Use OBS Studio on Ubuntu to send a local video to YouTube Live: add the file as a Media Source, enable Loop, and connect OBS using the stream URL and key from YouTube Studio. Start the encoder, check the incoming preview and stream health in Live Control Room, then click Go live there when you are ready to make the broadcast public.
The steps are the same whether the loop is a bhajan, a study playlist or a local business information video. Ubuntu release differences matter when installing OBS, while the stream key matters on every release: it is a credential, not a detail to share or publish. OBS can send a stream while the computer is running, but it does not guarantee an unattended 24/7 broadcast.
Check eligibility and activate live streaming
Before you prepare the video, open YouTube Studio and check whether the channel can livestream. YouTube says a channel must be verified and must not have had a live-streaming restriction in the previous 90 days. Use the current status shown in your account rather than assuming that a channel is ready because it can upload ordinary videos. See YouTube’s live-streaming eligibility guidance for its current requirements.
If live streaming has not been enabled, follow the prompts in Studio and allow for activation to complete before planning a broadcast. Do not leave this check until the evening you intend to start: an account-level restriction or pending activation is not something OBS can fix. The Live Control Room is also where you will create or schedule the encoder stream and obtain the connection details later.
This workflow has no special India-only OBS setting in the official setup material. Your channel status, network and content rights still matter. If you are streaming regional music, for example, a file being available on your computer does not mean you have permission to broadcast it; the rights questions for regional independent music in India are worth considering before making a loop public.
Install an OBS build suited to your Ubuntu release
First identify the Ubuntu version installed on the computer. You can check it in the system’s About settings or with lsb_release -a in a terminal. Then consult OBS Project’s official download and Linux installation guidance for that release. OBS supports Linux, but package commands are not suitable for every Ubuntu release and can change as support changes.
OBS Project currently gives the following Personal Package Archive (PPA) route for Ubuntu 24.04 and newer. Use it only if the official page still lists it for your release:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:obsproject/obs-studio
sudo apt update
sudo apt install obs-studio
The commands add an OBS package source, refresh apt’s package list and install OBS Studio. They require an administrator password. If your Ubuntu release is older than 24.04, do not copy these commands on the assumption that they apply: OBS documents separate instructions for older Ubuntu versions. Follow the current instructions for the version you have, or use the package method recommended by Ubuntu and OBS for that release.
After installation, open OBS Studio and complete its initial setup. The auto-configuration wizard can suggest starting settings, but treat them as a starting point, not proof that your upload connection can sustain a broadcast. If you prefer to avoid configuring and maintaining a running computer, the trade-offs between a cloud PC and a VPS for prerecorded YouTube Live in India describe a different operating approach; this article focuses on OBS running directly on Ubuntu.
Create a scene and add a Media Source
In OBS, a scene is the layout sent to viewers. For a simple video loop, create a scene with a clear name such as “Evening bhajans”, then add a Media Source from the Sources panel. Choose Create new, name the source, and select the local video file. OBS Project lists Media Source as available on Linux and documents common formats including MP4, TS, MOV, MKV, AVI, GIF and WebM in its Media Sources guide.
Check the picture in the OBS canvas after adding the file. If the video does not fill the canvas, right-click the source and use the transform options to fit it to the screen, taking care not to crop text or important imagery. A portrait phone video placed in a landscape scene may have empty space at the sides; decide whether that is acceptable rather than stretching faces or lettering out of shape.
If the video has sound, check that the OBS audio meter moves during playback and listen to the monitoring output if available. Keep the system volume and OBS audio levels clear of clipping. A silent picture can be intentional, but a music or devotional loop should not go live with an accidental muted source. For more specific audio-level considerations, see the OBS audio bitrate guidance for a Hindi music loop.
Use video and audio you own, have permission to broadcast, or are otherwise entitled to use. A loop does not establish rights, prevent a claim, or guarantee monetisation. If the channel has monetisation features, their availability and settings depend on YouTube and the channel; do not treat the choice of encoder or a continuous broadcast as a promise of earnings.
Enable Loop for the local video
Select the Media Source in the Sources panel and open its properties. Tick Loop, then confirm the source is playing. The Loop setting tells OBS to start the selected file again when playback reaches its end. It does not create a playlist from several files; for this setup, it repeats the one file you selected.
Test the end-to-start transition before connecting to YouTube. Scrub near the end if useful, or let the file play through once. Look for a black flash, an unwanted pause, a jump in audio level or a moment where the image disappears. These are checks of your own file and OBS scene, not guarantees about what viewers will see over a long session.
The file needs to remain available at the path OBS expects. Do not move or rename it after setting up the source. If it is on a removable drive, the drive must stay connected and mounted; a local copy on the Ubuntu computer avoids relying on a USB device being present. OBS only loops the video while the scene and application are running and the computer is operating. It is not, by itself, a server-like unattended service.
Enter the YouTube stream URL and key
In YouTube Studio, open Go Live and create an encoder stream, or open a scheduled stream you have already prepared. In its stream settings, YouTube provides a stream URL and a stream key. The URL tells OBS where to send the broadcast; the key identifies the stream configuration. YouTube describes stream keys as “like your YouTube stream’s password and address”, so copy them carefully and keep them private. Its encoder setup instructions explain where to find and use these details.
