To open an OBS setup for a loop stream, launch OBS with --profile "Profile Name" and, if needed, --collection "Scene Collection Name". Choose a scene with --scene "Scene Name" if you want OBS to open a particular one. These flags select saved configuration; they do not make a video loop.
Set looping separately in the media source inside the chosen scene. For a single file, enable Loop in a Media Source; for a playlist, use VLC Video and enable Loop Playlist. Add --startstreaming only if you deliberately want OBS to begin broadcasting as soon as it opens.
Understand profiles versus Scene Collections
A profile and a Scene Collection are separate parts of an OBS setup. A profile holds stream, video and output settings, including the stream configuration and base canvas resolution. It does not hold your scenes. A Scene Collection holds scenes and their related arrangement of sources. OBS explains the distinction in its Profiles documentation.
That separation matters when you automate a launch. You might have a profile named Loop Stream with the correct output settings, but the scene you need may belong to a collection called Bhajan Scenes. Selecting only the profile does not guarantee that OBS opens the intended scene layout. Pass both names when the saved setup uses both.
Think of the pieces as a chain: the profile supplies broadcast and video settings; the collection supplies the scenes; a scene is the particular layout you want to open; and a media source within that scene determines whether a file repeats. No single “loop-stream profile” flag performs all of these jobs.
Before writing a shortcut or scheduled launch, open OBS normally and verify the names and contents of the profile and collection. Names with spaces need quotation marks in the command. A small naming mismatch can mean you select a different saved setup than intended, so check the title shown in OBS rather than guessing from a folder or an old note.
If you are deciding whether OBS should run on your own computer or as part of a more unattended arrangement, the practical trade-offs are different from these launch flags. Our guide to 24/7 live-stream services compared with a VPS covers that broader operating choice; here, the focus is on launching a local OBS setup correctly.
Open a named profile with --profile
The --profile option tells OBS to start with a named profile. For example, --profile "Loop Stream" selects the profile called Loop Stream. The option opens saved settings; it does not create a profile, configure a source, or enable looping. The profile must already exist in OBS.
On Windows, OBS documents adding launch parameters after the executable path in a shortcut's Target field. An example is:
"C:\Program Files\obs-studio\bin\64bit\obs64.exe" --profile "Loop Stream"
Adjust the executable path to match your installation and replace the profile name with the exact saved name. When you later add a collection or scene, keep each option after the executable path. If you use a scheduled task or another automated launch, set its working directory (often shown as “Start in”) to the folder containing obs64.exe, as OBS's Launch Parameters guide advises for Windows automation.
On macOS, the documented Terminal form is:
open -a "OBS" --args --profile "Loop Stream"
The --args marker passes the options to OBS. The same form can be adapted for an Automator Run Shell Script action. Windows shortcut syntax should not be treated as universal: use the launch method documented for your operating system, and check the options available in the installed OBS version before relying on an automated start.
To inspect command-line options from a terminal or command prompt, run obs --help or obs -h where the OBS executable is available. The executable name and how it is found can differ by installation, so if the command is not recognised, use the executable path or the platform's documented launch method. Do not assume that a command copied from Windows or macOS will work unchanged on Linux.
Select a collection with --collection
Add --collection "Loop Scenes" to select a saved Scene Collection. A combined Windows shortcut Target can look like this:
"C:\Program Files\obs-studio\bin\64bit\obs64.exe" --profile "Loop Stream" --collection "Loop Scenes"
The profile and collection names identify different saved objects, even if you give them similar names. If your output settings are saved in one profile and the loop scene in another collection, specify each one separately. A collection selection is particularly important if OBS has been used for different channels or purposes and the last-opened scenes are not the ones you intend to broadcast.
A useful check is to launch once without --startstreaming, then inspect the resulting OBS window. Confirm that the expected profile is active and that the collection contains the scene and source you prepared. If the wrong collection opens, correct the name or review the saved collection in OBS before attempting an unattended launch. This simple dry run catches configuration selection errors without sending a broadcast.
A collection can contain several scenes, such as an opening card, a main video layout and a holding screen. The --collection flag chooses the set; it does not by itself tell OBS which scene should be active or what happens when a media file finishes. Those are separate choices.
Optionally choose a scene with --scene
Use --scene "Main" when you want OBS to open on a specific scene in the selected collection. For example, the complete Windows shortcut Target might be:
"C:\Program Files\obs-studio\bin\64bit\obs64.exe" --profile "Loop Stream" --collection "Loop Scenes" --scene "Main"
This sequence makes the intent explicit: select the broadcast settings, choose the scene collection, and open the scene named Main. Quote any name containing spaces, including a scene name. If you leave off --scene, OBS may open with a scene state that is not the one you expect for this launch, so make the choice explicit when a particular layout is required.
The scene needs to exist in the selected collection. A scene flag cannot select a scene from a different collection, and it cannot fix a missing or misconfigured source. After launch, check the canvas and the Sources list: verify that the intended video or playlist source is present and visible, and that any overlays or background elements appear in the correct order.
