Restream’s current help documentation says all users, including Free users, can schedule pre-recorded events. You can therefore schedule one to YouTube if your channel is connected to Restream, owned by the account you connect, and enabled for live streaming.
What Restream’s current public pages do not settle is the Free plan’s exact maximum video duration, file size, or number of stored files. Treat those values as account-specific unknowns until you check them in your own account; the often-repeated 15-minute and 250 MB figures come from a 2022 article, not current confirmation.
Can Free users schedule prerecorded events?
Yes. Restream’s pre-recorded event guide says recorded-video streaming is available to all Restream users. The workflow is to choose or upload a video, set the event details, select the connected destination channel, and create the event. Restream says the recording airs automatically at the scheduled time.
That answers whether the feature is available, not whether every video will fit the Free account’s current upload allowance. An event can be supported while a particular file exceeds an unpublished duration or size threshold. Check the account before you build a schedule around a long recording or a large archive.
For a single YouTube channel, the documented Free allowance of two concurrent channels is more than the destination count you need. If you are comparing a scheduled event with a continuous loop, they are different workflows: an event is a recording set to go live at a chosen time, while a channel meant to run continuously needs an ongoing source and a plan for what happens when a playlist ends. This guide to a 24/7 ambient-video schedule covers that separate problem.
Restream is useful here when the specific pain is keeping your own computer running until a scheduled event finishes; it turns an uploaded video into a YouTube live broadcast without requiring your computer to stay on. That does not remove the need to confirm file eligibility, destination settings, or what viewers will see before the event begins.
Connect and enable the YouTube channel
Restream’s YouTube setup guidance requires a channel with live streaming enabled, and the Google account used to connect it must be the channel owner. A channel that has not completed YouTube’s live-streaming enablement cannot be made ready merely by selecting it in Restream. Check the current Restream guide to streaming to YouTube and YouTube’s own live streaming help before scheduling.
Connect the channel you intend to use, then confirm it appears as an available destination in the event setup. Do not assume that a channel visible under one Google login is owned by another login or by every person managing the brand account. If you manage a devotional channel with a family member or a local organisation’s channel, verify the owner account and permissions before the day of the event.
Test the connection with a short, non-critical event or a private/unlisted workflow where appropriate to your channel settings. Inspect the event title, thumbnail, scheduled time zone, and destination selection. A correct video can still be missed if the event is set to the wrong channel or a time zone that differs from the one your audience expects.
YouTube also controls the event’s availability and archive behaviour. Restream’s current guide says YouTube archives streams under 12 hours. That is relevant if you expect a replay to remain available after a long broadcast, but it should not be confused with a Restream Free upload cap. Confirm YouTube’s current rules and the archive setting for your own stream rather than treating a platform archive as a backup copy.
What current documentation does not specify
Restream’s current storage help says maximum file count and video size or duration vary by plan. It also states that Free uploads are stored for 30 days, but it does not give the Free plan’s exact per-file duration, size, or number-of-files allowance. The current storage article is explicit about retention and variability, not the missing caps.
This distinction matters. A storage-retention period tells you how long an uploaded file remains available; it does not say how large that file may be, how many may be stored, or how long any one recording may run. Likewise, an add-on library tier with an advertised duration does not establish the Free account’s maximum. Restream’s event guide lists library tiers for paid add-ons, but those figures describe those tiers rather than a confirmed Free allowance.
Treat the following as checks to make in the logged-in account, not numbers to infer from a blog post or another user’s screenshot:
| Question | What current public help confirms | What you should verify |
|---|---|---|
| Can a Free user schedule a recording? | Yes, recorded-video streaming is available to all users. | That the event controls appear in your account and the selected YouTube channel is available. |
| How long can one Free video be? | The reviewed current pages do not publish an exact Free maximum. | Whether the intended recording is accepted by your account. |
| How large can the file be? | A current Free file-size cap is not stated in the reviewed help. | Upload acceptance for the actual file, not just its duration. |
| How many uploads can be retained? | File-count limits vary by plan; the exact Free count is not stated. | The count shown for your account and the space currently in use. |
| How long do Free uploads remain? | Restream says Free uploads are stored for 30 days. | That this retention works for your calendar, and keep a separate original. |
If a file fails, do not conclude that the 2022 limits are still in force. The failure might relate to an account limit, file encoding, an interrupted upload, or another condition. Note the exact message, check the current in-account allowance, and consult Restream support if the displayed limit does not explain it.
Historical limits and why to verify them
Restream published a July 7, 2022 article stating that Free users could stream pre-recorded videos up to 15 minutes and 250 MB. Those were the figures in that dated article. The current help pages reviewed for this article do not confirm that they remain the Free caps, so they should be treated as historical rather than current limits.
Product packaging changes. A page from an older product period can remain searchable after the feature, plan names, or upload rules have changed. A number repeated by another article is not fresh confirmation if it traces back to that older source. The sensible reading is narrow: Restream once documented those two limits for Free users; current public documentation reviewed here leaves the exact Free duration and size unresolved.
Before preparing a recording, sign in and try the intended upload, or inspect the limits shown in the product. If you are choosing a plan because one recording is unusually long or large, ask Restream to confirm the current allowance for your account and the exact plan before paying. Keep a note of when you checked, because upload rules and add-on tiers can change.
