If a 4K 60fps YouTube Live loop goes black between files, first check whether the black image also appears in the OBS preview. If it does, investigate the source, its end behaviour and scene visibility; if the preview remains normal, look at the output path and OBS logs instead.
For one file, OBS Media Source has a Loop setting; for a sequence, VLC Video can play a playlist with Loop Playlist enabled. Those controls repeat media, but OBS does not document them as a guarantee of gapless handoffs. The steps below help you locate the fault without treating every black interval as a playlist problem.
First identify what is meant to repeat
The correct setting depends on whether your channel replays one file or moves through several files. A single bhajan video that starts again at the end is a different arrangement from a collection of sermons, study lessons or local news clips that play in sequence.
In OBS, note the source type used for the video. A Media Source points to a media file and has its own playback properties. VLC Video uses VLC to play one or more items from a playlist. If you do not know which is in use, select the source in the Sources list and open its properties; the source type is shown there.
Then note exactly when the black interval occurs. Does it appear at the end of every file, only when the final item rolls back to the first, or at irregular times? Does it last for a frame, several seconds, or until you intervene? These observations do not identify the cause by themselves, but they help you test one change at a time.
A useful record includes the source type, whether Loop or Loop Playlist is enabled, the selected visibility behaviour, and whether OBS preview is black at the same moment as YouTube. If you need to change the playlist during a live broadcast, first understand how that source is set to respond when it becomes hidden. The question of adding media while a stream is already running appears in an OBS forum discussion about a running YouTube stream; treat it as a prompt to check your own setup, not as proof that every OBS source behaves alike.
Repeat one file with Media Source
For a single local file, add or select an OBS Media Source, open its properties and enable Loop. OBS describes Media Source as suitable for video playback and documents the Loop property for repeating media. When playback reaches the end, the source should begin playing the same file again.
This is the simpler arrangement when your programme is one continuous video. It avoids adding a playlist dependency just to replay one item. If you also use Restart playback when source becomes active, understand that this concerns the source becoming active in the scene; it is not a setting that promises a clean transition at the end of the file.
Check the option Show nothing when playback ends if the source is going black at its boundary. OBS says this hides the source after playback ends. If the file does not repeat as expected, or the source can become inactive before the next playback, that behaviour may be relevant. Change it only after confirming the source and loop configuration, then watch the OBS preview through a complete cycle.
Do not infer that a correct Loop setting proves the file itself is clean at its final frame. If the preview shows a black interval, inspect the end of the media and test it outside the live broadcast where practical. Keep the original file unchanged while testing a copy, so you can compare the same moment before and after any edit. Advice on choosing formats when exporting screen recordings may help if you are preparing an export, but changing a container or codec should be based on what your file and logs indicate, not used as a blind fix.
Use VLC Video for a playlist
For multiple files, use OBS's VLC Video source, add the intended files to its playlist and enable Loop Playlist. OBS defines that property as specifying whether the source restarts when it has run out of media files. It controls repetition of the playlist; it does not document a promise that each file will hand off without a visible pause or black frame.
Open the source properties and check the order of the items as well as the loop option. If the playlist is meant to cycle through A, B and C, confirm that all three entries are present and that the final item is followed by the expected restart. A missing item or an unexpected list order can look like a playback failure even when the loop control is set correctly.
VLC Video also has Visibility Behaviour options. Depending on the selection, playback can continue, pause or stop when the source is not visible. In particular, “Stop when not visible, restart when visible” refers to whether the source is visible in the OBS scene; it does not mean whether the OBS application window is currently on screen. If a scene switch or source visibility change occurs near a file boundary, check whether the chosen behaviour is affecting playback.
For an always-on playlist, test a full pass through the list in preview before relying on it. If there is a black interval between two specific items, note those filenames and whether the same interval occurs when you play them separately. Do not assume that reordering the list or toggling Loop Playlist addresses an unexplained gap between two files.
The distinction between a single media loop and a playlist is also useful when planning a continuous channel. A continuous church sermon stream setup can help you think through the programme arrangement, but the source controls still need to be checked in your own OBS scene.
Confirm VLC is installed and matches OBS
VLC Video depends on VLC being installed. If VLC Video is missing from the OBS source list, check the installation before looking for its playlist properties. The OBS documentation states that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC, so match the application architectures rather than assuming any VLC installation will be detected.
If you have recently installed or updated VLC, close and reopen OBS before checking the source list again. If it still does not appear, verify which OBS version and architecture you are running and whether the VLC installation matches. Avoid downloading installers from unofficial download pages; use the vendor's own VLC download page and consult the OBS Media Sources guidance for the documented source requirements.
