A YouTube Live Redirect sends viewers from a scheduled livestream to a Premiere or another live stream when the source broadcast ends. To set it up, edit the scheduled stream in YouTube Studio and add a destination under Customization; scheduling the source by itself does not activate a redirect.
The destination must already be available as a Premiere or live stream, and another channel must allow your channel to redirect viewers to it. The sending channel must also meet YouTube’s stated eligibility rules. Here is the setup path, what to check beforehand, and what viewers should expect at the hand-off.
What a scheduled-stream redirect does
A redirect is a hand-off configured on the source livestream. When that broadcast ends, YouTube presents viewers with a confirmation and sends them to the destination you selected. The destination can be a Premiere on your channel or another channel’s live stream. This is a YouTube Studio setting, not a command you add to an encoder.
The timing matters: the redirect does not start the next broadcast, extend the source stream, or turn a scheduled stream into a continuous channel. It only changes where viewers are sent when the source ends. If you need an always-on stream, that is a separate broadcasting arrangement; YouTube’s live-stream setup guidance covers creating and managing broadcasts, while this guide focuses on the hand-off between them.
For example, a community group might schedule a Sunday service and then send viewers to a separately prepared music Premiere. The Premiere needs to exist and be ready as a destination before the hand-off can work. If the intended destination is a partner’s upcoming live stream, that channel must permit your channel to redirect to it.
A redirect is useful when you want to keep the audience with a planned next item rather than asking viewers to search for it themselves. It is not a substitute for telling viewers what is happening. Explain the transition in the source stream and, where appropriate, in its description or chat so that people understand why playback may pause briefly.
Schedule the source livestream
First create or schedule the livestream that will send viewers onward. In YouTube Studio, start the live-stream creation flow and set its details and schedule as you normally would. You can use a software encoder or a webcam workflow, depending on the kind of programme; the redirect is configured later in Studio, rather than in that broadcasting software.
Use a clear title and schedule that make the source broadcast easy to identify. This becomes important if your channel has several upcoming streams, because the redirect setting belongs to a particular source item. A title such as “Sunday service — 10:00” is more recognisable in the Live list than a string of internal production notes.
If your plan is to move viewers to a Premiere, prepare and schedule that Premiere first. YouTube’s Live Redirect instructions recommend setting up the Premiere before the live stream when using this flow. That gives you a real destination to select while configuring the source. Check the watch page, title, visibility, start time, and playback before relying on it as the next step in a programme.
A scheduled source can still be edited before it begins. Treat scheduling and redirect configuration as separate tasks: creating the event reserves its place on your channel, while adding the redirect records where viewers should be sent after it ends. Check both settings rather than assuming one implies the other.
This distinction also helps if the broadcast is delayed or cancelled. A destination attached to the source is only useful if the source actually runs and ends in the expected way. If the schedule changes, revisit the source’s details and redirect destination before the event, and let viewers know if the next item has changed.
Find the source under Content > Live
In YouTube Studio, open Content, then select the Live tab. Locate the scheduled stream you want to use as the source. Hover over its row and choose Edit. The key is to open the specific scheduled broadcast, not a different upload or a neighbouring live event.
Channels with a busy calendar may find it easier to confirm the title and scheduled time before opening Edit. If two broadcasts have similar names, take a moment to verify which one is the source. A redirect attached to the wrong event will not help the viewers you intended to move.
YouTube may adjust Studio labels or layout over time. If you do not see the exact wording described here, use the scheduled broadcast’s edit screen and look for the live-stream customisation options. YouTube’s guide to live stream settings explains the broader settings available during creation and scheduling.
If the item is missing, check that you are in the Live tab and looking at scheduled streams rather than the Videos list. Confirm that you are signed into the channel that owns the source broadcast. A destination belonging to another channel does not mean you should edit that channel’s event; you configure the hand-off from the source channel’s scheduled stream.
Open Customization > Redirect
On the source stream’s edit screen, open Customization. Find the Redirect section and select Add. This is the part of the process that associates a destination with the scheduled broadcast. Save or confirm changes in Studio if it prompts you to do so, then return to the event details to check the selection is still present.
If you do not see Redirect, do not assume the stream is already configured. Check that you opened the correct scheduled livestream and that the sending channel meets YouTube’s eligibility requirements, described below. The setting is not in your encoder’s output profile, and changing a stream key will not add a destination.
Once you choose a destination, note exactly which one is shown. A channel with several Premières or upcoming streams can have similarly named entries. Confirm the title and channel identity before leaving the edit screen. A small check now is easier than discovering after the source has ended that viewers were pointed somewhere unexpected.
Configuration is only one part of the hand-off. Plan who will watch the source stream through its closing moments and ensure the broadcast ends cleanly. YouTube’s redirect experience is tied to the source ending; ending early, leaving an unexpected slate, or keeping the source live while expecting a transfer can confuse viewers about when to move.
Add a Premiere or another live stream
After selecting Add, choose an eligible destination from the options Studio presents. You can select a Premiere, or search for another channel’s live stream. The available choices depend on what is set up and, for a cross-channel hand-off, on permission from the receiving channel. The destination should be upcoming or live and available to the source channel when you configure the redirect.
