To loop a 10-hour sleep meditation video in OBS, add the video as a local Media Source, select the file and enable Loop in its properties. Then connect OBS to YouTube Live with the stream URL and key from YouTube Studio, check the preview and start the event when the picture and sound are right.
That setup repeats the file when it reaches its end, but it cannot guarantee that a particular computer, file or internet connection will run without interruption for ten hours. Test the full route in advance, keep the source file available on the computer running OBS, and monitor the broadcast while it is live.
Prepare the local meditation video
OBS can play a file from a Media Source only while that file is available to the computer running OBS. Before building the scene, find the finished video and note where it is stored. If you move, rename or remove it after setting up the source, OBS may no longer find it. A file held on a removable drive also depends on that drive remaining connected and accessible throughout the stream.
OBS lists formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF and WebM for Media Sources. MP4 is a common choice, but a listed format is not a promise that every file will behave identically. The documentation does not establish a maximum duration or file size for this workflow. Try the exact ten-hour file in OBS before scheduling the event, rather than assuming that its length alone proves it will play reliably.
Check the video from beginning to end, including the final seconds and the point where it returns to the beginning. Listen for a sudden change in loudness, a gap, a click, or a section that is much louder than the rest. If the file has a fade at the end but begins at full volume, the loop may still sound abrupt. You can correct an edit before going live; a loop setting repeats the file but does not repair its contents.
Use only visuals and audio for which you have appropriate rights. YouTube’s live streaming settings guidance advises creators to avoid infringing content and to follow its Community Guidelines. Check the current official guidance and the terms that apply to your material; a sleep or meditation label does not by itself establish permission to broadcast it.
If you are still deciding whether a computer needs to stay on for a recorded-video broadcast, the practical trade-offs are similar to those in this guide to streaming recorded lectures around the clock. This article focuses on the local OBS path, where your computer must be available to play the source and send the stream.
Add the file as an OBS Media Source
Open the OBS scene that you intend to send to YouTube. In the Sources dock, add a Media Source, give it a clear name such as “Sleep meditation video”, and choose the local file. OBS describes scenes and sources as the building blocks of the stream output; the scene is what combines the video with any other elements you add.
For one prepared video, the built-in Media Source is usually the simpler starting point. You do not need to construct a playlist or add a separate media player dependency. The OBS Media Sources guide describes the source controls and supported file types. Interface details can change, so check the current guide if a label is not where you expect it.
After selecting the file, look at the OBS canvas. If the picture is too small, off-centre or cropped, select the source and use its transform controls to fit or position it within the scene. Preserve the footage’s proportions unless you deliberately want to crop or stretch it. Stretching a landscape meditation video to fill a different shape can distort people, candles or other visible objects; black bars may be less distracting than a distorted image.
If the source appears blank, first verify that the file path is correct and that the file opens in a player on the same computer. Then check that the source is visible in the scene and that it is not hidden behind another source. Do not begin troubleshooting the YouTube connection until OBS itself can show and play the intended file.
For a single file, VLC Video is an alternative, not a requirement. It can handle a media list and has a Loop Playlist control, but it depends on VLC being installed; OBS notes that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. Use that route when you actually need its playlist behaviour. If you only want one local meditation video to repeat, the built-in source has fewer pieces to check.
| Choice | When it fits | Repeat setting | Extra dependency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media Source | One local video file | Loop | None beyond OBS and the file |
| VLC Video | A playlist or VLC-specific workflow | Loop Playlist | VLC installed with matching architecture |
The table describes the workflow choice, not a performance ranking. Whichever source you use, the media must remain accessible to OBS. For other playback approaches, the guide to looping videos on a Raspberry Pi for YouTube covers a different local-device setup; the steps here use OBS on the computer that will encode the live output.
Turn on Loop
In the Media Source properties, enable Loop. OBS defines this setting as replaying the file when playback completes. It is the control that tells the source to return to the beginning at the end of the video. Save or close the properties, then test playback in the scene and let it reach the file’s end if possible.
Do not confuse Loop with Restart playback when source becomes active. The latter controls what happens when the source becomes active or visible in the current scene. It is useful if you want playback to start again when you switch back to a scene, but it does not replace Loop at the end of a file. For continuous repetition of the same video, check Loop explicitly.
A ten-hour file may not reach its end during a short setup check, so use a shorter test copy if you need to verify the end-to-start transition promptly. That can test the setting and scene behaviour, but it cannot establish that the full-length file will remain available or that the stream will stay connected overnight. Before the actual event, also play the real file for a meaningful period and inspect its picture and sound.
If the video stops instead of repeating, reopen the source properties and check the Loop control first. Confirm that the selected file is the one you intended, and that the source remains visible in the active scene. If you use VLC Video, check Loop Playlist rather than looking for Media Source’s Loop control. These settings operate at the player/source level; neither one reconnects a failed YouTube stream.
Connect OBS to YouTube Live
In YouTube Studio, open Live Control Room and create or select an encoder stream. YouTube’s encoder streaming guide explains the flow for sending an encoder feed. Copy the server URL and stream key shown for the stream you are using, then open OBS stream settings and enter them in the corresponding fields.
Treat the stream key like a password. YouTube describes it as the stream’s password and address; do not show it in a screenshot or share it in a public message. If you believe it has been exposed, reset it in YouTube Studio and update OBS with the replacement. Also make sure you have selected the intended scheduled stream or encoder destination: a correct key for a different stream can send the feed somewhere other than the event you meant to prepare.
