If one video should play again after it finishes, add it to OBS as a Media Source and enable Loop. If several files should play in order, use a VLC Video Source, add the files to its playlist, and enable Loop Playlist.
A source disappearing at the end and a short black flash when playback repeats are different problems. The first usually points to a loop or visibility setting; the second may be caused by the file, the decoder, or the way the next playback starts, and it cannot always be removed completely.
Identify which black screen you are seeing
Start by watching the exact point at which the picture goes black. Do not change several settings at once, because that makes it difficult to tell which setting fixed the problem.
There are two common patterns:
| What you see | More likely explanation | First check |
|---|---|---|
| The video reaches its end and the source stays blank | The source is not set to repeat, or its visibility behaviour has stopped it | Loop or Loop Playlist |
| The picture returns after a brief black frame or flicker | A repeat-boundary transition, file-specific issue, or decoder behaviour | Test the same file at its boundary |
| The source restarts when you change scenes | The source is configured to restart when it becomes active | Source visibility and restart settings |
| The playlist stops after the final file | Playlist looping is disabled, or the source cannot read one of the files | Loop Playlist, then test files individually |
| The VLC source is not available in the Add Source menu | VLC is missing or does not match OBS's bitness | Install the appropriate VLC version and restart OBS |
A source that remains invisible after the final frame is not necessarily suffering from a “seamless loop” problem. It may simply have finished and been told to stop. Conversely, a source that does repeat can still show a flash at the boundary.
For an always-on broadcast, test this in a short private or unlisted stream before relying on it overnight. If the issue is actually dropped frames rather than a playback boundary, use a separate dropped-frames troubleshooting guide rather than changing the playlist settings.
Enable Loop for one Media Source
For a single recorded video, OBS's built-in Media Source is the simplest route.
- Open the scene that should contain the video.
- In the Sources dock, select +.
- Choose Media Source and give it a recognisable name.
- Select the local video file in the source properties.
- Turn on Loop.
- Save the properties and watch the file reach its end.
The Loop setting controls what happens when that one file finishes. It is separate from the setting that controls what happens when the source becomes visible again. If the file stops at its final frame and does not start again, return to the Media Source properties and confirm that Loop is still enabled.
OBS documents Loop as replaying the file after playback completes. The documented default is off, so adding a file to a Media Source does not by itself create a repeating source. See the current OBS Media Sources documentation for the property names and current interface details.
You can also leave Restart playback when source becomes active enabled when the source should start from the beginning whenever it becomes active. This is useful when a scene should always begin with the first frame of an introduction, prayer, announcement, or advert. It is not a replacement for Loop. A source can restart when it becomes active but still stop when its file finishes if looping is disabled.
That distinction matters when you switch scenes. If you hide the source and show it again, it may start from the beginning because of the active-source setting. That behaviour does not prove that the file is looping correctly while it remains visible.
Check end-of-playback visibility
A Media Source can be configured to restart when it becomes active, but that does not describe every visibility situation in your scene. Review the source and scene layout if the video seems to vanish only after a scene change or transition.
First, confirm that the eye icon for the source is enabled in the Sources dock. Then check whether another source is above it and covering the video with a full-screen colour, image, browser layer, or second media source. A source can still be playing while it is hidden behind another layer.
Next, consider what your scene collection is doing. If the video is present in more than one scene, each scene may contain its own source instance and its own playback state. Switching scenes can therefore make one copy disappear and another copy become active. Name sources clearly, such as Main loop - morning or Playlist - night, so that you can identify which one is actually on screen.
For a single Media Source, Restart playback when source becomes active determines whether the file begins again when the source becomes active. Keep it enabled if every scene return should begin at the first frame. Disable it only when you want the source to retain its position while it is hidden, where the surrounding source behaviour allows that result.
Do not treat source visibility as a fix for a file that stops at its natural end. The setting that controls activation is different from Loop, which controls what happens when the file has run out of media. Test both conditions separately: leave the source visible until the end, then hide and show it once.
If the picture is present in OBS but absent from the YouTube preview, investigate the output path separately. A local preview can look correct while an encoder or network problem affects the live broadcast. For a longer recorded-video broadcast, you may also want to review how event replay channels keep a conference live after it ends, because a replay workflow has different operational risks from a simple scene loop.
