To loop one local video in an OBS scene, add it as a Media Source, select the file, and enable Loop in the source properties. OBS will play it again when playback completes; the YouTube Live context does not change that setting.
For a sequence of different files, use OBS’s VLC Video source and enable Loop Playlist instead. This guide covers the scene and media playback in OBS, then how to use that scene as the stream output; it does not cover YouTube account setup, eligibility, or broadcast rights.
Choose Media Source or VLC Video
The choice depends on whether you need one file repeated or several files played in sequence. Media Source is the direct route for a single video: add the file to a scene, switch on Loop, and OBS repeats it at the end. For multiple files, VLC Video provides a playlist field and a separate Loop Playlist control that repeats the sequence when it reaches the end.
| What you want to play | OBS source | Repeat control | Requirement to note |
|---|---|---|---|
| One local video, over and over | Media Source | Loop | Select the file in the source properties |
| Several local videos, in sequence | VLC Video | Loop Playlist | VLC must be installed for the source to appear |
These controls are not interchangeable. A Media Source points to a file; the ordinary Loop option repeats that file. Do not expect it to load a folder of clips or cycle through a playlist. If you need a sequence, build it with VLC Video instead. OBS documents Media Source and VLC Video separately in its source documentation.
For example, a bhajan channel that keeps one long recording on screen can use Media Source. A study channel that wants a set of separate ambience clips to run one after another should consider VLC Video. The second route has an extra dependency: OBS must be able to use VLC on the computer running the scene. The OBS documentation notes that VLC is required and that 64-bit OBS needs 64-bit VLC.
That distinction matters before you build the scene. If you start with a playlist need and configure a Media Source, you will have to replace or restructure the source later. If you have only one file, installing VLC just to repeat it adds a step without solving a problem you have.
Create or select an OBS scene
A scene is the composition OBS sends to its preview or stream output. It can contain a video, image, text, camera, or other sources layered together. Create a new scene for this loop, or select an existing scene intended for the YouTube broadcast. Keeping the loop in a dedicated scene makes it easier to check what will be visible and to distinguish this source from any other scene elements.
In OBS, use the Scenes dock to create a scene with the plus button, give it a recognisable name, and select it. If you already have a live scene with overlays or a logo, you can add the media source there instead. The right choice is whichever scene you intend to send as the programme output, not simply the first scene in the list.
Before adding the file, consider what should be visible over it. A logo or title can sit above the video, but an accidental opaque image or blank colour layer may cover it. OBS renders sources according to their order in the Sources dock: an item higher in the list can appear on top of one below it. The OBS Sources Guide explains this layering behaviour.
If this is part of a longer channel workflow, decide whether the scene is just one segment or the whole broadcast output. A looping file can run within a scene, but switching scenes changes what viewers see. For a broader discussion of moving an always-on broadcast away from a personal computer, see how to move a 24/7 stream off your PC without going dark. That is a separate operational decision from enabling Loop in OBS.
Add a local file as a Media Source
With the intended scene selected, find the Sources dock, click +, and choose Media Source. Give the source a useful name, such as “Main recording”, then confirm. In the properties window, enable the local-file option if shown, browse to the video on the computer, and select it. The exact file path is important: moving or renaming the file afterwards can leave OBS pointing to a location that no longer contains it.
OBS lists common supported media formats including .mp4, .ts, .mov, .flv, .mkv, .avi, .gif, and .webm. The file still needs to be readable on the machine and suitable for the composition you want. If it has sound, check that its audio is present in the OBS mixer and that the level is sensible; a visible picture does not by itself confirm that viewers will receive audio.
After selecting the file, confirm the source properties and look at the preview. If the video is larger or smaller than the canvas, you can resize or reposition it in the preview. If it is partly outside the canvas, drag it into place or use the transform options available from the source context menu. Check the whole frame rather than assuming that the file’s dimensions will match the scene.
If the source is listed but nothing appears, check that the source is visible and not hidden behind another layer. In the Sources dock, the eye control can hide a source; the order can also put an opaque source above the video. OBS’s guidance on source visibility and ordering is useful when an item exists in the list but cannot be seen in the preview.
Keep the media file on a stable local path while OBS is using it. A file on a removable drive may become unavailable if the drive is disconnected; a file in a temporary download location can be moved during routine cleanup. This is not specific to YouTube: OBS needs to read the file to play it. If you are preparing a long devotional or music stream, review the separate practical considerations in the guide to prerecorded 24/7 YouTube music streams and copyright claims. A looping setting does not establish that you have permission to broadcast the media.
Enable Loop in source properties
Open the Media Source properties and switch on Loop. This is the control for repeating the selected file after playback completes. Confirm the setting and allow the video to play. If you need to check the repeat behaviour immediately, watch through the end of the file or use the source’s playback controls to test it; otherwise, the preview should show that the source is active, but it will not prove that the end-of-file transition works.
