To loop a video on YouTube Live with OBS, add it as a Media Source in the scene you plan to broadcast and enable Loop in that source’s properties. The scene collection organises scenes and sources; it does not loop the media or send a stream to YouTube by itself.
For a repeating sequence of several files, use OBS’s VLC Video source and enable Loop Playlist instead. In either case, OBS plays and encodes the content, and you must configure its YouTube stream connection before the picture reaches the Live Control Room.
What a scene collection does—and does not do
A scene collection is a saved group of OBS scenes and their sources. It can help you keep a broadcast layout together: for example, a main video scene, a standby scene and a holding graphic. Scenes are built from sources, such as a media file, camera or image. OBS explains this relationship in its Sources Guide.
The repeat control belongs to the media source, not to the collection. If you switch to another collection, you may be switching to different scenes and sources, but the collection has no general setting that makes every video repeat. Likewise, saving a collection does not configure YouTube as the destination or start an encoder stream.
That distinction matters when you return to a saved setup after a computer restart. Check that you have the intended collection and scene open, that the correct source is present and visible, that its loop option is enabled, and that OBS is configured to stream to the right YouTube destination. Treat each of those as a separate step rather than assuming the saved collection has taken care of everything.
If you are deciding between OBS and a command-line approach, the core playback logic is different but the goal is similar: keep a local file repeating in the outgoing stream. This FFmpeg guide to looping pre-recorded videos covers that alternative. OBS is useful when you want to arrange scenes and sources visually; FFmpeg may suit a workflow that you already manage from the command line.
Select the scene you intend to broadcast
Open OBS and choose the scene collection that contains the broadcast setup. In the Scenes dock, select the particular scene that should be sent to viewers. Do not rely on the name alone: click it and inspect the Sources dock to confirm it contains the expected video, graphics and any other elements you intend to show.
For a simple loop, a scene might contain a background image and one Media Source. If you have several scenes, decide whether you want to remain on the looping scene for the full broadcast or switch away from it at times. A scene change affects what viewers see, and source visibility can affect playback behaviour depending on its properties.
You can rename a scene to make its role clearer, such as “Main loop” or “Live holding screen”. The name is just a label; it does not alter playback. Before continuing, confirm that the scene is selected and that its visibility controls show the intended sources. A source can exist in a scene but be hidden, so presence in the dock is not enough.
If your content changes by time of day rather than repeating one file indefinitely, a single loop may not match the plan. For example, a forest ambience channel might rotate through different recordings during the day. A schedule-oriented workflow is a better fit for that case; see how to schedule different forest ambience videos for a related approach.
Add a Media Source and choose the file
With the broadcast scene selected, use the Sources dock’s add control and choose Media Source. Give it a recognisable name, such as “Main video loop”, then open its properties. OBS documents Media Sources and supported local file formats in its Media Sources guide.
Select the option to use a local file if it is not already selected, then browse to the video you intend to play. OBS lists formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF and WebM. A listed format does not guarantee that every file encoded in that container will behave identically on every machine, so test the actual file in OBS before relying on it for a broadcast.
Check the file path carefully. If the file is on a removable drive, make sure the drive is mounted and remains available for the whole session. If you move or rename the file after setting up the source, OBS may no longer be able to find it. Keeping the file in a stable location and opening it once in the intended scene can catch a missing-file problem before you connect to YouTube.
A long video also takes longer to inspect from end to end. At minimum, play it in OBS and check the opening, a representative section and the point where it returns to the beginning. If the file is important to an overnight broadcast, verify the copy you plan to use rather than relying on a similarly named export. This guide to verifying a large video before using it in OBS explains why checking the actual media file is worthwhile.
Enable Loop in the source properties
In the Media Source properties, turn on Loop. OBS describes this option as restarting playback when the file finishes, and its documented default is Off. Confirm the checkbox yourself rather than assuming that adding a video has enabled repeat playback.
The source plays the local file and OBS includes its output in the scene being encoded. When playback reaches the end, the loop setting tells that source to start the file again. It does not create a playlist of other files, and it does not mean that YouTube is independently replaying a stored video. The repeated playback is part of the encoder output OBS sends to YouTube.
Do not assume that the transition will be perfectly gapless. The documented behaviour is that playback restarts; it is not a promise of a seamless visual or audio join. Inspect the end and beginning of your file for a black frame, abrupt change in music level or silence. If the loop point is noticeable, you may need to edit the file so its ends suit one another, or accept the transition as part of the programme.
Two other properties are worth understanding if you plan to switch scenes. Restart playback when source becomes active controls whether playback starts over when the source becomes active. Close file when inactive unloads the file while the source is hidden; showing it again can involve a short reload delay. Decide whether those behaviours fit your scene changes, then test them by switching away and back before going live.
For a fixed scene that stays visible, you may not need to change these properties. For a broadcast with a holding screen or other scenes, test what viewers will see when you return to the loop. The expected result should be deliberate: continuing from where playback was, restarting at the beginning or waiting briefly for the file to reload.
