet track. Listen for the start of playback, a transition, any station identification, and a change between different types of material. Check that the visual is still correct when the programme changes and that no desktop notification or unintended window appears in the scene.
Confirm the publication state before you invite viewers. If you scheduled the broadcast, use the actions displayed for that event in Live Control Room. Verify whether you need to go live there, and check the visibility setting. This avoids treating an encoder connection as proof that a scheduled event has been published to the audience you intended.
Plan how you will end or restart the broadcast, too. YouTube says streams shorter than 12 hours are automatically archived; check its current guidance before planning a longer uninterrupted stream, and decide how you will handle an archive or restart. Do not assume that a stream can continue indefinitely without a platform-side limit or interruption. If a station is intended to be always on, plan for monitoring and a recovery procedure rather than treating “24/7” as a guarantee of uninterrupted service.
Write down the sequence that worked: which RadioDJ output was used, which OBS source captured it, which profile and scene were selected, and which YouTube event was tested. A second person should be able to follow that note without seeing the stream key. For an audio-only programme with a fixed image, compare the production choices in this guide with the approach for creating a live stream from podcast WAV files; the right workflow depends on whether you need RadioDJ’s scheduling and playout or are sending a prepared file.
Check music rights and YouTube monetisation rules
Software does not grant permission to broadcast the music you play. You are responsible for confirming the rights needed for the specific recordings and compositions, territories and uses involved. A recording you own, a consumer music subscription, artist credit or a generic licence should not be assumed to cover a public live transmission or an archived version.
YouTube’s livestream terms say that the creator represents and warrants that they have the necessary rights for use of live content on Google services, including music licensing rights from artists, record labels, publishers and other rights participants. Read the YouTube livestream terms and conditions and check with the relevant rights holders or qualified local advisers about your intended repertoire, territories and uses. Requirements can vary, and this article cannot identify which permissions a particular station needs.
YouTube scans live streams for possible matches to third-party content. Its help page on live-stream copyright explains that a stream may be replaced by a placeholder and the operator warned; if the material remains, the stream may be interrupted or terminated. A licence on its own may not prevent an interruption if the channel has not been added to the rights owner’s Content ID allowlist. Where a rights owner requires allowlisting, confirm that process with them before you rely on the stream running uninterrupted.
Think separately about the live transmission and the archive. A permission that covers one use may not cover another, and the relevant terms may depend on the works, territories and intended playback. If you cannot confirm that your planned use is covered, do not treat a technical test or a successful upload as evidence of permission. Resolve the rights question before making the programme public.
Monetisation is a separate decision from technical continuity. YouTube says live streams may be monetised for channels in the YouTube Partner Programme, but meeting technical requirements does not guarantee eligibility, ad serving or revenue. Its channel monetisation policies apply to live streams and say that repetitive or mass-produced content may be ineligible. A continuous automated playlist is therefore not, by itself, a reliable monetisation plan.
Consider what original value the station offers viewers: thoughtful programming, useful context, presenter contributions or a distinctive editorial purpose. The precise content and channel must still meet YouTube’s current policies, and YouTube decides eligibility. If you are planning a Punjabi repertoire, the rights questions remain central whether the station uses RadioDJ or another playout method; the Punjabi music radio channel guide can help frame the separate operational questions without substituting for rights advice.
Keep the station running and recover cleanly
An automated playlist can continue playing while nobody is watching the computer, but a live channel still needs an operating plan. Check the RadioDJ schedule, OBS signal and YouTube broadcast state at the times that matter to your station. Decide who will respond if audio disappears, the computer restarts, a connection drops or YouTube interrupts the stream.
Keep backups of the audio library, schedule and configuration notes. Test that you can restore the station after a planned restart, not only after a normal shutdown. If you make a change to a sound device, OBS source or driver, repeat the private test because the audio path may have changed even if the RadioDJ playlist still appears to play normally.
For a long-running stream, distinguish a functioning playout system from a functioning public broadcast. RadioDJ may still be advancing tracks while OBS has stopped sending, or YouTube may no longer be publishing the event. Check each stage independently before restarting anything, then use the controls shown in Studio and OBS for the broadcast you are running.
If keeping a particular computer awake and available is the main operational difficulty, a hosted workflow can remove that local burden. StreamNeo turns an uploaded video into a YouTube live stream, so you do not have to keep your computer running for that workflow; it does not replace RadioDJ as a local radio automation system, and it is for YouTube. Match the method to what you are broadcasting rather than assuming that a video loop and a scheduled radio station need the same tools.
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
How do I stream RadioDJ to YouTube using OBS?
Configure RadioDJ to play your station, make its audio output available to OBS using a method that fits your local devices, then set up a scene and encoder in OBS. In YouTube Studio, create or schedule the broadcast and connect OBS using the supplied stream details or its YouTube integration. Test the full chain privately before publishing.
How do I get RadioDJ audio into OBS?
OBS must capture the device or input that receives RadioDJ’s output, but the right source depends on your computer’s audio configuration. Check the OBS meters and listen to the monitored audio during a test; if the sound is missing or doubled, inspect the selected devices and sources one at a time. There is no universal routing recipe for every setup.
Can I run a 24/7 radio stream on YouTube?
You can plan a continuous channel, but neither the software chain nor the “24/7” label guarantees uninterrupted broadcasting. YouTube has stream and archive behaviour to account for, and you should monitor the signal, plan recovery and check the platform’s latest guidance. Music rights and YouTube policies apply throughout.
Does using RadioDJ make a station eligible for monetisation?
No. RadioDJ manages playout and scheduling; it does not grant music rights or determine YouTube monetisation eligibility. YouTube’s current Partner Programme and channel monetisation policies apply to the content, and repetitive or mass-produced programming may be ineligible.