First identify whether the clip is playing through an OBS Media Source or a VLC Video source. Turn on Loop for a single Media Source file; for a VLC Video playlist, turn on Loop Playlist.
Restart playback when source becomes active does something different: it starts the source again when it becomes visible. It does not keep a video repeating while the source stays active, and it does not fix an encoder or YouTube interruption.
Check which OBS source type is playing
In the OBS Sources list, find the item that contains the video and open its context menu. Choose Properties. The properties window tells you which source type you are dealing with and exposes the relevant playback controls. Do not rely on the source name: a source called “Game loop” could be either type.
A Media Source is normally the straightforward choice when you want one local video file to play. Its properties include a file path and a Loop control. OBS documents support for formats including MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, GIF and WebM in its Media Sources guide. The exact controls visible can vary with source type and OBS version, so use the source’s own Properties window as the authority for your setup.
A VLC Video source is intended for media playback that can include a list of files. It has playlist controls, including Loop Playlist. If you have added several gameplay clips, inspect the list rather than assuming OBS is treating them as one combined video. VLC Video relies on VLC being available to OBS; if the source type or its playback options are missing, check the OBS documentation and the installed VLC components rather than changing unrelated stream settings.
| What you are playing | OBS source to inspect | Repeat control |
|---|---|---|
| One local video file | Media Source | Loop |
| A list of video files | VLC Video | Loop Playlist |
These controls are not interchangeable. If the source is a Media Source, switching on Loop Playlist elsewhere in the scene will not make that file repeat. If it is a VLC Video playlist, look for Loop Playlist on that source rather than expecting the Media Source Loop checkbox to govern it.
This is a source setting, not a YouTube setting. YouTube receives the programme OBS sends; it cannot tell OBS to replay a local clip. For context on the broader playlist workflow, see how to run a 24/7 YouTube gaming stream from a playlist. That workflow still depends on the source and its playback controls behaving as intended.
Enable Loop for a single Media Source
If Properties identifies the source as Media Source, locate Loop and enable it. OBS describes this as replaying the media file after it completes. Keep the file path pointing at the intended clip, apply or close the properties window, and test playback rather than assuming the saved checkbox proves the scene is using the source you edited.
A typical one-file gaming rerun might use a locally stored match recording. With Loop enabled, that file reaches its end and begins again, provided the source remains active and playback is otherwise working. If the recording ends and the source stays visible but does not return to the beginning, check this setting first. It is the direct fix for a single file that plays only once.
If the file is not local or cannot be read, the checkbox cannot repair the underlying access problem. Confirm the file path still exists, that the account running OBS can access it, and that the format opens in a normal player. OBS lists common supported formats in its Media Sources documentation, but that is not a guarantee that every individual file is intact or decodes correctly.
Do not add multiple copies of the same source merely to simulate looping. That can make scene order harder to understand and can leave you debugging the wrong source. Keep one intended source, give it a recognisable name such as “Match rerun,” and confirm that this specific item is visible in the scene where the stream is supposed to play.
Looping controls what happens at the end of the file; it does not determine how OBS encodes the video or whether YouTube remains connected. If the picture freezes in the middle of the clip, or the live broadcast itself disconnects, note when the failure occurs before changing settings. For a long playlist workflow, the details in running a YouTube stream with OBS and a local video folder can help you distinguish file playback from the operational demands of keeping a local machine running.
Enable Loop Playlist for VLC Video
If Properties identifies the source as VLC Video, inspect its playlist and enable Loop Playlist. OBS defines that option as restarting the source when it has run out of media files. In other words, a list can play through its entries and start over; it is not the same as repeating an individual Media Source file.
Check that the playlist actually contains the clips you expect, in the intended order. A one-item VLC playlist can repeat one clip, while a longer list can cycle through multiple recordings. If the playlist has only one item because other paths were removed or changed, it may look as if a “playlist” is ending after one video. Confirm the entries and then let the source reach its natural end in a test scene.
If you intend a continuous rotation of separate recordings, VLC Video may match that job better than creating a separate Media Source for every clip. If you need precise scheduling, transitions or scene changes between videos, a playlist alone may not supply the behaviour you want. OBS source controls handle playback; more elaborate schedules require their own design and testing. The article on playing different pre-recorded videos on a schedule during a YouTube live stream covers that separate question.
When you edit a playlist, verify that you changed the playlist belonging to the source in the active gaming scene. It is easy to have two sources with similar names, one hidden or in another scene. Open each candidate’s Properties and compare the listed entries. Only change the one that actually supplies the clip in the scene being sent to YouTube.
Loop Playlist can repeat a list that reaches its end; it does not correct a broken entry, an unreadable file, a VLC playback failure or a dropped live connection. If one entry is missing, the remaining files may not provide the programme you intended. Remove or replace invalid entries and test the complete list from start to finish before relying on it for an overnight broadcast.
Looping is not restart-on-activation
OBS also offers Restart playback when source becomes active. This controls what happens when the source becomes visible or active in the scene. For example, if you switch away from a gameplay scene and later return, the option can make the clip begin from its start on that activation. It is about the transition into an active state, not about continuously repeating a video while it stays visible.
For a single Media Source that should keep repeating in one scene, enable Loop. Add restart-on-activation only if you also want playback to begin from the start when the source becomes active again. For a VLC Video playlist that should cycle through its items, enable Loop Playlist; use restart-on-activation only if its separate activation behaviour is wanted too.
| Desired behaviour | Setting to use |
|---|---|
| Repeat one Media Source file at its end | Loop |
| Start a source from the beginning when it becomes active | Restart playback when source becomes active |
| Repeat a VLC Video list after its final item | Loop Playlist |
A common misdiagnosis is enabling restart-on-activation and expecting it to keep replaying. If a source remains visible after the clip ends, it has not become newly active, so this setting does not provide continuous looping. Conversely, enabling Loop does not mean every scene change will reset the file to its beginning. Choose the control based on the moment you want playback to repeat or restart.