When to use VLC Video for a repeating sequence
A Media Source is the straightforward choice for one file that repeats. If you want several local files to play one after another and then repeat as a set, use the VLC Video source instead. It has a playlist and a Loop Playlist control, so it is intended for a sequence rather than a single-file loop.
| What you want to play | OBS source | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| One local video, repeated | Media Source | Choose the file and enable Loop in its properties. |
| Several local videos, in sequence | VLC Video | Add the files to its playlist and enable Loop Playlist. |
The VLC Video source uses VLC libraries and requires VLC to be installed. OBS specifies that if you use 64-bit OBS, you should install 64-bit VLC. That extra dependency is a practical reason not to choose it for a single looping file when Media Source already covers that job.
A playlist can be useful for a collection of devotional talks, lessons or ambience recordings that you want to rotate without combining them into one long export. Before streaming, check the playlist order and test the transition between files. A playlist repeating as a whole is not the same as repeating each file individually, so confirm the behaviour matches the sequence you intend to show.
If you use shuffle or visibility-related options, test those too. A playlist is only as predictable as its ordering and source settings. For a simple one-file broadcast, avoid adding a VLC requirement without a reason; for a genuine multi-file sequence, the playlist source is the relevant tool.
Connect OBS to YouTube Live
Looping in OBS and broadcasting to YouTube are separate tasks. In YouTube Studio, open the Live Control Room and create or choose the stream you intend to use. YouTube’s encoder setup instructions describe using an encoder such as OBS and connecting it with the stream URL and stream key.
In OBS, open the stream settings and configure the service and connection details for YouTube. Copy the stream URL and stream key from the correct YouTube stream into the corresponding OBS fields. Treat the key as private: it identifies where your encoder output is sent, so do not publish it in a screenshot, message or public document. If you create a different stream in Studio, check that OBS is still using the matching details.
YouTube says that first-time live-stream enablement may take up to 24 hours. Eligibility is channel-specific: YouTube’s guidance includes channel verification and no live-streaming restrictions in the prior 90 days. Check your current YouTube Studio status and the current official requirements before planning a first broadcast. Do not leave enablement until the moment you intend to go live.
Once the stream connection is configured, start streaming from OBS. Starting the encoder sends its output to YouTube; it is not the same as selecting a scene or enabling Loop. Inspect the Live Control Room and use the available controls there to take the configured stream live. When the event is over, end it on YouTube and then stop the encoder, following YouTube’s live streaming tips.
If you need the broadcast to keep running while your own computer is off, a local OBS setup may not suit that operating requirement. StreamNeo removes the need to leave OBS running on your computer by taking an uploaded video and stream key for a YouTube broadcast, which addresses the specific burden of keeping a local machine switched on. It remains a YouTube-only route; for this article’s OBS workflow, you still configure the encoder connection yourself.
Check preview, audio, video and stream health
Before taking the stream live, inspect the preview in the Live Control Room. Confirm that it shows the scene you intended, that the video is moving, and that graphics or text are not covering important parts of the picture. A successful OBS connection alone does not prove that the right scene or file is being sent.
Listen to the audio in OBS and, where possible, in the YouTube preview. Check that the intended audio is present, that it is not unexpectedly muted, and that its level is comfortable relative to the content. If the file has no audio, make sure that silence is intentional. YouTube recommends checking the preview and monitoring audio and video quality before the stream is live.
Watch enough playback to confirm that the source is progressing, not frozen on a single frame. If you can, observe the file reach its end and restart before you publish. This is the direct test of the Loop setting. If you cannot wait for a long file to complete, use a short test copy to confirm the behaviour, then return to the intended file and recheck its source properties.
Also check OBS’s streaming status and YouTube’s indication of stream health. If the connection drops or the preview does not appear, verify the selected scene, source visibility, stream URL and key, and that OBS is actually sending content. Do not respond to a black preview by changing every setting at once; isolate whether the file plays locally, whether the encoder is active, and whether the correct YouTube stream is open.
For a long-running channel, the computer and file remain part of the operational setup. Prevent the computer from sleeping during a local OBS broadcast, keep the media file accessible, and avoid closing OBS while it is streaming. These are practical checks, not guarantees of uninterrupted service. If you are still choosing an approach, this guide on choosing a YouTube live streaming service can help you compare the operating work involved.
When the broadcast is finished, end the event in YouTube and stop sending content from OBS. YouTube advises stopping the encoder after the event has stopped on YouTube. This order helps you distinguish ending the public event from stopping the software that supplies its video.
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FAQ
Does an OBS scene collection loop videos?
No. A collection groups scenes and sources, while the repeat control is set on an individual Media Source or, for a playlist, on a VLC Video source. Select the collection and scene, then check the source properties.
Can I loop several videos with Media Source?
Media Source’s Loop setting repeats one file. For several files in sequence, use VLC Video, add the files to its playlist and enable Loop Playlist. VLC must be installed for that source to work.
Does enabling Loop send the video to YouTube?
No. Loop controls playback in OBS; it does not configure the encoder destination. Set up the YouTube stream connection in OBS with the correct stream URL and key, then start the encoder and check the Live Control Room preview.
Why does the video restart or pause when I change scenes?
The source’s active and inactive behaviour can affect playback when you hide it or switch scenes. Check Restart playback when source becomes active and Close file when inactive, then test the switch before going live. A reload delay when a file is closed while inactive can be expected.