To stream a Spanish internet radio station to YouTube from Linux, you need an authorised audio feed, a visual you are entitled to use, and an encoder such as OBS to send both to a YouTube live event. A public station URL is not permission to rebroadcast its programmes or music; confirm the rights for YouTube and your intended territories before you configure the stream.
This guide covers OBS’s two different playback choices: a Media Source for looping one local track, and a VLC Video source for a multi-file playlist. Those sources are for files you provide, not a way to turn an internet radio station’s live feed into a playlist. For a live station feed, add the authorised stream URL as an audio source and put a permitted image or other video in the scene.
Check the channel and music permissions first
Ask the station for an audio stream URL it authorises you to use, along with any credentials or access conditions. Confirm that it grants retransmission on YouTube, not simply personal listening. A feed may be publicly reachable and still be restricted from rebroadcast.
Clarify what the station’s permission covers. The station may not control every recording, composition, performance, or territory in its schedule. Check whether the relevant rights holders have authorised the proposed broadcast and whether any limits apply to the countries where viewers can watch. Keep written confirmation and any conditions somewhere you can find them during operation.
YouTube’s Live Stream Terms and Conditions put responsibility for the necessary rights on the broadcaster, including music licensing rights. YouTube also scans live streams for third-party content. A match can lead to a placeholder, interruption, or termination; permission from the station alone does not guarantee that automated checks will not interrupt the stream.
Use a visual asset you are entitled to broadcast as well. A station logo, album cover, or photograph can have separate usage terms from the audio. For a simple test, a still image you created or have permission to use is enough. Do not assume that permission for a radio feed includes permission to display its artwork.
Choose a live feed, one track, or a playlist
First decide what you are actually sending. If the aim is to relay the station as it broadcasts, the station’s live feed supplies the audio. Add that URL as an audio input in OBS, then combine it with a still image or other permitted video in your scene. Check the station’s format, redirects, authentication, and connection behaviour with your installed OBS build before planning a continuous broadcast.
If you are instead assembling your own station-style programme from files, choose between one repeating track and a playlist of multiple files. A single file can be added as a Media Source and looped. A collection of files can be loaded as a VLC Video source, provided a compatible VLC installation is available to OBS. These are distinct workflows: Media Source does not create a multi-track playlist, and adding a playlist does not clear rights to its contents.
| What you want to play | OBS source | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| One local audio or video file repeatedly | Media Source | Enable its loop setting and confirm the file has the intended audio and visual output. |
| Several local files in sequence | VLC Video | Install a compatible VLC version, then load and test the playlist. |
| A station’s current internet broadcast | An audio input using the authorised feed URL | Confirm access, feed compatibility, permission, and continuity. |
OBS is a graphical option: you can see the scene and sources while you work. FFmpeg is a command-line alternative for a workflow you want to script or run without the OBS interface. Neither makes every station URL or codec work automatically; the format of the feed and the encoders included in your Linux build matter. For a separate comparison of command-line and managed operation, see FFmpeg or a managed service for a prerecorded YouTube stream without a PC.
Loop one track with Media Source
Use this route when you have a single local file that you have permission to play and want it to repeat. In OBS, create or select the scene for the broadcast. Add a visual source first, such as an authorised still image, and check that it fills the intended canvas. Then add a Media Source, create a new source, and browse to the file on your Linux machine.
In the source properties, enable looping. If the file includes video, OBS can show that picture; if it is audio-only, the scene still needs a visual source so the stream has video. Confirm the source is not hidden or muted, and use OBS’s audio mixer to watch for activity when playback starts. If the file does not appear or has no sound, test it in a local player and check its format before changing unrelated stream settings.
A loop repeats the file; it does not make copyrighted music authorised. Check the recording and composition rights, and any permission conditions, before broadcasting. If you are weighing rights-cleared music for a long-running channel, this guide to copyright-safe background music on a 24/7 YouTube livestream discusses why music permission and platform treatment are separate questions.
Before you put the scene on YouTube, let the file play through a full start and restart. Some files have silence at the beginning or end, or a long gap that may be mistaken for a source failure. Listen to the output, not just the meter: movement in the OBS mixer shows a signal is present, but does not prove that the audio is clear or that the intended file is playing.
Set up a multi-track VLC Video source
For several local files, use OBS’s VLC Video source rather than trying to stretch a Media Source into a playlist. Create the source in the scene, then add the files in the order you want them played. Review the list for missing paths and confirm that the files are accessible to the Linux user running OBS. If you move the files later, update their locations and test again.
Inspect the source’s playlist and playback options. Decide whether it should play once or repeat, and whether the transition between items suits the broadcast. Test with at least two files so you can confirm that OBS advances beyond the first item. Check the scene output and audio mixer during that transition. A playlist that starts correctly can still stall on a file with an unsupported codec or inaccessible path.
VLC Video is not a default source that appears regardless of system software. If VLC is not installed, or the installed version is incompatible with the OBS build, the source may be absent or may not work as expected. Check that compatibility before designing the broadcast around this workflow; installation details are in the next section.
Do not treat a file list as permission. If you are using recordings from a Spanish radio station, obtain permission for each relevant use as required by the station and rights holders. A station’s live-feed permission may not cover making a playlist of recordings, and an authorised playlist still needs to comply with its stated territories and conditions.