If you are uncertain which scheduled event a key belongs to, check the destination before starting the encoder. This guide to checking whether a stream key is bound to the right scheduled stream addresses that specific point. Keep the copied URL and key private while checking, and avoid pasting the key into notes or support messages that do not need it.
Network capacity matters as well as the OBS settings. YouTube’s streaming tips recommend leaving upload-bandwidth room beyond the total stream bitrate, with 20% headroom recommended. This is YouTube’s guidance, not a guarantee that a connection will remain stable. Other devices sharing the connection can use capacity, and actual performance can vary over time. If the preview is unstable, check the selected URL and key, encoder status and available upload capacity before changing several settings at once.
Check the Live Control Room preview
Start streaming from OBS to begin sending the encoder feed. Starting the encoder is not necessarily the same action as making the event public: in the YouTube encoder workflow, check that the feed reaches Live Control Room and start the live event there when you are ready. YouTube recommends checking the preview before going live. Follow the current controls shown in Studio, since the exact flow can vary with the event setup.
In the preview, verify the actual picture and sound, not only that a connection indicator appears. Look at the framing, brightness and movement; listen for the meditation audio and confirm that it is not muted, distorted or unexpectedly mixed with desktop sound. Check that the title and scheduled event are the intended ones before you start. A preview can expose an incorrect scene, a silent source or a wrong destination while you still have time to correct it.
If no preview appears, confirm that OBS is streaming, that the stream URL and key match the selected YouTube event, and that the source is visible and playing in the active scene. Allow time for the feed to appear, then use the status information in OBS and Studio to narrow down whether the issue is the encoder connection or the scene output. Avoid sharing your stream key while asking someone to help diagnose the problem.
The preview is a check of the current feed, not a prediction of what will happen later in a ten-hour run. A clean preview shows that picture and sound are reaching YouTube at that moment. It cannot test every later file read, computer sleep setting, power interruption or network change.
Start the live event deliberately
Once the preview is correct, start the live event from the control that YouTube presents for that encoder stream. Keep OBS open and confirm that the live output continues to show the intended scene. If you are running a scheduled sleep channel, tell anyone else who manages the account which event is active and who will monitor it; this reduces confusion if someone sees the stream in Studio later.
Before starting, make the room and computer suitable for a long run. Connect power, prevent the computer from going to sleep if your operating system would otherwise suspend it, and close applications that might interrupt playback or consume upload capacity. These are practical precautions, not guarantees. Do not make a change to power or network settings for the first time just before an important broadcast; test the same arrangement beforehand.
Starting a YouTube live event also does not establish that the material is suitable for every audience or that the channel meets every current platform requirement. Review YouTube’s current rules and your own rights to the video and audio. If the event is intended for a particular audience or has a scheduled start, verify those details in Studio before going live rather than relying on the OBS scene name as a reminder.
Test in advance and monitor playback
Run a rehearsal using the same computer, scene, local file, network and YouTube workflow you plan to use. Check not only that OBS can start, but also that audio remains present, the picture stays framed correctly and the YouTube preview remains healthy. A test that stops after a few minutes can catch a wrong file or key, but it cannot prove a ten-hour session will be uninterrupted. A longer test gives more opportunity to notice problems; it still cannot rule out a later failure.
While live, monitor both OBS and YouTube’s live status. Listen at intervals, check that the video is moving as expected, and watch for connection warnings, dropped frames or an absent preview. If you cannot watch continuously, arrange a realistic check-in plan with someone who can access the channel and knows how to verify the stream. Do not assume that because the source loops locally, YouTube is necessarily receiving it continuously.
YouTube’s encoder guide says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. A ten-hour broadcast is below that stated threshold, but archiving is separate from uninterrupted playback: it says nothing about whether your computer or connection will stay available for the whole run. Recheck YouTube’s current guidance before relying on a platform detail, because rules and interfaces can change.
If you encounter a problem, identify where it occurs before changing the setup. If OBS’s canvas has stopped, inspect the source file and scene. If OBS is still producing a picture but YouTube preview is missing or unstable, check the encoder connection, key, event selection and upload connection. If the stream returns after a local pause, confirm whether audio and video are in sync. Make one correction at a time and verify the result in the preview.
A local OBS workflow means the computer is part of the broadcast chain for as long as you use it. That can be the right fit if you want to control the scene directly and can leave the machine available. If the requirement is to have your own computer switched off, StreamNeo removes that specific burden by taking an uploaded video and running it as a YouTube live stream; it does not change the need to use material you have rights to broadcast or to check YouTube’s current rules.
The choice is about who must keep the source and encoder available, not about a guaranteed outcome. If a local computer is preferable, keep the file in place and test your OBS scene. If you need the machine out of the ongoing workflow, compare the operating options before choosing a route.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
How do I loop a video in OBS?
Add the local file as a Media Source, open its properties and turn on Loop. That setting repeats the file at the end of playback. Check the scene and the start-to-end transition before sending it to YouTube.
Can OBS loop a file that is not on my computer?
A Media Source needs the selected file to be available to the computer running OBS. If the file is moved, the drive is disconnected or the path becomes unavailable, OBS may not be able to play it. Keep the source accessible for the broadcast and test the actual setup.
Does a ten-hour test guarantee ten hours live?
No. A longer rehearsal can expose problems with the file, scene, computer or connection, but it cannot guarantee that none will occur later. Monitor the live output and treat the preview as a check of the current feed, not a promise about its future state.
Should I use Media Source or VLC Video?
For one local video, Media Source is usually the simpler choice because it does not require VLC or playlist management. VLC Video can suit a playlist workflow and offers Loop Playlist, but OBS requires VLC to be installed and its architecture to match OBS. Pick the source that matches what you actually need to play.