For a channel assembled from spoken episodes or other programme segments, scene selection is just one part of preparing the content. The guide to streaming regional-language podcast episodes on YouTube 24/7 discusses the content side; in OBS, you still need to make sure your chosen scene and its media source behave as intended.
Configure a single-file loop in Media Source
For one local video file, add a Media Source to the scene and enable its Loop setting in the source properties. OBS describes this setting as replaying the file when playback completes; its documented default is Off. The loop belongs to the source, not to the profile name or launch command. The Media Sources guide documents the setting and the available source types.
A straightforward setup is a scene with the Media Source sized to the canvas, pointing to the file you want repeated. Open the source properties, select the correct file, enable Loop, and check the preview from beginning to end. If you use the setting that makes the source visible when the scene becomes active, verify that it starts as expected when OBS opens the selected scene. A loop cannot help if the file path is broken or the source is hidden.
Treat the file location as part of the launch plan. A path that works on your desktop may not work if the file is moved, the drive is disconnected, or an automated account has different access. Keep the file in a stable location, then test the exact shortcut or task that you will use. Check that the image and sound continue through the file boundary rather than assuming that a saved Loop checkbox settles every playback detail.
This is also a good point to confirm your stream output settings independently of playback. A scene can look correct while the profile sends an unsuitable output configuration. The OBS bitrate settings guide can help you review the stream settings in context, but bitrate choices do not control whether the media source repeats.
Configure a playlist loop in VLC Video
For a sequence of files, use OBS's VLC Video source and enable Loop Playlist in its properties. That setting restarts the playlist when it reaches the end. Unlike a single Media Source repeating one file, a playlist is useful when you want several items to run in sequence before starting again.
VLC Video has a dependency that a single-file Media Source does not: VLC must be installed, and its architecture must match OBS. OBS specifies that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. Do not assume the source will work just because VLC can open a file on its own; check the matching installation and then confirm the VLC Video source is available and plays inside OBS. See OBS's Media Sources documentation for its VLC requirements.
Use a playlist only when the sequence itself is useful. For example, a channel may want three prepared visual segments to play in order before repeating. If the intention is simply to repeat one long ambience video, a Media Source is more direct and avoids the VLC dependency. The comparison is about the job each source does, not about one approach being universally better.
| Setup | What repeats | Additional requirement | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|---|
Media Source with Loop |
One selected file | A valid, accessible file path | You want the same video to replay |
VLC Video with Loop Playlist |
A sequence of playlist items | VLC installed with matching architecture | You want multiple items to restart as a sequence |
Whichever source you use, test a complete pass through the file or playlist before relying on it. Watch the transition at the end, check for unexpected blank frames or audio gaps, and make sure the next pass starts with the intended item. OBS source settings define the repeat behaviour, while your content files determine what viewers actually see and hear.
Use --startstreaming only when appropriate
Add --startstreaming only when the intended behaviour is to begin streaming immediately after OBS launches. It starts streaming; it does not select a profile, collection or scene, configure a loop, verify a file, or guarantee that YouTube will receive a usable broadcast. Keep those tasks distinct when building a launch shortcut.
Before including the flag, confirm the selected profile has the intended stream destination and account configuration, and that the selected scene shows the right content. Check that the loop works and that the connection and output settings are suitable. A safer first run omits --startstreaming: open OBS, inspect the profile, collection, scene and source, then start manually after you are satisfied. Only automate the live start after that check has been repeated using the actual launch method.
An automatically opened OBS window is not the same thing as an unattended broadcast. The computer still needs to remain available and the operating system must not interrupt the process through sleep, restart or sign-out. YouTube may also report stream or account issues that OBS cannot resolve through a command-line flag. Review the current official guidance for your YouTube live setup, and do not interpret --startstreaming as approval or a reliability guarantee.
If the aim is an always-on channel rather than simply reducing a few clicks at launch, consider the full operating burden: the machine, power, network, file availability, monitoring and recovery after a drop. StreamNeo is designed to remove the need to leave your own computer running for a file-based YouTube loop, which addresses that particular overnight machine-and-restart burden; it does not change the need to prepare the video and channel correctly.
A command-line launch can still be useful when you want repeatable selection of saved OBS settings and are willing to keep the computer and broadcast under your care. The key is to automate only the part you have tested. The OBS versus FFmpeg comparison for continuous podcast streaming may help if you are still deciding which local workflow fits your material.
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
How do I use OBS command line parameters?
Pass the options after OBS's executable or through the launch method for your operating system. Use --profile "Name" for a saved profile, --collection "Name" for a Scene Collection, and optionally --scene "Name" for the scene to open. Check OBS's Launch Parameters documentation and test the command without automatic streaming first.
How do I loop a video in OBS?
Add the file as a Media Source, open its properties and enable Loop. For a playlist, use VLC Video and enable Loop Playlist; VLC must be installed, with the same architecture as OBS. Neither behaviour is enabled by a profile launch flag.
How do I start streaming at startup?
Add --startstreaming if you intentionally want OBS to start streaming when it launches. First confirm the destination, selected profile, collection, scene and looped source, then test the launch without the flag. It triggers OBS to start streaming, but does not configure or guarantee a YouTube broadcast.