Use OBS Studio to repeat an aarti video inside one continuous YouTube Live broadcast. Add one local file as a Media Source and enable Loop, or use VLC Video Source with Loop Playlist for several files, then connect OBS to YouTube and check the Live Control Room preview before going live.
This removes the intentional gap caused by ending one broadcast and starting another. It cannot guarantee a technically seamless join between two file repetitions, or uninterrupted delivery if the computer, OBS, or internet connection fails.
Prepare the channel and the video
Before configuring OBS, make sure the channel is allowed to livestream. YouTube says a channel must be verified and must not have livestreaming restrictions during the previous 90 days. YouTube also says that first-time live-stream activation may take up to 24 hours, so do not leave this check until the moment you want the aarti stream to begin. See YouTube's live-streaming eligibility guidance for the current requirements.
Keep the aarti video on the same computer that will run OBS. Do not configure a file from a removable drive that may be disconnected, or from a folder that might be renamed after the scene is set up. If OBS cannot find the file when the broadcast starts, the stream may show an empty source even though the YouTube connection itself is working.
Watch the file from its first frame to its last frame before adding it. Check whether the final image fades to black, whether the audio ends early, and whether the beginning contains a title card or silence. These details matter at the join. A loop control tells OBS to play the file again, but it does not edit the beginning and end of the recording into a certified gapless master.
You also need the rights to use both the video and the aarti recording. A devotional song or ceremony recording may still belong to someone else even when the subject is religious. YouTube can identify third-party material in live content, and a rights owner may need to add a channel to its Content ID allowlist even when you have permission. Read the current YouTube copyright guidance for live streams and keep your permission records available.
If your wider plan is an always-on devotional channel, the practical risks are broader than the repeat setting. The guide on how to avoid copyright claims on a devotional YouTube Live stream is useful before you build a large rotation of recordings.
Add one aarti video as an OBS Media Source
Open OBS Studio and create a scene for the broadcast. A scene is the collection of visual and audio sources OBS sends to YouTube. If you are starting with one full-screen aarti recording, keeping the scene simple makes it easier to identify a problem later.
In the Sources panel, select the add button and choose Media Source. Give it a clear name such as Aarti main video, then create the source. In the properties window, select the local video file. OBS will load the file into the source and show its playback controls and options.
The Media Source supports common video and audio formats, but the important test is not whether OBS accepts the file. It is whether the file plays correctly for a complete cycle. Start playback in OBS and check the picture, the audio level, and the aspect ratio. A video that looks correct in a normal media player can still have an unexpected crop, black bars, or a quiet audio track in the OBS scene.
If the source is smaller than the OBS canvas, right-click it in the preview and use the transform options to fit it to the canvas. Do not stretch a portrait recording simply to fill a widescreen frame. It is usually better to preserve the image and accept side bars than to distort faces, lamps, or text in the recording.
For a simple layout, the Media Source can be the only visual source. If you add a logo or text, place it above the video in the Sources list. Keep overlays away from subtitles and devotional text that viewers need to read. You can also add a separate audio source, but first confirm that the video file's own audio is already working so you do not accidentally send the same recording twice.
YouTube's encoder workflow is described in its official live-stream setup instructions. The repeat happens in OBS before the feed reaches YouTube; YouTube receives the continuous encoder output rather than a command to replay the file.
Enable Loop for a single video
With the Media Source selected, open its properties again and find the playback options. Turn on Loop, then apply the change. OBS's Media Sources documentation describes this option as playing the file again when playback completes.
There is no second YouTube setting needed to make this particular file repeat. The source remains in the OBS scene, and when its playback reaches the end, OBS starts the selected file again. You are therefore keeping one encoder session alive instead of creating a fresh YouTube broadcast for every repetition.
Check the other playback controls before you close the properties window. If Restart playback when source becomes active is enabled, switching scenes can start the file from the beginning. That may be useful for a dedicated aarti scene, but it can be surprising if you switch away and return during a live broadcast. If you want the file to continue from its current position when the source remains active, avoid changing scenes unnecessarily.
