If one local video file stops in OBS, select its Media Source properties and enable Loop. If you are playing a playlist, use a VLC Video Source and enable Loop Playlist instead.
Test the behaviour inside OBS before changing YouTube settings. If the file repeats correctly in OBS but the broadcast does not, the problem is in the output, connection or YouTube delivery layer rather than the loop control.
Identify the source before changing anything
OBS has more than one way to play a file, and the setting you need depends on the source type. A single local video loaded as a Media Source has a Loop option. A playlist loaded as a VLC Video Source has a Loop Playlist option.
These are not interchangeable instructions. Do not look for Loop Playlist on a normal Media Source, and do not assume that enabling Loop on one file will make a VLC playlist repeat. First identify what appears in the Sources panel for the scene that is actually being streamed.
Click the source in OBS and open its properties. If the window contains a file field for one selected media file and options such as Loop, Restart playback when source becomes active, Show nothing when playback ends and Close file when inactive, you are working with a Media Source. The wording can vary slightly between OBS versions, but the source type and its properties are the important points.
A VLC Video Source is intended for a playlist or media handled through VLC's libraries. Its properties include a playlist area and a Loop Playlist control. VLC must be installed for this source to be available. OBS also notes that 64-bit VLC is required when you are using 64-bit OBS, which is the normal arrangement on a current 64-bit Windows installation. Check the official OBS Media Sources guide if the source is missing or the properties do not match these descriptions.
| What you are trying to play | OBS source to check | Loop control | Main dependency |
|---|---|---|---|
| One local video file | Media Source | Loop | The selected file must play locally |
| Several files in sequence | VLC Video Source | Loop Playlist | VLC must be installed and compatible with OBS |
| One file that should start again when shown | Media Source | Restart playback when source becomes active as well as Loop, if needed | The source must become active and visible |
The third row is a separate behaviour, not a replacement for looping. Loop handles what happens when playback reaches the end. Restart on activation handles what happens when the source becomes active again in the scene.
Enable Loop for one Media Source file
For a single file, select the Media Source in the correct scene and open Properties. Confirm that the file path points to the intended video, then turn on Loop and select OK or Apply.
OBS describes this property as: “Loop Specifies whether the file play again once playback has completed”. In practical terms, the file reaches its end and starts again from the beginning without needing you to press play manually. The setting is off by default according to OBS's documentation, so a file that plays once and then stops is consistent with Loop being disabled.
Do not change to VLC Video Source simply because the Media Source stopped. A single local file is the simpler case, and the relevant first check is the Media Source's own Loop control. If the file has already ended, you may need to restart the source or press the playback control in the properties window before you can observe the new setting.
Next, decide whether you also need Restart playback when source becomes active. Enable it when the file should begin at the start each time the source enters the active scene or becomes visible. This is useful for a short announcement, an ident, or a scene that is shown periodically. It is not the setting that repeats a file continuously while it remains active.
For example, suppose a devotional channel has one prepared bhajan video in a scene that stays live all night. Loop is the control that repeats the video after it ends. If the same video is hidden while another scene is shown and should begin from the start whenever the devotional scene returns, then restart on activation may also be appropriate.
Two other options can make a working loop appear broken. Show nothing when playback ends can hide the source at the end if looping is not enabled or playback has otherwise stopped. Close file when inactive unloads the file while the source is hidden, which may introduce a short reload when the source becomes visible again. Neither option is a substitute for Loop, and neither explains a YouTube-side fault by itself.
Enable Loop Playlist for a VLC Video Source
Use a VLC Video Source when you need OBS to play a list of files in sequence. Open that source's properties and confirm that the intended files are present in the playlist. Then enable Loop Playlist.
Loop Playlist tells the source to return to the beginning of the playlist after the final item. It is the correct control for a playlist, not for a single file loaded as a normal Media Source. OBS documents Loop Playlist as enabled by default, but check the actual setting rather than relying on the default, particularly if the source was copied from another scene or imported from an older setup.
