To stream an Icecast MP3 feed to YouTube with OBS Studio, add the feed’s public listener URL as a network input, then send OBS’s output to the YouTube event using its server URL and stream key. Start with OBS Media Source, but treat it as a test rather than a guarantee: Icecast endpoint details and MP3 decoding vary, and OBS’s network-input documentation is not an Icecast-specific recipe.
You need the listener URL and mountpoint, not the credentials used by a station to send its own audio to Icecast. Test the complete route, including the sound received at YouTube, before you announce a public broadcast.
Get the listener URL and mountpoint
Ask the station operator for the public listener URL and the mountpoint used by the audio feed. A mountpoint is the path associated with a stream resource; it forms part of the address listeners use. The URL shape, port and any listener authentication depend on how that station is configured, so copy the exact details rather than constructing an address from an example.
Do not substitute source-client credentials. Those are used to publish audio to the Icecast server and are not necessarily valid or appropriate for listening. Keep any credentials private, and ask the operator whether listeners need an authorised URL or a particular method of access. Do not paste a password into a public scene, chat message or screenshot.
Confirm that the feed is actually MP3 and that the station is online. Icecast’s FAQ says MP3 might work but is not officially supported. That is an important caveat: a working listener URL does not by itself prove that a particular decoder will handle the stream unchanged. Server configuration, stream metadata and the input application can all affect the result.
If you can, open the listener URL in a media player before configuring OBS. This separates a bad or inaccessible URL from a problem in OBS. If the player cannot connect, ask the operator to confirm the mountpoint, whether the station is live, and whether the URL is intended for public listening. If it plays there but not in OBS, keep the same URL for the OBS tests rather than changing several variables at once.
Add a Media Source in OBS
In OBS, choose the scene that will carry the audio and add a Media Source in the Sources dock. Give it a clear name, such as “Icecast feed”, so you can identify it in the mixer and when checking the scene later. This source is where you will enter the listener URL.
OBS documents Media Source as a way to play media, and its supported formats include MP3. Its documentation also demonstrates a network input workflow: when the source is not a local file, the input can be a URL. The cited example is for SRT, not Icecast. Using the same approach for an Icecast listener URL is a practical first attempt, not an OBS certification that every Icecast endpoint or MP3 stream will work.
The distinction matters if a connection fails. A failure does not necessarily mean your YouTube settings are wrong, and changing the YouTube bitrate will not fix a source that OBS cannot open or decode. First establish that the feed reaches OBS; only then work on the outgoing broadcast.
Turn off Local File and enter the URL
Open the Media Source properties. Turn off Local File, then enter the full listener URL in the input field. Include the mountpoint exactly as supplied by the operator. Do not use the YouTube watch-page URL, the station’s website address, or a source-client address: OBS needs the address from which it can receive the audio feed.
Apply the properties and check whether playback begins. Look at the OBS audio mixer: the meter for the Icecast source should respond while the feed is playing. A still meter means the source has not reached the mix, even if the URL appears in the properties. Check that the source is visible and unmuted, and that playback has not been stopped in its properties.
If the meter moves but you hear nothing in a monitor, check the source’s audio monitoring and routing before concluding that YouTube will be silent. OBS can send audio on a selected track; confirm that the track used for streaming includes this source. A useful guide to diagnosing timing problems later is fixing audio delay on a YouTube radio stream, but first make sure the audio is present at all.
Avoid changing network caching settings just because they are available. Different feeds can buffer differently, and a value appropriate to one input is not a universal Icecast setting. Make one cautious change only if you have evidence of buffering, then test again from the beginning of the feed or a representative point.
Try VLC Video Source if the feed does not decode
If Media Source will not open the listener URL or the meter stays still, try VLC Video as a fallback. OBS requires VLC to be installed for this source to appear. The VLC installation must match OBS’s architecture: for 64-bit OBS, use 64-bit VLC. If the source is missing from the add-source menu, check the installation and architecture before troubleshooting the feed itself.
Add VLC Video to the scene and configure it to open the network stream using the same public listener URL. This is a different decoding path; it may resolve a compatibility issue, but it cannot correct a wrong mountpoint, an offline station or access restrictions. If neither OBS source can receive the feed, return to the station operator with the exact listener URL and ask them to verify it with a separate player.
OBS’s documentation gives a 400 ms network-caching default for VLC Video. That is a documented property of this source, not a recommended universal cache value for Icecast. If playback repeatedly pauses, adjust cautiously and judge the result over a sustained test. Increasing a buffer can reduce interruptions in some circumstances but may add delay; it does not repair a feed that cannot be decoded.
Use this source comparison to keep the next step clear:
| Route | What it establishes | When to try it |
|---|---|---|
| Media Source | OBS documents MP3 support and a network-input pattern, but not an Icecast-specific guarantee. | First, with the full listener URL and Local File disabled. |
| VLC Video | OBS can use VLC libraries; VLC must be installed and match OBS’s architecture. | If Media Source cannot open or decode the feed. |
| Player outside OBS | Checks whether the public endpoint can be reached independently of OBS. | Before changing OBS or YouTube settings when the feed fails. |
For a long-running station, an audio dropout is as noticeable as a video interruption. After the source works, listen for silence between tracks and abrupt cuts. If the Icecast feed itself contains gaps, OBS cannot invent the missing audio. This guide on stopping silence gaps in a looping meditation stream covers a related continuity problem, though its source workflow may differ from yours.