Install a VLC version OBS can use
On Linux, OBS’s VLC Video integration depends on VLC being installed and compatible with the OBS package you run. Distribution packages, Flatpak or Snap installations, and manually installed builds can differ in how they find VLC libraries. As a result, installing VLC from one source while OBS comes from another does not guarantee that the source will appear.
Start with the installation guidance for your Linux distribution and the packaging method used for OBS. Check the OBS project’s official VLC Video Source documentation for current requirements. Install VLC through a trusted, supported package source, then restart OBS and look in the source menu. Avoid downloading an arbitrary library or replacing system files to force a match.
If VLC Video is still missing, check that VLC itself opens, note how OBS was installed, and consult the relevant package documentation for integration or library compatibility. Do not assume that the playlist is at fault until the source appears. If you cannot make the versions work together, use an alternative workflow you can test, such as individual Media Sources switched manually, or FFmpeg after verifying that your build supports the feed and codecs you need.
Keep the setup reproducible. Record the distribution, OBS package source, VLC package source, file paths, and the source settings that work. An update can change package compatibility or playback behaviour. After updating either application, test the scene and playlist again rather than discovering a missing source at the start of a broadcast.
Test the audio and YouTube stream
Test locally before making the event public. Play the station feed or files in OBS and listen to the actual output through headphones or another reliable monitoring path. Check that the meter moves without reaching clipping, that speech and music are audible, and that the sound does not cut out when a track changes. A meter alone cannot reveal distortion, a wrong input, or a source that is playing an unintended file.
For a live station feed, verify that the URL remains connected and that OBS receives audio after any redirects or authentication. For a local playlist, leave it running long enough to see it advance. Confirm the permitted visual is displayed, including after a file transition. If you hear silence, isolate the issue: test the source in a player, check OBS source mute and mixer levels, then check the operating system’s audio routing.
In YouTube Studio, open Live Control Room and create or select the event. Copy the current server URL and stream key shown there into OBS’s stream settings. Treat the key like a password: do not publish it or send it in a screenshot, and reset it if it is exposed. Use the RTMPS ingest option where available; YouTube explains that RTMPS encrypts the stream connection.
YouTube’s general live encoder settings guidance lists H.264 video, AAC or MP3 audio, constant bitrate encoding, and a recommended two-second keyframe interval that should not exceed four seconds. For stereo audio it recommends 44.1 kHz and 128 kbps. These are platform recommendations, not a guarantee that every Linux build has the necessary encoder support or that a particular connection will remain healthy.
Start the encoder and wait for YouTube’s preview and stream-health information. Confirm that the preview has both picture and sound before starting the event as configured. Test representative content rather than a silent desktop: a still image with active audio is enough to check the basic arrangement. Check upload capacity and watch stream health while testing. If YouTube shows no signal, confirm the event’s URL and key, OBS output status, and whether your network permits the connection.
For further troubleshooting when picture and sound drift apart, use this guide to fixing audio and video out of sync in a YouTube RTMP stream. When testing a station feed, also watch for gaps at its source: OBS cannot repair a station-side interruption simply by continuing to send video.
Check rights-holder allowlisting where required
Rights clearance and YouTube’s matching systems are separate checks. YouTube says it scans live streams for third-party content, including content that may be licensed. If it detects a match, the stream can be interrupted unless the relevant content owner has allowlisted the channel. Ask the station and relevant rights holders whether allowlisting is necessary for the planned broadcast, and confirm that the channel being used is the one they have authorised.
Do this before going live, not after a placeholder appears. Keep a record of the channel identity, permission scope, territories, and any instructions the rights holder gives for allowlisting. An allowlist is not a substitute for obtaining rights, and a technical configuration cannot guarantee that a stream will be approved or uninterrupted.
Have an operational fallback that respects the same permissions. If the station feed drops, do not silently switch to unrelated music or recordings. You can stop the broadcast while you confirm the feed, or use only a pre-approved alternative visual and audio source. Know how to stop OBS output and end the event in Live Control Room cleanly.
A computer running OBS also needs monitoring and a plan for network or power interruptions if the stream is intended to remain on for long periods. Test the complete setup before relying on it, and decide who will notice a failure and restart or end the event. A short successful test does not establish that a feed, desktop session, or connection will run continuously.
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FAQ
Can I rebroadcast any Spanish internet radio station if I can hear it online?
No. Online listening access does not by itself give you permission to retransmit the station on YouTube. Ask the station and relevant rights holders for permission that covers the intended platform and territories, then check YouTube’s current requirements.
Why is VLC Video missing from OBS on Linux?
OBS does not show that source unless VLC is installed in a compatible way for your OBS build. Check the packaging method and the current OBS VLC Video documentation, then restart OBS after installing supported packages. If it still does not appear, choose a workflow you can test rather than assuming the playlist is configured incorrectly.
Should I use Media Source or VLC Video for several songs?
Media Source is suited to one file, including when you want that file to loop. For multiple local files in sequence, use VLC Video and test that it advances through the playlist. Neither source grants music rights, and a live station feed is a separate audio-input workflow.
Does YouTube allow a still image with radio audio?
A still image can provide the video component while OBS sends the authorised audio feed, but the visual and audio still need to be suitable and permitted. Confirm that YouTube receives both in Live Control Room and check the current encoder guidance. Music rights and possible content matching remain relevant even when the picture does not change.