To loop one pre-recorded video in OBS, add it to a scene as a Media Source, select the local file, and enable Loop in that source’s properties. Connect OBS to a YouTube encoder stream with the stream URL and key from YouTube Studio, then check the incoming preview and test the repeat before going live.
The Loop setting tells OBS to start the file again after playback finishes; it does not guarantee a gapless transition or uninterrupted broadcast. Your specific file, audio, scene behaviour and internet connection still need a test. The steps below keep the work focused on one file and one YouTube Live feed.
Prepare the video file and YouTube Live event
Put the video somewhere on the computer running OBS and make a note of its location. OBS’s Media Source accepts common formats such as MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI and WebM; the OBS Media Sources guide lists supported formats and explains the source settings. Use a file you can play locally, and avoid moving or renaming it between setup and broadcast: a source that points to a missing path cannot play the intended video.
Before opening OBS’s stream settings, confirm that your YouTube channel can use live streaming and decide whether you are creating a scheduled event or preparing an unscheduled stream. YouTube’s encoder streaming instructions describe the Live Control Room workflow. YouTube says channel verification is required and that a channel must not have livestreaming restrictions from the preceding 90 days. First-time activation can take up to 24 hours, so do not leave activation until minutes before a planned broadcast.
For a scheduled event, create or schedule the stream in YouTube Studio and keep the Live Control Room available. The encoder workflow provides a stream URL and stream key. Treat the key like a password: it grants access to the broadcast connection, so do not show it in screenshots, put it in a public document or send it in a public chat. If you think it has been exposed, review YouTube Studio’s stream settings and replace it as needed.
A local file and a YouTube event are separate pieces of preparation. The file supplies the picture and sound; the event supplies the destination and broadcast details. You can learn how a longer file-based broadcast differs from a playlist in this guide to recorded product demos on YouTube Live. That distinction matters here: this setup repeats one chosen file, rather than moving between several videos.
Add a Media Source to the scene
Open OBS and select the scene that you intend to send to YouTube. A scene is the composition OBS outputs; for this simple setup, it can contain only the video source. In the Sources area, use the add control and choose Media Source. Give it a recognisable name, such as “Main loop”, so you can identify it later if you add other scenes or sources.
OBS may offer to create a new source or use an existing one. For a fresh setup, create a new source. If you select an existing Media Source instead, check that it points to the intended file and has the settings you expect; reusing an existing source can carry earlier choices with it. After creating the source, its properties window lets you choose a file and configure playback options.
A Media Source is the direct choice for one local video because its Loop control applies to that file. OBS also has a VLC Video source. That is more relevant when you need a playlist, rather than one file: it offers Loop Playlist and requires VLC to be installed, with 64-bit VLC for 64-bit OBS. The comparison is about fit, not quality of the resulting video:
| OBS source | Suited to | Repeat control | Additional requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media Source | One local video file | Loop restarts the file when playback completes | No VLC dependency |
| VLC Video | A playlist of files | Loop Playlist repeats the playlist | VLC installed; match its architecture to OBS |
If your actual plan is a playlist, the VLC educational-video workflow is a better fit than adding a single-file source and trying to turn it into a queue. For this article’s one-file case, stay with Media Source and make its file path and playback properties explicit.
Select the video file
In Media Source properties, locate the file option and browse to the video on the computer. Select the intended file and confirm the selection. The preview in OBS should show the video if the source loads and the playhead begins. If it does not, first check the path and confirm that the file opens in a normal media player; then reopen source properties and verify that the selected item is the file you meant to use.
The video should also fit the scene. If it appears smaller than the OBS canvas or is cropped, adjust its transform in the preview rather than changing the file blindly. The canvas is the output frame; a landscape video placed in a portrait-shaped or differently sized canvas may leave unused space or require a deliberate crop. Check what YouTube will receive, not just whether the source is technically playing.
Keep the source file in a stable location. If you load it from a removable drive, verify that the drive remains connected and does not go to sleep during the planned broadcast. If you move the file to another folder after selecting it, OBS may no longer find it at the old location. A clear folder and filename reduce the chance of accidentally selecting a draft, an incomplete export or an older version.
If your channel uses a familiar format such as devotional music, study ambience or a local information loop, the content still needs to be prepared as a video file for this source. OBS is not choosing which clips belong in the programme; it is playing the media you select. For multiple pieces of content, consider a playlist workflow rather than expecting a single Media Source to rotate through separate files.
Enable Loop in source properties
In the Media Source properties, turn on Loop. OBS describes this setting as specifying whether the file plays again once playback has completed. With the setting enabled, the same selected file is intended to begin again after it reaches the end. The key control is attached to this source, so check the properties of the source actually present in the scene you will broadcast.
Do not confuse Loop with Restart playback when source becomes active. The latter is a separate option: OBS documents it as restarting playback when the source becomes visible in the current scene. It can change what happens if you switch away from the scene and later return. Decide whether returning to the scene should resume the existing playback position or begin the video again, and test that exact behaviour in your scene.
After changing properties, close the dialog and observe the preview. It should play through the file and start over when the end is reached. The documented setting describes a restart, not a guaranteed seamless edit. A pause, visual jump or audio change at the boundary may depend on the file and playback behaviour, so do not treat the checkbox itself as proof that the repeat point will be imperceptible.
If the repeat point matters to the viewer—for example, a spoken introduction should not be abruptly repeated—inspect the end and beginning of the file and make a test recording or private test stream. You can edit the file if the boundary is awkward, then reselect the corrected export and test it again. A clean source file can make the repeat more acceptable, but the result still needs to be checked in the actual setup.
