To repeat one authorised Punjabi music video in an OBS broadcast, add the local file as a Media Source and enable Loop in its properties. For a sequence of files, use OBS’s VLC Video source, add the videos to its playlist and enable Loop Playlist.
These controls repeat media inside the scene you are sending to YouTube; they do not restart the broadcast when a file ends. They also do not reconnect a disconnected encoder or stream. Before configuring playback, make sure you have the rights needed to stream every video.
Check rights for each local video
A video being in Punjabi, publicly available on YouTube or saved on your computer does not by itself give you permission to rebroadcast it. A music video can involve separate rights in the recording, composition, performance and video. Check that your channel has the necessary permissions for the use you intend to make, including any conditions on live streaming, territory, duration or monetisation.
YouTube says that it scans live streams for matches to third-party content. If it identifies content, it may replace the stream with a placeholder and warn the streamer; continued use can lead to interruption or termination. YouTube also notes that even licensed content may be interrupted if the channel has not been added to the rights owner’s Content ID allowlist. Read YouTube’s guidance on copyright issues with live streams and, where needed, ask the rights owner about allowlisting before you go live.
The rights question applies to each file, not just the playlist as a whole. Keep a record of who granted permission, which versions of the videos it covers and any conditions that apply. If you replace a file later, check that the new version is covered too. Attribution in the stream description is useful when requested, but it is not a substitute for permission.
YouTube’s livestream terms and conditions place responsibility on the provider to have the necessary rights for live content, including music licensing rights. If a rights holder or distributor has supplied a licence, confirm that it covers YouTube live use and ask whether your channel needs to be allowlisted. Do not assume that a licence for an in-person event, a download or ordinary on-demand upload covers a continuous live broadcast.
This article covers OBS playback controls, not a way to obtain or bypass rights. If you cannot establish that you may stream a music video, leave it out of the scene and playlist.
Add one video as an OBS Media Source
OBS works with sources placed in scenes. A Media Source is the source type for playing a local media file; the scene, in turn, is part of the production you send to the live output. The OBS Sources Guide explains the relationship between scenes and sources. For a single video, this is the straightforward route.
- Open the OBS scene that will be used for the live programme.
- In the Sources panel, choose + and select Media Source.
- Give the source a recognisable name, such as “Punjabi video 1”, and confirm.
- In the source properties, select the local file you have permission to stream.
- Check the preview and make sure the source is visible in the scene that goes to the live output.
OBS documents local video formats such as MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF and WebM. A filename extension alone does not guarantee that every computer can decode a file; if it appears black, has no sound or fails to play in your OBS scene, inspect the file and test a supported copy before scheduling a broadcast. Keep the final file in a stable location rather than moving or renaming it after you have selected it.
A Media Source can also contain audio. Check the OBS audio mixer while the file plays so you can see whether the expected source is active and whether the level is sensible. If other scene sources also carry audio, listen for duplication rather than assuming the video is the only sound being sent. Previewing playback locally is a useful check; it does not establish copyright permission or prove that a YouTube broadcast will remain connected.
If the video is not visible, check basic scene mechanics first: that the source is enabled, not hidden behind an opaque source, and not cropped or positioned outside the canvas. A source being listed in OBS does not necessarily mean viewers can see it. Keep the test scene as close as practical to the live scene so you catch a visibility or audio issue before going live.
Enable Loop in the source properties
Open the Media Source’s properties and enable Loop. OBS describes this control as making the file play again after playback completes. It is a playback setting for that source: when the file reaches its end, OBS starts that same file again while the source remains part of the active scene.
Do not confuse this with YouTube’s own Loop command. YouTube’s viewer instructions for looping videos or playlists concern repeating a video or playlist in a viewer’s watch experience. They do not make a local file in your OBS scene repeat for a live audience. The relevant control for your broadcast is in the OBS source properties.
After enabling Loop, play the source and check the point where the file ends. Look for the file to begin again, and listen for an abrupt cut, silence or an unexpected gap. The control repeats the file as it is; it does not edit out an intro, outro, silence or a visual discontinuity. If the ending and beginning do not join naturally, prepare an appropriate authorised edit rather than expecting Loop to smooth them.
OBS also documents Restart playback when source becomes active and Close file when inactive options for Media Sources. Their effect matters if you switch scenes or hide the source. Restarting on activation means the file begins again when the source becomes active. Closing the file while inactive can reduce resource use, but reopening it may cause a short delay when it is shown again. For a simple continuously visible music-video scene, test the behaviour you want before relying on it during a live session.
Build a playlist with an OBS VLC Video source
For several local videos, use OBS’s VLC Video source rather than stacking a set of Media Sources and trying to coordinate them manually. The source provides a playlist of files. OBS documents that VLC must be installed for this source type to be available; it also specifies matching 64-bit VLC when using 64-bit OBS. If VLC Video does not appear in your source list, check that dependency rather than looking for Loop Playlist in the single-file Media Source.
Add a VLC Video source to the live scene and use its properties to add the authorised local video files to the playlist. Give the source a clear name so you can identify it in the Sources panel. Choose whether the list should play in its listed order or shuffle, based on the programme you want viewers to hear and see. An ordered playlist suits a planned sequence; shuffle is for a less predictable rotation, not a guarantee that a particular track will not follow another one.