OBS also lists Restart playback when source becomes active. It serves a different event: OBS says it restarts the file when the source is in the current scene and visible. Loop concerns what happens after playback completes; Restart playback when source becomes active concerns what happens when the source becomes active. Turning on the latter is not a substitute for Loop. For a scene that should keep playing while active, enable Loop and decide separately whether a return to the scene should start the video from the beginning.
Consider a scene transition as a simple example. If the video has been playing, you switch to a different scene, then return, the restart-on-active setting affects whether playback starts again when the source becomes active. With Loop enabled, the file repeats at its end while it is playing. Choose the restart behaviour based on the intended transition, rather than ticking both controls without knowing which event each one governs.
Once the setting is applied, check the preview again. Make sure the source is visible, the frame is positioned correctly, and any audio is present at a reasonable level. If the recording has a silent opening or a fade at its end, that is part of the file’s content; Loop repeats the file as supplied rather than editing its start or ending for you.
Set up a looping playlist for multiple files
If you need different files to play one after another, add VLC Video from the Sources dock rather than trying to make one Media Source act as a playlist. OBS’s VLC Video source uses VLC, so install VLC on the OBS computer if it is not already installed. OBS notes a matching architecture requirement: 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. The source is documented for Windows, macOS, and Linux, with VLC required on all three.
Add the VLC Video source to the scene, then use its properties to add the media files in the order you want them played. Review the order before confirming; the first item in the list is the first one viewers should see, and subsequent entries follow it. Enable Loop Playlist to have the playlist start again after it runs out of media files. This repeats the sequence rather than making each file a separate scene.
Test the playlist in the OBS preview. Check that each item loads, that the order is right, and that the final item returns to the first. A file that has moved, is unavailable, or cannot be read can interrupt the sequence even if the playlist control is enabled. If you are arranging a themed block of multiple videos, the general sequencing problem is similar to a playlist event, though the OBS and event workflows differ; the gaming marathon playlist guide discusses planning a run of items for a YouTube Live context.
VLC Video also has a visibility behaviour setting in its source properties. Treat that separately from Loop Playlist: one controls what happens when the source becomes visible, while the other controls what happens when the sequence reaches its end. Check the labels in the properties window, and test any transition you expect to use. The single-file instructions above apply to Media Source; do not assume every Media Source property has an identically named counterpart in VLC Video.
Check the scene before sending it to YouTube Live
Once the media source or playlist behaves as intended, the YouTube Live part is to send the resulting OBS scene as stream output. The loop is an OBS playback setting; it does not itself configure a YouTube broadcast. Use the YouTube Live connection you have already set up in OBS, select the scene you intend to send, and verify the preview before starting the broadcast.
Check the practical details in OBS: the correct scene is selected, the video is visible and framed, the source is not hidden, and audio is present if the file is meant to include it. If you use a playlist, check that the sequence reaches its end and returns to the beginning. If you use one Media Source, verify that Loop is enabled and that the video has actually finished and repeated during a test.
This guide does not establish whether a particular YouTube account can go live, what current account or stream limits apply, or whether a particular recording may be broadcast. Those questions are outside the OBS source settings. Check YouTube’s current official guidance for the relevant account and content questions rather than inferring an answer from the fact that OBS can send a scene. Likewise, confirm that your media use is appropriate; a repeat control does not alter ownership or grant rights.
A local OBS setup also depends on the computer remaining available and on the live connection continuing to work. That may suit a test or a broadcast you actively monitor, but it is a different arrangement from uploading a video once and having the channel continue when your own computer is off. When computer power or overnight interruptions are the problem, StreamNeo removes the need to keep that OBS computer running by taking an uploaded video and running it as a YouTube live stream, with drop monitoring and automatic restart.
If your question is specifically how OBS repeats a source, the settings above are the answer. If the wider challenge is bandwidth while sending a live output from your location, the bandwidth guide for reliable live streaming covers that separate constraint. A successful loop preview and a successful broadcast are related checks, but they are not the same thing.
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FAQ
Does Media Source Loop repeat a single file?
Yes. Select the local file in a Media Source and enable Loop in its properties. OBS describes Loop as playing the file again when playback has completed.
Is Loop the same as Restart playback when source becomes active?
No. Loop repeats the file at the end of playback. Restart playback when source becomes active restarts it when the source is in the current scene and visible, so it governs a different event.
How do I repeat several files in OBS?
Use VLC Video, add the files in the desired sequence, and enable Loop Playlist. VLC needs to be installed for the source to appear; OBS notes that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
Does this guide confirm my YouTube account can stream or that my video is cleared to broadcast?
No. OBS’s source documentation describes playback and scene behaviour, not YouTube account eligibility or rights to particular content. Check YouTube’s current official guidance and confirm your rights separately.