A Premiere is often the straightforward choice when you control both parts of the programme. You can prepare the video, choose its start time, and verify its watch page before attaching it to the source. If the sequence is a talk followed by a recorded meditation, for example, schedule the meditation Premiere first, then select it as the redirect destination for the talk’s livestream.
For another channel’s live stream, coordinate with its owner rather than simply searching and hoping it appears. Ask them to permit redirects from your channel and confirm which upcoming or live item they intend you to select. YouTube’s Live Redirect help page explains the destination types and the channel permission requirement.
The options have different practical trade-offs:
| Destination | What you control | What to check before the source ends |
|---|---|---|
| Your Premiere | The video, title, watch page and scheduling on your channel | Create it first, confirm it is the intended Premiere, and check its scheduled details |
| Another channel’s live stream | Your source event and the choice of destination; the receiving channel controls its own stream and permission | Confirm that cross-channel redirects are allowed and that the correct destination is live or upcoming |
The redirect does not guarantee that every viewer’s device begins playing immediately. Some viewers may need to wait for the watch page to reload or press play, depending on their autoplay settings. If the destination is important, tell viewers in advance to remain on the page briefly after the source ends rather than closing the player as soon as the first frame disappears.
For channels building an actual continuous broadcast rather than a one-time hand-off, the operational problem is different. A redirect can connect two separate events, but it does not keep a stream running overnight. The practical considerations in keeping an FFmpeg stream running on Airtel Broadband concern broadcast continuity, not redirect configuration. Likewise, preparing a podcast archive for a continuous YouTube stream is about organising the programme that is broadcast, rather than linking a scheduled source to a next item.
Check eligibility and destination permission
YouTube’s current Live Redirect guidance says the channel sending viewers needs more than 1,000 subscribers and no Community Guidelines strikes. This is a requirement for the sending creator. Check YouTube’s current official page before relying on the feature, as eligibility rules and Studio labels can change. Do not treat the audience threshold as a prediction of reach or as a guarantee that a particular redirect option will appear.
For a destination on another creator’s channel, that receiving channel must allow redirects. The receiver manages this in YouTube Studio under Settings > Community. YouTube lists permission choices that can include subscribed channels, all channels, or specified channels, subject to the settings available to that channel. The receiving creator should review the current controls and grant the appropriate permission before you try to select their live stream.
This is a genuine dependency, not a step you can bypass by entering a link elsewhere. If the destination owner has not permitted your channel, their stream may not be offered as a valid destination. Ask the owner to check their settings and confirm the permission before the source stream is due to start. Then reopen the source’s Redirect section and select the destination that Studio makes available.
Also confirm that the destination is in the right state. TeamYouTube’s announcement about Live Redirect notes that a cross-channel destination is listed when its creator’s settings permit it and the destination is live or upcoming. This announcement is useful context; YouTube’s current Help page is the better reference for present-day steps and eligibility.
Before the event, test the sequence as a viewer where practical: open the destination watch page, check that it is the intended item, and confirm its scheduled state. You may not be able to reproduce the actual hand-off without ending the source, so do not risk a live event merely to test it. Instead, verify the selection in Studio and coordinate with the destination owner.
When viewers arrive, allow a short pause for the destination page to load. YouTube notes that viewers with autoplay disabled may need to click play. A brief spoken sign-off or a pinned chat message can make that pause feel intentional. When the destination is a Premiere and you want to direct viewers from it to a later live stream, YouTube also recommends setting up the Premiere first and using its chat to point viewers to the live event.
For independent channels, the destination permission conversation is often the part most likely to be overlooked. Agree on the programme, the exact destination, timing and who will communicate any change. If the partner stream is postponed or removed, update the redirect before the source ends; viewers should not have to infer what happened from a missing destination.
If the broadcast itself needs to keep playing when your office computer is switched off, that is separate from YouTube’s Redirect control. StreamNeo can remove the need to leave a local computer running for an uploaded video broadcast, but the YouTube redirect still needs to be configured on the scheduled source and a permitted destination selected.
For a final distinction: a source stream might be one instalment in a recurring schedule, but a redirect only handles the transition at the end of that particular broadcast. If you are assessing a separate 24/7 setup, consider the data use of a continuous YouTube stream on an Indian VPS as a different operational question. For a one-time hand-off, keep your focus on the scheduled source, destination readiness, eligibility and permission.
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FAQ
Does scheduling a livestream automatically create a redirect?
No. Scheduling creates the source event, but you must separately edit it in YouTube Studio and add a destination under Customization > Redirect. The hand-off happens when the source stream ends, not simply because its start time arrives.
Can I redirect viewers to any channel’s live stream?
No. The receiving channel must permit redirects from your channel, and its destination needs to be available as a live or upcoming stream. If it does not appear in Studio, ask the owner to check permission and confirm the correct destination.
What subscriber and channel-status requirements apply?
YouTube’s Live Redirect guidance states that the sending creator needs more than 1,000 subscribers and no Community Guidelines strikes. Check YouTube’s current official Help page before the event, since feature requirements can change.
Will viewers start watching the destination immediately?
The page may take a few seconds to reload after the source ends. Viewers with autoplay disabled may need to press play, so tell them to stay on the watch page briefly and explain where the source is sending them.