If you want to send a prerecorded video from an Android device to YouTube Live, first distinguish Larix Broadcaster from Larix Screencaster. Broadcaster’s documented Android features do not establish local video-file input; the documented workaround is to play the video on the device and use Screencaster to capture the screen, with important limits on app audio.
That route can work for a one-off broadcast, but it is not the same as loading a file into a playlist and letting an encoder play it. Check your YouTube access, the playback app’s audio behaviour and YouTube’s incoming preview before you make the stream public.
Broadcaster and prerecorded playback are different jobs
A live encoder normally takes a live source, such as a camera and microphone, and sends the resulting programme to YouTube. A prerecorded video is already a file. To stream it, software must either accept the file as a media source or capture it while another app plays it. Those are distinct workflows, even if both eventually send an RTMP stream.
Softvelum describes Larix Broadcaster for Android as an app for live capture and streaming. Its documented features include RTMP publishing, recording the outgoing stream to a file and adding image overlays. The official feature list inspected for this guide does not document selecting a local prerecorded video as the video source. That is a limit on what the documentation establishes, not proof that no version or device configuration could ever behave differently.
This distinction matters if you are planning a devotional loop or a long ambience broadcast. A camera-oriented app may publish a live camera view reliably, but that does not make it a file player. Do not build a show around a playlist function unless you have verified that the exact app version and device offer it and can run it through a full test.
For another example of why mobile apps and file looping should not be assumed to be the same thing, see what Streamlabs Mobile can do with a looping video. The useful question is not simply whether an app can stream, but what source it can actually send.
| Route | What it does | Fit for a local prerecorded video | Main consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larix Broadcaster | Captures live input and publishes a stream, including over RTMP | Direct local-file input is not established by the inspected Android documentation | Treat it as a live-capture encoder unless your own device test confirms a file source |
| Larix Screencaster | Captures and streams Android screen content | Can capture the screen while another app plays the video | Audio from the playback app depends on Android version and app support |
Is local file input documented in Broadcaster?
The direct answer is that the inspected official Android documentation does not list choosing a local video file as Broadcaster’s input. It lists live-streaming features and other capabilities, but not a built-in prerecorded-video playlist. So do not follow instructions that promise a file picker or playlist in Broadcaster unless they refer to a newer feature you can confirm in the current app and documentation.
Softvelum lists Android 7.0 or later as the minimum supported version for Larix Broadcaster and lists H.264/AVC video encoding, AAC audio encoding and RTMP publishing. These are app-level specifications, not a guarantee that every handset, playback app or network will produce the same result. The official Larix Broadcaster Android page is the place to check the current documented features.
Larix also documents USB OTG UVC devices as an experimental external video and audio input option. That is about connecting capture hardware; it does not establish that a file stored on the phone can be fed into Broadcaster. Unless you specifically need external capture, do not buy an accessory on the assumption that it turns a video file into an encoder source.
If you need a true, unattended sequence of multiple files, a screen-capture workaround may be awkward: the playback app must stay open, playback controls or notifications must not interrupt the image, and the phone needs to remain in a suitable state. A desktop encoder or a dedicated always-on workflow may be a better fit for that job. For the YouTube account side, first check whether your channel is eligible to livestream.
The Screencaster route: capture what is playing
Larix Screencaster is a separate Larix app for capturing and streaming the Android screen. The basic approach is to open the video in a playback app, set it up as you want viewers to see it, then start screen capture and connect that stream to YouTube. In this arrangement, Screencaster is not opening the video file as a media player; it is capturing the screen on which the other app displays the video.
That can be practical if you have one prepared video and want to send it from a phone without a computer. It also means the playback app remains part of the broadcast chain. A pause, an incoming call overlay, a screen lock, a player notification or an accidental tap can affect what viewers receive. The route is therefore worth testing carefully, especially if you are planning to leave it running while you are away.
The Larix Screencaster FAQ documents its Android screen-capture workflow and audio conditions. Check the current information and the app’s availability for your device rather than assuming that every Android build exposes the same options. The Play Store listing has also described YouTube Live as a supported destination; store availability and feature terms can change, so confirm them in the listing on your own device.
Before connecting, prepare the playback itself. Use a local copy of the video where possible, rather than relying on a second streaming service over the same connection. Open it full-screen, choose portrait or landscape deliberately, and disable notifications or other interruptions using the phone’s available settings. These steps do not turn the phone into a file playlist, but they reduce avoidable changes in the captured screen.
If your goal is continuous music rather than a single video, playback continuity deserves its own test. A short black gap between tracks may become visible or audible to viewers; this guide on preventing gaps in a continuous meditation stream covers that separate issue.
Android version and the app-audio condition
Screen video and app audio have separate constraints. Softvelum says Android 9 and earlier do not allow apps to capture audio from other apps. On Android 10 and later, media-audio capture can be available, but only for apps that support external recording. Android 10+ is therefore a condition to check, not a promise that the sound from every video player will be included.
