To stream a looping aromatherapy relaxation video on YouTube Live, add the finished file to an OBS scene as a Media Source, turn on its Loop property, and send OBS output to a YouTube encoder stream. Before making the event public, check that the loop repeats cleanly, the picture fits the frame, and the audio is present and at a suitable level.
This guide is about playback and broadcast setup, not claims about aromatherapy’s effects. Test the exact file, computer and internet connection you intend to use: the settings below explain the workflow, but cannot guarantee uninterrupted playback or stream health.
Prepare the finished video and clear its rights
Start with a finished video file stored somewhere the computer running OBS can access for the entire broadcast. A local copy is easier to test than a file on a removable drive or a location that may disconnect. Give it a clear filename, keep a separate backup, and avoid moving or renaming it after setting up the OBS source.
Check the full video before streaming. Watch its beginning, middle and end, and pay particular attention to the final moments before it returns to the opening. Look for a black frame, abrupt change in colour, unexpected title card or audio cutoff at the loop point. A seamless edit is not required, but you should know what viewers will see when the file restarts.
Check the rights to every element in the finished video: footage, illustrations, photographs, music, sound effects, fonts and any material supplied by another person. Permission to use an image does not automatically include permission to use a music track. Keep records of licences or written permissions where relevant. YouTube’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Service apply to live content; check the current official guidance rather than assuming that a particular file or use is approved.
A loop is only a playback choice. It does not establish a health effect, clinical evaluation or suitability for any individual. Keep the title, description and spoken or on-screen copy factual: describe what the video contains, and avoid presenting it as treatment or promising a medical result.
Repetition can also matter if you later apply for monetisation. YouTube’s channel monetisation policies caution against channels where content feels interchangeable and adds little original value. That policy does not decide the eligibility of a particular channel, and a loop setting by itself cannot answer that question. Consider what meaningful creative, educational or narrative work your channel contributes, and check YouTube’s current policy directly.
Enable YouTube Live and create an encoder stream
Check channel readiness well before the planned broadcast. YouTube says a channel must be verified and must not have had live-streaming restrictions in the past 90 days; its stated minimum age for live streaming is 16. First-time activation can take time, so do not leave eligibility checks until the moment you want to go live. YouTube’s live-streaming getting-started page is the place to confirm current requirements.
In YouTube Studio, open Live Control Room and create or schedule a stream using the encoder workflow. The stream’s setup provides a server URL and stream key. The URL tells the encoder where to send the feed; the key associates that feed with the correct stream. Copy both carefully, since a missing character or a value from a different event can prevent the expected preview from appearing.
Treat the stream key like a password. Do not show it in a screen recording, paste it into public notes, or share it with someone who does not need access. If it is exposed, use YouTube’s controls to replace or reset it, then update OBS with the new value. For a step-by-step overview of the wider setup, see our guide to YouTube Live setup and settings.
Choose whether the broadcast should be public, unlisted or private based on the audience and test plan. A private or unlisted test can help you inspect playback without announcing a public event, though you should still verify the actual audience experience and event settings before launch. Check the title, visibility, scheduled time, description and any other details in Live Control Room rather than assuming OBS controls them.
Add the video as an OBS Media Source
Open OBS Studio and create a scene for this broadcast. A scene is the layout OBS sends to YouTube; for a simple prerecorded loop, it may contain just the video source. Give the scene a recognisable name, such as “Relaxation loop”, so it is harder to select the wrong layout when you return to OBS later.
In the Sources area, add a Media Source and choose the option to create a new source. Name it for the particular video, then browse to the local file. OBS documents Media Sources as supporting local audio and video media. Its Media Sources guide describes the source properties, including the Loop option.
When the source appears in the preview canvas, check its size and position. If the video does not fill the canvas, use the transform or fit-to-screen options thoughtfully. Stretching a video with a different aspect ratio can distort the image; fitting it inside the canvas may leave bars around the image, while cropping may remove part of the frame. Choose the least surprising result for the content, and inspect the preview rather than relying on a setting name alone.
Pay attention to layers if you add text, a logo or another source. OBS draws sources in an order, so an image or colour source above the Media Source can cover it. For the initial test, keeping one video source avoids unnecessary variables. If you add overlays later, confirm in the preview that none obscure an important part of the picture.
The source is tied to its file location. If you change computers, rename the file or move it to another folder, OBS may no longer find it. For a more involved production with several scheduled elements, a run-of-show plan can record which file and scene should be active and when, but a single loop still needs its own direct source check.
Enable the Media Source Loop property
Open the Media Source properties and enable Loop. That tells OBS to replay the selected file after it reaches the end. It is the source setting that makes this a repeating video; a YouTube stream event does not make a file repeat on its own.
Test the loop locally before connecting to YouTube. Start playback, allow the file to reach its ending, and watch through the restart into the opening. Listen across the same boundary if the file has audio. A pause, a short silence or a sudden change in ambience may be part of the edit, but it should be an intentional choice rather than a surprise discovered by viewers.
Check the other Media Source properties against your intended behaviour. In particular, decide whether the source should restart when it becomes active, and avoid changing source visibility or scene selection after the broadcast begins unless you mean to interrupt the picture. Property names can vary between software versions, so use the current OBS documentation if a control is unclear.
A useful test is to leave the scene playing long enough to see a complete file ending and restart. Merely seeing a still frame in the OBS canvas does not prove that the source is playing, looping or producing sound. If the file has no audio, or if its audio is carried on a separate source, make that explicit in your production notes so a silent preview is not mistaken for an OBS fault.
