To loop a wedding exhibition replay on YouTube Live, add the authorised video file to an OBS Studio scene as a Media Source, enable Loop, and send OBS to a scheduled YouTube encoder event. You still control when the broadcast begins and ends in YouTube Live Control Room; repeating a recording does not make the exhibition itself live.
This is a procedural guide based on OBS and YouTube documentation, not a report of a tested setup. Menu labels and layouts can change, so check the current interfaces before the event and rehearse with the same file and account you intend to use.
Check replay rights and prepare the file
Start with permission, not the encoder. Confirm that you are entitled to stream the complete recording, including the venue footage, performers, music, and any other third-party material in it. A wedding exhibition video can contain music playing in the background or performances recorded by someone other than the organiser; permission for the recording itself does not necessarily cover every element for a public livestream.
YouTube’s livestream terms and conditions put responsibility on the provider to have the necessary rights for Live Content, including music licensing rights. Its guidance on copyright issues with live streams explains that live broadcasts are scanned for third-party content and may be interrupted or terminated. The guidance also notes that a licence alone may not prevent an interruption if the relevant rights holder has not allowlisted the channel.
For an event in India, do not assume that an online checklist settles every local question. Ask the relevant rights holders and the venue or event organiser about the permissions that apply to the recording, performers, music and planned audience. The platform guidance does not enumerate India-specific permits or licensing procedures for a wedding exhibition, so check current official information and obtain advice for your circumstances where needed.
Prepare a final, local copy of the replay before opening OBS. Give it a recognisable filename, keep it in a folder that will remain available during the broadcast, and play it through once to check that the intended opening, picture and sound are present. If you revise or replace the video later, verify that OBS points to the final copy rather than an earlier draft.
OBS documents local file playback through a Media Source and lists formats including MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI and WebM. That does not mean every file will behave identically on every computer, so use a file you can play and inspect in your own environment. If you need to check export choices, the blog’s guide to choosing MKV or MP4 for YouTube streaming discusses the format trade-off; it is not a substitute for testing your specific replay.
Create or schedule a YouTube Live event
In YouTube Studio, create or schedule an encoder-based live event in Live Control Room. Add a clear title and the audience, privacy and other event details you intend to use. Scheduling gives you a watch page that can be shared ahead of time, but it does not start the broadcast: the event page, incoming encoder signal and the live start are separate steps.
YouTube’s encoder streaming guide describes creating or scheduling a stream and then connecting an encoder. Follow the current prompts in your account, because available settings and menu names can change. If the event is meant for invited viewers, check its privacy setting and test that the intended audience can open the page. For a public exhibition, make sure the published title and description do not imply that a recorded replay is happening in real time.
When YouTube presents the stream URL and stream key, copy them carefully. The key is a credential: YouTube describes stream keys as password-like, so do not place it in a public document, screenshot or message. Store it only where the person configuring OBS needs it, and avoid showing the settings screen while sharing a desktop or recording instructions.
YouTube may provide options for stream latency and other event behaviour in its settings. Choose with the audience and interaction needs in mind rather than changing unfamiliar controls shortly before the event. If you expect viewers to rewind while watching, consult YouTube’s DVR information for live streams: DVR viewing and the later archive are different experiences, and DVR viewers cannot seek to a point before the stream began.
Add the video as an OBS Media Source
Create a scene for the replay in OBS Studio, then add a Media Source and point it to the local video file. OBS’s Media Sources documentation explains the source properties and supported local media use. The exact labels or layout may differ in your installed version, so use the documentation alongside the current interface rather than relying on an old screenshot.
A single Media Source is a straightforward fit when you have one exhibition replay to repeat. A playlist-based approach is useful for a different job, such as rotating several items, but it adds decisions about sequence and transitions. OBS also documents a VLC video source for playlists, which requires VLC; for one file, start with the simpler local source unless your event needs a playlist.
After selecting the file, look at the scene preview. Check that the image is framed as intended and is not hidden behind another source. If the recording has audio, watch the OBS audio meters while playing it. A visible picture with no meter movement, or a meter that moves when the file is meant to be silent, is a reason to inspect the source and mixer before going further.
The loop setting will only repeat the source; it will not repair an unsuitable file, route missing audio, or ensure the preview fills the viewer’s screen. For another perspective on diagnosing a looping source, see the blog’s black-screen troubleshooting guide for an OBS YouTube stream. Its particular example is different, but the practical principle applies: inspect the source in the scene rather than assuming that a looping file is visible and audible.
Enable Loop for the replay
Open the Media Source properties and enable Loop. OBS documents this control as restarting a file when playback completes; it is off by default in the documentation. With the option enabled, the source begins again from its start when it reaches the end. That makes the recorded content repeat while the encoder continues to send a live signal.
Do not confuse a loop with a live event’s start and end controls. OBS can repeat the file, but you decide when to send the encoder signal and when to end the YouTube event. If you stop the source or the encoder, the broadcast will not keep running merely because Loop is enabled. Likewise, ending a YouTube event is an intentional action separate from the end of one pass through the replay.
Check the loop behaviour before event day: play the source long enough to verify the beginning and end are the portions you expect, then confirm the source returns to the opening rather than stopping. This is a procedural safeguard, not a claim that every file or configuration has been tested. If the file has a black frame, unwanted credits, silence or a long pause at its end, the loop repeats those too. Edit or replace the file if that is not appropriate, and check the new version in OBS.
