To include a local video in a screen recording alongside your desktop or camera, add it to an OBS scene as a Media Source. You can choose whether the clip loops, restarts when activated, or disappears when playback ends.
This is a composed-scene workflow: OBS combines the sources in your scene into the recording. VLC can record playback or capture a desktop, but its documentation describes those as separate capabilities rather than the same layered workflow.
Choose OBS for a composed local-video recording
A screen recording can mean different things. You might want a plain capture of whatever is on your monitor, a recording of a video playing in an application, or a finished picture that combines a local clip with a screen, camera, titles, or other scene elements. The last case calls for sources arranged in a scene, rather than simply pressing record while a video player is open.
OBS Studio documents Media Source as a way to add media files to scenes. Once the source is in your scene, you can position and size it relative to other sources, then record the scene. OBS documents this source for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Its supported formats list includes MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF and WebM; that list is not a guarantee that every file will behave as you expect in every setup. See the OBS Media Sources documentation for the current controls and format notes.
The distinction matters when your recording needs a deliberate layout. For example, you might show a software demonstration as the large background, put a short local introduction in a corner, and keep a camera source visible above both. In OBS, those are sources in a scene. In a basic screen capture, a video player window may instead appear only where it happens to sit on the desktop, with other windows or notifications also potentially visible.
If your goal is to run a finished file as a continuous YouTube broadcast rather than make a recording on your computer, that is a different job. A guide to adding a video playlist to OBS without black gaps addresses the continuous-playback problem. Here, the focus is a local clip inside a recording you are composing.
Add a Media Source to the scene
Open OBS and select the scene you intend to record, or create a new one. A scene is the composition; sources are the visual or audio elements placed within it. If you already have screen capture and camera sources, you can add the clip to that same scene rather than creating a separate recording for each element.
In the Sources panel, use the add control and choose Media Source. Give the source a descriptive name, such as “Opening clip” or “Product demo insert”, then confirm. A useful name makes it easier to distinguish this file from a display capture or camera source later, particularly if the scene contains several items.
OBS may offer an option to create the source without selecting a file immediately. If so, that lets you add the source first and choose its file in the source properties. Either route ends at the same task: configure a Media Source and point it at the local video you want included.
Check that the source appears in the intended scene before recording. If you add it to a different scene, the recording may show the screen and camera but not the clip. A quick check of the scene name and visible source list is more reliable than assuming a source is available everywhere in the project.
Select the local video file
Open the Media Source properties and use the file field to browse to the video on your computer. Select the intended file and confirm the change. If the file is on removable storage, make sure that storage is connected whenever you record; a path that worked yesterday may not point to an available file after a drive letter or mount point changes.
Use a path that will remain stable for the recording session. A file in a clearly named project folder is easier to find than one buried in a temporary download directory. If you rename or move the file later, revisit the source properties and select its new location. Do not assume a copied OBS scene carries the video with it: check the file path on the computer where the project will be recorded.
The file extension is a starting clue, not proof of successful playback. OBS lists a range of supported video formats, but a particular file can still have encoding or playback characteristics that do not work as intended. If the source is blank, stops unexpectedly, or has an image that differs from what you expected, check the selected path and test that specific file in the scene before relying on it.
OBS also documents a VLC Video source for extended media support and playlists. The documentation says VLC must be installed for that source to appear and notes that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. This is a separate source choice, not a promise that every troublesome file will play; consult the OBS source notes before changing your setup. For a single local clip, start with Media Source and use VLC Video only if its documented role suits what you need.
Set loop or restart behaviour
Decide what should happen when the clip reaches its end. In the Media Source properties, OBS exposes playback choices including looping and restarting the source when it becomes active; it can also hide the source after playback ends. Choose according to how the clip will be used, rather than leaving a setting in place simply because it was right for another scene.
Use Loop when you want the clip to repeat for as long as the source is in use. This can suit a repeating visual insert or a background that should continue while you record other material. A loop means the file starts again after its playback reaches the end; it does not turn several unrelated files into a playlist. If you need a sequence of clips, the playlist or VLC Video route may be more appropriate, subject to the source documentation and a test of the actual files.
Use Restart playback when source becomes active when the clip should begin from its start each time you make that source active. That is useful for an intro or demonstration insert you may hide and show more than once. It helps avoid reactivating the source halfway through the clip when you intended to show the whole thing. Behaviour can depend on how you switch the source, so confirm it with a short test in your scene.
If you want a one-time insert, leave looping off and consider whether hiding the source after playback ends matches your composition. A clip that finishes but remains visible may leave its last frame in the scene, while hiding it can reveal sources underneath. Neither result is universally correct: decide whether the completed clip should stay on screen or give way to the screen capture or background.
The settings affect playback, not the edit you may make afterwards. If a clip needs a trimmed opening, a title card, or a precise transition, prepare that material separately or plan the scene around what the source actually plays. To understand how a longer sequence can fit a nonstop broadcast rather than a local recording, see the guide to running a YouTube playlist continuously.
