To loop one video in an OBS-powered YouTube live stream, add it as a Media Source, enable Loop in its properties, and keep that source visible in the scene you are sending. Then test the end-to-start transition and confirm the incoming picture in YouTube Live Control Room; the Loop setting does not guarantee that every transition will be free of black frames.
YouTube’s player repeat control is separate: it repeats playback for an individual viewer and does not make an encoder repeat its outgoing live programme. For a broadcast loop, the setting belongs in the software or service producing the live output.
Choose a source for one video
In OBS, select the scene you intend to send to YouTube. In the Sources dock, add a Media Source, then choose the local video file. OBS documents common supported types including MP4, MOV, MKV and WebM, along with several others; if a file will not open, check the current OBS Media Source documentation for formats and source behaviour rather than assuming the extension alone proves compatibility.
A Media Source is the straightforward choice when one file should repeat from its beginning after it finishes. You can also use an OBS VLC Video source to play a playlist and enable its separate Loop Playlist control. That is useful when you want several files in sequence, but it adds a VLC dependency: OBS notes that VLC must be installed, and 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. For one video, the ordinary Media Source avoids turning a single-file job into a playlist setup.
| What you want to broadcast | OBS source to consider | What repeats |
|---|---|---|
| One local video over and over | Media Source with Loop enabled | The selected file after playback completes |
| Several local videos in sequence | VLC Video with Loop Playlist enabled | The playlist after it completes |
| A viewer to replay a YouTube video | YouTube player Repeat control | Playback for that viewer, not your live encoder output |
The YouTube player control is not a fallback for a missing OBS loop. YouTube’s Help guidance on looping videos concerns playback in the player. It does not change what OBS sends to the live ingest. If the broadcast needs to stay live while a file repeats, configure and test the encoder-side source.
Enable Loop in source properties
Select the Media Source and open its properties. Choose the intended local file and turn on Loop, then apply the change. In OBS’s documented behaviour, Loop restarts the file when playback completes; it is off by default. This control governs what happens at the end of playback, not whether the source is visible, whether the right scene is being output, or whether YouTube is receiving the encoder signal.
Do not confuse Loop with Restart playback when source becomes active. The restart option concerns what happens when the source enters the current scene and becomes visible. Loop concerns what happens when playback reaches the end. A source can be configured to loop and still start partway through after a scene change, depending on the other setting and how the scene is used. If you need the video to begin at its first frame whenever that source becomes active, test the restart behaviour separately.
After setting the properties, watch the OBS preview. Confirm that the expected file appears, that it is sized and positioned as intended, and that audio behaves as expected if the file contains a soundtrack. Do not infer success just from seeing a Loop tick box. The test should include the actual playback and transition you intend viewers to see.
If OBS reports that the file is unavailable or the preview stays black, reselect the local file and verify that it still exists at that path. If you move the video or open the project on another computer, the saved source may not point to the same location. The OBS source documentation is the appropriate reference for details that depend on the version you use.
Keep the source visible in the streamed scene
In the Sources dock, check the eye icon beside the Media Source. A crossed-out or disabled visibility control means the source is hidden in that scene. Click it so the source is visible, then check the canvas preview again. A source can be correctly configured and looping while contributing no picture because it is hidden.
Also confirm that you are editing the scene that is actually being sent to YouTube. OBS can contain several scenes, and a video may be visible in one while the live output uses another. If you use Studio Mode, distinguish the preview scene from the program scene: the picture waiting in preview is not necessarily the picture currently being sent. Before testing, make the intended scene the output scene and inspect the output view.
For a long-running channel, keep the scene simple enough that you can inspect it at a glance. A background, title overlay and video can work together, but each extra source is another thing to check if the picture disappears. If the goal is one full-screen video, remove or hide sources you do not need while testing. If you are also balancing a separate audio source, the OBS audio-sync troubleshooting walkthrough can help you investigate timing without mistaking an audio problem for a picture problem.
Visibility is a scene-level condition, not a property of YouTube’s player. A viewer-side repeat button cannot reveal a hidden encoder source. First get the intended picture into the OBS output, then follow it through the incoming preview and, if necessary, the watch page.
Check scene and source order
OBS layers sources in a stack. A source higher in the Sources list appears above one lower down; an opaque image, colour source, browser layer or other full-canvas element can cover the video beneath it. If the Media Source is visible but the preview looks blank or shows a different image, inspect the list from top to bottom and temporarily hide other sources to see whether the video is underneath them.
The order should match the design. If a logo or text overlay should sit over the video, place that overlay above the Media Source. If a full-screen background or colour block is intended to sit behind the video, keep it below. After changing order, check the actual canvas: a source can be visible and correctly ordered but still be positioned off-screen, cropped, or too small to notice.