Use VLC Video and Loop Playlist for several files
When the scene contains several videos, use a VLC Video Source rather than adding each file as an unrelated Media Source. VLC must be installed for the VLC source to appear in OBS. With 64-bit OBS, install 64-bit VLC so the two applications have matching bitness.
To create the playlist:
- Install VLC if it is not already installed.
- Restart OBS after installing VLC if VLC Video Source is not in the Add Source menu.
- In the Sources dock, select +, then choose VLC Video Source.
- Add the desired video files to the playlist.
- Arrange them in the order in which they should play.
- Keep Loop Playlist enabled.
- Leave Shuffle Playlist off if the listed order matters.
- Save the source and let it run through the complete list.
OBS describes Loop Playlist as specifying whether the source should restart when it has run out of media files. This is the setting for repeating the list, not the single-file Loop setting used by a Media Source. The current OBS Sources Guide also explains the role of the VLC source in adding a playlist when VLC Media Player is installed.
Use Shuffle Playlist only when a random order is genuinely wanted. A devotional channel may need a known sequence of chants, while an ambience channel may benefit from a less predictable rotation. If viewers or presenters expect a fixed running order, keep shuffle off and verify the order by watching the first part of each transition.
The VLC source also has Visibility Behaviour settings. The documented choices include continuing, pausing, or stopping when the source is not visible. The listed default is Stop when not visible, restart when visible. Choose the behaviour based on the scene design rather than assuming that a hidden source will keep playing.
For example, if a playlist is used only in a night scene, stopping it when that scene is hidden may be sensible. If several scenes share a long music rotation and you want it to continue while a title scene appears, choose a behaviour that keeps playback running. Check the result by hiding the source for longer than a few seconds, then making it visible again.
Separate playlist looping from source activation
The two settings are easy to confuse because both can make a video appear to start again.
Loop Playlist applies when the VLC source reaches the end of its list. Visibility Behaviour applies when the source is hidden or shown. They answer different questions:
- Has the source run out of files, and should it return to the first file?
- What should playback do while the source is not visible?
- When the source becomes visible, should it continue, pause, stop, or restart?
The same distinction applies to a single Media Source. Loop handles the end of the file. Restart playback when source becomes active handles activation. If the file restarts every time you switch scenes, changing the loop option may not alter that behaviour, because the scene switch is governed by activation rather than end-of-file playback.
Write down the intended behaviour before changing the settings. For instance: “The five bhajan files should play in order, repeat after the fifth file, and continue while the lower-third scene is shown.” That requirement points to a VLC playlist, Loop Playlist enabled, shuffle disabled, and a visibility behaviour that does not stop the playlist when the lower-third scene appears.
This small specification is useful for a 24/7 channel because it prevents a common mistake: making a source restart whenever it becomes visible, then interpreting that restart as proof that the playlist is configured correctly. A source can pass one test and fail the other.
Test the exact repeat boundary
Once the source repeats, watch the last few seconds of the file and the first few seconds after it starts again. Test the same boundary in OBS's preview first, then in a private or unlisted YouTube broadcast if the channel workflow depends on it.
A black screen that lasts until you intervene is a playback configuration problem. A brief black frame followed by the next loop is different. It may be the way the file closes and reopens, a decoder transition, a frame at the end of the video, or a mismatch between the source and the next playlist item.
Do not promise yourself that every flash can be eliminated by adding another filter or changing the scene. Some files repeat more cleanly than others. A short boundary transition may remain even when Loop or Loop Playlist is correctly enabled.
Use a controlled test:
- Save the scene and note the source settings.
- Play the file from a few seconds before its end.
- Observe whether the source disappears, pauses, or repeats.
- Note whether the flash occurs in the same place each time.
- Repeat with the source visible and without switching scenes.
- For a playlist, test the boundary between two different files as well as the return from the final file to the first.
If the flash occurs only when the final file returns to the first, compare that transition with the transitions between the other files. If every boundary flashes, the issue may be common to the files or the playback route. If only one file causes trouble, treat that file as the primary suspect.
A viewer may notice a single dark frame more readily than you do in a local test, especially when the channel has a static visual style. That does not mean the source is broken. It means you should decide whether the boundary is acceptable for the channel and whether changing the media is worth the effort.
Isolate file-specific issues
Before replacing the OBS source, inspect the media. A file can play normally from its beginning and still behave poorly when it reaches its last frame. The end may contain a black frame, a long fade, unusual timing, or a closing section that makes the transition look like a source failure.