If VLC Video Source is unavailable, install VLC from the official VideoLAN site, then restart OBS and check the source list again. Use the VLC version that matches the architecture required by your OBS installation. Installing VLC does not repair a file that fails to play, and it does not alter the settings of an existing Media Source.
A playlist adds more places for a failure to occur. Check that each path points to a real file, that the files are accessible to the same user account running OBS, and that the order is what you expect. Test with two short files first. If the first item plays but the second does not, the problem may be with the second path or file rather than the playlist loop setting.
You can use a Media Source for one file and a VLC Video Source for a playlist in different scenes. Keep the source names explicit, such as Bhajan single file and Night playlist, so you do not apply instructions for one source to the other. This matters when a channel has several scenes and similar-looking media sources.
Test playback in OBS before checking YouTube
The quickest way to separate a source problem from a broadcast problem is to watch the source in OBS. Start with the scene that contains the file, make sure the source is visible, and observe a complete playback cycle. Do not begin by opening YouTube's stream settings or changing encoder values while the file is still failing inside OBS.
Check the eye icon beside the source in the Sources panel. The source must be visible in the active scene. Then check the source order. OBS states that a source listed above another source can cover it, so a black colour source, image, browser source or video layer above the media can hide a correctly playing file.
Use the preview and, if useful, the projector view to confirm both picture and sound. A file that is looping but covered by another source can look like it has stopped. A file with no audio may be playing normally while the audio mixer is muted, routed to the wrong device, or not included in the stream output.
Let the file reach its natural end. Do not judge the setting by pressing a scene switch immediately after starting playback. If Loop is working, the first frame or opening portion should appear again after the end. For a playlist, the first item should return after the last item, or the next item should continue according to the playlist order before the full cycle repeats.
If the source does not play at all, verify the selected path and open the file in a normal local player. If it plays locally but remains black or stops before the end in OBS, treat that as a local source or file issue. The official OBS guidance does not define one universal codec repair for every file-specific symptom, so avoid claiming that a particular conversion will fix all such cases.
If the file plays once and disappears, review Loop, Show nothing when playback ends and the visibility state together. If it starts from the beginning every time you switch scenes, review Restart playback when source becomes active. These observations tell you which control is involved.
For longer-running channels, the file itself deserves a separate check. The video file encode checklist covers preparation issues that can become more noticeable over an extended stream. That is a different task from enabling the loop, but it is useful when the file plays inconsistently or has problems at a particular point.
Compare OBS with the YouTube preview
Once the source loops correctly in OBS, look at the YouTube side. Start or preview the broadcast in YouTube Live Control Room and compare what you see there with the OBS preview. YouTube recommends previewing before going live and monitoring audio and video quality during the event. Its live streaming help explains the general workflow.
This comparison should answer a simple question: does the problem exist before OBS sends the programme out, or after it leaves OBS?
If the OBS preview also stops, freezes or loses sound, return to the source, scene, media file and local performance checks. YouTube cannot make a file loop inside OBS. Changing the stream key or YouTube preview settings will not correct a source that is already failing locally.
If OBS continues to show the file repeating but the YouTube preview freezes, ends early or shows a different picture, inspect the stream status and associated messages in Live Control Room. Confirm that OBS is sending the intended scene and that the broadcast has not been stopped and restarted with a different output.
A delay between OBS and YouTube is normal for a live broadcast, so do not expect both previews to change at exactly the same moment. Compare the pattern over time. If OBS completes several cycles while YouTube remains on an old frame, then check the delivery information rather than toggling the source loop again.
YouTube's encoder troubleshooting guide directs attention to the encoder output, source quality, errors, CPU load, local archive and outbound internet connection. Those checks are useful after OBS playback is known to be correct. They also help prevent a common mistake: changing a working Media Source because a downstream connection problem made the broadcast look as if it had stopped.
