Add the video to OBS as a Media Source, choose the local file, and enable Loop in its properties. OBS will play the same file again when it reaches the end.
That setting only controls the media source. To repeat the video without restarting the YouTube stream, keep OBS connected and continue sending the encoder output. Do not stop streaming in OBS or end the event in YouTube Live Control Room when the file finishes.
A looping clip is not the same as a live event
There are two separate things on screen when you run a loop through OBS. The first is the media source: the local video file that appears in your scene and plays from beginning to end. The second is the encoder connection: the ongoing output from OBS to YouTube.
The Loop option belongs to the first part. It tells OBS what to do when that particular file reaches its end. It does not start a YouTube broadcast, reconnect a failed encoder, keep a computer awake, or close and reopen a live event. It also does not guarantee that the transition between the final frame and the first frame will be gap-free.
The encoder connection belongs to the second part. While OBS is streaming, it sends the current scene to YouTube. If the scene contains a Media Source that has reached its end but has Loop enabled, the source begins again while OBS continues sending the scene.
This distinction matters because the controls can look close together in a troubleshooting session. If the video has finished, check the Media Source settings. If YouTube says the stream has ended or OBS shows that streaming has stopped, check the encoder connection and the live event instead.
YouTube describes ending an encoder stream as stopping the content being sent from the encoder. Its instructions are separate from the action of replaying media inside the scene. You can read the current workflow in YouTube's encoder streaming instructions.
For a devotional channel, for example, one bhajan video can return to its opening frame repeatedly while the same YouTube live event remains active. The repeated playback is an OBS source action, not a sequence of new YouTube events. This is also useful when you are testing how to stream Krishna bhajans live for 24/7 viewing, provided that you have the rights to use the recording and artwork.
Add a Media Source in OBS
Start with the scene that you want to send to YouTube. If you are building a new scene, open the Scenes dock in OBS and create or select the scene. Then use the Sources dock and click the + button.
Choose Media Source from the list. OBS uses this source type for a local audio or video file. Give it a recognisable name, such as main_loop, rather than leaving several sources with identical names. A clear name makes later checks easier, especially if the scene also contains a logo, a background image, text, or an audio source.
When the properties window opens, you will see the controls for the source. The exact arrangement can vary slightly between OBS versions, but the important choices are the local file field and the playback options. Select the video stored on the computer that is running OBS.
If the file is on an external drive, confirm that the drive remains connected. A source can be correctly configured and still fail later if Windows assigns the drive a different letter, the drive goes to sleep, or the file is moved. For an overnight stream, a file stored on a reliable local drive is easier to check than a path that depends on a removable device or a network location.
OBS's Sources Guide explains how sources are added and managed inside a scene. The Media Sources guide covers the local-file source and its playback controls.
After selecting the file, look at the preview in OBS. You should be able to see the video and hear its audio when you preview or start playback. If the source is hidden behind another source, move it up in the source order or temporarily hide the covering source. If the picture is present but the sound is missing, check both the file itself and the audio mixer in OBS before testing it on YouTube.
Select the file and enable Loop
In the Media Source properties, use the file selection control to choose the video you want to repeat. Then enable Loop. The setting means that OBS plays the file again after playback completes.
It is worth distinguishing this from restarting the source manually. A manual restart may be useful during a test, but it is not required for normal looping. Once the source is playing and Loop is enabled, OBS handles the return to the beginning when the file reaches its end.
You do not need to enable Loop on every source in the scene. Turn it on for the file that should repeat. A logo image, text overlay, or background can remain in place independently. If the scene has several Media Sources, check which one is visible and which one is actually providing the sound.
The loop boundary is the point at which the file finishes and begins again. OBS documents replay after completion, but that documentation does not promise a frame-perfect or silent transition. A short pause, a change in audio level, or a visible jump can come from the file, the way it was encoded, or the source transition itself.
