Short answer: YouTube, Twitch and Kick all allow you to stream a pre-recorded video as a live broadcast if you own the content. On Twitch you must label it as a rerun, and one broadcast can last at most 48 hours; YouTube only archives streams up to 12 hours long. The easiest way to loop a video on all three at once is a cloud service such as StreamHouse: upload, build a looping playlist, add your stream keys and go live without OBS or a PC.
Elvesoft makes StreamHouse, one of the services mentioned in this guide. We describe every option as it is, including the ones that cost nothing.
Streaming a pre-recorded video as a live broadcast (also called a rebroadcast or rerun) is a normal, allowed way to keep a channel active. The platform receives a regular live stream over RTMP; it does not matter whether a camera or a video file is behind it. What does matter is that you follow each platform’s rules on labelling and length, and that the stream is technically stable.
Platform rules for pre-recorded live streams
| YouTube | Twitch | Kick | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-recorded allowed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Label as a replay | Recommended | Required | Recommended |
| Max broadcast length | No limit | 48 hours | See guidelines |
| Main risk | Copyright claims | Unlabelled reruns | Copyright claims |
YouTube
YouTube treats a looped video like any other live stream. Two details matter for 24/7 use. First, YouTube only saves a recording of broadcasts up to 12 hours long, so a stream that runs for days can end with no video on your channel. Second, monetised channels are reviewed against the reused content and inauthentic content policies; a varied playlist of your own videos is safer than one short clip on repeat. If you only want a single scheduled showing, YouTube’s built-in Premiere feature is an alternative.
Twitch
Twitch allows pre-recorded content as long as viewers can tell. Tick the Rerun option in the stream settings and start both the stream title and the go-live notification with [Rerun]. A single Twitch broadcast can last at most 48 hours, so a 24/7 Twitch stream has to reconnect at least every two days.
Kick
Kick accepts streams from any RTMP-compatible encoder or cloud service. Read its current community guidelines before you start, and make it clear in the title that the stream is a replay. That keeps viewers’ trust and avoids reports.
Why home-made loops break
Looping a video for an hour is easy. Keeping it running for weeks is where most setups fail:
- Your computer has to stay on. Sleep mode, updates, power cuts and Wi-Fi drops all end the broadcast.
- Real-time encoding strains the hardware. Converting video while it streams makes frames drop and the picture stutter after a few hours.
- Nobody restarts it at night. When the platform drops the connection, the stream stays down until someone notices.
- Changing the playlist means restarting. Every restart creates a new live video and resets the viewer count.
StreamHouse is built to remove these problems. Videos are prepared once after upload, so nothing is converted during the broadcast. The stream runs on StreamHouse servers, reconnects by itself, and you can change the playlist while it stays live. There are no encoder settings to learn.
How to loop a video as a live stream on all three platforms
- Get your stream keys. YouTube: YouTube Studio > Go live > Stream. Twitch: Creator Dashboard > Settings > Stream. Kick: Creator Dashboard > Settings > Stream URL & Key.
- Upload your videos to StreamHouse on the web or in the iOS or Android app.
- Build a playlist and turn on looping.
- Add all three destinations to the same stream. Multistreaming to several platforms counts as one stream, so it does not use up an extra slot.
- Set the labels: tick Rerun and add [Rerun] to the title on Twitch; mention it is a replay on YouTube and Kick.
- Start the stream and switch your computer off. The loop runs from the cloud, from $19 a month.
Common mistakes
- Streaming music or clips you do not own. A claim can end the stream mid-broadcast.
- Restarting to change the playlist. Every restart is a new live video and resets the viewer count. Use a tool that lets you edit the playlist while live.
- Using a one-time YouTube stream key. Choose a reusable key for a 24/7 stream.
- Streaming from a laptop. Sleep mode, updates and Wi-Fi drops all end the broadcast.
Frequently asked questions
Can I stream a pre-recorded video as a live stream?
Yes. YouTube, Twitch and Kick accept pre-recorded video sent as a live stream over RTMP. You need the rights to the content, and on Twitch you must label it as a rerun.
How do I loop a video on a live stream without OBS?
Upload the video to a cloud streaming service such as StreamHouse, put it in a playlist with looping turned on and add your stream key. The service sends the loop to the platform from its own servers, so you do not need OBS or a PC.
Does Twitch allow 24/7 reruns?
Twitch allows pre-recorded content labelled as a rerun: tick the Rerun option and start the title with [Rerun]. A single broadcast can last at most 48 hours, so a 24/7 Twitch stream has to reconnect at least every two days.
Can I stream the same loop to YouTube, Twitch and Kick at once?
Yes. Multistreaming sends one stream to several platforms. StreamHouse can send a single looping playlist to YouTube, Twitch, Kick and 11 other platforms at the same time, plus custom RTMP and SRT destinations.
Do I need to set bitrate or encoder settings?
Not with StreamHouse. It prepares every uploaded video for streaming automatically and sends it to each platform in the right format, in up to 4K. You only upload, build a playlist and add your stream keys.
Loop your videos live on every platform
One playlist, sent to YouTube, Twitch, Kick and more at the same time. No OBS, no PC, from $19 a month.
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