A Browser Source and a looping video file do different jobs in OBS. Use Browser Source for a webpage or overlay, and use a Media Source with Loop enabled when a local video should replay after it ends.
To keep a browser overlay from undergoing the unload or reload behaviours controlled by OBS, leave Shutdown source when not visible and Refresh browser source when scene becomes active off. These settings govern the Browser Source lifecycle; they do not make a local video loop, or guarantee that YouTube will keep a broadcast running indefinitely.
Separate the overlay from the looping video
Start by deciding what each visible element is. A lower-third label, clock, donation panel, web-based chat display or animated graphic delivered by a webpage belongs in a Browser Source. A local recording of a temple, a nature scene or a prepared background belongs in a Media Source if you want OBS to play the file. A scene can contain both, layered so that the video sits behind the overlay.
This separation matters because the controls do not cross over. Browser Source has webpage and page-lifecycle options. Media Source has file playback options, including Loop. Turning on one source’s setting does not change the other source’s behaviour. If your aim is to replay a local background, the OBS video-loop options are the relevant part of the setup; browser persistence is a separate task.
For example, a devotional channel might play a locally stored sunrise video while displaying a webpage-based schedule in the corner. If the picture reaches the end, the Media Source needs its own loop setting. If the schedule should not be unloaded when you switch to a holding scene and back, its Browser Source needs appropriate lifecycle settings. Troubleshooting each source independently makes it easier to identify the cause of a blank overlay or stopped picture.
OBS describes Browser Source as a webpage source and its Media Source documentation covers local video playback. The OBS sources guide is useful when you need to understand how sources are arranged and composed in scenes. Do not treat the overlay’s browser viewport as the resolution sent to YouTube: they are separate parts of the production.
Add and size a Browser Source
In the scene where you want the overlay, add a Browser Source and give it a name that identifies its job, such as “schedule overlay” or “now playing panel”. Clear names help when several sources appear in the Sources list or when you duplicate a scene. Then choose whether its content comes from a URL or a local file, and set the browser viewport’s width and height to suit the content.
Those dimensions describe the webpage area OBS renders, not the canvas or YouTube output size. A web panel designed for a wide viewport may become cramped if the Browser Source is too narrow, while an oversized viewport can make the overlay difficult to place precisely. Set the dimensions to the page’s intended layout, then position and scale the source in the preview as needed. Keep text large enough to read at the final programme size rather than judging it only at full preview magnification.
The OBS Browser Source properties document the URL or local-file choice, viewport dimensions, custom frame rate, CSS and source lifecycle controls. The details of the page itself still matter: some overlays adapt to a narrow viewport and others assume a fixed layout. If an element is clipped, first check the page design and Browser Source dimensions before changing the YouTube stream output settings.
Use a dedicated scene while setting the source up. Put it over a test background with enough contrast to see transparent areas and edges. If the overlay has a transparent background, check that transparency is actually present in the page rather than assuming the source will remove a solid colour. Keep the background and overlay as separate sources so you can move, hide or replace one without changing the other’s settings.
Choose URL or local-file content
Choose a URL when the overlay is a webpage that OBS should load. That might be a page you maintain yourself or a third-party overlay page you already trust. A URL can depend on the network and on the page remaining available, so test it in OBS itself rather than relying only on a browser window. If the page asks for sign-in, permissions or interactive input, confirm how those behave in the source before putting it on air.
Choose a local file when the overlay is a static page or asset stored on the computer and you want OBS to load it from there. A local HTML page can refer to nearby resources, but its paths and dependencies need to be available from the machine running OBS. Moving the file or changing its folder can break those references. For a video file you want to replay, however, use Media Source rather than relying on Browser Source: OBS’s documented browser settings are for loading webpage content, not a promise that a local video file will loop as a background.
Consider maintenance as well as appearance. A URL can be updated without replacing a local page, but the visible result may change when the remote page changes. A local page gives you control over the version you have saved, but you are responsible for keeping its files and references together. For either choice, preview the source after a restart of OBS and on the actual scene where it will be used.
When the visual layer is a local video rather than a webpage, keep the file in a predictable location and use Media Source’s playback controls. For a multi-clip sequence, a playlist workflow may be more suitable than a single file; the playlist order guide discusses a different approach to arranging clips. That is not a Browser Source setting, and the choice should follow the content you need to play.
Set frame rate and custom CSS
Browser Source offers a custom frame rate option. Use it only when the overlay needs a particular update cadence or you are diagnosing rendering behaviour; it is not the setting for the YouTube encoder’s output frame rate. A mostly static schedule or logo does not need the same visual motion as an animated ticker. Choose a value that suits the page and test whether motion remains smooth enough in the OBS preview.
Custom CSS lets you change the browser page’s presentation in OBS without editing the underlying page, for example by adjusting a margin or hiding an element that should not appear in the stream. CSS affects the webpage rendering, not the local video file behind it. Make small changes and keep a copy of the original style so you can revert if a selector stops matching after the page changes.
Avoid using CSS to cover up a layout problem caused by incorrect viewport dimensions. First set the Browser Source to the intended width and height and inspect the result; then use CSS for page-specific presentation adjustments. When a remote page controls its own markup, its structure may change, so test the overlay after updates rather than assuming a previous selector will always work.
Keep the browser layer visually restrained. A ticker that updates rapidly can distract from a devotional image or study stream, while an overlay with tiny text will be unreadable on a phone. Test the composed scene at the size a viewer is likely to encounter, and make sure it does not obscure important parts of the video. For channel graphics, the seamless nature-loop guide can help you think about continuity in the picture layer, but it does not replace Browser Source setup.
