If a video stops at the end in an OBS scene, enable Loop in that Media Source’s properties; that is the control for replaying one file. If OBS preview continues correctly but the YouTube broadcast does not show the same result, do not assume YouTube caused the problem: first separate the OBS source behaviour from the stream output.
Restart playback when source becomes active is a different control. It restarts a source when it becomes visible in the current scene; it does not make a finished video repeat. For a playlist, use VLC Video Source and inspect its separate Loop Playlist setting.
Check whether playback stops in OBS preview
Watch the OBS preview as the file reaches its end. The preview is the quickest way to find which part of the setup needs attention: the media source itself, or the path from OBS to the live broadcast. Make the check with the scene and source you actually use for the stream, rather than an unrelated test scene.
If the file freezes or disappears in preview, investigate the source type and its properties before changing YouTube settings, the encoder, or bitrate. A local video that reaches the end and remains there is consistent with Loop being off. If the source is a playlist, check its playlist-specific option instead. Those are different controls for different source types.
If the video keeps behaving as intended in preview but not in the broadcast, that observation does not establish a YouTube-side cause. It only tells you that the source in OBS appears to be playing as expected. Check what OBS is outputting, whether the correct scene is live, and whether the live programme is receiving the expected picture. Avoid changing several output settings at once; otherwise you will not know which change mattered.
This distinction is particularly useful when someone reports that a video “does not restart on YouTube”. That description can mean the file has stopped in OBS, the source has gone blank after playback, a different scene is being broadcast, or the preview and live programme appear different. Note what you see in each place before making a change. OBS’s Media Sources documentation describes the source controls; it does not diagnose an individual broadcast that has not been observed.
If your next question is whether to keep using OBS for an always-on prerecorded channel, this comparison of YouTube Studio and OBS for a 24/7 stream covers the broader workflow. For this particular fault, begin with the preview and the source properties.
Enable Loop for a single Media Source
For one local file, select its Media Source in the Sources list, open Properties, and enable Loop. OBS describes this option as replaying the file after playback completes. Check the actual property value: a default or a remembered setup is not proof that Loop is enabled in the scene you are using.
After changing it, click OK and let the file reach its end in the preview. It should begin again if the source is configured as expected. If it does not, reopen Properties and confirm you changed the correct Media Source. A scene can contain multiple media sources, and similarly named items make it easy to adjust the wrong one.
Do not confuse Loop with options that change the source’s visibility or resource use. Show nothing when playback ends affects what OBS displays after a file completes; it does not cause a replay. Close file when inactive is about what happens while the source is inactive, not the end-of-file repeat instruction. These settings may have a place in a scene, but they are not substitutes for Loop.
A useful small test is to create a temporary scene with the same file and a single Media Source. Enable Loop, start playback, and watch the end transition. This removes scene switching and unrelated sources from the first diagnosis. Once the simple case works, apply the same property to the source in your real scene and test there as well.
For a channel that uses a list of clips rather than one file, do not try to turn a single Media Source into a playlist by repeatedly replacing its file during a live session. OBS offers a distinct VLC Video Source for playlist use. If you are choosing an overall way to keep a playlist on air, this article on free software options for looping a YouTube Live playlist provides a wider comparison; the present fix remains a source setting, not a hardware purchase.
Distinguish Loop from restart on activation
The similar-sounding controls answer separate questions. Loop asks what should happen when the media file reaches its end. Restart playback when source becomes active asks what should happen when the source becomes active in the current scene and visible. Turning on the second control will not restart a file simply because it has reached the end while remaining active.
Use restart on activation when your scene design hides and later shows the source and you want it to begin from the start each time it becomes visible. For example, a holding scene might show a short welcome clip only when a scene item is made visible. If the source is shown once and remains visible, the activation setting does not replace Loop for continuous repetition.
If the file should play once and then leave the canvas blank, Loop should remain off; a completion display setting may be relevant. If the file should repeat continuously, enable Loop. If it should start over when you reveal it after hiding it, activation behaviour is relevant. A source can need both controls if your intended behaviour is to repeat while visible and restart from the beginning when reactivated, but test the combination in the actual scene.
Visibility can be controlled at more than one level in OBS, so check the source’s visibility in the current scene when activation behaviour seems inconsistent. A source being present in a scene is not the same as being visible. The OBS source reference describes media restart and source lifecycle concepts, while the Media Sources guide is the place to verify the user-facing property descriptions.
There is a narrowly reported timing edge case involving hiding and showing a source immediately after playback ends. An OBS issue report describes a rapid visibility change in that interval; it is not evidence that every stopped clip has this cause. Consider it only if ordinary Loop behaviour is correct and the failure matches the timing of an immediate hide/show. Otherwise, return to the basic checks rather than treating an issue report as a universal explanation.
