OBS sends your audio and video to YouTube; it does not choose where viewers go when the broadcast ends. You set that destination separately in YouTube Studio, then end the source stream so YouTube can hand viewers to a Premiere or another channel’s live stream.
The reliable order is to check eligibility, prepare the destination, configure the source and redirect in Studio, connect OBS, and test the handoff. The destination may not play automatically for every viewer, so tell your audience what to expect.
What OBS and Live Redirect each do
Think of OBS and Live Redirect as two separate parts of the broadcast. OBS is the encoder: it captures or plays your content, encodes the audio and video, and sends that feed to YouTube. YouTube Live Redirect is a YouTube-side setting that identifies a destination for viewers after your source live stream ends.
That distinction matters when you are setting up the stream. The OBS interface may let you select YouTube as the service and enter a stream key, but it does not provide the Live Redirect destination picker. If you cannot find a Premiere or another channel in OBS, that is expected. Look for the redirect setting in the source stream’s YouTube Studio controls instead.
The source stream and destination are also distinct YouTube videos. The source is the live broadcast you send from OBS. The destination is the scheduled Premiere or live stream that viewers may be sent to afterwards. Selecting the right destination does not start it, and starting OBS does not activate the redirect on its own.
If you are new to sending a pre-recorded file through OBS, first review the OBS-to-YouTube setup for a pre-recorded stream. It covers the encoder connection; this guide focuses on the separate Studio configuration and the end-of-stream handoff.
Check channel and redirect eligibility
Check that you can go live before spending time on the redirect. YouTube’s general live-streaming guidance requires a verified channel and says the channel must not have had live-streaming restrictions in the past 90 days. These are general live-streaming conditions, not the separate requirements for sending a redirect. Read YouTube’s live-streaming eligibility guidance and confirm your channel’s status in Studio.
Sending a Live Redirect has its own access conditions. YouTube’s Live Redirect Help page says the sending channel needs more than 1,000 subscribers and no Community Guidelines strikes. Treat this as a check to make before planning an event; an encoder connection cannot make an unavailable Studio feature appear.
If your planned destination belongs to another channel, there is a second permission check. That channel must allow your channel to redirect viewers to its live stream. The receiving channel controls this setting in its Studio preferences. The available choices and wording can change, so ask the destination owner to check the current permission options rather than relying on an old screenshot.
If a destination does not appear in your list, check the basics in this order: is it a suitable Premiere or live stream, is it prepared or available, and has the other channel permitted your channel to send viewers there? Then check your own redirect eligibility and refresh the Studio page. A missing entry is not evidence that OBS is misconfigured.
Prepare the Premiere or destination live stream
Choose the destination according to what viewers should do next. A Premiere on your own channel suits a planned release or follow-on programme that you control. Another channel’s live stream suits a handoff to a partner, community channel, or event you want viewers to continue watching. YouTube recommends preparing a Premiere ahead of the source stream; do not leave its creation until the broadcast is already ending.
| Destination | What you need to prepare | Who controls availability |
|---|---|---|
| Your channel’s Premiere | Schedule or set up the Premiere before the source stream, then confirm it is the intended video | You control the Premiere and its schedule |
| Another channel’s live stream | Confirm the live or upcoming destination and ask its owner to allow your channel to redirect to it | The destination channel controls its redirect permissions |
For a Premiere, check the title, thumbnail, scheduled time, visibility, and video itself in Studio. Make sure the destination is the exact item you intend to select; similar titles are easy to confuse when you are working quickly. If the Premiere is part of a sequence, make its purpose clear in the source stream description or spoken sign-off, so viewers know why the broadcast is ending.
For another creator’s stream, confirm the destination with its owner close to the event. Their schedule can change, and their permission settings are theirs to manage. Ask them to verify that your channel is allowed, then agree on the destination video and the expected timing. A channel being subscribed to by your audience, or having worked with you previously, does not itself establish that redirect permission is enabled.
The handoff is only useful if the destination is ready when the source ends. For example, if a devotional channel plans to finish a morning bhajan stream by sending viewers to a scheduled evening programme, the Premiere should already be set up and discoverable in Studio. If the destination is a partner’s live news discussion, the partner should know when your source ends and should have the correct live stream ready.
Configure OBS with YouTube stream details
Create or select the source live stream in YouTube Studio. YouTube’s encoder workflow uses a server URL and stream key to connect broadcasting software to the Live Control Room. Depending on the OBS version and setup, you may be able to choose YouTube directly, or enter the connection details yourself. Follow YouTube’s encoder setup instructions and keep the stream key private; it gives software the ability to send to your channel’s broadcast.
In OBS, open the stream settings and select the appropriate YouTube service if available. If you are entering connection details manually, copy the server URL and stream key from the source stream in Studio, then paste them into the corresponding OBS fields. Do not paste the key into a public chat, screenshot, or shared document. If it has been exposed, use Studio’s controls to replace it before broadcasting.
Set up your scene and confirm that OBS is capturing the right content and audio. For a file-based programme, check that playback begins where you expect and that audio is audible in the OBS meters. For a live presentation, confirm the camera, microphone, and any graphics are in the intended scene. A technically connected feed can still show a blank scene or silent audio, so inspect the output rather than assuming the connection proves the programme is ready.
Start streaming from OBS and wait for the feed preview to appear in YouTube’s Live Control Room. Sending a signal from OBS is not necessarily the same as making the broadcast public: YouTube’s workflow has a Go live control in the Live Control Room. Check the preview and stream status there, then use YouTube’s Go live control when you are ready for the source stream to be live.