Use the preview to separate two questions: is the source contributing a picture, and is the picture framed as intended? Fit or transform the source to the canvas where appropriate, then inspect the edges and any overlays. Avoid rebuilding the scene before testing the simple case of just the Media Source; removing layers temporarily can show whether stacking is the cause.
If the scene contains a playlist, captions or a moving overlay, restore those one at a time after the video is visible. That makes it easier to identify which layer changes the output. It is a practical isolation method, not proof that a particular source type is inherently faulty.
Inspect the end-to-start transition
A loop can be enabled without every file producing a visually seamless join. The last frames may differ sharply from the first, or the file may contain a fade or blank frame at either end. Let the video play all the way through in OBS and watch the hand-off to the beginning. The setting restarts playback after completion, but the documentation does not promise a frame-perfect transition for every file and system.
If you see a black gap only at the repeat point, inspect the file itself and replay the transition in OBS. Check whether the black image is already present in the video’s ending or opening frames. If you have an edited source file, trimming an intentional blank tail or adjusting its beginning may help, but keep a copy of the original and verify audio timing after any edit. A short visual pause may be part of the source rather than a failure of the loop control.
Do not judge only from the first few seconds after pressing play. A one-time start can look correct while the repeat boundary behaves differently. For an always-on devotional, ambience or study channel, a test that includes at least one full pass through the video is especially useful because it exercises the exact point where a loop restarts.
If OBS’s preview remains continuously visible across the join but YouTube’s incoming preview does not, move on to checking the output and ingest path. If both show the gap, start with the source and scene. This comparison narrows where to look; it does not by itself establish a universal cause.
Confirm the picture in YouTube Live Control Room
Connect OBS to the intended YouTube stream using the stream URL and stream key in the encoder settings. Treat the key like a password: do not post it in screenshots or messages, and reset it in Live Control Room if you believe someone else has seen it. YouTube’s encoder setup instructions explain the connection process. Use the current instructions for your account and workflow.
Before starting a public broadcast, send a test stream and wait for the incoming preview in YouTube Live Control Room. YouTube recommends checking the preview before starting and monitoring stream health and messages during the event. The preview is an important separate check: a visible OBS canvas confirms what OBS is displaying locally, not by itself what YouTube has received.
If OBS’s output preview is visible but YouTube’s incoming preview is black, confirm that OBS is outputting the intended scene, and check that the encoder is connected to the correct stream URL and key. Read the Live Control Room status and stream health messages. YouTube’s live encoder settings guidance covers supported codecs and configuration recommendations; consult its current table for the resolution, frame rate and codec you plan to use rather than relying on a universal bitrate figure.
If the incoming preview looks right but viewers say the watch page is black, check the actual live watch page from another device or network and confirm that the stream is still live. That observation does not identify the cause on its own. The issue may be specific to the playback device or connection, and the official guidance does not establish a single fix for every such report.
Keep the diagnosis scoped to the first point where the picture disappears: OBS source preview, OBS output scene, YouTube incoming preview, or viewer watch page. Comparing those points is more useful than repeatedly toggling Loop when the file is already visible and playing correctly in OBS.
Plan for a stream that must run unattended
A local OBS loop depends on the computer and broadcast setup remaining active. If you rely on your own computer, plan for power, network interruption, software prompts and the possibility that the encoder stops. Test the complete arrangement for the duration and conditions you expect to operate, and check it periodically rather than assuming the first successful start settles every later issue.
YouTube recommends testing with audio and video movement similar to the planned stream, checking the Live Control Room preview, and monitoring stream health. For a channel expected to run overnight, a deliberate test before leaving it unattended is more useful than a quick preview while the source is still near its beginning. For network planning, compare your measured upload capacity and stream settings with the practical advice in YouTube bitrate warning fixes for Indian connections and upload speed planning for a 24/7 YouTube stream in India. These are related operating concerns, but they do not replace checking the image loop itself.
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FAQ
How do I loop one video on YouTube Live?
In OBS, add the local file as a Media Source and enable Loop in its properties. Keep that source visible in the scene sent to YouTube, then test the end-to-start transition and confirm the incoming preview in Live Control Room before broadcasting publicly.
Why is my OBS video source black?
Check that the source points to the intended file, is visible in the active output scene, and is not covered by an opaque source above it. If OBS’s output is visible but YouTube’s incoming preview is black, check the selected output scene, stream connection and Live Control Room messages rather than assuming the file loop is at fault.
Does YouTube’s Loop button work for live streams?
No. The player’s Repeat control repeats playback for the viewer using it; it does not tell OBS or another encoder to repeat a video in the live output. Set the repeat behaviour in the source or broadcast workflow instead.
Does enabling Loop guarantee there will be no black screen?
No. Loop restarts the file when it reaches the end, but visibility, source order, the file’s own opening and ending frames, encoder output and YouTube ingest are separate checks. Test the transition and compare OBS with YouTube’s incoming preview to locate the stage that needs attention.