Test each playlist item as a single Media Source. Enable Loop for that file and watch its own boundary. This separates a problem in the file from a problem in the VLC playlist. If the file loops cleanly alone but produces a flash only in the playlist, compare it with the file before and after it in the list.
Use consistent files where possible. Mixing formats, resolutions, frame rates, or audio arrangements can make a playlist harder to diagnose, although a difference by itself does not prove that it is the cause. Change one file at a time and keep a note of the result.
Check the file names and locations as well. A moved, renamed, or unavailable file can leave a playlist unable to advance normally. If the source works in a short foreground test but fails after the computer has been unattended, review whether the storage location remains available and whether the account running OBS can read every file.
If the VLC source is missing altogether, install VLC and restart OBS. For 64-bit OBS, use 64-bit VLC. Do not install a script or plugin first to compensate for a missing built-in source; confirm the basic dependency before adding another variable.
There are optional folder and plugin routes, but they are not automatically better. The OBS-hosted PlayFolder resource describes a script that scans a folder and loops files sequentially. Its instructions are specific: it uses a Media Source and should not be combined with VLC Source or OBS's internal looping options. Follow the current resource page rather than mixing instructions from different methods.
The OBS-hosted Media Playlist Source resource describes another playlist option, with its own version requirements and limitations. Check its current release notes and platform support before installing it. A built-in Media Source or VLC playlist is usually easier to troubleshoot when your need is simply one file or a fixed list.
Choose a setup that can survive an unattended night
The right setup depends on how often the content changes and how much control you need. A single Media Source is easier to inspect. A VLC playlist is suited to a fixed group of files. A folder script or add-on may help when files are added regularly, but it introduces another set of instructions to maintain.
| Requirement | Best starting point | Main checks |
|---|---|---|
| One file repeating | Media Source | Loop, file path, active-source behaviour |
| Several named files in a fixed order | VLC Video Source | VLC installation, Loop Playlist, shuffle, visibility behaviour |
| Several files in a random order | VLC Video Source | Loop Playlist on, Shuffle Playlist on, test file transitions |
| Folder contents should be scanned automatically | Current script or plugin route | Compatibility, current instructions, file access, update behaviour |
| Computer should not remain on overnight | A hosted YouTube-only workflow | Upload the file, provide the stream key, and test the channel before relying on it |
If the cost of leaving a computer running, maintaining VLC, and checking an overnight broadcast is the main problem, StreamNeo removes the specific burden of keeping the local playback machine on: you upload the video once, provide the YouTube stream key, and the cloud-run broadcast can continue while your computer is switched off, with automatic monitoring and restart if the broadcast drops.
That does not remove the need to check your video rights, YouTube settings, audio levels, or the content itself. It also does not change how OBS handles a local playlist. It is a different workflow for a finished video that needs to run continuously on YouTube rather than a scene that must be edited live on your own computer.
For an OBS-based channel, keep a small test scene and a copy of the final scene collection. Test the exact files, source settings, scene visibility, and output destination together. Once the boundary behaves as expected, leave the setup unchanged for a longer observation period before using it for a scheduled devotional, local news, study, or business channel.
If your longer-term requirement is several channels or separate content profiles, first map which files belong to which broadcast. A discussion of multiple stream profiles for 24/7 YouTube services can help frame that decision, but it does not replace testing the actual playlist and source behaviour.
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
Why does my OBS video stop instead of restarting?
For one file, open the Media Source properties and enable Loop. For several files, use a VLC Video Source and enable Loop Playlist. Also check that the source is not being hidden or stopped by a scene change, because end-of-file looping and source visibility are separate behaviours.
Why is VLC Video Source missing from OBS?
VLC must be installed for the source to appear, and OBS may need to be restarted afterwards. If you use 64-bit OBS, install 64-bit VLC so the bitness matches.
Why does my loop show a brief black flash?
A brief flash at the repeat boundary is not the same as a source that stays black after playback ends. Test the exact file by itself, check its final frames, and compare its boundary with other playlist transitions. Some file and decoder combinations may still show a short transition that cannot be removed entirely.
Should I use a plugin to loop a folder?
Use a script or plugin only when a fixed Media Source or VLC playlist does not meet the folder-management need. Check the current resource instructions, version requirements, and limitations before installing one, and avoid combining settings that the resource explicitly says not to use together.