To keep background music playing between video clips in OBS, make the music a separate source rather than part of each clip. For one local file, use a Media Source and check its loop, inactive and restart settings; for a playlist, use VLC Video and set its visibility behaviour deliberately.
The important detail is that changing clips or scenes can change whether a source is active, visible or unloaded. A separate source helps, but it does not play through every scene change regardless of configuration, so test the actual scene collection you intend to stream.
Keep music separate from the clips
If every video clip contains its own music, the soundtrack is tied to that clip's playback. When one clip ends or OBS moves to another scene, its audio ends too. A persistent music source gives you a different arrangement: clips provide the changing picture, while one audio source remains available to the relevant stream scenes.
For example, a devotional channel might rotate a sequence of recorded bhajan videos while playing a separate instrumental track underneath. A study channel might switch between a timer, a break screen and recorded sessions without embedding the same background music in each file. In both cases, independent sources make it possible to adjust or replace the music without rebuilding every video.
This is a source-design choice, not a guarantee of uninterrupted sound. OBS can deactivate a source when it is no longer in the active scene, and Media Source and VLC Video each have settings that affect what happens when a source becomes inactive or hidden. The settings and scene layout need to agree with your intended behaviour.
If your picture itself comes from looping recordings, keep that question separate from the soundtrack. The guide to keeping a YouTube stream running when OBS loses its media source covers the video side of that problem. Here, the aim is to keep the music source independent while the clips change.
Add a Media Source for one local file
For one song or other local audio file, add a Media Source in the scene where you manage the stream, then select the file. OBS documents support for common formats including MP3, AAC, OGG and WAV. Check the current OBS Media Sources guide if your installed version uses different wording or presents the controls differently.
You do not need to capture desktop audio just to play a local music file through this source. Media Source plays the selected file as an OBS source. Audio input or output capture is for capturing a device; it is not a prerequisite for local-file playback. Avoid adding a device-capture source as a workaround unless you actually need to capture that device's sound.
After adding the file, look at the OBS mixer and confirm that the Media Source produces a level when it is supposed to. If the file is silent, first check the file selection, source mute state and mixer level. Then check whether the source is active in the scene you are previewing. A file that plays in one scene may not be active in another if you created it only in the first scene.
One source can be shared with the relevant scenes rather than separately adding a new copy of the same file in every one. That simplifies control and reduces the chance that two copies play together. If you are building a larger archive-based channel, the practical choices for the picture and programme structure are discussed in streaming an interview archive continuously on YouTube; the music source still needs its own scene and activation checks.
Set Loop and Close file when inactive
In the Media Source properties, turn on Loop if the selected file should start again after it reaches the end. Loop applies to that file; it does not make the source persistent across scenes by itself. A looped file can still stop or begin again if its source is deactivated and then reactivated according to its other settings.
For continuity when the source is temporarily not visible or active, check Close file when inactive and leave it off if you do not want OBS to unload the file in that circumstance. OBS notes that closing and reopening a file can introduce a delay. This setting is not a promise that a hidden source will continue to play: scene and source visibility behaviour still matters, and the setting available in your OBS build should be checked.
The separate control Restart playback when source becomes active is documented by OBS as on by default. When it is on, a source becoming active can restart the file. If the music begins at the start whenever you return to a scene, inspect this control alongside the source's activation behaviour. Turning it off may change what happens on reactivation, but verify the result in your own layout rather than assuming it creates uninterrupted playback.
| Your need | Source choice | Settings to inspect | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repeat one local track | Media Source | Loop; Close file when inactive; Restart playback when source becomes active | Simple setup, but activation can still affect continuity |
| Play several tracks in sequence | VLC Video | Loop Playlist; visibility behaviour | Playlist controls suit a sequence, but VLC must be installed |
| Use different scene layouts | Shared music source where suitable | Which scenes contain it; visibility and activation | Easier to avoid duplicate copies, though the scene structure must be checked |
| Capture sound from a device | Audio input/output capture | Whether the source is active; duplicate capture | Useful for a device signal, not needed for a local music file |
If you also need help distinguishing a loop problem from an activation problem, see fixing an OBS Media Source that is not looping. A file reaching its end and not repeating is different from a file being unloaded or restarted when a scene changes.
Check restart and visibility behaviour
A common report is “my music stops when I switch scenes”. Start by identifying what the source is doing rather than changing several properties at once. Is its mixer meter dropping to silence, is playback restarting from the beginning, or does it continue but become inaudible in the programme? Those outcomes point to different checks: scene activation, restart behaviour, mute and fader state, or routing.
OBS's Media Source documentation describes Restart playback when source becomes active and lists its default as on. That makes it a useful first check if playback starts over on a scene return. Next, inspect whether the source is shared with the destination scene and whether a scene transition makes it inactive. The exact result depends on the project arrangement; documentation cannot diagnose a particular scene collection without its settings.
For a single track, consider the intended behaviour before switching options. If the music should resume at its prior position after a brief scene change, test that expectation with the source activation setting and close-on-inactive setting. If starting from the beginning is acceptable, a restart may be preferable. Neither choice is universally correct: a short branded clip may suit a restart, while a long ambience track may not.