Connect OBS to YouTube with the URL and key
In YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room, locate the encoder stream details and copy the stream URL and stream key. In OBS, open the stream settings, choose YouTube or the relevant custom connection option shown by your version, and enter the URL and key in their corresponding fields. Interface labels can move between releases; use YouTube’s current encoder setup instructions if the controls in Studio differ from these descriptions.
Be precise when copying the credentials. Avoid leading or trailing spaces, and do not paste the stream key into the URL field. If OBS offers an account connection flow instead, follow the current controls presented by OBS and YouTube; the essential point for an encoder connection is that OBS must be associated with the correct YouTube stream. Keep the Live Control Room open so you can see whether it receives the feed.
YouTube’s network guidance recommends keeping 20% upload bandwidth headroom over the total stream bitrate. This is headroom, not a promise that a connection will hold: other devices and uploads on the same network can consume capacity, and Wi-Fi conditions can change. If the connection is shared or variable, reduce unnecessary competing traffic or consider a more stable wired connection, then test during the conditions in which you expect to broadcast.
When OBS begins sending, the YouTube event may show an incoming signal before the public broadcast is live. For a scheduled event, check the preview in Live Control Room before selecting Go live. The YouTube Help page on live streaming is a useful place to confirm current event and preview steps, since YouTube’s interface and eligibility guidance can change.
Preview and test the feed
Test the complete path before the intended broadcast. Start with OBS preview, confirm the Media Source plays, and check that the composition is framed as expected. Then use a suitable test event or scheduled setup to send the encoder feed and verify that Live Control Room receives picture and sound. The OBS preview alone does not tell you whether YouTube is receiving the right stream or whether the network holds up.
Watch the incoming preview long enough to check more than the opening frame. Confirm that the video continues, the audio is present at a reasonable level, and there is no unexpected second source covering the picture. If the event is scheduled, do not select Go live until you have reviewed that preview and are ready to begin the public broadcast. YouTube recommends testing the setup and monitoring audio and video quality; treat this as part of preparation, not a box to tick once.
A test should include the repeat point. Let the file approach its end and observe what happens as it begins again. You may want to listen on headphones as well as watch the preview, because a short silence, clipped word, sudden level change or different background sound can be easier to notice by listening closely. No generic instruction can establish how a particular export will behave at its own boundary.
If you are planning a continuous channel, remember that this method keeps the local OBS computer and its internet connection involved. If the computer sleeps, OBS closes, the file becomes unavailable or the connection drops, the broadcast can be affected. For background on the trade-off between a local setup and a remote machine, see OBS on a remote server for a nonstop stream. That is a separate operating choice; it does not remove the need to test the media and YouTube preview.
Check the repeat, audio and operating plan
Before going live, verify the source properties again: the correct file is selected, Loop is enabled, and the scene you intend to broadcast contains that source. If you use multiple scenes, test the effect of switching away and back, especially if Restart playback when source becomes active is enabled. A scene switch may restart the video rather than continue where it left off, so choose behaviour intentionally rather than discovering it during the programme.
Check the audio in OBS’s mixer and in the YouTube preview. If the file contains audio, make sure the relevant source is not muted and that the output is not unexpectedly doubled by another active audio source. If it should be silent, verify that no desktop or microphone sound is being sent by accident. Keep the preview at a practical listening level and check for distortion, abrupt cut-offs and any unwanted sounds at the loop boundary.
Prepare the computer as part of the broadcast setup. Disable sleep for the planned session, keep the file accessible, and avoid unrelated tasks that could demand heavy resources or upload bandwidth. These steps lower avoidable risks, but they do not guarantee uninterrupted streaming; continue to monitor the event once it is live and respond if OBS or YouTube reports a problem.
Also consider the intended duration. YouTube states that encoder streams shorter than 12 hours are automatically archived. Do not assume that a much longer continuous broadcast will be archived in full; check YouTube’s current help information if recording or replay availability matters to your channel. Archiving is separate from the OBS loop setting, which concerns playback of the local source.
For a scheduled event, the final transition is a human decision: check the incoming preview and only then select Go live when you are ready. Keep OBS and Live Control Room accessible during the broadcast so you can observe the stream state. If the session is important, arrange a way to check it periodically rather than relying on the fact that it started correctly.
If running the computer and watching the connection through a long broadcast is the part you are trying to avoid, StreamNeo can take an uploaded video and run it as a YouTube live stream without leaving your own computer on. It does not change the need to choose a suitable file, set up the YouTube stream and check that the intended content is appropriate for 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 OBS loop a video automatically?
No. Add the file as a Media Source and enable Loop in that source’s properties. Test the repeat point with the file and scene you will actually use.
Is Media Source or VLC Video better for one video?
For one local file, Media Source is the direct fit because it has a file-level Loop setting and does not require VLC. VLC Video is useful when you need a playlist and its playlist loop control, but VLC must be installed and its architecture must match OBS.
Will the loop be seamless?
OBS documents that Loop restarts the file when playback completes; it does not promise a gapless transition. Inspect the end and beginning of your export and test playback in OBS, including audio, before relying on the repeat.
Can I turn off my computer after starting the stream?
Not when OBS on that computer is providing the feed: OBS and the local file need to remain available for that workflow. If you need the broadcast to run without your computer, choose a different operating arrangement and verify how it handles your file, YouTube connection and monitoring needs.