Prefer local files for this workflow. A playlist that depends on network media introduces additional failure points, and OBS exposes network-caching settings for the VLC source. If you are using local files, make sure they remain where OBS expects them and that the machine can read them. A storage or file-access problem is different from a YouTube connection problem, even if either one can affect what viewers see.
Before going live, test the playlist from its first entry through at least one transition. Confirm the next item appears, that its audio is present and that the order matches your intention. If one file is unsupported, missing or silent, the rest of the playlist settings will not fix it. For more on planning a recurring prerecorded music channel, see how to stream an Indian music radio-style channel from prerecorded videos.
Enable Loop Playlist
In the VLC Video source properties, enable Loop Playlist. OBS describes this as restarting the source once it has run out of media files. The playlist plays through its entries and, when it reaches the end, begins again. This is distinct from the Media Source Loop setting, which repeats a single file.
Check the other playlist controls in the same source. If you intend a fixed sequence, leave shuffle off and verify the list order. If you want a shuffled rotation, enable the relevant shuffle behaviour and understand that the sequence will not be predictable. Avoid changing these settings during a live broadcast unless you know what the resulting output will be.
Visibility affects playback behaviour. If the playlist source is hidden when you change scenes, its inactive-source settings can influence whether playback continues, pauses or restarts on activation. OBS exposes options for how the VLC source behaves when it is not visible; read those options in the properties and test the exact scene transitions you plan to use. For a simple unattended loop, keep the source visible in the live scene rather than relying on a hidden source to behave a particular way.
A playlist is useful when you have multiple authorised files, but it does not make the content rights simpler. Keep the permission record aligned with the actual playlist, remove anything whose rights are uncertain, and review it whenever you add a new video. If your aim is a predictable devotional or bhajan sequence, the same process applies to each track or video regardless of language or genre.
Keep the broadcast running while media repeats
The phrase “without restarting the stream” means leaving the normal OBS broadcast active while the media source reaches the end and repeats. For one file, Loop handles that file’s completion. For a playlist, Loop Playlist handles the end of the list. Neither setting asks YouTube to end a live broadcast and create another one.
Keep the scene sent to the live output and keep OBS streaming while you verify the playback behaviour. The stream should not need a manual restart merely because the file reached its end. You can use OBS’s preview and audio mixer to check the local production, but those indicators are not a guarantee that YouTube is receiving the programme correctly. Use the platform’s live status and a separate viewer check where practical.
If a stream is meant to run overnight, consider the operating burden as well as the source setting. A computer running OBS must remain powered, the file must remain accessible, and the encoder needs a working connection to YouTube. A Raspberry Pi approach to a prerecorded YouTube live stream in India is a separate way to think about the machine running the production; it does not change what Media Source Loop does.
Likewise, the software arrangement affects how much attention the channel needs. Running OBS locally gives you direct control over scenes and source properties, but you are responsible for the computer, power and connection. If keeping a local computer running is the specific burden, StreamNeo removes that particular pain by letting you upload a video and have it run as a YouTube live stream with your computer switched off. It is YouTube-only; choose an approach based on the control you need and the operating work you are prepared to take on.
For a more technical account of the connection OBS sends to YouTube, see what RTMP means for a 24/7 streamer. Understanding the transport can help you diagnose where a failure occurs, but it does not turn a media loop into a reconnection mechanism.
Know what looping does not recover
Looping only addresses normal media completion. It does not restore a lost network connection, restart OBS if the application closes, reconnect an encoder that has stopped sending, or reopen a YouTube broadcast that YouTube has ended. If viewers stop seeing the stream, first determine whether the local source stopped, OBS stopped sending, the network failed or the live event ended on YouTube. These are different faults with different remedies.
A file can repeat correctly while the live connection is broken. Conversely, the live event can remain active while a source is hidden, a file cannot be read or audio is missing. Check OBS’s stream status, the source visibility and playback, and YouTube’s live control room rather than assuming that one Loop checkbox covers every layer. YouTube’s getting-started guide for live streaming describes the broader live setup; consult current official guidance if you need to troubleshoot eligibility or encoder setup.
If stream continuity is important, plan for the encoder and connection separately from media playback. Decide who will notice a disconnect, how they will check whether the event is still live, and what steps they can take to resume it. Do not treat a repeating source as unattended recovery. There is no promise here that the broadcast will stay available if OBS loses its connection or stops sending data.
You may also be weighing this workflow against other ways to keep a long broadcast running. A comparison of VPS costs for a 24/7 devotional or bhajan stream in India can help frame a separate operating decision. Whatever method you choose, verify the current costs and limits on the provider’s own site, and keep recovery planning distinct from the setting that repeats a video.
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 restart my YouTube stream when a video loops?
No. Media Source Loop repeats one file within the active OBS scene, and Loop Playlist repeats a VLC Video playlist after it runs out. Leave the broadcast running; these controls do not end and recreate the live event.
Is YouTube’s Loop button the same setting?
No. YouTube’s Loop control is for repeating a video or playlist in the viewer’s watch experience. To repeat a local file in your live production, configure the source in OBS.
Can a playlist of Punjabi music videos be used if the files are on my computer?
Local storage is not permission to stream the videos. Check that you have the rights for each item and ask the rights owner whether your channel needs Content ID allowlisting; YouTube may interrupt a stream when it detects third-party content.
Will Loop reconnect OBS if the internet drops?
No. Loop concerns playback when a file or playlist reaches its end. A dropped connection, stopped encoder or ended YouTube event requires separate diagnosis and recovery.