Blog Why DIY 24/7 streams fail (and what Seeking Blue did instead)

Running a 24/7 YouTube stream sounds simple in theory. Set up OBS, hit "go live," and let the music play. But anyone who's actually tried it knows the reality is far messier.

Seeking Blue Records, the label behind MrSuicideSheep, learned this the hard way. With millions of subscribers and one of the most recognizable names in electronic music curation, they had both the audience and the catalog to make an always-on stream work. What they hadn't yet found was a setup that could run reliably without constant oversight.

The DIY trap

Before switching to StreamPush, Seeking Blue had attempted to run their own 24/7 broadcast. The concept made sense: keep fans engaged around the clock, give their deep back catalog new life, and maintain a constant presence on YouTube between release cycles.

The execution was another story.

Internet outages. Power failures. Software crashes. Every disruption required someone to notice, diagnose, and restart the stream. For a team focused on signing artists, planning releases, and building a label, babysitting broadcast infrastructure wasn't a sustainable use of time.

This is a pattern we see often with operationally mature labels. They understand the value of continuous engagement on YouTube. They have the catalog depth to support it. But the technical overhead of actually running an always-on stream creates a burden that doesn't scale.

What changed

When Seeking Blue moved to StreamPush, the operational reality shifted. The stream now runs independently of office internet, local hardware, or anyone's workday. Playlists are curated upfront. Visual backgrounds, commissioned from artists, rotate automatically throughout the day to match different moods. And the team spends close to zero hours per week on stream maintenance.

As Deklan Michie, Content & Channel Manager at Seeking Blue, put it:

That's the difference between a tool that demands constant attention and infrastructure that genuinely runs itself.

The real unlock: time back to the team

What makes this worth highlighting isn't just the technical fix. It's what it enables.

When you're not troubleshooting crashes, you can actually focus on curation. Seeking Blue has used their streaming data to refine what works: narrowing from a broad catalog approach to a more focused, consistent vibe that keeps viewers engaged longer. That kind of strategic iteration only happens when the technical burden is removed.

Their back catalog now runs as an always-on engagement channel. Fans return regularly. The stream has become part of their daily routine, whether studying, gaming, or working. And the label? They're back to doing what they do best: finding new artists and releasing great music.