If an OBS video plays once and then stops, first check whether it is a single local file in a Media Source or a multi-file playlist in VLC Video. For one file, enable Loop; for a playlist, use Loop Playlist. Restart playback when source becomes active is a separate control and does not make a completed file repeat by itself.
The mention of YouTube does not tell us whether YouTube is the stream destination or where the video is hosted. The steps here concern the local-file and playlist sources documented by OBS, so first identify the source in your scene rather than assuming YouTube caused the stop.
First identify what stopped
“Stopping after one video” can describe two different things. A single file may reach its end and remain stopped. Or one item in a playlist may finish without the next item starting. Those cases use different OBS source types and settings, so changing controls at random can leave the actual problem untouched.
In the OBS Sources list, select the item that supplies the picture or sound, then open its Properties. A Media Source points to a media file. A VLC Video source can play a playlist. OBS’s Media Sources guide describes the supported source types and their properties; use it as the reference if the labels in your version are unfamiliar.
Also separate the media source from the broadcast destination. OBS may be sending a live programme to YouTube while playing a file stored on your computer. The title alone does not establish that a video is hosted on YouTube, nor that a YouTube-specific playback fault is involved. The first useful question is simply: is the scene using one local file or a playlist?
If you are planning a continuous channel around one repeated video, the distinction matters beyond this one fix. A guide to looping a pre-recorded video on YouTube Live covers the wider broadcast setup; here, the focus is on what OBS does with its source after playback reaches the end.
For one local file, turn on Media Source Loop
For a single local file, select the Media Source in the Sources list and open Properties. Confirm that the file path points to the video you intend to play. Then enable Loop and apply the change. OBS documents this setting as replaying the file when playback completes; its guide lists the default as off.
This is the control for “play this file again after it finishes”. It is not a scene-transition option and it does not mean “start from the beginning whenever I return to this scene”. If you want one devotional recording or an ambience video to keep repeating in the same active source, Loop is the relevant setting.
Test it in OBS before relying on it for a long session. If the file is long, seek close to the end for a quick check, then let playback cross the file boundary. Observe whether the source starts the same file again. Seeking is only a convenient test; a short sample or a test copy may be easier if you do not want to disturb the programme currently being prepared.
A loop repeats the same file, including any silence, end card, or pause encoded at its end. If a bhajan recording has a long fade or a slate after the song, OBS will replay that content too. The loop setting does not trim the file or create a seamless musical transition. If the repeat sounds abrupt, edit the media or choose a file whose beginning and ending work together, then test that revised file.
If the source stops despite Loop being on, verify that you changed the setting on the source actually in the current scene. OBS can contain similarly named sources or copies in different scenes. Select the visible source, reopen its Properties, and check its file path and Loop state. A setting on a different source cannot change the playback of the one you are watching.
For a playlist, use VLC Video and Loop Playlist
A playlist is not a single Media Source with a longer file path. In OBS, the playlist-capable source is VLC Video. It is the appropriate source when you want several files to play in sequence, such as a set of study tracks or a rotation of local news segments, and then start again as a playlist.
Add or select VLC Video, open its Properties, and inspect the playlist entries. Confirm that the files listed are the intended ones and that their paths are available on the computer running OBS. Then check Loop Playlist. OBS documents that option as on by default, but it is worth confirming rather than relying on a default, particularly if the source has been copied, changed, or inherited from an older scene collection.
OBS notes that VLC must be installed for VLC Video to be available. If OBS is 64-bit, the guide specifies 64-bit VLC. If VLC Video is missing from the source options, check this dependency and the application architecture rather than trying to turn a Media Source into a playlist using the Loop control. Consult the current OBS instructions for VLC Video and playlists before changing installations.
The two loop controls solve different tasks:
| What you are playing | OBS source | Setting to check | What it repeats |
|---|---|---|---|
| One local video file | Media Source | Loop | The same file after it reaches its end |
| A list of local files | VLC Video | Loop Playlist | The playlist after its items have played |
Do not replace a playlist with a string of separate Media Sources merely to make one loop setting work. That would require arranging how the sources become active and visible, which is a different scene design. If your aim is simply to repeat a queue of files, VLC Video and its playlist control are the direct fit. If your aim is a single file, use Media Source.
For a channel that rotates several recordings over time, the source-level playlist is only one way to think about the schedule. A look at rotating playlists on a 24/7 YouTube channel can help you decide what content order you want before you build it in OBS. It does not change the basic distinction between the one-file and playlist controls described here.
Keep Restart playback separate from Loop
In Media Source Properties, you may also see Restart playback when source becomes active. It controls what happens when the source becomes active in the current scene and is visible. It is useful when you want a file to begin at its start as the source is activated, for example when switching to a scene for a prepared segment.
That is not the same event as reaching the end of the file. If the source is already active and its file completes, enabling Restart playback when source becomes active does not, on its own, tell OBS to replay the file. For end-of-file repetition, check Loop. Changing Restart while leaving Loop off is a common way to alter the wrong behaviour and still see the file stop after one play.
The distinction can be tested with two separate actions. First, let a non-looping file finish and note whether it starts over; that tests Loop. Separately, make the source inactive by switching to another scene, then make it visible and active again; that tests the restart behaviour. The source’s visibility and scene activation matter for the second action, not for the definition of an end-of-file loop.