Do not assume that the word Loop means every viewer will see an identical frame-to-frame transition. The source file may contain a final fade, a last audio sample that ends before the picture, or timing characteristics that produce a brief pause. Loop playback is the correct control for repeating one file, but the boundary still needs to be observed.
Let the video play through its end while watching the OBS preview. Listen specifically for a click, a short silence, an abrupt loudness change, or a flash to black. If the transition is unsuitable, fix the media file or accept a deliberate transition rather than trying to hide the problem with a YouTube title or description.
For a channel with several repeating programmes, a single Media Source may become difficult to manage. A YouTube Live playlist workflow for India can help you think through the order of the recordings, but the OBS setup for multiple local files is different from a playlist hosted on YouTube.
Use VLC Video Source for a playlist
Use VLC Video Source when you want OBS to play several local files in sequence. This source requires VLC Media Player to be installed on the computer first. If VLC is not installed, the VLC Video Source may not appear in OBS, so installing or updating OBS alone does not provide the playlist feature.
Install VLC from the official VideoLAN site, then restart OBS if it was open during the installation. In OBS, add a new source and choose VLC Video Source. Create a name that describes the rotation, such as Morning aarti playlist.
In the source properties, add the video files in the order in which you want them to play. Use files stored locally and check the full path shown for each entry. If you move a file later, update the playlist rather than assuming OBS will locate it in the new folder.
Enable Loop Playlist for the source. This is separate from the single-file Media Source's Loop option. The playlist should proceed from the first item to the next item, then return to the beginning after the final item has finished.
A playlist is useful when you want a morning aarti, a longer recording, and an evening prayer to rotate without manually changing the scene. It also introduces more points to test. One file may have a different resolution, audio level, frame rate, or ending from the next. Play the entire sequence before broadcasting and note how each boundary behaves.
| Setup | Best for | Main advantage | Main dependency to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media Source with Loop | One aarti video | Fewer settings and a simpler scene | The selected file must remain available locally |
| VLC Video Source with Loop Playlist | Several videos in a fixed order | Rotates multiple recordings automatically | VLC must be installed and every playlist path must work |
| Separate scenes or manual changes | Occasional programme changes | More control over presentation | Someone must operate OBS during the broadcast |
Do not add the same file both as a Media Source and inside the VLC playlist unless you deliberately want duplicate audio or picture. Keep one playback path active while testing. If the playlist stops after one pass, first confirm that Loop Playlist is enabled, VLC is installed, and each file can play on its own.
Connect OBS to a YouTube encoder stream
Open YouTube Studio and select Create, then Go live. Choose the encoder workflow and create a new stream or select an existing one. YouTube will provide a stream URL and a stream key for OBS.
In OBS, open Settings, then Stream. Select YouTube if it is available in the service list, or use the custom server option with the stream URL supplied by YouTube. Paste the stream key into the key field and save the settings. The key tells YouTube which incoming encoder feed to accept, so treat it as a credential rather than as ordinary text.
YouTube describes stream keys as “your YouTube stream’s password and address” in its stream settings documentation. Do not publish the key in a screenshot, send it in a public chat, or put it in a tutorial image. If you think it has been exposed, reset it in YouTube Live Control Room and update OBS with the replacement.
Set the stream title, description, visibility, and audience details in YouTube Studio. If this is the first test, use an unlisted stream where appropriate so you can inspect the result without presenting an unfinished broadcast to the full audience. An unlisted test still needs to be treated as a real rights and quality test because the content is being sent to YouTube.
Before starting, confirm that OBS is showing movement in the preview and that the audio meter responds when the aarti recording plays. A static image in the OBS canvas may mean the source is paused or hidden. A silent audio meter usually means the source audio is disabled, the file has no usable audio track, or the monitoring setup is being mistaken for the stream mix.
Click Start Streaming in OBS. This sends the encoder feed to YouTube, but it does not necessarily make the broadcast public immediately. YouTube needs to receive and process the feed before the Live Control Room can show its preview and stream health information.
Check the Live Control Room preview before going live
Return to YouTube Live Control Room after starting OBS. Wait for the incoming preview, then inspect the actual picture and sound. The OBS preview confirms what OBS is composing; the YouTube preview confirms what the platform is receiving.