Arrange the clip with screen and camera sources
A scene can contain multiple visual sources, and their order matters. In the Sources list, an item higher in the order appears in front of items below it. Drag the Media Source into the intended position, then adjust its size and placement in the preview. If the clip fills the whole canvas, it may cover the display capture and camera even though those sources remain enabled.
For a picture-in-picture layout, make the screen capture the main image and resize the local clip to a smaller rectangle. Place it where it does not obscure the text, controls, or part of the desktop that viewers need to see. If you include a camera, check whether it overlaps the clip or an important part of the screen. Use the preview to judge the combined frame, rather than checking sources one at a time.
Be deliberate about cropping. Resizing a source changes its displayed dimensions; holding a crop modifier while dragging a handle can trim its edges. If the clip appears stretched, restore its proportions instead of pulling a corner until it fits. A small mismatch in the canvas can make a video look distorted in the recording even though its source file is fine.
Visibility is also part of the composition. A source can be present but hidden, or visible yet covered by another source. Toggle visibility to check the layers beneath it, then restore the intended state before recording. If you plan to activate the clip during a take, practise the switch and verify that the screen and camera remain where you placed them.
For a live broadcast, changing the content while the stream remains online has additional operational considerations beyond composing a local screen recording. The guide to changing video while keeping a 24/7 YouTube live stream online covers that separate scenario.
Check playback and make a test recording
Before the recording you intend to keep, check that the clip starts, plays through the section you need, and behaves correctly at the end. A test recording is useful because the OBS preview tells you about the visible scene, while the saved recording lets you verify what was actually captured. Keep the test short and inspect it before making a longer take.
Check the file path first, then start playback in the scene and watch the preview. Confirm that the correct clip appears, that the framing is sensible, and that it is not hidden under another source. If you have enabled looping, observe the point where the file should begin again. If you have enabled restart on activation, hide and re-enable the source to check whether it begins from the start as intended.
Play the resulting recording back in a media player. Look for a blank or frozen image, an unexpected last frame, or a clip that starts at the wrong point. If audio matters to your finished recording, listen to the saved file as well; do not infer audio routing from the preview alone. The reviewed documentation establishes Media Source playback controls, not a guarantee about every codec, audio route, DRM restriction, or computer configuration.
If a test fails, change one thing at a time. Verify the selected file and source visibility, then review playback settings and source order. If the file itself remains a problem, consult the current OBS documentation for the documented VLC Video source option. A controlled test makes it easier to tell whether the issue came from the file path, the composition, or the playback setting.
People recording material for an always-on channel may also be weighing local recording against a cloud-run broadcast. StreamNeo removes the need to leave your own computer running for a file-based 24/7 YouTube stream, which is a different task from recording a composed OBS scene on your desktop.
When VLC is a separate alternative
VLC is worth considering when your task is to record content being played in VLC, or to make a recording of the desktop using its documented screen-recording capability. VideoLAN describes these on separate documentation pages: one covers recording video content being played, and another explains screen recording. Read the playback recording instructions and screen recording instructions for their respective workflows.
Those pages do not describe the same integrated scene-source method as OBS Media Source. Do not choose VLC on the assumption that it will let you place a local clip beside a camera and desktop capture with equivalent layer controls. If you want a composed result, OBS is the route documented here for placing a local file in a scene. If you only need to record playback or capture the desktop and VLC suits your existing workflow, VLC may be enough.
VideoLAN also documents a separate recording control for content being played, with instructions for starting and stopping a recording. See its recording video instructions. The useful comparison is about the task, not a broad claim that one program is better: OBS documents scene composition and playback settings, while the cited VLC pages document playback recording and desktop capture separately.
| Need | Documented route | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Combine a local clip with screen or camera sources | OBS Media Source in a scene | Source order, visibility, playback controls and a test recording |
| Record content playing in VLC | VLC playback recording controls | Follow VideoLAN’s instructions and inspect the saved file |
| Capture the desktop with VLC | VLC screen-recording instructions | Confirm the capture area and result in a short test |
If your material is intended to become a continuous YouTube stream rather than a recording, keep the workflow distinction clear. A guide to scheduling a YouTube livestream playlist discusses planning a stream sequence, while this page focuses on putting one local video into a desktop recording scene.
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FAQ
Can I play a local video in OBS while recording my screen?
Yes. Add the file as a Media Source in the scene that contains your screen capture, then arrange the sources in the preview. Check visibility and source order, and make a short test recording to confirm the result.
How do I make the clip start again when I show it?
In the Media Source playback options, enable the setting to restart playback when the source becomes active. Test by hiding and reactivating the source in your scene, since the intended behaviour should be confirmed in your own setup.
Should I use VLC or OBS?
Use OBS when you need a local clip composed alongside screen or camera sources in a scene. VLC documents recording playback and desktop capture as separate capabilities; choose it when one of those tasks is what you need, not on the assumption it offers the same documented layered workflow.
What if OBS does not play my file as expected?
Confirm that the source points to the right file and check the current OBS format notes. Supported formats do not guarantee every file will behave successfully, so test the actual clip; OBS also documents a VLC Video source for extended media support, with VLC installation requirements.