Use VLC Video Source for a playlist
For a playlist, add VLC Video Source rather than a standard Media Source. This source type depends on VLC being installed and available to OBS. Add the files to its playlist, then inspect Loop Playlist in its properties. OBS documents that setting as controlling whether the source restarts after it has run out of media files.
Check Loop Playlist even if the playlist previously repeated. Defaults can be changed, profiles and scenes can differ, and a copied setup may not retain the value you expect. Let the playlist run through its final item during a test; a playlist that contains one file can be a useful simple check before you rely on a longer rotation.
A single-file Media Source and a VLC playlist source have different controls. Do not search for Loop Playlist in a regular Media Source, or assume the single-file Loop checkbox governs a VLC playlist. If the source is missing from OBS’s add-source menu, check the VLC installation and its compatibility with the OBS build before recreating the scene.
A channel built around several programme segments may need more than repeating one file. A playlist lets you organise a sequence, but it does not make every item identical in duration, format, or sound level. Check the transitions and the end of the whole list, not only the first clip. For other approaches to a playlist that should continue while your own computer is off, see how to keep a YouTube playlist livestream running with your computer off. That is a different operating arrangement from fixing a VLC source in OBS.
Check VLC and OBS bitness
If you are using VLC Video Source and it is unavailable or cannot use the expected VLC installation, confirm that the VLC and OBS versions have matching bitness. The OBS documentation specifies 64-bit VLC for 64-bit OBS. Installing a 32-bit VLC build alongside 64-bit OBS is not the supported combination described for that source.
Check the architecture of the OBS installation you actually launch, then install the corresponding VLC build from VLC’s own distribution page if needed. The VLC download page is VideoLAN’s official download page. Do not infer compatibility from the fact that VLC opens by itself: the issue is whether OBS can expose and use the VLC source integration.
After correcting the installation, restart OBS and check the add-source menu again. If VLC Video Source becomes available, add a small test playlist and verify that it plays and loops before editing a larger live scene. If it remains unavailable, note the OBS version, VLC architecture, operating system, and any error shown; those details make a compatibility question answerable without guessing.
This requirement applies to the VLC playlist source. It is not a reason to change a standard Media Source that already plays a local file correctly. Keep the diagnosis aligned with the source type: for one file check Loop; for a playlist check VLC Video Source and Loop Playlist; for an unavailable VLC source check the installation and architecture.
Test playback before streaming
Test locally in OBS before starting or changing a public broadcast. Make a temporary scene or use a safe test destination, load the exact file or playlist, and observe the preview through a complete pass. For a single file, confirm that it reaches the end and starts again. For a playlist, confirm that the final item returns to the beginning of the list.
Then test the visibility behaviour you intend to use. Hide the source, show it again, and check whether restart on activation does what you want. Do not use this as a substitute for waiting to the end: activation and end-of-file looping are separate events. If the scene is meant to remain visible continuously, test that ordinary continuous use too.
When OBS preview is correct, inspect the live output separately. Confirm the intended scene is on air and check whether the outgoing picture matches the preview. If it does not, record the point where the pictures diverge and gather the OBS output details before adjusting settings. The observations do not by themselves show that YouTube caused the mismatch, and a source setting that works in preview is not evidence that every part of a broadcast path is correct.
For a long-running channel, write down the source type, Loop or Loop Playlist state, activation setting, and result of the local test. That brief record helps when a later edit or scene copy changes a property. If you are deciding whether a local machine is the right way to run continuously, this guide to running an Urdu radio station on YouTube around the clock offers a separate planning perspective; it does not alter the OBS controls described here.
The built-in controls resolve the common case without an add-on: the file reaches its end and Loop is off. If keeping a computer on and watching an OBS setup is itself the operational problem, StreamNeo removes that particular burden by turning an uploaded video into a YouTube live stream that can run with your computer switched off. It does not change what OBS’s Loop controls mean, and it is YouTube-only.
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
Does Restart playback when source becomes active make a video loop?
No. It restarts the file when the source becomes active and visible in the current scene. To replay a single file when it reaches the end, enable Loop in Media Source properties.
What should I check if the OBS preview keeps playing but YouTube does not?
The preview observation alone does not establish a YouTube-side cause. Confirm the correct scene is live, compare the outgoing picture with the preview, and gather stream or output details before changing encoder settings. The source-level controls address the media in OBS, not every possible difference in the broadcast path.
Is VLC Video Source required for one local video?
No. Use Media Source for a single local file and enable Loop if it should repeat. VLC Video Source is the distinct option for a playlist and requires VLC to be installed and compatible with OBS.
What does Show nothing when playback ends do?
It changes what is displayed when playback finishes; it does not make the file repeat. For repetition, use Loop on a single Media Source or Loop Playlist on a VLC Video Source.