Top 10 Longest Running Live Streams on YouTube
Most people think YouTube’s longest live streams are music channels or big news networks. Those people would be wrong.
They’re usually a town square, a harbor, a museum lobby, or a quiet street somewhere in Europe that nobody ever bothered to turn off. In some cases, it genuinely feels like the person who set it up years ago just...never touched it again.
We ran a large-scale scan of YouTube’s live metadata to find the longest continuously running live streams that are still online right now - and the results are beautifully boring.
The list below is accurate as of: 29th Jan 2026
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How this was measured:
This ranking is based on continuous live uptime of the current YouTube live event, using YouTube’s official API in conjunction with Python scripts: liveStreamingDetails.actualStartTime
That means:
- If a stream ever restarted - even briefly - its timer resets on a new YouTube URL.
- Cameras that have existed for 10+ years but were restarted, don’t count as “continuous”, as again, new start date, new URL.
- This is about how long the current live broadcast has been running without interruption.
We searched globally using multiple keywords (traffic cams, webcams, rail cams, music, weather, shopping etc.), across many countries, and then verified channels directly to catch any older live feeds missed by search.
So this is not “oldest camera”, but: Oldest uninterrupted YouTube live broadcast still running today.
Many of these streams also started around the same period, which suggests a broader platform or infrastructure change rather than coincidence. This may be related to encoder stability or RTMP handling at the time, but YouTube has never publicly confirmed a specific technical change.
Anyway, enjoy this pretty dull list of the top 10 longest running live streams currently still running on YouTube today (29/01/26).
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10. Otter Outdoor Cam - Maryland, USA
Calvert Marine Museum | Live Since: 28th Sep 2018 | Days Running: 2,679
Located at the Calvert Marine Museum in Maryland, this camera overlooks a quiet waterfront habitat. You’ll often spot otters, birds, and calm tidal movement throughout the day. It’s more educational than dramatic, but that steady, low-maintenance setup is exactly why it’s still running.
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9. Venice Live Webcam - Dorsoduro, Italy
I Love You Venice | Live Since: 25th Sep 2018 | Days Running: 2,682
Streaming from Hotel American Dinesen, this camera overlooks a quiet canal in Venice’s Dorsoduro district. You’ll see pedestrians crossing the small bridge, boats passing through, and changing weather over the water. It’s a calm slice of everyday Venice, running without interruption for years.
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8. Orvieto Live Webcam - Piazza Duomo, Italy
Umbria Webcam | Live Since: 8th Aug 2018 | Days Running: 2,731
This camera looks directly onto Piazza Duomo in Orvieto, facing the city’s massive cathedral. You can watch locals and tourists crossing the public square with the historic façade filling the frame. It’s a simple, fixed webcam, exactly the kind that tends to run forever without interruption.
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7. Final Fantasy 24/7 Community Stream - Online
Dansg08 | Live Since: 3rd Aug 2018 | Days Running: 2,736
A non-stop livestream cycling through single-player Final Fantasy games from I to XVI. Viewers hang out in chat while classic and modern titles play around the clock. Unlike most gaming streams, this one has stayed continuously live for years without resetting.
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6. Renesse aan Zee Live Webcam - Netherlands
Hage Hosting | Live Since: 11th June 2018 | Days Running: 2,789
A fixed outdoor camera overlooking a public area near the seaside town of Renesse. The view shows everyday pedestrian movement, weather changes, and coastal conditions. With no graphics or commentary, it’s a classic low-maintenance webcam built to just keep running.
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5. Deep & Melodic House 24/7 - Online
Monstercat Silk | Live Since: 23rd March 2018 | Days Running: 2,869
A non-stop radio stream playing deep and progressive house music around the clock. Designed for studying, working, or just keeping background music flowing all day. Music streams rarely survive long without restarting, which makes this multi-year uptime especially unusual.
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4. Scientology Network - 24/7 Live Feed
Scientology | Live Since: 12th March 2018 | Days Running: 2,880
A continuous livestream of programming from the Scientology Network television channel. The feed runs around the clock, showing scheduled shows and documentary-style content. Unlike most TV broadcasters on YouTube, this stream has remained live without interruption for years. It’s one of the most technically stable long-running broadcast feeds on the platform.
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3. HSN Live - Home Shopping Network
HSNtv | Live Since: 13th Dec 2017 | Days Running: 2,969
A non-stop livestream of the Home Shopping Network’s TV broadcast on YouTube. Viewers can watch product demos, sales segments, and scheduled shows around the clock. Unlike most broadcast channels, this feed has stayed continuously live for years without resetting. Apparently, shopping really never sleeps on YouTube.
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2. Progressive House 24/7 - Online
Monstercat Silk | Live Since: 3rd Dec 2017 | Days Running: 2,979
A non-stop radio stream playing melodic progressive house and trance tracks all day, every day. Designed as background music for travel vibes, workouts, or long work sessions. Featuring artists like Shingo Nakamura, PROFF, Marsh, and Vintage & Morelli. The same channel also holds the number five spot on this list!
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1. Town Square Live - Lanškroun, Czech Republic
Nordic Telecom Lanškroun | Live Since: 1st Dec 2017 | Days Running: 2,981
A fixed camera overlooking the main town square in Lanškroun, facing the historic church and surrounding buildings. You can watch daily life unfold - pedestrians, cars, weather, and seasonal events. There’s no production or narration, just an always-on public view of the square. That simple setup is exactly why this stream has survived for nearly eight years without stopping.
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Why Do All the Oldest Streams Start Around 2017 - 2018?
This surprised us too!
Even after scanning globally, almost no currently-live streams still running today began before late 2017.
Not because cameras didn’t exist - but because:
- Encoders were restarted
- Platforms changed
- Stream keys were rotated
- Hardware failed or was upgraded
Any restart resets YouTube’s live timer.
Around 2017 - 2018, many organisations migrated entire camera networks to YouTube and left them running continuously for the first time.
The streams you see here are the survivors of that first true “always-on” wave.