If you want music only in the gaps between videos, build a separate interstitial scene and switch to it between video scenes. If you want music underneath the videos, keep the music source active in the same scene as the video and mix the two sources.
OBS does not automatically detect the end of one video and insert music for you. You need to arrange the sources and scenes yourself, then test what happens when a source becomes visible, hidden, finished or restarted.
Choose when the music should play
Start by deciding which of these two arrangements you actually need. The correct OBS setup is different for each one.
| Arrangement | Where the music source belongs | What happens to the viewer |
|---|---|---|
| Music between videos | A separate music or interstitial scene | The music plays while the next video is being prepared or before the next scene appears |
| Music under videos | The same scene as the video source, or a source that remains active across scenes | The music continues while the video audio plays |
| A continuous music station | A playlist source or a long prepared programme | Music remains the main content rather than filling occasional gaps |
For example, a devotional channel might show a recorded darshan video, switch to a short music scene, and then switch to the next darshan video. A study channel might instead keep quiet ambient music beneath a long visual loop. These are different designs even though both are described as adding music to a 24/7 stream.
A separate scene gives you clearer control over the gap. You can mute the finished video, show a simple background or slate, play a track, and then switch to the next video. It also means that the music will not accidentally continue under the next video unless you deliberately keep it active.
Music under video is simpler for a long-form programme, but it introduces a mixing problem. Speech, devotional singing or other important audio can become difficult to hear if the music is too loud. It also requires testing whether the music source continues, restarts or pauses when you move between scenes.
If your overall plan is a sequence of recorded clips rather than a single scene, it may help to first map the programme as a linear channel. The guide to building a FAST-style channel from your video library covers the wider question of arranging videos into a continuous schedule.
Add one looping track with Media Source
For one local audio file, OBS's Media Source is the straightforward starting point. It can handle common audio formats such as MP3, AAC, OGG and WAV, as well as common video formats. The file is selected on your computer and becomes a source in the current scene.
- Open OBS and select the scene where the music should play.
- In the Sources box, select the plus button.
- Choose Media Source.
- Give the source a useful name, such as
Interstitial MusicorLow Volume Background. - Select Local File and browse to the audio file.
- Confirm the source and inspect its properties before starting the broadcast.
The name matters more than it seems. In a channel with several scenes, Music 1 is easy to confuse with another source. A name that states its purpose makes later troubleshooting faster, especially if you return to the setup after several weeks.
Use a file that is already stored locally and can be read without opening another player. Keep the file in a stable folder rather than a temporary download location. If you move or rename it later, OBS may no longer be able to find it.
Media Source is suited to one track or one prepared audio file. It is not the same as a scheduler. Adding one track to a scene does not tell OBS when to leave that scene or which video should appear next. Scene switching remains a separate part of your design.
The official OBS Media Sources documentation explains the available source controls and the distinction between Media Source and VLC Video Source. Use that page if the labels in your installed version differ slightly from the examples here.
Set loop and playback behaviour
In the Media Source properties, enable Loop when the file should repeat after it reaches the end. This is useful for a short instrumental bed, a quiet waiting track or a background layer that should remain active for the whole time the scene is visible.
Looping does not mean that OBS will switch scenes. It only tells that source what to do when its own file finishes. If the source is in an interstitial scene, the interstitial can continue showing the same track until you change scenes manually or through another arrangement.
The setting Restart playback when source becomes active controls what happens when the source enters an active scene. With it enabled, returning to the scene starts the file from the beginning. That is often appropriate for a short ident or a fixed transition sting. It is less appropriate if you want a longer track to carry on from its previous position.
Consider also whether the source should close when inactive. Closing a source can release the file when the scene is hidden, but it can change how the source behaves the next time it appears. A source that closes and restarts is not the same as one that remains loaded and resumes.
For a gap scene, restarting is usually easier to understand. Each visit begins at the start of the selected music. For music underneath a sequence of videos, restarting on every scene change may create an audible jump. In that case, either keep the source in a scene where it remains active or test a visibility arrangement that preserves the desired playback position.
