To repeat a local file in OBS, open its Media Source properties and turn on Loop. That repeats the file when it reaches the end; it does not restart your YouTube live broadcast.
A separate setting, Restart playback when source becomes active, determines whether the file goes back to its beginning when the source becomes active. Turn that off if you want playback to retain its position when possible, then test the source in the scenes you actually use. Neither setting controls stream restarts or guarantees uninterrupted playback.
Confirm this is a media playback issue
First identify what has stopped or started over. If a song, video, or other local file reaches its end and begins again, or starts at the beginning after a scene change, you are dealing with source playback. If the live broadcast itself disconnects, reconnects, or starts a new session, that is a different problem. The two Media Source controls discussed here do not repair or trigger broadcast restarts.
A useful check is to watch OBS's preview and the live output separately. If the preview still shows the scene while the file changes position or goes quiet, investigate the source and its visibility. If the broadcast drops as a whole, look at the stream connection, encoder, and the platform's current guidance instead. Do not change source playback settings expecting them to fix a network interruption.
This distinction matters in an always-on channel. A devotional channel might have a continuous broadcast while its background bhajan file reaches the end and starts again. Conversely, the music might continue locally while the broadcast connection has failed. A loop can address the first situation; it cannot prove the second is healthy.
If your actual issue is an internet interruption and a broadcast that needs recovery, use a separate process such as the checks in this guide to recovering a YouTube radio livestream after an outage. For the task here, keep the live session running and test only the file's playback behaviour.
Open the Media Source properties
In the OBS Sources list, select the source that plays the local file. Open its Properties and confirm that the source type is Media Source. If you have several similar sources, identify the one in the active scene: changing a different source will not alter the playback you are watching.
Check the file field while you are there. Make sure the expected local file is selected and that it is available to the computer running OBS. If OBS cannot read the intended file, a loop setting will not make the correct media play. The properties window is also where you can distinguish settings for a single file from settings for a playlist source.
The OBS Project's Media Sources documentation describes the Media Source options, including Loop and Restart playback when source becomes active. OBS labels and layout can vary across releases, so rely on the setting names and their descriptions in your own properties window rather than expecting every screenshot or menu position to match.
Before changing anything, note the current values of the two playback controls. That gives you a simple way to undo a change if your intended scene behaviour differs from the result. You do not need to restart the broadcast to open source properties or adjust these playback options.
Enable Loop to repeat at the end of the file
For a single local file, turn on Loop. OBS describes this setting as specifying whether the file plays again once playback has completed. In practical terms, the current play reaches the end and begins again from the start. It is a repeat behaviour for that media file, not a command to restart the stream.
Apply the change and watch the file reach its end in a controlled test. If you are testing a long programme, seek near the end or use a short test file in a separate scene; avoid interrupting a live programme merely to wait for a full-length recording to finish. Check that the expected file begins again and that the scene remains visible in the output.
Looping one file is different from arranging several files in order. If you need a playlist rather than a single repeated item, OBS documents VLC Video as a source type with a Loop Playlist setting. The VLC source requires VLC to be installed for it to appear as an available source, according to the OBS documentation. Its playlist and visibility behaviour should be checked independently; do not assume that the single-file Media Source options work identically for a playlist.
A multi-item rotation can be a better fit when different programme segments need to play in sequence. For planning how many items a continuously running programme may need, see this article on choosing the number of videos in a 24/7 YouTube playlist. For a single file that should repeat, start with the built-in Media Source loop instead of adding playlist complexity.
Disable restart-on-activation to preserve position
Restart playback when source becomes active is separate from Loop. OBS describes it as setting the file to restart once the source is in the current scene and visible. When this option is enabled, making the source active can send playback to the beginning. If you do not want activation to do that, turn the option off.
This can help when the same source is used across scenes. For example, you may switch between a full-screen devotional image and a scene with a small information panel while the same background track continues. With restart-on-activation disabled, playback may carry on rather than jumping back to the beginning when the source is active again. Whether it does so depends on whether the source remains active in the output and on the scene arrangement, so verify the actual setup.
The setting is not a universal “remember my position” guarantee. It changes what happens on activation; it does not ensure the source stays active, keep a hidden source playing, or preserve a position through every reset, file change, or configuration. If the source is deactivated, removed, or otherwise restarted, the outcome may differ from what you intended. Test with the same scene transitions and visibility conditions you will use on air.
A practical choice is to decide which behaviour you want before the test. If each time a scene appears you want the clip to begin at its opening, leave restart-on-activation enabled. If a shared source should continue from its current playback position when it becomes active again, disable it and verify continuity. Neither choice changes whether the live broadcast itself restarts.