Check the following before selecting Go live:
- The aarti picture is visible and correctly framed.
- The first part of the recording is not hidden by an unexpected crop or black screen.
- The audio meter and your own listening check indicate that the sound is present.
- The title, visibility, audience selection, and thumbnail are correct.
- The stream health panel is not reporting a connection or quality problem.
- The stream key belongs to the intended channel and broadcast.
YouTube recommends testing the setup and monitoring stream health and quality. Its stream health guidance is the right place to check the current indicators rather than relying on a single successful connection.
Watch through the end of the file in the preview if the recording is short enough to make that practical. For a long aarti video, make an unlisted test and observe the end-to-start boundary separately. You are checking whether the video behaves as expected after playback completes, not merely whether the first minute looks good.
Only after the preview and the test checks are satisfactory should you select Go live. Starting OBS and selecting Go live are two different actions. If you click Go live before the preview is ready, viewers may receive an incomplete opening or a blank source while YouTube is still waiting for the encoder feed.
What “without a gap” really means
A loop prevents the planned gap between two separate broadcasts. Without a loop, the first broadcast ends when the file ends, and someone or something must create another broadcast. With a loop in OBS, the encoder keeps sending output as the source returns to its beginning.
That is useful, but it is not a promise of a technically seamless boundary. The end of one file and the beginning of the same file may differ in video frames, audio continuity, encoding timestamps, or fade treatment. A viewer may see a brief change or hear a small pause even though the YouTube broadcast itself has not ended.
You also cannot use the Loop setting to protect against a sleeping computer, an OBS crash, a system update, a disconnected drive, or an internet outage. The computer running OBS must continue sending the feed. YouTube's guidance to test and monitor the stream is important here because a successful first connection does not prove that a long unattended session will remain healthy.
If you need a channel to continue while your computer is switched off, StreamNeo removes the specific burden of keeping a local OBS machine running by taking an uploaded video and sending it to YouTube continuously after you provide the stream key. It does not change your responsibility to use material you have the right to broadcast, and you should still check the resulting YouTube stream.
For a local OBS arrangement, reduce avoidable interruptions. Prevent the computer from sleeping, use a stable connection, keep the media on a reliable local drive, and avoid installing updates during the broadcast. These are operational precautions, not uptime guarantees. If you need a process that survives a machine reboot, read about running FFmpeg as a systemd service for a 24/7 loop, while remembering that it describes a different setup from this OBS walkthrough.
Long broadcasts also have YouTube-specific archive and DVR considerations. YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived, while DVR capabilities may be limited or unavailable for streams longer than 12 hours, as listed on YouTube Help in September 2026. Viewers cannot seek to a point before the livestream began, so an always-on loop is not the same thing as a complete on-demand library.
A long-running stream may also be interrupted by rights enforcement. If a match is found in the aarti recording, YouTube may show a placeholder or interrupt or terminate the stream. Check the current official copyright and live-stream pages before committing to an unattended schedule, especially when the recording was supplied by another person or organisation.
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FAQ
Can I loop a YouTube video directly inside YouTube Live?
For this workflow, the repeat control belongs in OBS rather than in the YouTube watch page. Add the local recording as a Media Source and enable Loop, then send OBS's continuous encoder feed to YouTube.
Why is VLC Video Source missing in OBS?
OBS's VLC Video Source requires VLC Media Player to be installed. Install VLC from VideoLAN, restart OBS, and then check the source list again. If it still does not appear, confirm that the installed OBS and VLC versions are suitable for your computer before rebuilding the scene.
Does Loop guarantee no black frame or silence at the join?
No. It prevents the intentional end of one broadcast before another begins, but it does not certify the file's final and first frames as gapless. Test the boundary in OBS and in the YouTube preview, paying attention to both the picture and the audio.
Can I leave OBS running for a 24/7 aarti stream?
You can use OBS as the encoder, but the computer, local file, OBS process, and internet connection must keep working. Configure the host to avoid sleep, monitor the stream, and test recovery rather than assuming the loop setting protects against outages.