To repeat one 4K 60fps video in OBS, add it as a Media Source and enable Loop in the source properties. That makes OBS play the file again when playback completes; it does not guarantee a frame-perfect join or prevent every black frame.
For a playlist, OBS also offers a VLC Video source with a Loop Playlist option, provided VLC is installed. Neither route is documented as a guarantee for every 4K60 file, so test the exact file in the scene you intend to use before putting it on air.
Add a Media Source to your scene
Open the scene where the video should appear. In the Sources panel, select +, choose Media Source, and give it a name that makes its role clear, such as “Main background video”. A useful name matters when a scene has several sources and you need to check which one is active during a test.
You can create a new source or select an existing one. If you select an existing source, OBS reuses its properties; check that it points to the file you intend to broadcast rather than assuming the name tells the whole story. If you create a new one, its properties open so you can choose a file and playback behaviour.
A Media Source is the straightforward route for one local video. OBS’s Media Sources documentation describes the available controls, including Loop, restart behaviour, hardware decoding and what happens when a source becomes inactive. Those controls affect different parts of playback, so change only the ones relevant to the behaviour you want.
Keep the source in the scene you will actually use. A test in a spare scene can confirm that a file opens, but it will not catch a source-order issue, an overlay covering the picture, or a different activation pattern in the live scene. If you are building a continuous channel around a repeated visual, the broader guide to looping lofi videos on a 24/7 YouTube live stream can help frame the workflow beyond this single OBS setting.
Choose the 4K60 video file
In the Media Source properties, browse to the local video file and select it. Confirm the path and filename before closing the properties. The file needs to remain available at that path when OBS uses it; moving or renaming it later can leave the source pointing to a missing item.
“4K 60fps” describes the intended resolution and frame rate, but those labels alone do not establish that a particular file will play reliably on a particular computer or produce a clean loop. OBS’s documentation does not offer a compatibility matrix or promise for that exact combination. Codec, encoding choices, file integrity, available decoding support and the scene’s other work can all matter in practice. Treat these as things to test rather than reasons to assume a specific cause before you observe a problem.
The file’s first and last pictures are part of the transition. If the final encoded picture is dark, or the opening picture begins with a fade from black, a brief dark moment may be present in the content itself. Inspect the end and beginning of the actual file, not just the middle. A clean-looking middle section cannot tell you whether the loop point will look clean.
If you are preparing a long-running channel, settle on the actual output file before the final test. Replacing it with a newly exported version after testing means you have not tested the file that will go live. The same applies if you change the scene, add overlays or alter the source settings: repeat the relevant playback check after a meaningful change.
Enable Loop and set activation behaviour
With the Media Source selected, open its properties and tick Loop. OBS describes this setting as replaying the file when playback completes. It controls repetition, not the quality of the join between the final and first frames. Do not treat the checkbox as a black-frame fix or as proof of a seamless transition.
A separate option, Restart playback when source becomes active, controls whether playback restarts when the source becomes active. That is not the same as Loop. For instance, if a source is hidden and later shown, you may want it to start from the beginning; if you want it to continue from its prior position, restarting on activation may be the wrong behaviour. Choose based on how you use scenes and visibility, then test that behaviour rather than relying on the label alone.
OBS also documents Close file when inactive. Leaving the file open avoids unloading it when the source is inactive; enabling the option can conserve resources in some workflows, but OBS warns that the source may take a short time to show again after the file has been unloaded. For a live scene where the source is switched in and out, that delay is worth considering. Do not enable it just because the channel needs to loop.
There is a practical distinction between a loop at the end of a file and a restart caused by a scene change. If the source is hidden just before or at the end and then shown again, the activation behaviour becomes part of what you are testing. OBS issue reports describe cases where rapid hide-and-show changes did not reliably trigger the expected restart; a graphics-thread explanation in one report means an immediate visibility toggle should not be treated as a dependable end-of-file restart method. See the OBS issue on fast hide/show at playback end for a version- and situation-specific report, not a universal diagnosis.
For an always-on broadcast, the source configuration is only one part of the operating plan. You still need to check the full scene and decide what should happen if the encoder, computer or connection stops; the guide to telling whether a YouTube stream stopped because of the encoder or internet covers that separate diagnosis. Looping a file does not by itself keep a YouTube broadcast running if OBS is no longer sending it.
Consider VLC Video for a playlist
If your playback job involves several files, consider a VLC Video source instead of adding a separate Media Source for each item. The VLC source accepts a playlist and includes a Loop Playlist setting, which OBS documents as enabled by default. This is a different workflow from repeating one file with Media Source Loop: decide whether you need one file to repeat or a set of items to cycle through.
The source depends on VLC being installed. OBS says the VLC Video source appears only when VLC is available, and 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. If the source is missing from the Sources menu, check the installation and whether the bitness matches before concluding that OBS cannot handle playlists. The OBS documentation on Media Sources covers the VLC route and its requirements.
| Need | Media Source | VLC Video |
|---|---|---|
| Playback contents | One selected file | A playlist of items |
| Repeat control | Loop repeats the file after playback completes | Loop Playlist repeats the playlist |
| VLC dependency | Not required for this source | VLC must be installed; match its bitness to OBS |
| Best fit | One video with per-file playback controls | A playlist workflow with multiple items |
The table is a workflow comparison, not a performance ranking. Your specific files and system still need testing. VLC Video may be convenient if you already manage a playlist, but it is not a reason to expect a more seamless join for a particular clip. Likewise, Media Source is simpler for one file, but its Loop setting does not certify smooth playback at a 4K60 boundary.