This is a dependency check, not a fix for every black screen. If VLC Video exists, the playlist is present and preview still goes black between particular files, continue to visibility, source behaviour and the individual media items. If the source is not available, there is no Loop Playlist setting to change until VLC is installed in a compatible configuration.
Use OBS preview as the first diagnostic fork
Watch OBS preview at the moment a viewer reports the black image. If preview also goes black, focus first on what OBS is composing: the playback source, its visibility, its end behaviour and anything stacked above it. If preview stays correct while the delivered YouTube stream goes black, the evidence points you towards output, encoding or delivery rather than a hidden source in the scene.
This comparison is a practical diagnostic inference, not a documented determination of the cause in any particular setup. YouTube may show a delayed version of the live output, so compare the same moment rather than expecting preview and the player to change at precisely the same instant. If possible, note the time and check the OBS recording or stream status as well.
A short controlled test can make the comparison clearer: keep the scene and output settings unchanged, observe the preview through the boundary, and note whether it changes. If the preview is clean but viewers report black video, capture the time, output status and log evidence before changing playlist settings. If you use an encoder-driven playlist workflow in another setup, a guide to FFmpeg rerun streams that show a black screen covers a different path; do not apply its settings to an OBS source without confirming that they match your system.
Inspect scene visibility and source end behaviour
When the preview goes black, check the eye icon beside the playback source in the Sources list. A hidden source cannot contribute its video to the scene. Also check the ordering: OBS layers sources, and a source higher in the list can cover one below it. A black colour source or another full-screen item above the video can make the preview look as though playback stopped.
Temporarily hide upper sources one at a time while monitoring preview, then restore them. This can reveal an overlay or background covering the video without changing the media file. Check that the playback source itself remains visible, and that a scene transition has not moved you to a scene without the expected video.
Next, revisit the source's end behaviour. For Media Source, check whether Show nothing when playback ends is enabled. For VLC Video, check Visibility Behaviour and whether the source has become invisible as part of a scene change. These are different controls: one concerns what a Media Source displays after its file ends, while the other concerns playback when a VLC source is not visible.
If preview goes black at exactly the same point in the same file each time, inspect that section of the file. If it happens at different boundaries, check source state and scene changes. Make one change, then reproduce the same test. This keeps the result useful: if you alter source order, file encoding and loop settings together, you will not know which change mattered.
Check the output path and OBS logs
If preview remains normal but the delivered stream turns black, inspect OBS's output and status indicators before rebuilding the playlist. Confirm that the intended encoder is active and review the OBS log for errors or warnings around the time of the report. A log entry near the event can direct further investigation; without one, do not assume a particular encoder fault.
Keep playlist controls separate from YouTube's live encoder recommendations. YouTube's live encoder settings list, for 2160p at 60 frames per second, recommended bitrates of 50 Mbps for H.264 and 35 Mbps for AV1/H.265. YouTube also recommends constant bitrate (CBR) and a two-second keyframe frequency, and says not to exceed four seconds. These are encoder recommendations, not settings for how OBS advances from one playlist item to another, and they do not guarantee that a boundary will be free of black frames.
If your output does not match the relevant recommendations, make a measured adjustment and test again, but do not raise bitrate blindly. Your connection, encoder capability and selected codec matter. The official YouTube live streaming requirements are the right place to confirm current requirements before changing a live configuration. For a separate view of bandwidth planning, see the guide to data use for an FFmpeg playlist stream on Indian broadband; its subject is not evidence that network capacity causes this particular black screen.
If logs show output or encoding errors, investigate those errors and your system's encoder configuration. If they do not, preserve the log and note whether the black interval is in the local preview, the output recording or only the YouTube player. A report that includes the source type, loop settings, visibility behaviour, affected file boundary and relevant log lines is more useful than a general claim that “OBS went black”.
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FAQ
Does Loop Playlist guarantee no black frame between files?
No. OBS documents Loop Playlist as restarting the source after it runs out of media files, not as a guarantee of gapless transitions. Check the preview at the boundary and investigate the source, scene and output evidence that matches what you see.
Why is VLC Video missing from the OBS source list?
VLC Video requires VLC to be installed. OBS says that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC, so check that VLC is present and its architecture matches OBS before looking for playlist controls.
What does “Stop when not visible, restart when visible” mean?
It describes playback when the source is not visible in the OBS scene. It does not refer to whether the OBS window itself is on screen. If scene visibility changes during playback, this setting can affect whether the source continues, stops or starts again.
What should I send when asking for help?
Include whether you use Media Source or VLC Video, which loop and visibility options are selected, and whether OBS preview also goes black. Add the affected file boundary and relevant OBS log details so the next person can distinguish a scene issue from an output issue.