Keep the source loaded when hidden
Two Browser Source controls govern the unload and reload behaviours relevant to scene changes. Leave Shutdown source when not visible off if you do not want OBS to unload the page when the source is hidden or its scene is not active. Leave Refresh browser source when scene becomes active off if you do not want OBS to refresh the page when its scene becomes active. OBS documents both controls as off by default.
These settings address specific events, not every reason a webpage might stop responding. Leaving shutdown off avoids the documented unload-on-hidden behaviour; it does not guarantee that a page will never refresh, lose its connection or become stale. Leaving scene-activation refresh off avoids that particular reload trigger. Neither setting changes the way a Media Source plays a video file.
If a page becomes stale and needs a manual reload, OBS provides Refresh cache of current page as an immediate refresh control. Use it deliberately: a refresh may interrupt an animation or reset state maintained by the page. If the overlay depends on a live connection or a counter, check whether its own page behaviour restores the right information after a refresh.
Think of visibility and scene activation as separate lifecycle decisions. A source can be present in a scene but hidden, or its scene can be inactive. OBS’s documented controls describe what happens when those conditions change; they do not promise that an overlay remains active through every application, network or page failure. If your production needs a continuously available graphic, monitor the actual programme and have a fallback scene or static version ready.
Configure the video Media Source loop
For a local video that should replay, add a Media Source, select the file and enable Loop. OBS documents Loop as off by default; with it enabled, the file plays again after completion. This is the control that answers “How do I loop a video in OBS?”, not a Browser Source lifecycle option.
The Media Source also has Restart playback when source becomes active, which defaults on, and Close file when inactive, which defaults off according to OBS’s Media Source documentation. These choices affect file playback and resource handling when the source becomes active or inactive. They are independent of the Browser Source options discussed above. Decide how you want playback to behave when you return to a scene, then test that exact transition instead of inferring it from the browser settings.
| What you are configuring | OBS source and control | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Webpage overlay | Browser Source URL or local-file selection | Loads webpage content into a browser viewport |
| Overlay behaviour when hidden | Browser Source Shutdown source when not visible | When enabled, unloads the page when hidden or outside the active scene |
| Overlay behaviour on scene activation | Browser Source Refresh browser source when scene becomes active | When enabled, refreshes the page as the scene becomes active |
| Replay a local video | Media Source Loop | Replays the file after it reaches the end |
| Playback on scene return | Media Source Restart playback when source becomes active | Controls whether playback restarts when the source becomes active |
Use a short test file first if you are checking the end-of-file transition; a lengthy programme takes longer to verify. Confirm that the picture restarts at its beginning and that its audio, if any, behaves as intended. If the file is meant to provide ambience under spoken material, check levels separately and ensure the end-to-start transition does not produce an unwanted pause or abrupt change.
A continuous OBS source is not the same as a continuous YouTube broadcast. YouTube’s live encoder guidance says live streams are transcoded for viewers on different devices and networks and recommends CBR encoding. Choose encoder values against current guidance for your intended resolution and frame rate; Browser Source dimensions do not set those output values. Confirm current availability and any applicable limits in YouTube Live Control Room rather than treating OBS’s source controls as an assurance of an indefinite broadcast.
Test the overlay through scene changes
Before going live, test the sequence your viewers will see. Start in the scene with the video and overlay, switch to a holding or alternate scene, and return. Watch whether the overlay behaves as expected and whether the local video resumes or restarts according to its own Media Source settings. Repeat with the overlay hidden and shown if your scene uses visibility toggles.
If the page reloads on return, check the Browser Source’s Refresh browser source when scene becomes active option. If it appears to unload while hidden or while its scene is inactive, check Shutdown source when not visible. Do not try to correct a video that stops at the end by changing either browser lifecycle option; check that Loop is enabled on the Media Source instead.
Test for practical issues too: text should remain readable over bright and dark parts of the picture, the overlay should not cover essential content, and page content should still be correct after a manual refresh. If the overlay needs a network connection, test under the same kind of connection you will use for the stream. Keep a simpler fallback scene available if a web-based element is important to the presentation.
The production output has its own setup beyond these sources. OBS’s overview of Studio describes composing an output from scenes and sources and setting a stream destination and key. Treat that as a separate step from source playback and overlay lifecycle. For a channel that will be left running, review the always-on streaming options in terms of who needs to monitor the programme and what happens if the local computer or connection is unavailable.
A local OBS setup keeps the composition and playback on the computer running OBS, so that computer and its connection remain part of your operating plan. If the specific pain is having to leave that computer on for a file-based broadcast, StreamNeo turns an uploaded video into a YouTube live stream without requiring your own computer to stay on. It is a separate operating approach, not a Browser Source feature; the OBS settings above still explain how to build and test an overlay when OBS is doing the composition.
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FAQ
How do I keep my OBS Browser Source from refreshing when I switch scenes?
Leave Refresh browser source when scene becomes active off. OBS says enabling it refreshes the page when the scene becomes active; leaving it off avoids that documented scene-activation refresh. It does not prevent every possible page reload or failure.
How do I keep an OBS source running when it is hidden?
For a Browser Source, leave Shutdown source when not visible off if you do not want OBS to unload its page when it is hidden or outside the active scene. That control does not apply to a Media Source’s file-loop behaviour. Test your visibility changes in the scenes you actually use.
How do I loop a local video in OBS for a YouTube live stream?
Add a Media Source, select the video file and enable Loop. OBS documents this option as off by default, and it makes the file play again after it ends. Browser Source persistence settings do not substitute for this playback control.
Do these settings guarantee that my YouTube live stream will stay on indefinitely?
No. They control OBS source and playback behaviour, not YouTube’s stream availability or every failure in a local setup. Check current guidance and availability in YouTube Live Control Room, and monitor the broadcast during operation.