For a one-file exhibition replay, compare the choices this way:
| Approach | What repeats | Useful when | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media Source with Loop | One local file restarts at its end | You have one prepared replay | The same file repeats; the operator still manages the event start and finish |
| Playlist source | Items in a playlist can play in sequence, with playlist looping available | You have multiple clips or segments | More items and transitions need checking; OBS documents the VLC source as requiring VLC |
| Single playback without Loop | The file plays once and ends | You only want one pass | It does not provide a repeating programme |
This is a comparison of source behaviour, not a performance ranking. If you are making a continuous channel from multiple Hindi music items rather than replaying one event, the blog’s guide to a 24/7 Hindi music stream covers a different playlist-oriented scenario.
Set the encoder stream URL and key
Open OBS’s streaming settings and choose the YouTube connection method presented by your version. Enter or select the event’s stream URL and provide its matching stream key. The URL identifies the destination for the encoder signal; the key identifies the event connection. A key copied from a different event can send your encoder to the wrong stream, so compare the selected event details before starting.
Keep the stream key private. Treat it as a password rather than as ordinary event information. If you think it has been exposed, use YouTube Studio’s current controls to replace or reset it and update OBS with the new value. Do not include the key in a public-facing guide, stream overlay or handover document.
Before relying on the connection, review the output settings available in OBS and match them to what your network and viewing plan can support. The research basis for this guide does not prescribe a bitrate for every India connection, and a suitable setting depends on the source, network stability and resolution. For a constrained upload connection, the blog’s 480p bitrate checklist is a relevant starting point, but verify the current YouTube recommendations and monitor your own connection rather than treating any number as universal.
An encoder connection is not a guarantee of a successful broadcast. If you are using a local computer, the file must remain accessible and OBS must keep sending the signal. A local network interruption, computer sleep or application problem can affect the feed. Plan who will watch the controls and what they will do if the preview disappears; do not assume the replay’s Loop setting handles connection recovery.
Check the preview and start the broadcast
Start streaming from OBS when you are ready for YouTube to receive the encoder feed. Then wait for the incoming signal and preview in Live Control Room. YouTube recommends testing the setup, checking the preview before going live and monitoring audio and video quality; see its computer livestream tips. Do not press the live-start control until the event details, preview and intended audience are right.
In the preview, check more than whether a picture appears. Confirm that the correct replay is playing, that its sound is present at a sensible level, and that the title and event page identify it as a replay. If you have a second device or a colleague available, use it to open the intended watch page and confirm that the viewing experience matches your audience setting. That is especially useful when a scheduled page was created in advance or the event is not public.
When everything is ready, use Live Control Room’s current control to go live. OBS continues to send the file while YouTube presents the event. Keep an operator available to watch the incoming status and audio/video during the broadcast. If the signal drops or the picture freezes, check the source playback, OBS connection and YouTube status in sequence; avoid changing several settings at once, which makes it harder to identify the cause.
Plan the finish as carefully as the start. YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived; very long streams may have limited DVR availability. An archive is the post-event recording, whereas DVR is the live viewer’s ability to move back within the current stream. YouTube’s DVR guidance explains the distinction and the limits. If you want the replay archived, end the event deliberately in Live Control Room and stop sending from the encoder as appropriate, following the current YouTube controls.
Confirm current menu names before event day
Interfaces change, so treat this article as a workflow and not a promise that a particular button will always be in a particular place. OBS updates can alter source property labels, and YouTube Studio can revise its Live Control Room layout. Before the event, open the current OBS Media Source documentation and YouTube encoder guide, then compare them with the software versions and account you will actually use.
A practical rehearsal can use a private or unlisted test event, subject to the options currently available in your account. Check the whole chain: the final local file loads, Loop returns it to the start, the meters respond as expected, OBS connects to the intended event, and Live Control Room receives the preview. Confirm that a viewer can access the watch page using the intended privacy setting. A rehearsal helps reveal mismatches; it does not guarantee the public event will be uninterrupted.
Keep a short run sheet for event day: event title and watch page, the location of the approved replay, the OBS scene to use, the person holding the stream key, and the person authorised to start and end the event. Do not put the key itself on a broadly shared sheet. If someone else is taking over, show them the current interface privately and make clear that the recording is a replay, not a live exhibition.
For a recurring channel, consider whether a local computer needs to remain available throughout each broadcast. If keeping that machine awake and connected is the specific operational difficulty, StreamNeo can take an uploaded video and run it as a YouTube livestream while your computer is switched off, so the repeated broadcast does not depend on leaving your own workstation running. It is YouTube-only, and it does not remove the need to clear rights, describe the recording honestly, or check the event and preview.
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 looping make the wedding exhibition live?
No. Looping repeats a recorded file inside a livestream; it does not turn the original exhibition into a live event. Describe it as a replay or recorded programme so viewers are not misled about when it took place.
Can I stream the replay if I have permission to use the video?
You need rights for the material in the stream, including relevant music and performances, not just access to the video file. YouTube says live content is scanned for third-party material and may be interrupted; check the current guidance and any required permissions with the relevant rights holders.
What happens when the video reaches its end?
With Loop enabled on the OBS Media Source, OBS restarts the file after playback completes. Without Loop, the source plays once and ends, though the YouTube encoder event and source playback are separate controls.
Is the replay automatically saved after the livestream?
YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived, while very long streams may have limited DVR functionality. Archive availability and live DVR are distinct, so check the current YouTube guidance and event status rather than assuming viewers can rewind or that an archive is ready immediately.