In either source type, be clear about what should happen when a source becomes hidden or active. OBS documents a visibility behaviour menu for VLC Video, while Media Source has its own restart control. Those are useful controls for scene changes; neither changes the actual beginning or ending pictures encoded in a video. For a channel that combines extended music and visual loops, the 24/7 YouTube chillhop radio setup guide offers relevant planning context for sources and channel structure.
Test the actual file and scene
Before using the loop in a live production, preview the exact file in the exact scene. Let it play through the end and back to the beginning more than once, and watch the boundary rather than only checking that playback starts. Listen as well if the video includes audio: a clean picture transition can still expose a pause, click or abrupt change in the soundtrack.
Do not assume that a short preview proves what will happen after a scene switch. Test the activation pattern you plan to use: leave the source visible continuously if that is the live behaviour, or hide and show it if your normal workflow will do that. A source that remains active and a source repeatedly reactivated are not necessarily exercising the same controls.
Use OBS’s own preview and, if useful, a local player to inspect the file’s last and first pictures. If both show a dark transition, that is evidence to inspect the content or export rather than repeatedly changing OBS settings. It is still a check, not a universal diagnosis: a player behaving differently does not establish precisely where another setup’s issue originates.
Hardware decoding is another property worth treating carefully. OBS documents it as an option when the GPU has an appropriate decoder for the file type. That does not certify that every machine will play every 4K60 file smoothly, nor does enabling it promise a clean loop boundary. If playback stutters or behaves differently with the option on, compare a controlled test with it enabled and disabled; change one thing at a time so you can tell what changed.
For an overnight or 24/7 run, a brief desk-side check is not the whole test. Let the scene run long enough to reach the loop point, and observe the output you intend viewers to see. If the stream is an operational commitment, plan who can check it and how you will respond to a failure. Some channel operators prefer not to leave a home computer running continuously; StreamNeo removes that specific need by taking an uploaded video and running it as a YouTube live stream without your computer left on. It does not change the encoded loop point or make OBS’s settings apply to another playback setup.
Diagnose a black frame methodically
A black preview does not automatically mean the Loop setting is wrong. First note when it happens: at initial load, when playback reaches the end, after hiding and showing the source, or throughout the clip. Each timing points to a different part of the workflow to inspect, though timing alone does not prove a cause.
If black appears at the loop boundary, inspect the source file’s final and opening pictures. Check whether the video itself contains a fade, black frame or an abrupt edit. If you edit or export a corrected file, use that exact replacement in OBS and test the boundary again. Do not claim that changing one OBS control has repaired content embedded in the file.
If black appears when a scene makes the source active, review Restart playback when source becomes active and the source’s visibility behaviour. Decide whether restart or resume is the desired outcome. A community thread about a source not restarting when active includes reports of mixed results from changing this setting; community experience can suggest a test, but is not a promise that the same change will solve your case. See the OBS forum discussion of source activation for that distinction.
If the VLC Video source is absent, check that VLC is installed and that its bitness matches OBS. If it appears but a particular item fails to play, try that file separately and confirm it is the item actually listed in the playlist. Avoid changing the source type, decoding option and activation settings all at once: that makes it harder to learn which part of the setup matters.
Reports of flashes and black playback should be read in context. An OBS issue report about a last-frame flash concerns OBS 25.0.8 and a particular setup; it is not proof of a current general bug or a universal workaround. A forum report where a file also appeared black in VLC likewise indicates only that one user’s case may not have been specific to OBS. Neither report identifies the cause of your black frame without testing your own file and scene.
A useful test log can be simple: note the source type, the setting you changed, what the preview showed and when it happened. If you need to ask for help, a concise description of the file, scene behaviour and reproduction steps is more useful than saying only that the loop is broken. The guide to reducing OBS CPU use during a nonstop YouTube stream can help you investigate broader load concerns, but resource use is not an automatic explanation for a black transition.
Make the live workflow fit the channel
A repeated video is often one element in a larger channel: a devotional visual, a study-room ambience scene, a local information loop or a small business display. Decide whether the content should repeat as one file or rotate through a playlist, then make the source choice that matches that job. Keeping the workflow simple makes it easier to recognise when the file, scene or live broadcast behaves differently from the test.
For a single-file stream in OBS, keep the file where the source expects it, set Loop, select the appropriate activation behaviour, and test the complete scene. If the channel is built around several clips, maintain the intended playlist and confirm each item is available. For either route, remember that repetition is a playback behaviour rather than an editorial repair: fades, audio discontinuities and mismatched first and last images need attention in the media itself.
If the broadcast must continue when your computer is off, the OBS procedure alone is not the whole operating choice. Consider the trade-off between managing playback and the encoder on your own machine and using a workflow that runs the uploaded file without leaving that computer on. Compare based on the work you want to own, the need for OBS scenes or playlist control, and the consequences of a local interruption; no setup removes the need to check that the public stream is behaving as intended.
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
Does Loop in OBS guarantee no black frame?
No. Loop tells OBS to play the file again when playback completes, but OBS does not document a guarantee of a frame-perfect transition or black-frame elimination. Inspect the file’s last and first pictures and test the loop in the intended scene.
Should I use Media Source or VLC Video?
Use Media Source for a single file and its per-file playback controls. Consider VLC Video when you need a playlist, but install VLC and match its bitness to OBS; either route still needs testing with your actual media.
What does Restart playback when source becomes active do?
It controls whether playback restarts when the source becomes active, which is separate from Loop. Choose restart or resume according to your scene workflow, then test how visibility changes behave rather than relying on a rapid hide-and-show at the end of playback.
Will these steps work for every 4K 60fps video?
The documented controls explain how to configure repetition, not a compatibility guarantee for every 4K60 file. File encoding, the playback setup and scene behaviour can differ, so test the exact file and scene you plan to use before going live.