You can use YouTube Live Redirect to move viewers from your ended live stream to a Premiere or another channel’s live stream. It does not automatically send them to an ordinary uploaded video.
If your destination is a regular upload, share its link before the broadcast or add a video card to the replay afterwards. The choice depends on whether you need a transition as the live stream ends, or simply want viewers to find another video.
What YouTube Live Redirect can do
Live Redirect is a setting on the source live stream in YouTube Studio. You choose a supported destination in advance; after you end the source stream, YouTube presents a confirmation and moves viewers towards the selected Premiere or live stream. YouTube Help describes autoplay moving viewers to the Premiere or live stream you chose once your broadcast ends. Check the current Live Redirect instructions before relying on the feature, as Studio labels and eligibility rules can change.
The word “video” can mean several different things on YouTube: an ordinary public upload, a scheduled Premiere, or a live broadcast. For this feature, that distinction matters. A Premiere is a scheduled viewing event for a video, while a live stream is a broadcast. A regular upload that is already available to watch is not one of the documented redirect destinations.
Live Redirect is useful when the next viewing experience is meant to begin as the current broadcast finishes. A devotional channel might direct people from a morning bhajan stream to a scheduled Premiere of a longer programme. A local news channel might hand viewers to another channel’s live coverage, if that channel has allowed the redirect. In both cases, the destination fits the feature’s supported formats.
It is not a way to make every viewer visit a particular video, nor does it replace sharing a URL. Viewers can leave before the source stream ends, and the destination still needs to be available and permitted. If you need people to find an ordinary upload, make that route visible in advance and set expectations plainly.
Choose a Premiere or another channel’s live stream
First decide what the destination actually is. If it is a video you control and want to show as a scheduled event, set it up as a Premiere before configuring the source stream. If the destination belongs to another channel, it must be a live stream, and the receiving creator must allow your channel to redirect viewers there.
The sending channel also has to meet YouTube’s current eligibility conditions. As stated on YouTube Help when checked on 3 October 2026, the creator sending the redirect must have more than 1,000 subscribers and no Community Guidelines strikes. Treat this as a platform rule, not a permanent guarantee: confirm the official help page for the latest requirement before planning an event around it.
For another channel’s stream, permission on the recipient side is separate from your own eligibility. The receiving channel can set who is allowed to redirect viewers to its live streams, including channels it subscribes to, all channels, or a manually maintained approved list. YouTube Help says that list can include up to 100 channels; verify that limit on the current page if you are coordinating a channel hand-off.
A destination may not appear in the selection list if it is not live or scheduled as an upcoming live stream or Premiere. It may also be absent because the receiving channel has not allowed your channel. This is why it is worth agreeing the hand-off with the destination creator before you open Studio, rather than discovering a permission issue shortly before ending a broadcast.
| Destination | Fits Live Redirect? | Who controls availability? | What viewers experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your scheduled Premiere | Yes | You schedule it and select it | A transition after the live stream ends, with a possible short reload delay |
| Another channel’s live stream | Yes, if that channel permits you | The receiving channel controls its redirect permissions and broadcast | A transition to a live destination when the source ends |
| An ordinary public upload | No, not as a documented Live Redirect destination | You can share the link or add a card to a supported replay | Viewers choose to open it; it is not an automatic end-of-stream move |
If your channel’s main aim is to play an uploaded file continuously rather than hand viewers to a separate event, that is a different operating question. For example, the considerations in this guide to running a continuous stream of ocean sounds concern keeping the source broadcast running, not redirecting viewers when it ends. Keeping those two jobs separate makes it easier to choose the right YouTube feature.
Prepare the destination before the source stream
For a Premiere, schedule the event first. Confirm its title, visibility, and start time, then make sure it is available in the destination selector for the source stream. YouTube recommends setting up the Premiere first and telling viewers to wait a few seconds after the source ends while the screen reloads. The small pause is worth explaining, particularly if your audience is listening in the background and may otherwise assume the stream has stopped unexpectedly.
For another channel’s live broadcast, contact the receiving creator ahead of time. Ask them to review their redirect permission settings and confirm that the destination stream is live or scheduled in a way Studio can select. Do not assume that following or subscribing to the channel is enough: its chosen permission setting has to allow your channel.
It helps to agree on timing and a fallback. If the destination stream is delayed, cancelled, or no longer selectable, you can tell viewers where else to go rather than ending without explanation. A church stream status check can help you understand whether a recorded sermon broadcast is still live, but it does not replace coordination with the channel receiving your viewers.
Keep the viewer-facing message simple. Before the hand-off, say what will happen next, name the destination, and explain that the screen may take a moment to reload. If the next programme is on another channel, identify that channel clearly. Viewers should not need to infer whether the stream has ended, frozen, or moved.
Open the source stream in YouTube Studio
The redirect is configured on the stream viewers are leaving, not on the destination. Sign in to the YouTube account that manages the source channel and open YouTube Studio. From the navigation, select Content, then open the Live tab to see the channel’s live-stream content.
Find the particular stream you intend to end and check that you have selected the right one. Channels that schedule several broadcasts can have upcoming and past entries close together. Use the title and schedule details, not just the first row, to avoid attaching a destination to a different programme.
Hover over the relevant stream and choose Edit. If you are working on a phone or using a layout that does not show hover controls, look for the corresponding edit option in the row or menu. YouTube can revise Studio’s layout, so the current Help article is the better reference if a label has moved.