Do not use either setting as a remedy for unrelated failures. They do not fix encoder overload, an interrupted network connection, a YouTube stream ending, or a computer going to sleep. If the source repeats locally in OBS but YouTube shows a frozen picture or the broadcast is offline, troubleshoot the output path separately. A guide to fixing dropped frames in OBS when streaming a video playlist to YouTube is relevant when the problem is performance rather than the end-of-file behaviour.
Check the source and playlist contents
When the correct loop setting is already on, check the media itself and the source’s other properties. Confirm that the file path points to the intended video, the file has not been moved, and it plays through to its end outside OBS. A file that ends early because it is incomplete will still repeat if looping works, but a damaged or unreadable file may stop playback for a different reason.
For a VLC Video source, review every playlist entry and its order. Paths to removable drives or folders that have changed can leave entries unavailable. If the list ends after the first clip, that may simply be because only one usable entry remains. Test each intended clip, then test the complete list so you know both the content and the cycle behave as expected.
Check whether Close file when inactive is enabled on a Media Source. OBS documents that this unloads the file when the source is hidden or not on the current scene. That behaviour may matter if the source works once but acts differently after it has been hidden. It is not, by itself, evidence of a general looping fault, and changing it should be based on the scene behaviour you observe.
Historical OBS issue reports have discussed specific combinations of inactivity, restart-on-activation and close-file-when-inactive, as well as rapid hide/show automation near the end of playback. Those reports concern particular circumstances and older versions; they do not establish a current general bug. If your source is controlled by a script or automation that hides and shows it exactly as playback finishes, test with a deliberate pause between those actions. For an ordinary manually operated scene, first verify the right source and loop control rather than assuming an issue report explains the symptom.
If the problem persists, note your OBS version, source type, state of Loop or Loop Playlist, restart and close-file settings, and whether anything controls scene visibility automatically. Those details make a support question more useful than simply saying “the video stopped”. Record whether the clip failed at its natural end, after a scene change, or in the middle; each points to a different part of the playback chain.
Test playback in the scene
Make a small test scene or use a safe moment before the next broadcast. Put the intended source in the scene, verify it is visible, and start playback. For a one-file Media Source, observe it reaching the end and returning to the beginning. For VLC Video, let the final playlist entry finish and check that the list starts again. A short preview confirms the checkbox is enabled, but the decisive test is seeing the actual end-of-media transition.
Also test scene changes if restart-on-activation is part of your plan. Hide the source or switch to another scene, then return and confirm whether it resumes or restarts as you intended. Do this separately from the loop test: a source can correctly loop while active yet also restart when shown, or correctly restart on activation without continuously looping while visible.
If the source works in a test scene but not in the live gaming scene, compare the two scenes. Check for duplicate sources, visibility states, transforms that place the image off-screen, and whether another source is covering it. Confirm that you edited the item actually used in the programme scene. An apparently blank output does not necessarily mean playback stopped; the image may be hidden behind another layer or outside the canvas.
Avoid testing only by looking at a preview for a few seconds. If a long recording takes time to finish, use a short representative clip for a controlled test, then restore the intended file and confirm its properties. Do not leave the shorter test clip in the overnight scene by mistake. Label the source clearly and review the final file path before going live.
Verify the output before going live
Once playback loops correctly inside OBS, inspect the programme output and confirm the correct scene is being sent. If you are broadcasting to YouTube, check the stream preview and status in YouTube Studio using YouTube’s current guidance for live streaming. Treat OBS playback and YouTube reception as separate checks: success in one does not prove the other is healthy.
Watch for the actual symptom. If OBS’s source preview continues to loop but YouTube’s preview freezes, drops or goes offline, the loop checkbox is not the relevant fix. Check the encoder, connection and YouTube stream status independently. If both previews stop at the end of the file, return to the source type and its matching loop option. This simple split saves you from changing unrelated settings without evidence.
For a 24/7 channel, leave the scene running long enough to observe the end-of-file transition before scheduling an unattended session. A stream that is intended to run overnight should not be trusted on the basis of a single opening frame. Confirm the clip or playlist path, keep a note of the source settings that worked, and make sure the machine will not sleep if you are relying on a local OBS setup. This does not promise uninterrupted service; it gives you a chance to catch a configuration mistake while you are present.
If maintaining a local computer and checking it through the night is the real burden, a hosted approach may remove that particular task. StreamNeo takes an uploaded video and runs it as a YouTube live stream, so you do not need to leave your own computer switched on for that playback. It is YouTube-only, and it does not change what the file contains or guarantee a particular outcome on YouTube.
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
Why does my OBS video play only once?
The most direct cause is that the matching loop control is not enabled on the source that is actually playing. Use Loop for a Media Source file and Loop Playlist for a VLC Video list, then test the end-of-media transition in the relevant scene.
Should I enable Restart playback when source becomes active?
Enable it if you want the video to start from the beginning when its source becomes active in a scene. It does not replace Loop or Loop Playlist for continuous repetition while the source remains active.
Will looping fix a YouTube interruption or dropped frames?
No. Looping controls what OBS does when the media reaches its end; it does not resolve encoder, network or YouTube interruptions. First establish whether the file stops in OBS as well as in the stream output, then troubleshoot the failing part separately.
What details should I include if it still stops?
Include your OBS version, whether the source is Media Source or VLC Video, the state of its loop and activation options, and whether the file stops at its natural end or during playback. Also mention whether a script or scene controller hides and shows the source.