If you want one pre-recorded video to repeat, add it as an OBS Media Source and enable Loop. If you want several different videos to play in sequence and start again, use VLC Video with a playlist, keep Loop Playlist enabled and turn Shuffle Playlist off for a fixed order.
These are two different jobs, and the regular Media Source is not a multi-file playlist. VLC must also be installed before the VLC Video source type appears in OBS. The steps below explain which source to choose, how to set its properties and how to check the result before relying on it.
Choose between one repeating file and a playlist
Start by deciding what you want to happen when the current video reaches its end. If the same file should begin again, use Media Source. If OBS should move from one file to another, make a playlist in VLC Video. Choosing the source based on that distinction prevents a common setup mistake: looking for playlist controls in a source designed to play one selected file.
For example, a study channel might use one long ambience video all evening. Media Source with Loop enabled fits that arrangement. A devotional channel might want a morning sequence of separate bhajan videos, followed by the same sequence again. That calls for a VLC Video playlist and Loop Playlist.
| What you want | OBS source and setting | What happens at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat one local video | Media Source → Loop on | The same file plays again |
| Cycle through several files | VLC Video → playlist → Loop Playlist on | The next item plays; after the final item, the list starts again |
| Keep a chosen sequence | VLC Video → Shuffle Playlist off | Items follow the list order |
| Vary the sequence | VLC Video → Shuffle Playlist on | Items play in a shuffled order |
The table describes source behaviour, not what viewers will see after you go live. Your scene layout, audio levels and YouTube broadcast are separate parts of the setup. If the wider goal is to build a channel around videos you already have, the guide to turning existing YouTube uploads into a 24/7 live channel covers that broader planning question.
Loop one file with Media Source
In OBS, select the scene where the video should appear. In the Sources dock, select the + button and choose Media Source. Give the source a clear name, such as “Evening ambience”, so you can identify it later if the scene contains several layers or audio sources.
In the source properties, select the local video file. If you are creating a new source, OBS may offer to make it visible; keep it visible for the initial test. Enable Loop and confirm the properties. OBS documents this setting as replaying the file once playback has completed. It does not add other files or create a queue.
If you want a single video to begin from its start when the source becomes visible, check the source’s restart behaviour as well. That choice matters when you switch scenes or hide and show the source. A video that is meant to run continuously through scene changes may need different visibility behaviour from a clip that should start at the beginning each time you return to its scene.
Check the video in the OBS preview. If it is larger or smaller than the canvas, use the preview’s transform controls to fit it appropriately, taking care not to stretch it out of shape. Then listen for its audio if it contains sound. A loop can repeat a picture successfully while still producing an unwanted abrupt audio transition, so review the file’s ending as well as its beginning.
A single-file source is the simpler choice when you need one uninterrupted visual, such as a static devotional scene or a long lofi track with a visual. It is also easier to troubleshoot because there is only one file path and one source. But if the requirement is to move among different files, adding separate Media Sources does not turn them into a playlist; use VLC Video for that workflow.
Add multiple files with VLC Video
Before adding the source, install VLC Media Player if it is not already installed. OBS’s VLC Video source relies on VLC being present. The OBS documentation also specifies that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC, so match the application architecture rather than installing a different build by guesswork.
Once VLC is installed, return to OBS and use the + control in the Sources dock. Choose VLC Video, then create or name the source. If the type does not appear in the menu, do not substitute a regular Media Source and expect it to accept a list. Check the VLC installation and restart OBS after installing it; then look in the source menu again.
In the VLC Video properties, add the media files to the playlist and arrange them in the order you want. OBS’s official guide distinguishes Media Sources for audio or video files from the VLC route, which can use a playlist when VLC Media Player is installed. For a local news loop, for instance, you could arrange an opening slate, the recorded bulletin and a closing card. The playlist is the sequence; the source’s playlist settings determine whether and how it repeats.
Use files that OBS and VLC can read from a stable location. If you move, rename or delete a file after building the playlist, OBS may no longer find it. A folder on an external drive can also become unavailable if the drive is disconnected. For a channel intended to continue unattended, keep the files in a predictable location and avoid reorganising them after testing.
The playlist route is useful for more than music. A small business can alternate product demonstrations and opening information; a study channel can move between a timer, a quiet scene and a break card. Keep the sequence intentional and review the content as a whole. A playlist can repeat technically while still feeling jarring if the final item and first item do not sit well next to each other.
Enable Loop Playlist
Open the VLC Video source properties and find Loop Playlist. Keep it enabled if the playlist should begin again after its final item. This setting concerns the list as a whole: it is distinct from the Media Source Loop property, which repeats one file.
After the last playlist item finishes, a looping playlist returns to its start. That is the behaviour you need for a repeating sequence. If Loop Playlist is off, the playlist reaches its end instead of starting the sequence over. Decide which outcome suits the programme: a one-time set may not need a loop, while an always-on channel usually needs a defined next step after the final item.
Also review the VLC source’s Visibility Behaviour property. OBS provides choices for what happens when a VLC source is not visible, including stopping and restarting when visible, pausing and resuming, or continuing to play while hidden. Choose based on how you use scenes. If the playlist should continue through a scene change, a setting that stops or pauses it may interrupt the sequence. If it should start fresh whenever shown, restarting can be appropriate.