Change one setting at a time and write down the original value. Test with a short, non-live preview before relying on the arrangement overnight. This keeps the cause legible if the change makes the result worse, and avoids mistaking a source setting for a YouTube connection issue.
Keep the source available in relevant scenes
A music source needs to be part of the scenes that feed the stream, or be arranged so it remains active as the picture changes. If each clip has a separate scene, placing the same independent music source in each relevant scene can be appropriate. Where possible, use one shared source rather than multiple independent copies, and check how that shared source behaves when you switch between the scenes.
There is no universal scene layout that preserves playback automatically. A hidden source can have configured behaviour that stops or restarts it; do not assume that hiding it means it keeps playing. For a VLC Video source, visibility settings also determine whether playback stops, restarts or continues when it is not visible. Choose the behaviour that fits your layout, then test a real transition.
Audio device capture is a separate matter. OBS's audio sources guide explains that input and output capture sources capture a device while the source is active, and that such sources can be specific to a scene. A scene-specific capture should not be assumed to carry audio continuously after leaving that scene. For a local file, use the Media Source directly instead of capturing the computer's output.
Also avoid capturing the same device globally and again in a scene unless you intend to mix both paths. OBS warns that duplicate capture of a device can create echo. If you are testing a microphone or desktop-audio setup, check whether the same signal appears twice in the mixer before adjusting delay or volume to compensate.
Use VLC Video for a playlist
When the music should move through several tracks, OBS's VLC Video source is the playlist alternative. It can play a playlist, with Loop Playlist available to repeat the sequence. VLC must be installed, and a 64-bit OBS installation requires 64-bit VLC; confirm the current requirements in OBS's Media Sources documentation before setting up a machine that will run unattended.
Add VLC Video, select the playlist and decide whether the playlist itself should loop. Then inspect its visibility behaviour. If the music should continue while that source is not visible, select the behaviour intended to allow that in your OBS version. Do not infer from the source being hidden that playback must continue: the chosen behaviour governs what happens, and a scene transition is the right place to test it.
A playlist is useful when you need a sequence rather than one repeated file, but it adds a dependency on VLC being installed and available on the streaming computer. If you only need one track to repeat, Media Source is the simpler option. If you need to rotate many tracks, verify that the playlist order and end-of-list behaviour are what you expect before the stream runs unattended.
Use music you have permission to broadcast. Correct playback in OBS does not establish that a track is cleared for a YouTube live stream. YouTube says live streams are scanned for matches to third-party content; if a match is identified, YouTube may replace the stream with a placeholder and warn the creator, and may interrupt or terminate a stream if the content remains. Check the current YouTube Help guidance on copyright issues with live streams, and confirm the track, territories and live-use terms with the rights holder. A licence may also require the rights owner to allowlist your channel in Content ID.
Test the transition and the mix
Test the same sequence the audience will see: start the music, play a clip, move to the next scene, hide or show the source if your layout does that, and return to the first scene. Listen for a pause, an unexpected restart, doubled music or a level change. Watch the mixer at the same time; it helps distinguish a source that stopped producing audio from audio that is present but too quiet in the final mix.
OBS's Audio Mixer Guide recommends that background music and alert effects remain in the green zone as a starting reference. Listen through Audio Monitoring while adjusting levels, rather than relying on the meter alone. Monitoring lets you hear transitions and whether the music is being mixed as intended; headphones can help, but they are not necessary to fix source continuity.
If the music meter is moving but you cannot hear it in your monitoring device, check monitoring configuration and mute states. If the meter falls when switching scenes, inspect whether the source is active there and what its inactive or visibility settings do. If the meter remains steady but the sound restarts, focus on the activation/restart controls. These checks keep the investigation tied to what OBS is actually showing.
Make the test before going live, and repeat it after changing the scene collection or replacing the source file. A transition that works in the preview should still be checked in the scenes used by the live output. For a channel that runs around the clock, relying on a one-time test from a different scene arrangement is a poor substitute for checking the actual path from clip to clip.
If repeated manual management of files and scenes is the part that keeps interrupting your routine, StreamNeo can take an uploaded video and run it as a YouTube live stream without leaving your computer on; that addresses continuous video playback, while an OBS music setup still needs its own configuration and rights checks.
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FAQ
How do I loop music in OBS?
Add the local audio file as a Media Source and enable Loop if it should repeat when playback reaches the end. Looping does not by itself keep a source active through scene changes, so also check close-on-inactive, restart and scene behaviour.
Why does music start over when I switch scenes?
OBS documents Restart playback when source becomes active as on by default for Media Source. Check that option and whether switching scenes deactivates and reactivates the source; test a transition after changing the setting rather than assuming the effect.
Do I need desktop audio capture for a local music file?
No. A Media Source plays the selected local file directly in OBS, so capturing the computer's output is not required. Use audio capture only when you need to bring a device signal into OBS, and avoid capturing the same device twice.
Can I use music that plays correctly in OBS on YouTube Live?
OBS playback only confirms that the file can play in the scene; it does not establish broadcast rights. YouTube scans live streams for third-party content, so check the current YouTube Help guidance and confirm live-stream use with the rights holder.