You can use YouTube Live Redirect to send viewers from a finished live stream to a selected live stream or Premiere. Configure the redirect on the source stream in YouTube Studio, and treat the destination picker as the test: a 24/7 stream can only be chosen if it is available there.
The redirect happens when the source stream ends; it does not keep that source running or operate the destination broadcast. YouTube’s documented sender requirements include more than 1,000 subscribers and no Community Guidelines strikes, and sending viewers to another channel’s stream requires that channel’s permission.
What a redirect to a 24/7 stream can do
A redirect is a post-stream handoff. When your scheduled event, news update, launch, or other source broadcast ends, YouTube can move viewers towards a live destination you selected in advance. If your destination is an always-on bhajan, lofi, study or ambience stream, the handoff may give viewers a next place to watch without asking them to search for the channel again.
That is different from pinning a link in chat, adding an end screen, or keeping the source stream open. Those can point viewers somewhere while the source is still available; Live Redirect is tied to the source ending. YouTube describes the feature as autoplay moving viewers to the Premiere or live stream of your choice once the live stream ends. The result depends on the destination being selectable and the viewer’s playback behaviour, so do not plan around a guaranteed handoff for every person.
It also helps to separate the two broadcasts in your plan. The source is the stream whose end triggers the redirect. The destination is a distinct live stream or Premiere that must already be available under the picker’s rules. A redirect setting does not start that destination, repair a dropped destination, or extend the source’s run time.
Check sender eligibility and destination permission
Before setting up the source, check that the channel sending viewers is eligible. YouTube Help states that the creator needs more than 1,000 subscribers and must have no Community Guidelines strikes. These are eligibility conditions for sending viewers with Live Redirect, not a guarantee that a particular destination will appear or that every broadcast will hand off as expected. Review YouTube’s current Live Redirect guidance before relying on the feature, because Studio labels and product behaviour can change.
If your destination belongs to a different channel, arrange permission with its owner before the source event. The receiving creator controls which channels can redirect to their content. YouTube’s Help page describes options including allowing channels the creator subscribes to when subscriptions are public, allowing all channels, or using an allowlist. Its documented allowlist limit is up to 100 channels; check the current Help page rather than assuming an old setting remains unchanged.
The receiving channel manages those permissions in Studio under Settings > Community. Agree on the exact destination in advance: a channel can have more than one live item or Premiere, and permission to redirect to a channel does not itself select the right programme. If you are coordinating a local news loop with a partner channel, for example, confirm which live event should receive viewers and when it will be available.
For a destination on your own channel, do not infer permission or picker behaviour from the cross-channel rules. YouTube’s public guidance does not expressly establish that one channel can select another live stream from that same channel. The practical check is whether your intended 24/7 item actually appears in the source stream’s Redirect picker.
Open the source stream’s redirect settings
In YouTube Studio, open Content > Live, find the source stream, and choose Edit. Select Customization, then locate Redirect and choose Add. The picker presents the eligible destinations available to the source; select the intended live stream or Premiere if it is listed, then save the source stream’s settings.
Do this on the source item, not on the destination. The distinction is easy to miss when both broadcasts are listed under Live: it is the source’s configuration that decides what to do when it ends. If you have several upcoming broadcasts, double-check the title and scheduled time before changing anything, and confirm that you saved the intended source rather than a recurring or unrelated event.
Set the redirect before the source ends. It is not a reliable last-minute recovery step after the broadcast has already finished, and it is not a setting that turns a regular video into an always-on live destination. For encoder-based broadcasts, YouTube documents a separate workflow for sending a stream feed: you configure the stream URL and key in an encoder and start that broadcast. The encoder setup instructions cover that part; they are separate from configuring a redirect in Studio.
If you are preparing a continuous playlist, keep the content and broadcast workflow distinct from redirect configuration. The guide to streaming a rotating playlist from Backblaze B2 addresses a way of preparing the destination broadcast; it does not change what Studio makes selectable for your source.
Choose an available destination
When the picker opens, select the intended live item or Premiere only if it is present. YouTube’s TeamYouTube announcement described destinations as active or upcoming live streams and upcoming Premieres, while noting that receiving creators can control which channels may redirect to their content. That announcement was published in May 2022 and updated in June 2022, so treat it as product guidance, not a promise that every current stream will appear in every situation.
If the destination is absent, do not assume a hidden setting will make it appear. Check that it is active or otherwise eligible to be listed, that cross-channel permission is in place if relevant, and that you have selected the correct source. Refresh Studio and inspect again if the state has changed. If it remains missing, use another viewer route for this event, such as a clear chat message or channel link, and investigate the picker behaviour before your next scheduled handoff.
A selection is not the same as a test of the full viewer experience. Confirm the displayed destination title, then make a small operational checklist for the people running the source and destination: who watches for the end, whether the destination is still live, and what to tell viewers if they need to click play. You can also keep a direct destination link ready as a fallback, without presenting it as though the redirect itself were guaranteed.
For a same-channel destination, this picker check matters especially. Do not promise a same-channel route to an audience, client or sponsor until the intended stream appears as an available selection in your Studio account. If it does not, treat that as a product limitation for your plan rather than assuming a permission change will solve it.