Send OBS output using YouTube’s server URL and stream key
In OBS, open Settings and then Stream. Select YouTube as the service when the available interface supports it, and enter the server URL and stream key supplied by the corresponding Live Control Room event. Some OBS versions offer a direct account connection; whichever method you use, confirm that OBS is connected to the intended event and not an older stream profile.
Use a secure connection setting where available. YouTube recommends RTMPS in its encoder settings guidance, along with constant bitrate encoding. Match output resolution and frame rate to the video and the computer’s capacity. For example, YouTube’s encoder table recommends 4 Mbps for 720p at 30 fps, with a listed range of 2–6 Mbps. These are platform recommendations, not a guarantee; the available upload connection, encoding load and stream-health feedback still matter.
YouTube’s guidance also recommends a two-second keyframe interval and says not to exceed four seconds. Set encoder options deliberately rather than raising bitrate because a larger number sounds safer. Higher output demand can strain an upload connection or computer; a stable setting that fits the actual connection is more useful than an ambitious one that drops frames.
Test the upload connection during conditions resembling the planned broadcast. YouTube advises leaving 20% upload-bandwidth headroom. Count any other stream or household upload traffic that will be active at the same time. If you are deciding between a software encoder on an existing computer and dedicated hardware, weigh the equipment already available, the complexity of the production, control needs and the consequence of a local computer or power problem. A hardware encoder can suit a higher-production event; it is not a prerequisite established for a simple prerecorded loop.
Check preview, picture and sound before starting
Start streaming from OBS while the event is still in test mode or before its scheduled public start. Then wait for the incoming preview in Live Control Room. Do not treat OBS’s local canvas as proof that YouTube is receiving the feed: the preview confirms that the encoder connection has reached the event.
Check the picture in that preview. Confirm that the intended video is playing, the frame is not cropped unexpectedly, overlays are in the right place, and the loop boundary looks acceptable. If possible, open the watch page on a separate device, such as a phone, and confirm that the viewer-facing picture is also correct. A preview can be delayed, so allow it to update before deciding that the file is frozen.
Check audio separately. Watch OBS’s audio meter while the video plays, and listen through headphones or speakers to the actual output. A moving meter shows that audio is reaching OBS, but listening helps catch muted tracks, clipping, unwanted desktop sound or a level that is too quiet. If the music is embedded in the video, verify that the Media Source is routed to the expected audio output. If the file is intentionally silent, confirm that this is the intended programme rather than a disconnected audio path.
For a test, use the same scene, encoder settings and network path planned for the event. Look at Live Control Room for stream-health messages and act on concrete warnings instead of guessing. If you adjust bitrate or resolution, repeat the preview and listening checks; each change can affect the result. Our guide to 1080p settings for prerecorded content discusses the trade-offs of a higher-resolution output.
Only when the feed is correct should you select Go live in Live Control Room, if the event requires that separate step. Check the visibility and event details once more before doing so. A test stream reduces avoidable surprises, but it cannot certify how the connection or computer will behave over a longer broadcast.
Monitor playback and stream health
During the broadcast, keep an eye on both OBS and Live Control Room. Confirm that the source is still moving through the file, the audio meter behaves as expected and YouTube is not reporting a connection or encoding issue. If the stream becomes unstable, check the stream-health details and compare the chosen output with the upload capacity rather than changing several settings at once.
A video file repeating in OBS and a YouTube broadcast staying available are different things. The Loop property governs the source’s file playback; it does not promise that OBS, the computer, the power supply, the network or the YouTube event will remain uninterrupted. If the computer or connection is unattended, arrange a way to check status and have a practical response plan. Our article on monitoring an unattended OBS stream covers that separate operational problem.
If the preview freezes, first check whether OBS is still playing the source and whether its output indicates a connection problem. If the picture moves locally but not in YouTube, inspect the encoder connection and Live Control Room status. If the picture is fine but sound is missing, check the Media Source’s audio routing, mute controls and OBS mixer before restarting the event. Change one cause at a time so you can tell whether the fix worked.
Decide in advance how you will end the stream. When finished, end the event in YouTube and stop the OBS encoder. YouTube says streams shorter than 12 hours are automatically archived, but if you need an archive, verify its availability in YouTube Studio rather than assuming it appeared. That duration guidance is from YouTube’s current help material; check the official page for the current rules.
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FAQ
How do I loop a video on YouTube Live?
Add the local file to OBS as a Media Source and enable its Loop property. Start the encoder output, wait for the Live Control Room preview, and verify the picture and audio before starting the event. YouTube itself does not make a non-looping source repeat.
Can I use a prerecorded relaxation video rather than a camera?
Yes. This workflow sends the prerecorded file through OBS as the video source, so a camera is not required for the described setup. Check your rights to all video and audio elements and test the final file and preview before broadcasting.
Why is there no sound in the YouTube preview?
First check whether the file contains audio, then watch OBS’s audio meter and listen to the local output. If the meter is inactive or the preview is silent, check the Media Source audio routing, mixer mute state and output settings. Confirm the result in the YouTube preview after any change.
Does enabling Loop guarantee a 24/7 stream?
No. Loop repeats the media file when it reaches its end, but it does not guarantee that the computer, OBS, network or YouTube event will stay connected. Test the setup and plan how you will monitor and respond to interruptions.