How long can a YouTube live stream be?

YouTube can automatically archive a live stream that is less than 12 hours. 11:59:59 is inside that line. 12:00:00 is not less than 12 hours. A stream that exceeds 12 hours may not be captured at all. These pages do not print a maximum broadcast length. This page checks a length. It does not start a stream, and the length does not predict viewers.

Check a live length

YouTube's published live-stream lines

The archive rule is from YouTube Help, Archive live streams, as read on 4 November 2026. If a live stream is less than 12 hours, YouTube can automatically archive it. That applies to encoder, webcam, and mobile streams, including 1440p and 4K. YouTube recommends a local recording as a backup. If a stream exceeds 12 hours, it may not be captured at all. Turn on DVR on live streams, read the same day, says DVR may be limited or unavailable for a stream longer than 12 hours. Viewers can never seek back to before the stream went live.

Length	What YouTube prints
1:00:00	Less than 12 hours. Can be archived.
11:59:59	Less than 12 hours. Can be archived.
12:00:00	Not less than 12 hours, and not over 12 hours.
12:00:01	Exceeds 12 hours. May not be captured.

A regular YouTube upload has a different limit in the upload length checker. A Facebook Reel can be any length in the Facebook Reel length checker. A TikTok made in the app can be 60 seconds in the TikTok length checker. The length does not predict viewers.

Questions about YouTube live length

How long can a YouTube live stream be?

These help pages do not print a maximum broadcast length. A stream less than 12 hours can be automatically archived. A stream that exceeds 12 hours may not be captured at all.

Does exactly 12 hours get archived?

12:00:00 is not less than 12 hours, so it is outside the automatic-archive sentence. It does not exceed 12 hours, so the note that a stream may not be captured does not apply.

What happens to DVR after 12 hours?

DVR may be limited or unavailable for a stream longer than 12 hours. Viewers can never seek back to before the stream went live.

Is a live stream the same as a YouTube upload?

No. A regular upload is 15 minutes by default, or 12 hours or 256 GB when the account is verified. This page checks a live stream.

Is this YouTube live length checker free?

Yes. It runs in your browser. There is no account and no charge. It does not start a stream, and the length does not predict viewers.

Vlozy makes the video and can publish it to the YouTube account you connect. This page only checks the published live-stream lines. See what Vlozy does.