In OBS, open Settings, then Stream. Select YouTube if it is offered in the service list and enter the requested connection details. If you use a custom server field, paste YouTube’s stream URL there and enter the key in the key field. Avoid posting screenshots that show the key, putting it in a public document, or sending it in a group chat where people do not need it.
The stream key is sensitive even if the broadcast is intended to be public. Viewers need not know it to watch. If it is exposed, use Live Control Room’s reset option and update OBS with the replacement before the next broadcast. You can also use separate stream configurations where YouTube makes them available, so a test or one programme is not casually sharing the same credential with unrelated workflows.
For the basic prerecorded loop, use a YouTube-compatible RTMPS connection where the encoder settings permit it. YouTube recommends RTMPS, which encrypts the stream data sent to Google. Keep to OBS’s normal YouTube connection rather than changing protocol settings without a reason; HLS is a separate workflow with higher latency and specific output requirements, not a general quality upgrade.
Start OBS, check the preview, then Go live
When the scene, loop and stream settings are ready, start the stream from OBS. The button is generally labelled Start Streaming. This begins sending the encoder output, but for a scheduled encoder stream it does not necessarily make the public broadcast live immediately. Open Live Control Room and wait for the incoming preview.
Inspect the preview for the actual picture and sound, not just the OBS canvas. Check that the intended scene is visible, the video is moving, the audio is present if expected, and YouTube’s stream health does not show a problem. Once the preview is correct, click Go live in Live Control Room to start the public broadcast. This manual action is a deliberate checkpoint: starting OBS and making the YouTube event public are distinct steps.
YouTube recommends setting up encoder streams ahead of an event and starting the encoder before the planned start so there is time to inspect the preview. Its guidance also recommends testing with similar movement and audio to the intended programme. For a loop, a useful rehearsal includes the file transition from the end back to the start, not only the opening seconds. See YouTube’s encoder guidance on previewing and stream health for the platform’s current run sequence.
Do not assume that a clean preview means the whole night is covered. Your Ubuntu computer must remain powered and connected, OBS must remain open and the file must remain readable. A power cut, operating-system update, lost connection or application failure can interrupt the broadcast. OBS does not guarantee 24/7 uptime, and a manual Go live step may need to be repeated for a new event depending on how you have set it up.
Protect the key and monitor the stream
Treat the stream key as a password. Keep it out of tutorial screenshots, public issue reports and shared setup notes. If another person needs to help configure OBS, share access in a controlled way and reset the key afterwards if there is any doubt about who has seen it. When you troubleshoot, describe the error and hide the key rather than pasting all settings into a forum post.
During the broadcast, keep Live Control Room open often enough to notice stream-health warnings, and check the actual viewer playback when possible. A local preview can look fine while the upload becomes unstable. YouTube recommends leaving roughly 20% of available upload bandwidth unused as headroom, and notes that shared networks can reduce the capacity available to one device. That is a recommendation, not a guarantee; test the connection at the place and time you plan to broadcast, and choose an encoder quality it can sustain.
A household connection in India may be shared with video calls, downloads and other devices. If upload capacity varies, reduce the OBS video bitrate or resolution and test again rather than choosing the highest setting in the name of quality. A 4G hotspot can also change with signal conditions and congestion. Keep the setup simple until you know how it behaves, and avoid starting a long public session on the basis of a brief speed test alone.
Think about what happens after a drop. Can someone check the computer? Is the screen locked but the system awake? Will a system update restart the machine? These practical questions matter more than a claim that one application can run forever. If you are comparing a workstation-based setup with a rented machine, the OBS-or-VPS trade-off for a 24/7 podcast stream in India may help frame the decision. StreamNeo is relevant when the specific burden is keeping your own Ubuntu computer on: it turns an uploaded video into a YouTube-only live broadcast that runs without that computer, with monitoring and automatic restart if the broadcast drops.
When you finish, end the broadcast in Live Control Room and stop sending from OBS. YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived; check the current platform guidance if archive access matters to you. Do not leave a stream running simply because the file loops: make sure the event’s visibility, ending point and archive settings match what you intend.
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FAQ
How do I loop a video in OBS on Ubuntu?
Add the local file to a scene as a Media Source, open the source properties and tick Loop. Test the end of the file returning to its start, and confirm the audio behaves as intended.
Do I click Go live in OBS or YouTube Studio?
Start sending from OBS first, then wait for the incoming preview in YouTube Live Control Room. For the scheduled encoder workflow, check the preview and click Go live in Live Control Room to make the broadcast public.
Can I use the same Ubuntu install commands on every release?
No. OBS’s current PPA commands are listed for Ubuntu 24.04 and newer, and OBS provides separate guidance for older releases. Confirm your Ubuntu version and follow the official OBS instructions applicable to it rather than assuming a command will work everywhere.
Is an OBS loop enough for a 24/7 unattended channel?
No. OBS can repeat the file while the computer and application are running, but it does not guarantee uninterrupted operation. Power, network, system updates and application failures can interrupt a stream, so plan how you will monitor and recover it.