This is especially useful for channels that prepare content in batches. A small bhajan stream might have a handful of short recordings, while a study channel may want to schedule a full lecture. Do not use the first successful upload as proof that every file in a batch will fit. Duration, file size, codec, and retention are separate considerations.
Prepare the video and schedule carefully
Restream lists MP4, MOV, M4V, and MKV as supported upload formats, with H.264 video and AAC audio. It recommends 1080p and a keyframe interval of two, and suggests adding 15–20 seconds of buffer at the start and end. Those are preparation recommendations in its video upload guidance, not a promise that any file of a given size or duration will be accepted.
A practical sequence is to export a single clean file, check that it plays from beginning to end, then upload it before the intended event date. Listen to the opening and closing seconds. A devotional recording with a spoken introduction or a lecture with a title card can be cut off if the source starts exactly at the first word and platform ingest trims an edge. Restream’s suggested buffer gives the stream room at those edges, but review the actual result rather than assuming the margin fixes every source-file problem.
Schedule with the intended public title and thumbnail, then double-check the date, time zone, and channel. Free event thumbnails include Restream branding, so account for that in the artwork you prepare. If your channel uses a recurring visual identity, check whether the watermark sits over text or a deity image, a lecture title, or a local news label. Leave clear space rather than placing essential information where the mark appears.
Keep your master file somewhere you control. Restream says Free uploads remain stored for 30 days; that is a service retention period, not a long-term archive or backup policy. Save the original locally or in your own backup arrangement, especially if the recording is an edition you cannot easily recreate.
If you are assembling a repeatable playlist rather than one scheduled recording, account for transitions and what follows the final item. A playlist-end planning guide for Indian music streams addresses why a stream can go quiet or stop when the source runs out. For a self-managed local loop, this walkthrough of VLC video looping on YouTube Live in India is a different route, with different demands on the computer and connection.
Free-plan branding and channel count
Restream’s Free plan lists two concurrent channels, and free streams carry Restream branding. Its pre-recorded event guide also says Free users’ event thumbnails include a small Restream watermark. These constraints are distinct: the channel count concerns how many destinations you can send to concurrently, while branding affects the presentation of the stream and event.
For a YouTube-only event, two channels may be enough, but check which destinations count if you plan to add another platform later. Restream’s current Free-plan details also distinguish features such as custom RTMP and some destination types; do not assume an allowance for YouTube automatically covers every destination you might want to add. Confirm the current plan page before changing the workflow.
Branding is not just a cosmetic question if your thumbnail contains small text. On a local news loop, a watermark near the headline could make the graphic harder to read. For a study channel, it may overlap a lesson label. Preview the event art in the actual interface and simplify the layout if needed. Do not promise viewers a clean branded presentation unless you have confirmed the plan’s current treatment.
If you regularly need multiple channels, no branding, or a higher-resolution library tier, compare what is actually included with the workflow you intend to run. Restream’s current guide names add-on video library tiers, but those are not proof of the Free account’s limits or a reason to buy without checking duration, resolution, retention, and channel needs together.
Check the account before scheduling
Use this checklist for the specific recording and account, rather than relying on a remembered limit:
- Confirm the connected Google account owns the YouTube channel and that live streaming is enabled.
- Verify that the intended channel is selectable as the event destination.
- Check the Free account’s current upload allowance for individual duration, file size, and file count; the reviewed public pages do not supply exact Free caps for those items.
- Confirm the file format, H.264 video, and AAC audio, then test playback and the beginning and ending buffers.
- Note that Free uploads are retained for 30 days, and keep an independent master copy.
- Preview the event time, title, thumbnail, destination, and Restream watermark before creation.
- Run a low-risk test early enough to respond if the account rejects the video or the event settings are wrong.
If the account page gives a limit that differs from an old article, use the current account information and get clarification from Restream if the display is ambiguous. Keep a screenshot or written note for your own planning, not as a substitute for current support. Do not transfer someone else’s limit to your account: plan tier, add-ons, and product changes can affect what is available.
A scheduled prerecorded event is also not the same as a guaranteed permanent live channel. If your objective is uninterrupted 24/7 viewing, decide whether a series of scheduled events meets that aim or whether you need a source that continues after each recording. For a self-hosted approach, the trade-offs between OBS and FFmpeg for looping prerecorded video include the computer, configuration, monitoring, and restart work you take on yourself.
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
Can I schedule a prerecorded YouTube stream on Restream Free?
Restream’s current help says recorded-video events are available to all users, including Free users. You still need a connected YouTube channel that is enabled for streaming, and the specific file must fit the allowance shown for your account.
Is the 15-minute or 250 MB limit still current?
Those figures were published by Restream in a July 7, 2022 article. The current public storage and event guidance reviewed here does not confirm them as Free limits, so check the current account rather than relying on those historical values.
How long are Free uploads stored?
Restream’s storage help, dated August 5, 2026, says Free uploads are stored for 30 days. Keep a separate copy of the source video if you need it after that period or want a dependable archive.
Does YouTube impose a maximum stream duration?
Restream’s current YouTube guide says YouTube archives streams under 12 hours. That archive behaviour is not the same as a Restream upload-duration allowance; verify current YouTube guidance and the event’s settings before relying on a replay.