Do not assume that a setting called Loop solves every transition problem. A loop point can still produce a small change in sound, and a scene change can interrupt playback even when the file itself is set to repeat. Listen to the actual output rather than judging only by the preview.
Use a playlist or a separate scene
If you need several music files in sequence, OBS can use a VLC Video Source with a playlist. VLC must be installed for this source type to be available. When OBS is 64-bit, the OBS documentation says to use 64-bit VLC as well.
To create the playlist, add a VLC Video Source to the scene and use its playlist controls to add the files in the desired order. Give the source a name such as Intermission Playlist, then check the playlist options before closing the properties window.
The relevant controls include Loop Playlist and Shuffle Playlist. Loop Playlist returns to the playlist after it reaches the end. Shuffle Playlist changes the order rather than playing the files in the order shown. Choose one deliberately. A devotional channel that follows a service order should not shuffle its music simply because the option was left selected.
The source also has visibility behaviour controls. Depending on the selected behaviour, hiding the source can stop and restart playback, pause and resume it, or allow it to continue while hidden. This matters when the playlist is placed in a scene that is shown only occasionally.
A playlist is not automatically gapless. The files may have silence at their edges, different encoding characteristics or a short change between one item and the next. The OBS documentation describes playlist, loop and shuffle controls, but it does not promise seamless transitions. Test the files as a group before leaving the channel unattended.
For music only between videos, create a separate scene such as Video A, Music Gap and Video B. Put the music source in Music Gap, not in both video scenes. Switch from Video A to Music Gap, allow the track or playlist to run, and then switch to Video B according to your chosen workflow.
That arrangement is an implementation pattern, not an automatic OBS feature. OBS will not know that a video has ended and choose the music scene unless you add some separate scene-switching method. If you are trying to keep a recorded stream alive after its first file ends, the guide to keeping a YouTube live stream running after the first video ends discusses the broader failure points.
If you use a playlist for the gap, decide what should happen when it ends. It can loop until you switch scenes, stop on the last item, or be replaced by a new scene. Write that decision down. An unattended channel is easier to diagnose when each source has an intentional end behaviour.
Build the scene arrangement
A basic interstitial design can contain three scenes:
Video 1, with the first video source and its audioMusic Gap, with a Media Source or VLC Video SourceVideo 2, with the next video source and its audio
You can use a plain visual background in the music scene, or keep the last frame of a branded slate if that suits the channel. The visual design is less important than making the active scene obvious in the OBS interface.
Before switching, check whether the outgoing video source continues playing while its scene is hidden. If it does, the video may keep advancing underneath the music scene. That could be useful if you are moving to the next scene after a known interval, but it could also make you lose the intended point in the programme.
For an ordered programme, it is often clearer to give each major video its own scene or to use a carefully tested source arrangement. For a station with many short clips, a playlist-based design may be easier to maintain, but it still needs a defined rule for what happens at the end of each item.
Do not duplicate the same audio source into several scenes unless you understand how each copy behaves. Two copies can play at once, creating an echo or an unexpectedly loud signal. If the music should continue through a scene change, place the source where it can remain active or use the documented visibility behaviour that matches your plan.
A long-running channel also needs a recovery plan. Keep a local copy of the audio files, note which scene contains the music source, and record the intended Loop, restart and visibility settings. This is more useful than relying on memory after an overnight failure.
If your main problem is leaving a computer running simply to deliver a prepared video, StreamNeo removes that particular operating burden by taking an uploaded file and running the YouTube broadcast while your computer is switched off. It does not replace the need to arrange music rights or decide how the programme should be edited.
Balance music against video audio
Open the OBS Audio Mixer and play the loudest part of the video together with the music. Adjust the music source until the important video audio remains clear. Do not set the level using only a quiet introduction, because a later vocal or dialogue section may be considerably louder.
For music under speech, start with the music clearly below the voice and listen through ordinary speakers or headphones. Check again on a phone speaker if that reflects how your audience commonly listens. You are looking for intelligibility, not a visually balanced meter.
Watch for clipping in the mixer. If the combined sources drive the output too hard, lowering only one momentary peak may not be enough. Reduce the source levels and listen again. A stable, slightly quieter mix is generally easier to follow than one that becomes harsh during louder sections.