Understand when a source becomes active
A source can be in a scene without being active in the programme output. Scene selection, transitions, and visibility all affect what reaches the output. OBS's description ties restart-on-activation to the source being in the current scene and visible. This is why two people can see different results from the same checkbox: their scene and visibility arrangements may not be the same.
Consider a two-scene setup. Scene A has the Media Source visible as a background. Scene B has that same source added and visible under an overlay. Depending on how the scenes and source instances are arranged, switching scenes may make the source active again or may leave the existing instance active. If restart-on-activation is enabled, an activation can restart the file; with it disabled, playback can continue if the source has remained active. Do not infer the result from the scene names alone.
A community discussion on the OBS Project forum about background music across scene changes illustrates this sort of use case. Treat such examples as practical context, not a guarantee for every OBS version or scene layout. The official source description is the better reference for what the control is intended to do, while your own test establishes how your arrangement behaves.
If your channel rotates programmes rather than simply repeating one file, separate playback continuity from content scheduling. A playlist approach for rotating seasonal stories involves choices about the sequence and timing of multiple items, while a single Media Source loop repeats one file. Pick the simplest source type that matches the job.
Test playback without restarting the broadcast
You can validate these settings while leaving the live broadcast alone. Use a local recording or a private test setup if the content or transitions should not appear to viewers. For an existing live scene, make a modest test that will not expose unfinished material: confirm the source in preview, change one setting, apply it, and watch the playback. There is no need to stop and start the broadcast just to see whether a local file loops.
A useful test has two parts. First, verify the end-of-file behaviour: with Loop enabled, the file should start again after reaching the end. Second, verify activation behaviour: with Restart playback when source becomes active disabled, make the source inactive and active using the scene and visibility changes you intend to use, then observe whether playback resumes from its existing position. Use a short file or seek to a convenient point to avoid an unnecessary wait.
Change one condition at a time. If you switch scenes, hide the source, and replace the file all at once, a restart is hard to explain. Begin with a visible source in one scene, then test the scene transition, then test hiding and showing it. If a result is surprising, return to the recorded settings and repeat the transition with one variable changed.
For a channel with several contributors, write down the intended behaviour in plain language: “the background track repeats when it ends” and “when we return to the music scene, continue where possible rather than jumping to the start.” That is more useful than a screenshot alone because it records the outcome the team expects. It also makes it clear that a playback test is not a test of the broadcast connection.
If you are planning a long-running channel around prerecorded content, consider how the source workflow fits the rest of the operation. A guide to running a 24/7 YouTube stream of gameplay VODs covers a different content pattern, but the same distinction applies: content playback and the live broadcast are separate things to monitor.
Check visibility and end-of-file behaviour
If the file stops when you switch away, check whether its source remains visible and active in the output. A hidden source may not behave like one that stays active, and the source activation option concerns playback when the source becomes active. Make the visibility state part of the test rather than assuming that a source listed in OBS is continuously playing.
For a single Media Source, verify Loop at the end of the file. For a VLC Video playlist, check its Loop Playlist option and the VLC source's own visibility behaviour. OBS documents these as different source options. If a playlist pauses or stops when hidden, investigate its visibility configuration as well as its playlist setting; do not copy conclusions from a single-file source without checking.
Also check that you are observing the correct output. In a complex scene collection, a source may be visible in one scene's preview but absent from the programme scene, or a duplicate source may be playing instead. Confirm the selected scene, source name, visibility indicator, and the actual programme output before deciding that the loop failed.
For a channel that simply needs one uploaded programme to repeat, OBS offers direct control but leaves you responsible for the computer, the scene setup, and watching for problems. If the recurring pain is having to keep a computer on and manually recover playback, StreamNeo can remove that specific burden by running an uploaded file as a YouTube live stream while your computer is off. It does not change the OBS settings described here, and you should choose the workflow that suits your channel.
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 restart my YouTube live stream?
No. Loop repeats the media file after it reaches the end. It does not control the live broadcast connection or start a new live session.
Why does my file jump to the beginning after a scene change?
Check whether Restart playback when source becomes active is enabled. OBS says this setting restarts the file when the source is in the current scene and visible; if you want playback to retain its position when reactivated, turn it off and test your scene arrangement.
Will disabling restart-on-activation always preserve playback position?
No. The setting changes what happens when the source becomes active; it does not guarantee that the source remains active or preserve position in every configuration. Verify behaviour with your actual scenes, transitions, and visibility choices.
Can I loop a playlist rather than one file?
For a playlist, OBS documents the VLC Video source and its Loop Playlist option; VLC must be installed for that source to be available. Check the playlist's visibility behaviour separately from the single-file Media Source controls.