This is a separate decision from Loop Playlist. One setting governs the playlist’s end; the other governs playback while the source is hidden. Consider a scene with a background video under a temporary information overlay. If the source remains active behind the overlay, it can continue playing; if it is hidden as part of a scene switch, its visibility behaviour determines whether it stops, pauses or carries on.
Disable Shuffle for listed order
For a fixed sequence, turn Shuffle Playlist off. The files will play in the order shown in the playlist, so arrange them deliberately before testing. This is suitable when a sequence has an introduction, main segment and closing card, or when the files need to follow a schedule.
Shuffle is useful when the order can vary and no transition depends on what came before. With it enabled, you should not expect each file to follow the item above it in the list. That may be acceptable for a collection of interchangeable ambience videos, but it is not suitable for a sequence that depends on a particular opening or ending.
Do not confuse shuffle with looping. Shuffle changes the order of items; Loop Playlist determines whether the list repeats after it reaches the end. For a predictable cycle, set Shuffle Playlist off and Loop Playlist on. For a changing order, enable shuffle only if you are comfortable with the variation and have checked that the videos work in any order.
If you are assembling a music or bhajan channel, the decision can affect the listening experience as much as the picture. A planned progression may need a fixed order, while a large collection of similar tracks may tolerate shuffle. The guide to creating a 24/7 deep house radio stream from prerecorded tracks discusses the broader content and sequencing considerations; the OBS setting itself remains a choice between shuffled and listed order.
Install VLC if the source type is missing
VLC Video is not guaranteed to appear in OBS simply because OBS is installed. The source depends on VLC Media Player, so install VLC first if the source type is missing. Then close and reopen OBS and check the Sources dock’s + menu again.
Pay attention to application architecture. OBS’s Media Sources documentation says that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. If you have installed VLC but still cannot find VLC Video, verify that the installed VLC build matches the OBS build, then restart OBS. Also confirm that you installed VLC itself, rather than only downloading a media file or using a different player.
The official OBS documentation lists Media Source and VLC Video availability for Windows, macOS and Linux, while noting the VLC prerequisite for the latter. Consult the OBS Media Sources documentation and OBS Sources Guide if the labels or controls differ in your version. Their descriptions are a better reference for a changed interface than assumptions based on a tutorial made for another release.
If you cannot or do not want to install VLC, keep the distinction clear: the regular Media Source remains suitable for one file, not a playlist. There are third-party playlist extensions, but they are not the built-in workflow described here. Their compatibility and maintenance can change, so check the extension’s own current information before relying on it for a broadcast. For most readers who want OBS’s documented multi-file source, installing the matching VLC build is the direct route.
Test playback and ordering
Test the source in OBS before starting a public broadcast. For Media Source, confirm that the selected file plays and that it begins again when it reaches the end. For VLC Video, check that each item loads, that the next one starts, that the selected order is correct and that the last item returns to the first when Loop Playlist is enabled.
A short test can reveal a wrong file path or an unexpected order, but it cannot show every transition in a long playlist. If the sequence matters, let it run through the relevant hand-offs. Watch the preview while listening for missing sound, overlapping audio or a pause at a file boundary. Video files with different dimensions or aspect ratios may also look inconsistent; inspect the preview rather than assuming one transform suits every item.
Test what happens when you hide the VLC source or switch scenes. This checks the Visibility Behaviour you selected. If the source is supposed to keep running unseen, verify that it does; if it should restart or pause, verify that outcome instead. A source that behaves correctly while visible can behave differently after a scene transition.
For an always-on channel, OBS running on your computer means your machine and the software remain part of the playback chain. Sleep settings, updates, power interruptions and internet access are outside the playlist controls. If your actual requirement is to use existing videos for a channel without leaving your computer on, the guide to using a Raspberry Pi 5 for prerecorded bhajan videos explores a different operating arrangement. StreamNeo removes the specific need to leave your own computer running by turning an uploaded video into a YouTube live stream that continues from the cloud and can restart if it drops; it is YouTube-only, and does not change how OBS playlists work.
Once the files, order and scene are ready, choose the operating arrangement that fits how you intend to run the channel.
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FAQ
Can the regular Media Source loop several different videos?
No. Media Source selects one file and its Loop property repeats that file after it ends. Use VLC Video and a playlist when you want different files to play one after another.
Why can’t I see VLC Video in OBS?
VLC must be installed for the VLC Video source type to appear. The OBS documentation says 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC, so check that the builds match, then restart OBS and inspect the Sources menu again.
How do I keep the videos in a fixed order?
Arrange the items in the VLC Video playlist in the sequence you want and turn Shuffle Playlist off. Keep Loop Playlist enabled if you also want the sequence to start over after its last item.
What happens if the VLC source is hidden?
Its Visibility Behaviour setting determines whether it stops and restarts when visible, pauses and resumes, or keeps playing while hidden. Test that behaviour with your actual scene transitions, because it is separate from the playlist loop setting.