Set the YouTube server URL and stream key
In YouTube Studio, create or select the live event and open its encoder setup. YouTube provides a server URL and stream key for the encoder. In OBS, open Settings, then Stream, choose the appropriate YouTube connection method, and enter the event’s details. If entering them manually, use the server URL shown by YouTube, not the public viewer-facing URL for the event.
Keep the stream key private. It authorises an encoder to send video to the event; anyone with access to it may be able to broadcast to your channel. Do not share it in a screenshot, an unprotected note or a public conversation. If you think it has been exposed, use YouTube Studio’s controls to replace it and update OBS before the next test.
YouTube recommends RTMPS in its live encoder settings. Use the secure ingest option where available. OBS will encode the scene and its audio for YouTube; the Icecast listener URL is an input to OBS, while the YouTube server URL and stream key are the output destination. Keeping those roles separate prevents a common configuration mistake.
An audio-led broadcast still needs a valid video scene for the live encoder. Use a suitable still image or restrained visual loop if that fits the channel, and avoid building a complex scene that adds work without helping viewers. If you are setting up a channel for unattended viewing, also consider the practical controls in YouTube Live Chat on an unattended channel.
Choose output settings for an audio-led stream
YouTube’s current encoder settings page lists RTMP/RTMPS ingest and H.264, H.265/HEVC and AV1 video codecs, with AAC or MP3 audio. It recommends constant bitrate, a two-second keyframe interval (not exceeding four seconds), and for stereo audio, 44.1 kHz at 128 kbps. Check the live encoder settings page again when configuring your event, because official recommendations can change.
Use a video resolution and bitrate your computer and upload connection can sustain. A static visual usually has less movement than a live camera scene, so there is little reason to spend bandwidth on unnecessary motion or detail. The outgoing bitrate is separate from the MP3 feed’s format: OBS takes in the Icecast audio, then encodes the YouTube broadcast according to the output settings. Do not assume the station’s feed bitrate is a suitable YouTube output setting.
For a stereo station, confirm that OBS is sending stereo audio at the selected sample rate and that the Icecast source is assigned to the stream’s audio track. YouTube’s stated audio settings are guidance for the outgoing encode; they do not promise that a particular input feed will decode correctly. If the source itself is mono or has a different sample rate, test how OBS handles it before committing to the live event.
Test audio and monitor stream health
Run an end-to-end test before the public broadcast. Use an unlisted or private test event where appropriate, and include the actual Icecast feed rather than a microphone check alone. Confirm that the OBS source meter moves, that the stream is reaching YouTube, and that the received audio can be heard on the YouTube side. A meter moving in OBS proves the local mix has signal; it does not prove that the event receives it correctly.
YouTube explicitly advises: “Make sure to test before you start your live stream.” During the test, watch YouTube Studio’s stream health and any messages it displays. Let the feed run long enough to encounter the kind of track change or transition that occurs in the real station. If you only test a short, quiet segment, you may miss a later silence gap or an unstable connection.
Use a simple fault-finding order. If the source meter does not move, recheck the listener URL, mountpoint, station status and decoder choice. If the meter moves but YouTube is silent, inspect OBS mute state, audio-track assignment and stream settings. If YouTube shows a problem with the incoming broadcast, check the event’s server URL and stream key, then review the encoder settings and connection messages.
For an always-on channel, also decide who will notice a failure and what they will do. OBS needs to remain open on the computer running the broadcast, and a local power, network or application interruption can stop the send. If the work of keeping a computer awake and checking a dropped stream is the part that makes overnight operation difficult, StreamNeo removes that specific burden by running an uploaded video as a YouTube live stream without your computer left on; it does not turn an incompatible Icecast input into a working one, so establish and test the feed route first.
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FAQ
Do I need the Icecast source password in OBS?
Usually you need the public listener URL, not the credentials the station uses to publish audio to Icecast. If the listener endpoint requires authentication, ask its operator for the intended listener access method and keep any credentials private. Do not guess or reuse source-client credentials.
Why does the feed play in a browser or player but not in OBS?
A browser or player and OBS may handle the endpoint or codec differently. Confirm the exact mountpoint, then try VLC Video with a VLC installation that matches OBS’s architecture. Icecast notes that MP3 might work but is not officially supported, so a successful test in one player does not guarantee another decoder will work.
Can I use the YouTube watch URL in OBS?
No. OBS sends the broadcast to the server URL and stream key provided for the live event; the watch URL is for viewers. Keep the stream key private and confirm that OBS is connected to the intended event before you go live.
Does a moving OBS meter prove the public stream has sound?
It proves that the source is contributing signal to the local OBS mix, not that YouTube is receiving and playing it. Check the stream in YouTube Studio and listen to the received audio during a test. If it is silent there, inspect track assignment, mute state and the event’s ingest settings.