Test the actual file in the same scene you intend to stream. Watch the final part of the video and the first part after the repeat. Listen for a click, a sudden drop, a duplicated opening sound, or a black frame. A video that looks acceptable when opened in a media player can behave differently when it is placed among other OBS sources.
If the repeat looks wrong, edit the file or choose a better-prepared version rather than assuming that the Loop checkbox will repair the transition. For a lofi or ambience channel, an intentional fade at the end and beginning may be less distracting than trying to hide an abrupt cut. For a spoken announcement or news loop, leave enough context at the start so viewers do not hear a sentence begin halfway through.
Keep the encoder stream running
Once the Media Source is set to Loop, start the stream from OBS using the YouTube stream details for the event. The exact account and event controls depend on how you created the broadcast, but the operating principle remains the same: OBS must continue sending the scene after the file returns to its beginning.
When the video reaches the end, do not click Stop Streaming in OBS merely because the source has finished. Do not click End Stream in YouTube Live Control Room merely because the first playback has completed. Leave the Media Source running and let OBS send the next pass of the file.
The source may appear to restart inside OBS while the YouTube stream remains the same event. That is the expected result. YouTube receives a continuing encoder output; it does not need a new stream key or a new broadcast for each pass of the local file.
This also means that enabling Loop is not a substitute for monitoring. If OBS stops streaming because the computer sleeps, the network disconnects, the application closes, or an input becomes unavailable, the source setting cannot restore the encoder connection by itself. A looped file and a live encoder are related parts of the setup, but they have different failure modes.
Before relying on the arrangement overnight, open the YouTube preview and confirm that the picture and sound are arriving. YouTube's live streaming tips recommend checking the preview and monitoring stream quality. Keep an eye on OBS's status area as well, since it shows whether OBS still considers itself connected and streaming.
For a computer-based setup, also check the practical conditions around OBS. Prevent the computer from sleeping, keep the power adapter connected, avoid automatic restarts during the planned broadcast, and make sure the selected file remains available. These checks do not change the Loop setting, but they determine whether the encoder can keep presenting it.
If the computer is not meant to remain on, a cloud-based YouTube-only arrangement can remove the need to leave your own machine running. StreamNeo is designed for the specific hand-off where you upload the file once, add your YouTube stream key, and let the broadcast run while the file is monitored and restarted if it drops.
What stopping the encoder does
Stopping OBS streaming is a different action from a Media Source reaching the end. When you click Stop Streaming, OBS stops sending its encoder output to YouTube. The fact that the source has Loop enabled does not prevent that action and does not reopen the connection automatically.
This is the most common reason a loop appears not to work. A user may enable Loop, play the file once, and then stop OBS when the file ends. The source setting was correct, but the encoder was deliberately stopped, so YouTube no longer receives the ongoing scene.
The same distinction applies if you close OBS, lose the network connection, or shut down the computer. The file can remain configured to loop, but there is no active encoder available to send the repeated playback. You need to restore the encoder connection and check what YouTube shows for the event.
If the stream has already ended, treat it as a new troubleshooting situation rather than pressing Loop repeatedly. Confirm whether OBS is streaming, whether the correct scene is selected, and whether YouTube still considers the event active. The controls for starting or reconnecting the stream are separate from the source properties.
This separation is useful when planning a long broadcast. The local file answers, “What should appear next in the scene?” The encoder answers, “Is OBS still delivering the scene to YouTube?” Live Control Room answers, “What state does YouTube show for the event?” Checking all three prevents you from changing the wrong setting.
It also helps when comparing different ways to run a channel. A local OBS setup may suit someone who already leaves a computer running, while a hosted workflow suits someone who does not want an overnight machine dependency. If electricity and long-running hardware are part of the decision, review how to estimate 24/7 YouTube stream electricity costs using your state tariff before choosing the arrangement.