Verify that the 24/7 stream appears in the picker
The destination’s continuous schedule alone does not establish that it is selectable. Open the source’s redirect picker while the destination is in the state in which you expect it to be available, and look for the exact item. Verify the title and channel identity, particularly when the destination channel has several streams or a Premiere with a similar name. This is the most useful pre-event check because it tests the actual account and destination combination you intend to use.
If your always-on channel is on the same account as the source, perform the check rather than relying on assumptions. YouTube’s official documentation covers selecting a live stream or Premiere and describes permission controls for another creator’s channel, but it does not clearly say that a separate stream on the same channel is supported as a redirect destination. Availability in the picker is the evidence you can act on; absent an official confirmation, avoid turning an account-specific observation into a general claim.
The destination must also remain available around the time the source ends. A 24/7 schedule is an operating plan, not proof that a live feed will be playing at that moment. If you run the destination from an encoder, monitor its status independently; YouTube’s encoder workflow is a separate process from the source redirect. For a software workflow, the FFmpeg and Streamlabs comparison can help you think through how you want to keep a continuous broadcast going, but it cannot guarantee that Studio will list that broadcast.
What viewers experience after the source ends
When the source stream ends, YouTube initiates the handoff towards the selected destination. Tell viewers in advance that the player may take a few seconds to reload. YouTube lists waiting briefly as a best practice, and TeamYouTube notes that a viewer with autoplay disabled may need to press play. This matters for a devotional event ending in a long bhajan loop: some viewers may move across automatically, while others may see a pause or need an action.
Do not end the source accidentally while you are still using it. The redirect is triggered by ending the source, not by the destination being ready or by a timer you set on the 24/7 broadcast. A pinned message, spoken announcement or description link can prepare viewers for the change, but those are complementary communication methods rather than substitutes for the redirect setting.
The source archive and the destination’s playback controls are separate considerations. YouTube says streams under 12 hours can be automatically archived, while streams exceeding 12 hours may not be captured at all; it recommends keeping a local recording as a backup. Its guidance also warns that DVR rewind may be limited or unavailable for very long streams. Those caveats concern archive capture and rewind, not whether a broadcast is allowed to remain live beyond that duration. See YouTube’s pages on archiving live streams and live stream settings, and plan recording or replay expectations separately from the redirect.
If your aim is to avoid keeping a computer awake to deliver the destination file, a hosted workflow can remove that particular operating burden: StreamNeo takes an uploaded video and runs it as a YouTube live stream, so the source computer can be switched off while the destination broadcast is monitored and restarted if it drops. It does not configure YouTube Live Redirect, change eligibility, or make an item appear in the picker; those remain Studio and YouTube-side checks.
Choose an operating plan for the destination
Live Redirect is only the handoff. You still need a way to run the destination continuously and a plan for what viewers can do if it stops. YouTube supports encoder-based streaming using software or standalone hardware, with the encoder set up separately from redirect controls. A software encoder may suit a channel already managed on a computer; hardware can suit a dedicated appliance, but requires its own setup and monitoring. Neither choice changes the redirect rules.
| Decision | What it affects | Check before the event |
|---|---|---|
| Software encoder | Runs the feed through software on a computer | Confirm the computer, power, network and encoder process can stay available |
| Standalone hardware encoder | Runs the feed on dedicated encoding equipment | Confirm the device is configured for the destination stream and can be monitored |
| Local recording | Gives you a backup copy of source material | Decide where it is stored and verify that the recording actually completes |
| DVR expectations | How viewers can rewind a live broadcast | Explain that rewind may be limited on very long streams |
Choose on the basis of who will notice and respond to a failure, not just which method starts a feed. A small business might have staff nearby during business hours but no one overnight. A devotional channel may have a reliable playlist but still need someone to confirm the live destination is running before an event ends. A written fallback can be as simple as telling viewers the destination channel name and providing its direct link if the player does not move automatically.
The overnight OBS checklist is useful if a Windows computer is part of your destination setup. If your stream drops because power or connectivity fails, the separate guide to what happens when power or internet goes out explains why the destination’s continuity needs its own plan. Neither operational guide replaces testing the redirect picker.
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
Does Live Redirect keep my source stream running?
No. The redirect is a handoff that takes effect after the source stream ends. It does not keep the source broadcast live, nor does it start or maintain the destination stream.
Can I redirect viewers to a 24/7 stream on my own channel?
YouTube’s public guidance does not expressly confirm that a separate live stream on the same channel can be selected. Check the source stream’s Redirect picker and proceed only if the intended destination appears there; do not promise same-channel routing based on assumption.
Why can’t I see the destination in Studio?
The picker only offers destinations that are available for selection in your situation. Check the destination’s state and, if it belongs to another channel, confirm that its owner has permitted your channel to redirect to it. If it remains absent, use a direct link or another viewer announcement for this handoff.
Will every viewer move automatically?
No handoff should be treated as guaranteed for every viewer. YouTube advises viewers to wait briefly while the player reloads, and autoplay being disabled may require a viewer to press play. Let viewers know what destination to look for and keep a direct link available as a fallback.