Troubleshoot delivery when OBS loops correctly
When the source is healthy in OBS but not in the live output, work through the delivery layer in order.
First, confirm the actual programme output. The source may be looping in a preview scene while OBS is streaming a different scene or source collection. Look at the scene selected for the live output, check the source visibility icons, and confirm that the media layer is not covered by another source in that scene.
Next, watch OBS for encoder warnings, rendering problems or unusually high resource use. Complex scenes, expensive filters, high-resolution media and general resource pressure can affect performance. OBS's encoding and performance troubleshooting guide recommends simplifying scenes and reducing resolution or frame rate where necessary. Do not reduce settings automatically if there is no symptom pointing to performance.
If video in OBS is jerky, dropping frames or failing to render, fix that local performance issue before interpreting YouTube's preview. Close unnecessary applications, remove unused filters and test a simpler scene. Keep the test controlled: use the same file and source, but temporarily reduce scene complexity so you can see whether the failure follows the workload.
If OBS appears healthy but YouTube reports dropped frames or an unstable connection, investigate outbound connectivity. A local loop does not require YouTube to receive every frame successfully. YouTube's stream health documentation provides the relevant status and monitoring guidance.
For a wider audience, ask whether the same fault appears for viewers on different connections. If the encoder output is wrong for everyone, investigate OBS and the source path. If OBS and the encoder output appear healthy but the live result remains problematic, focus on the connection and YouTube status information.
Do not start by buying new hardware. The documented first-line checks here concern source type, file playback, visibility, source order, encoder output, performance and connectivity. A hardware change may be relevant in a specific performance case, but the loop setting itself does not establish that hardware is the cause.
If your goal is a channel that continues after your computer is switched off, the operating choice is separate from the OBS setting. A cloud-based service such as StreamNeo removes the need to keep OBS running on your own computer by taking an uploaded file and a YouTube stream key, then handling the repeating broadcast and automatic restart. It is still sensible to verify the file and YouTube configuration first, because moving an untested source does not repair the source itself.
Keep the working setup predictable
Once the file loops correctly, save the scene collection and record which source type you used. A short note such as “single file, Media Source, Loop on” prevents a future edit from turning into a search for a missing playlist setting.
Keep test files and production files separate. A short two-file playlist can confirm VLC behaviour quickly, while the complete overnight programme can be checked for long pauses, unexpected black frames and audio changes. Test the exact scene that will be broadcast rather than a simplified scene with different source order.
For channels built from licensed music or other third-party material, looping technically correct video does not settle rights questions. Review the music licensing guidance for monetised 24/7 channels before putting a playlist on a public broadcast. For a relaxation or ambience channel, the 24/7 visual loop guide can help you think through the content and operating side separately from OBS playback.
A useful final test is to watch one complete cycle in OBS, confirm the source remains visible, check that the audio mixer moves as expected, and then compare the YouTube preview and stream health. This order gives you evidence about the failing layer instead of treating every stopped video as a YouTube problem.
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FAQ
Why does my OBS Media Source play once and stop?
The usual first check is the Media Source's Loop option. Select the source, open Properties and enable Loop, then test the complete file in OBS. Also check whether Show nothing when playback ends is hiding the source and whether another source is covering it.
Should I enable Loop Playlist for one video file?
No. Use Loop for one file loaded as an OBS Media Source. Use Loop Playlist when the source is a VLC Video Source containing a playlist.
What is the difference between Loop and restart on activation?
Loop repeats the file after playback reaches the end. Restart playback when source becomes active controls what happens when the source becomes active or visible again, so it is useful when changing scenes but does not replace Loop for continuous playback.
OBS loops correctly, but YouTube does not. What should I check?
Compare the OBS preview with YouTube Live Control Room and inspect stream health. Confirm that the intended scene is being sent, then check encoder output, local performance and outbound connection issues before changing the source loop setting.