OBS lists Restart playback when source becomes active as on by default in its Media Sources guide. Defaults can change or be altered in a particular scene, so read the property in your own OBS installation rather than inferring the state from what another tutorial shows. Leave it enabled if you want a fresh start on activation; disable it only if resuming or retaining playback position is the behaviour you intend and your setup supports it.
OBS also documents media restart and stop controls in its source API reference. That reference is useful evidence that restart and stop are distinct source operations, but it is not a replacement for the user-facing property descriptions. For this troubleshooting task, work with the visible Properties controls and test the action each one is intended to affect.
Confirm the source is visible and playing
Before investigating YouTube, confirm what OBS itself is showing. In the intended scene, check that the source is enabled in the Sources list and that it is not obscured by another source above it. A source can be configured to loop correctly yet appear absent because it is hidden, covered, or outside the visible canvas.
Look at the OBS preview while the file should be playing. Check whether the picture is moving, whether the audio meter responds if the file contains audio, and whether another source is covering the video. A still image in the preview is different from a file that has reached its end, and a blank preview is different from a file that is looping behind a hidden source.
If the audio continues but the picture is not visible, inspect the video source’s visibility and stacking order before changing loop settings. If the picture changes but there is no sound, inspect the source’s audio routing and the relevant OBS audio meters. The loop control governs playback repetition; it does not correct scene layering or guarantee that a source’s audio reaches the programme mix.
Use a simple, controlled test if several scenes or sources make the result unclear. Create a temporary scene with just the relevant source, or temporarily hide other visual sources. Test the single file or playlist there, then return to the production scene and confirm the same source is present. This helps isolate a source setting from a scene-layout problem without changing the live programme unnecessarily.
If the source is a local file, verify that it is still available at the path shown in Properties. A moved or renamed file can prevent the intended media from playing; toggling Loop cannot restore a missing file. Likewise, for a playlist, check each entry rather than only the first one. If playback consistently stops at a particular item, that points you towards the playlist entry or media file to inspect, not automatically towards YouTube.
Test the YouTube preview after OBS
Once the source repeats correctly in OBS, check the broadcast output separately. Start a private or otherwise controlled test if that suits your channel and account, then inspect the YouTube live preview for both picture and sound. The OBS preview shows the local scene; the YouTube preview shows what has made it through the broadcast path. One cannot confirm the other.
If OBS preview loops but the YouTube preview freezes or goes dark, preserve that distinction. The source may be working while something later in the output path is not. Check the programme output in OBS, the selected stream destination and key, and YouTube’s own live status information. Do not change the media loop setting unless OBS itself shows that the file is failing to repeat.
If both previews stop at the same point, return to the file or playlist diagnosis. For a single file, recheck Media Source Loop. For a playlist, recheck VLC Video, its listed entries, and Loop Playlist. If the output remains uncertain, repeat the test with a shorter known-good local file so you can tell whether the issue follows one media item or the broader broadcast path.
For an always-on channel, a successful short test is useful but is not proof that every later session will behave identically. Keep the relevant source and scene settings clear, and note which file or playlist was tested. If you are comparing a local computer-based setup with a cloud-run broadcast, a comparison of FFmpeg and a cloud service for a 24/7 YouTube podcast stream can help frame the operational trade-offs; it does not alter OBS’s Loop setting.
A continuous stream needs the programme to keep going as well as the file to repeat. If your specific pain is having to leave the computer running just to keep a prepared video on air, StreamNeo takes an uploaded video and runs it as a 24/7 YouTube live stream, so that particular playback job does not depend on your computer staying on. It is YouTube-only, and it does not change what OBS’s Media Source or VLC Video controls mean.
A quick diagnosis sequence
Use this order when you return to a stream that has stopped after a video:
- Select the source shown in the active scene and identify its type in Properties.
- If it is one local file in Media Source, confirm its file path and enable Loop.
- If it is a playlist, use VLC Video, confirm the playlist entries, and check Loop Playlist.
- Treat Restart playback when source becomes active as a separate scene-activation behaviour, not an end-of-file repeat control.
- Confirm the source is visible in the scene and that OBS preview shows the expected playback.
- Check the YouTube preview only after establishing what OBS is outputting.
This sequence avoids the most common category error: changing a scene activation setting when what you need is repetition at the end of a file, or changing a single-file source when you have a playlist. If each step gives the expected result locally but the YouTube preview still does not, follow the broadcast path rather than toggling unrelated media properties.
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FAQ
Why does my OBS Media Source play only once?
For a single local file, open Media Source Properties and check Loop. Restart playback when source becomes active is a different control; it determines what happens when the source becomes active and visible, not whether a completed file repeats.
Should I use Loop or Restart playback when source becomes active?
Use Loop when you want the same local file to play again after reaching its end. Use Restart playback when source becomes active when you want playback to start from the beginning as the source becomes active in the current scene and is visible. They control different events and are not substitutes.
How do I loop several videos in OBS?
Use a VLC Video source with the files in its playlist and check Loop Playlist. OBS requires VLC to be installed for that source; its guide specifies 64-bit VLC when OBS is 64-bit. Check the current OBS guide if the source is unavailable or the settings differ in your installation.
Does “on YouTube” mean the video is hosted there?
Not necessarily. The phrase could mean OBS is sending a broadcast to YouTube, and it does not identify where the media file is hosted. These instructions cover OBS’s documented local Media Source and VLC Video playlist behaviour.