When a scheduled event should end
A scheduled YouTube live event has its own ending workflow. If you genuinely want the broadcast to finish, stop sending content from the encoder and follow the controls shown in YouTube Live Control Room. For scheduled streams, YouTube's instructions may also require clicking End Stream in Live Control Room.
Do this when the event is meant to be over, not when the local video reaches its final frame. If the file is supposed to repeat, leave the encoder running and let the Media Source begin again. Ending the YouTube event is an administrative and broadcast action; it is not a way to tell OBS to replay a file.
The distinction matters for channels that use a daily schedule. You might intentionally end a morning broadcast before starting a separate evening event, or you might keep one event running while its content repeats. Decide which of those outcomes you want before touching the controls.
If you choose to end the event, first verify that the correct broadcast is selected in Live Control Room. Then stop the encoder output as instructed and complete the End Stream action when YouTube presents it for that scheduled stream. Check the final state after the action rather than assuming that closing a browser tab has ended the event.
Do not describe the event as permanently ended just because the local file has completed. The file may be looping, paused, hidden, or unavailable, while the YouTube event has a different state. Likewise, do not assume that an OBS reconnect has created a new event. Confirm the state in the YouTube controls.
This is also where content planning matters. A repeated video may suit a meditation visual, a static information loop, or a devotional programme, but the content must still meet YouTube's current rules and your own rights obligations. Check the current official guidance for your channel and content rather than treating the technical loop as approval for the broadcast.
Practical checks and alternatives
Use this short sequence before leaving the stream unattended:
- In OBS, confirm that the intended scene is active.
- Open the Media Source properties and confirm that the correct local file is selected.
- Confirm that Loop is enabled for that source.
- Play through the end of the file and watch it return to the beginning.
- Check that the encoder remains active during the transition.
- Open YouTube's preview and check both audio and video.
- Confirm that you have not clicked Stop Streaming or End Stream.
- Check that the computer, power, network, and file location can remain available.
If you need to repeat several files rather than one, use OBS's VLC Video source for a playlist. Its Loop Playlist setting restarts the playlist when the items have run out. VLC must be installed for that source to appear, and the VLC installation architecture should match the OBS installation; for 64-bit OBS, use 64-bit VLC.
The choice between the main options is straightforward:
| Option | Use it when | Repeat control | Main consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media Source | You have one local video | Loop repeats the file | The simplest route for a single file |
| VLC Video | You have several local clips | Loop Playlist repeats the playlist | Requires VLC to be installed with the appropriate architecture |
| Browser Source | A web page itself must appear in the scene | No dedicated YouTube-video loop control is established by the OBS documentation | Page behaviour and network availability can change |
A Browser Source can load a web page into an OBS scene and includes URL and refresh controls. That does not establish a dependable, dedicated control for repeating a YouTube video. For a local recording that must repeat predictably, Media Source gives you a clearer setting and fewer moving parts.
For a playlist workflow, the guide on streaming a playlist of videos on YouTube with OBS may help you plan the scene. If a loop is producing black frames between clips, compare the file preparation and source behaviour with ways to prevent black screens between gaming videos on a YouTube stream.
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FAQ
Does OBS Loop restart the YouTube live stream?
No. Loop restarts the selected Media Source after its file finishes. The YouTube stream continues only while OBS keeps sending encoder output, so the source loop and the live connection must be treated separately.
Should I click Stop Streaming when the video ends?
No, not if you want the same file to continue playing in the same live event. Leave OBS streaming and let the Media Source play the file again; use Stop Streaming only when you intend to stop sending the encoder output.
Can I loop several videos in OBS?
Yes. Use the VLC Video source with a playlist and enable Loop Playlist, provided VLC is installed in the architecture required by your OBS installation. For one local file, Media Source with Loop is the simpler setup.
How do I properly finish a scheduled YouTube stream?
Stop sending content from the encoder and follow the instructions in YouTube Live Control Room. A scheduled stream may also require you to click End Stream, so verify the current workflow in YouTube's official controls rather than treating the end of the local file as the end of the event.