A player may show a perfectly clear video on the captured screen while its audio is absent from the stream. Protected content or a playback app’s own recording restrictions can also affect the result. Do not infer that sound is working because the phone speaker is audible in the room: use YouTube’s incoming preview or another suitable test to confirm what the encoder is actually sending.
Check the Screencaster audio option, often labelled “Media sounds”, if it is presented on your device. Then play a section of the video with speech or music and listen to the incoming preview. Also check that the phone’s own microphone is not being used unintentionally in place of the recorded file audio. Room sound, handling noise and echo are not substitutes for the programme track.
Broadcaster’s listed Android 7.0 minimum and Screencaster’s screen-capture audio constraints describe different matters. Meeting the Broadcaster minimum does not imply that app audio capture is supported on that Android version. If your device is older than Android 10, plan on video-only screen capture unless a real test proves otherwise; if you need the file’s sound, choose another route rather than announcing a broadcast based on assumption.
Prepare the YouTube Live destination
You need an enabled YouTube Live account and the destination values for the stream. YouTube says that enabling live streaming for the first time may take up to 24 hours, so do not leave account activation until the intended broadcast time. In YouTube Studio, use Create → Go live, then create a stream or choose a scheduled one. YouTube’s encoder instructions explain the setup and Live Control Room preview process.
In Live Control Room, find the server URL and stream key for the selected stream. Enter the current values in the Larix connection settings, using the appropriate RTMP connection field. Treat the stream key like a password: do not include it in screenshots, messages or public notes. If it is exposed, replace or reset it in YouTube Studio before you rely on it again.
Larix’s connection guide shows rtmp://a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2 as a YouTube example and explains that its Connection URL combines the server/application address and stream name or key. Use the current values displayed in Live Control Room if they differ from the example. You can consult the Larix connection setup reference for the documented field terminology; YouTube’s current stream details take precedence over a copied example.
Select the destination stream carefully if you have a scheduled event. A key can be reused or configured in different ways, but the important practical check is that the encoder is pointed at the intended Live Control Room session. If you are setting up a channel for recurring broadcasts, this explanation of YouTube stream-key settings for an always-on bhajan channel offers related context, although its encoder examples use OBS rather than Larix.
Test playback and stream before going public
Run a private or otherwise appropriate test before the first public broadcast. First confirm the file plays from beginning to end locally, including its ending and any transition you expect. Set the screen orientation before playback, put the player into full-screen mode, and check that the video remains visible when capture begins. If the Android device displays screen-recording prompts, confirm them before the actual session.
Next, start the Larix screen-capture stream and wait for YouTube’s incoming preview in Live Control Room. YouTube’s guidance for scheduled streams is to wait for the preview and then select Go live. Before doing that, check picture, orientation and audio in the preview itself. If the video is present but there is no sound, troubleshoot the Android version, Screencaster’s media-audio setting and the playback app’s external-recording support; do not make the stream public and hope viewers will hear it.
Watch a representative stretch rather than only the first frame. Check that the player is not showing controls, captions or a notification that obscures the picture. Listen for sound at the actual YouTube preview, check that the stream is not still waiting for a connection, and verify the intended stream title and visibility. A successful connection indicator in Larix is not by itself proof that YouTube is receiving the right image and sound.
Keep the phone powered and avoid actions that might interrupt playback. A long broadcast also depends on the device’s screen, app and network remaining in the state you tested. If the connection drops or the player stops, you may have to intervene manually; do not assume that a phone-based screen capture will restart itself or resume at the right point. If a stable, unattended channel matters more than keeping everything on a handset, consider another workflow designed around continuous operation. StreamNeo removes the need to keep your Android phone playing a file by taking an uploaded video and running it as a YouTube live stream while your computer is off.
At the end, stop sending from the encoder and use End Stream in Live Control Room as appropriate. YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived, but check the current YouTube guidance for the stream you are planning and keep a local copy of your source file. Do not rely on an archive as your only copy.
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FAQ
Can Larix Broadcaster play a video file directly?
The inspected official Android feature page does not document selecting a local prerecorded file as Broadcaster’s video input. Treat Broadcaster as a live-capture encoder unless you verify a file-source feature in the current version on your device.
Can I use Larix Screencaster to show a video playing on my phone?
Screencaster is a separate app that captures and streams Android screen content, so it is the documented screen-based workaround. The video needs to be playing on the screen, and you should test for interruptions and orientation before the broadcast.
Will the video’s sound be captured too?
Not necessarily. Android 9 and earlier do not allow capture of other apps’ audio; on Android 10 and later, the playback app must support external recording. Confirm the result in YouTube’s incoming preview before going public.
What should I check before clicking Go live?
Make sure the correct stream URL and key are entered, then inspect YouTube’s preview for picture, sound and orientation. Check that playback is stable and unobstructed, and only then start the public broadcast.