When music is only between videos, mute or remove the video audio from the interstitial scene if it should not be heard there. Conversely, make sure the music source is not still audible underneath the next video when the gap ends. The simplest way to confirm this is to monitor the actual programme output while switching scenes.
YouTube's live system can also act on music rights, regardless of how well the levels are mixed. YouTube says it scans live streams for third-party content, and unresolved detection can interrupt or terminate a live broadcast. Read the current YouTube guidance on copyright issues with live streams before using music that you did not create.
The permission should cover the live broadcast and any recording that YouTube retains. A licence for personal listening, downloaded use or a different platform may not cover a public livestream or its archive. YouTube's music guidance also explains why a track described as free is not automatically free from Content ID issues.
If you have licensed music from a rights holder, check whether the channel must be allowlisted. Keep the licence, terms and correspondence somewhere you can retrieve them. Do not treat the absence of an immediate claim as proof that the intended use is covered.
Test scene transitions before going live
Run the complete sequence locally before connecting it to a public broadcast. Start with a video scene, switch to the music scene, let the track play, and then switch to the next video. Listen for silence, doubled audio, abrupt restarts and music that continues after the scene has changed.
Test the end of a single Media Source file with Loop enabled and disabled. With Loop enabled, confirm that it repeats as expected. With it disabled, confirm that the source does not leave an unintended silent gap or frozen visual in the scene.
For a VLC playlist, test the first file, the change to the second file and the return to the first file when Loop Playlist is enabled. Also test Shuffle Playlist if you intend to use it. A playlist that works for two files may still expose an encoding or filename problem later in the sequence.
Hide and show the source repeatedly. This verifies whether the chosen visibility behaviour stops and restarts, pauses and resumes, or continues in the background. The result should match your scene plan, not merely what you expected from the name of the setting.
Then test a longer run without touching the controls. Check that the scene remains active, the audio remains present, and the next transition occurs as planned. If the programme depends on manual switching, rehearse the hand-off rather than assuming that a successful preview proves the channel is ready for a night unattended.
You can perform the first public test as an unlisted broadcast. The guide to testing a live stream without going public explains how to use an unlisted or test event while you check the viewer-facing output.
Record the result in a short checklist: source file found, loop setting checked, playlist order checked, music level checked, scene transition heard, and rights confirmed. When something fails later, this gives you a starting point instead of a series of guesses.
Check rights and operating responsibility
Only use music when your permission covers the intended use. For a YouTube stream, that normally means checking live broadcast rights, the relevant territory, monetisation terms and any retained recording or video-on-demand use. If the licence is unclear, ask the rights holder before putting the track into an always-on channel.
YouTube's livestream terms place responsibility for the necessary rights, including music licensing rights, with the provider of the stream. Read the current YouTube livestream terms and conditions rather than relying on a label such as royalty-free or copyright-free.
The YouTube Audio Library is an official place to investigate music for YouTube, but you should still read the conditions attached to each track and confirm that they fit your planned broadcast and archive. Do not assume that a source suitable for one platform has the same permission everywhere else.
Finally, separate three questions that are often mixed together: whether OBS can play the file, whether your scene design switches at the right time, and whether you have the rights to broadcast it. A file can pass the first test and fail the other two. A reliable 24/7 stream needs all three decisions to be correct.
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FAQ
Can OBS automatically add music when a video ends?
Not by adding a Media Source or VLC Video Source alone. You need a scene or source arrangement that defines what appears after the video, and you must test the switching method you use.
Should I use Media Source or VLC Video Source?
Use Media Source for one local file that may loop. Use VLC Video Source when you need a sequence of files, loop playlist or shuffle controls, and have the required VLC installation matched to your OBS architecture.
How do I keep music playing under several videos?
Place the music source where it remains active across the relevant scenes, or select and test a visibility behaviour that preserves the intended playback. Mix it below the video audio and confirm that scene changes do not restart or duplicate it.
Can I use any track marked royalty-free?
No. Check that the permission covers YouTube live streaming and any retained recording, and follow the current YouTube guidance. A royalty-free label alone does not establish that Content ID or other platform checks will not affect the broadcast.