The stream key is the connection between OBS and YouTube, not a redirect instruction. Changing it may affect whether OBS can send the source feed, but it will not change the selected destination. For a wider look at encoder choices, the comparison of OBS and FFmpeg for a prerecorded YouTube loop can help you decide which workflow fits your channel.
Set the redirect in YouTube Studio
With the source stream selected in Studio, open its editing or customization controls and find the Redirect setting. YouTube’s current Help instructions describe the path as opening the source video’s Customization area, choosing Redirect, using Add, and selecting an available Premiere or live stream. Studio labels can move or change, so use YouTube’s current Live Redirect instructions if the menu differs from what you see here.
Select the destination deliberately. Confirm whether you are choosing your own Premiere or a stream on another channel, and check the title before saving. If no suitable destination is listed, do not assume there is a hidden selector in OBS. Return to the preparation checks: the Premiere may not be set up, the other channel may not have enabled permission, or your channel may not meet the redirect conditions.
Save or confirm the setting in Studio, then return to the source stream details and verify that the intended destination is still selected. Make this part of the production checklist rather than a last-minute action. If several people help run the channel, state clearly who owns the Studio setting and who operates OBS. That prevents a common handoff gap in which the encoder operator is ready but nobody has configured the YouTube destination.
For a recurring channel, keep a simple written run sheet with the source stream title, the intended destination, the person who checked its availability, and the person who will end the source. This is especially useful when the broadcast is part of a schedule rather than a one-off event. It also makes it easier to spot whether a later problem came from the feed, the Studio selection, or the destination’s availability.
Run a test and check the destination
Test the parts you can before the real handoff. Confirm OBS can send a feed, the Live Control Room shows a preview, the audio is audible, and the source stream has the redirect set to the intended destination. If the Studio interface offers a way to inspect the selected destination, verify it rather than relying on memory or a note written earlier.
A complete end-to-end rehearsal may require a suitable source and destination state, and you should avoid unexpectedly sending test viewers into a public programme. Coordinate with anyone who owns the destination before trying a test handoff. If you cannot test the entire transition, test the OBS-to-Studio feed and separately confirm the redirect and destination readiness with the people responsible.
Check the destination from a viewer’s perspective as well. Confirm that it is the correct video, that it is available at the expected time, and that its title and opening make sense as the next thing to watch. If a Premiere or partner stream starts later than your source ends, tell viewers what is happening rather than implying that the transition has failed.
Plan for a short pause during the changeover. YouTube notes that the page may need time to reload, and viewers who have autoplay disabled need to press Play to continue. Do not promise that every viewer will be carried straight into playback. A spoken sign-off or on-screen card can say, for example, “We’re ending this stream now; the next programme is on the scheduled Premiere. If it does not begin, open the player and press Play.”
If you operate a long-running channel, keep the broadcast workflow and the destination schedule separate in your notes. A 24/7 channel setup comparison for India may be useful when you are also deciding how to keep a continuous source running, but it does not replace the Studio redirect check for an individual handoff.
End the OBS stream and explain the handoff
When the source programme is finished, give viewers a clear sign-off and name the destination. Then end the source broadcast using the YouTube Live Control Room’s end-stream control, following the current Studio workflow. Stop sending content from OBS as appropriate for your setup. The important point is that the source must end for the redirect handoff to take effect; merely changing scenes or closing a segment while the source remains live is not the same thing.
YouTube’s handoff occurs after the source ends, not when OBS selects a destination. The redirect you set in Studio identifies where viewers are directed, while OBS has been responsible for sending the source feed. If you operate both controls, make sure you end the correct source stream and do not accidentally stop a different broadcast or leave the source live after the programme has finished.
Give viewers realistic instructions. Some may see the destination after a page reload, while those with autoplay disabled must choose Play themselves. A message in the source stream’s final minutes, a pinned chat note, or a spoken closing can reduce confusion. Keep it specific: name the Premiere or partner channel and tell people that they may need to click Play.
After the handoff, check the destination as a viewer if you can. If it is not playing, distinguish between a destination that is unavailable, a permission or setup issue, and a viewer who needs to press Play. If the wrong destination was selected, update the Studio setting for the next broadcast and document the correction; do not describe the result as an OBS redirect failure.
If your regular stream is a loop or unattended programme, decide in advance who will watch the source ending and verify the destination. StreamNeo can remove the need to keep your own computer on to send an uploaded video as a 24/7 YouTube stream, but the Live Redirect destination still needs to be prepared and selected in YouTube Studio.
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 OBS choose the Live Redirect destination?
No. OBS sends the source audio and video to YouTube using the connection details, while you select the redirect destination in YouTube Studio. If you need to change the destination, change the source stream’s Studio setting rather than looking for a destination option in OBS.
Why can’t I see another channel in the destination list?
Check whether the other channel has allowed your channel to redirect viewers to its live stream, and confirm that the destination is prepared and suitable. Also check your channel’s redirect eligibility and YouTube’s current Studio instructions, as availability and interface labels may change.
Will viewers automatically start watching the destination?
Not in every case. YouTube may reload the page to move viewers to the destination, and viewers with autoplay disabled need to press Play. Tell your audience which video or channel comes next and mention that they may need to continue manually.
Should I end the stream in OBS or YouTube Studio?
Treat the encoder and the Live Control Room as separate controls. YouTube’s workflow includes ending the source broadcast in Live Control Room, while OBS stops sending the feed; follow the current Studio prompts and make sure the source stream has actually ended for the handoff to occur.