---
title: "Preferred Source"
description: "Mark one primary source with the crown so the channel tries it first and goes back to it on its own when it recovers."
---

Your best source fails for a few minutes, the channel moves to a backup, and then it stays on the backup for hours even after the best source is back. With the **crown**, you choose one primary source as the preferred one: the channel always tries it first, and 24/7 channels go back to it on their own once it is stable again.

::video[Preferred source: your best source comes back on its own](preferred-source.mp4)

> [!NOTE]
> New in Xtream AI 2.5.0. Requires engine 2.5.0 on your main server.

## Crown a source

1. Open **Channels** > **Overview** and edit the channel.
2. Open the **SOURCES** tab.
3. Click the crown icon at the left of the primary source you prefer. A **Preferred** label appears next to its name.
4. Click **SAVE**. You do not need to restart the channel.

If you do not see the crown, your main server is not on engine 2.5.0 yet. See [Update the Engine](/docs/update-the-engine).

## How it works

- **Order**: the crowned source first, then the other primary sources, then the secondary sources.
- **If the crowned source fails**: the channel keeps playing from the other sources as usual.
- **When it comes back**: 24/7 channels return to it on their own, usually 1.5 to 2 minutes after it is stable again, with a cut of a few seconds.
- **On-demand channels** do not switch while they play. They use the crowned source the next time they start.
- Event channels, channels that are recording and channels with **Direct Source** do not switch back on their own either.
- Checks are limited to one per minute per provider account, and channels that share the same crowned source switch together with a single connection.

## Rules of the crown

- One crown per channel. Crowning another row moves the crown. Clicking the crowned row removes it.
- Only primary sources can be crowned. Secondary sources and empty rows cannot.
- Moving the row up or down keeps the crown on the same URL.
- If you delete the crowned row, the crown goes with it.
- A [live ingest](/docs/live-ingest) can be crowned like any other primary source. The channel returns to the encoder once it has been live for 15 seconds, usually 30 to 60 seconds after it comes back.

## Crown many channels at once

1. Open **Channels** > **Bulk Tools** > **Mass Edit**.
2. Select the channels in the **STREAMS** tab.
3. In the **INFORMATION** tab, tick the box next to **Preferred Source** and pick an option:
   - **Crown the first primary source**: crowns the first primary source of each channel and replaces any crown it had.
   - **Crown the first primary source, only on channels without a crown**: keeps the crowns you already set.
   - **Remove the crown**.
4. Click **Edit Streams**.

Channels without primary sources stay without a crown. See [Mass Edit](/docs/mass-edit).

## Turn off the automatic return

In **Settings** > **Streaming**, the option **Automatically return to the preferred source** is on by default. Turn it off to stop every automatic return at once. Channels then stay on the source they are using, and the crown only counts when a channel starts.

## Common problems

- **Yellow notice "The preferred source saved for this channel is no longer one of its primary sources"**: the crowned URL was replaced or removed, so the crown has no effect. It is cleared when you save. Crown the right source again.
- **Notice "The preferred source does not apply yet on" a server**: that server is not on engine 2.5.0 yet. Update it. Your other servers apply the crown normally.
- **The channel did not go back**: check that the automatic return is on in Settings, that the channel is not on demand, an event or **Direct Source**, and give the source about 2 minutes of stable playback.

## Related

- [Primary Sources vs Secondary Sources](/docs/primary-sources-vs-secondary-sources)
- [Add a Live Channel](/docs/add-a-live-channel)
- [Live Ingest](/docs/live-ingest)
- [Mass Edit](/docs/mass-edit)
- [Update the Engine](/docs/update-the-engine)