Before changing settings, confirm that the destination is ready and that you are editing the source stream. This brief check is especially helpful when the source is part of a recurring schedule. A separate guide to scheduling a live stream may help if you are organising a scheduled broadcast, but the redirect itself is still set on the source stream in YouTube Studio.
Set the redirect under Customization
In the stream’s editing view, open Customization. Find the Redirect section and select Add. Choose the eligible Premiere or search for the other channel’s live stream, then confirm your selection. YouTube’s labels can change, but the documented path is Content → Live → Edit → Customization → Redirect.
If you cannot find the destination, check the underlying conditions one by one. Is it an upcoming Premiere or a live stream rather than an ordinary upload? Is it scheduled or live? If it belongs to another channel, does that channel permit your channel to redirect viewers? Does your channel meet YouTube’s current sender eligibility rules? These checks are more useful than repeatedly searching the same list.
Do not treat a saved selection as proof that the destination will remain available. A scheduled event can change, or a receiving channel can adjust its permissions. Revisit the source stream’s settings close to the broadcast if the hand-off depends on another creator, and agree who will make any last-minute change.
Once configured, tell viewers what to expect during the stream rather than waiting until the final seconds. This is particularly useful for a 24/7 channel where viewers may arrive at different times and may not hear an announcement. A short on-screen notice or spoken reminder can explain that the current stream will end and point to the next event. For a continuous channel with a playlist, the issues are different; see this explanation of what to check when an OBS video source freezes after a playlist item ends.
End the source stream and confirm the redirect
When the source broadcast is ready to finish, end it from the control you normally use for that stream. YouTube says a confirmation will appear that viewers will be redirected. Read it before confirming, particularly if you have more than one scheduled destination or have changed the setup since the broadcast began.
After confirmation, YouTube handles the transition to the selected Premiere or live stream. Allow for a short reload delay and let viewers know in advance that they may need to wait a few seconds. The transition is not a reason to promise that every person will remain: viewers can leave, and their devices or connections may affect what they see.
If the confirmation does not appear, do not tell viewers the automatic hand-off has taken place. Check the source stream’s Redirect setting and the destination’s status, then share a clear alternative in your closing message. You can direct people to the channel or programme by name and use the normal sharing routes described below. Be accurate about what you have confirmed rather than implying the platform has moved everyone.
For a 24/7 broadcast, ending the source is a deliberate operational step, not merely changing a title or playlist. If you normally keep a channel continuously live, plan who will end it and when, and what viewers should do if the next destination is unavailable. A monsoon ambience streaming guide covers the separate question of maintaining a continuous stream; Live Redirect is for a hand-off after a stream ends.
Share an ordinary upload with a link or card
For a regular public upload, use a route that gives viewers a choice. Share its URL where your audience can access it before or during the broadcast, such as a community post, channel description, or another appropriate place. YouTube’s sharing links guidance explains its sharing options. Tell viewers the video’s title as well, so they can search for it if a link is not available in the viewing context.
Do not rely on pasting a URL into live chat as the workaround. YouTube’s live chat guidance says URLs are not allowed in Live Chat. You can still announce the title and point viewers towards your channel or another place where you have shared the link, but do not promise that a chat link will take them there.
A video info card is another option for viewers who watch the archived stream afterwards. You can add a card to a video in Studio’s video editor that links to a public video; consult YouTube’s info cards help for current steps and restrictions. Cards are not available on videos marked made for kids. Most importantly, a card on the replay helps replay viewers; it does not automatically switch a live audience to the upload at the moment the broadcast ends.
| What you want to do | Practical route | Timing and limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Move viewers to your scheduled video event as the stream ends | Set up a Premiere and select it in Live Redirect | The event must be available as a Premiere; explain the short reload pause |
| Send viewers to another creator’s live coverage | Select that channel’s live stream after permission is in place | The receiving channel controls whether your channel can redirect to it |
| Help people find a normal upload | Share its link in a suitable place and state its title | Viewers choose to open it; it is not an automatic transition |
| Point replay viewers to another public video | Add an info card where supported | This applies to the archived video, with YouTube’s card restrictions |
When a stream is part of a longer channel routine, keep these instructions separate from the technical job of maintaining the broadcast. If the source is a recorded loop, decide how the live session will end before you promise a hand-off. A tool such as StreamNeo can remove the specific burden of keeping your own computer switched on to sustain an uploaded-video stream; it does not change YouTube’s supported Live Redirect destinations or make an ordinary upload an automatic destination.
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FAQ
Can Live Redirect send viewers to any YouTube video?
No. YouTube documents Live Redirect destinations as a Premiere or another channel’s live stream, not an ordinary uploaded video. For a normal upload, share its link or add a card to the archived stream where cards are supported.
Why can’t I find another channel’s stream in the destination list?
The stream needs to be live or scheduled as an upcoming live stream, and the receiving channel must allow your channel to redirect viewers there. Your own channel also needs to meet YouTube’s current eligibility rules. Check the current YouTube Help instructions if the destination remains unavailable.
Do viewers move immediately when I end my stream?
YouTube shows a redirect confirmation when you end the source stream, then autoplay moves viewers to the selected Premiere or live stream. YouTube recommends telling viewers to wait a few seconds for the screen to reload. Do not promise that every viewer will stay through the transition.
Can I put the upload URL in live chat instead?
YouTube’s live chat guidance says URLs are not allowed there, so it is not a dependable sharing route. Share the URL in a suitable place before the stream, announce the video title, or add a card to the replay if the video and channel are eligible.