For a local video that should repeat in OBS, enable Loop on its Media Source. Restart playback when source becomes active does something different: it returns playback to the beginning when the source becomes visible in the current scene.
Neither control makes the file’s ending match its opening or promises a gapless audiovisual join. Choose settings for the playback behaviour you want, inspect the file boundary, then test the transition through your actual OBS scene before relying on it during a YouTube broadcast.
Choose a local Media Source
For one video file on your computer, add a Media Source to the scene and select the file. OBS’s Media Sources guide describes this source type and its playback options. It is the relevant starting point when your content is a single local clip, such as an ambience background, a devotional recording, or a prepared programme intended to run repeatedly.
Keep the distinction between the source and the scene in mind. The source is the video and its playback configuration; the scene determines whether that source is currently present and visible. That matters because the activation setting is tied to visibility in the current scene, while Loop is about what happens when the file reaches its end.
If you have a sequence of separate files rather than one continuous video, the local Media Source is not necessarily the right model. OBS also documents a VLC Video source for playlists. VLC must be installed for that source to be available; OBS notes that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. For a playlist, use the playlist-specific controls rather than expecting a single-file Media Source setting to manage the whole sequence.
Before configuring playback, decide which case describes your material: one file that should replay, one file that should start over whenever a scene returns, or a playlist whose items advance and repeat. A clear choice now prevents the common mistake of turning on restart-on-activation and assuming that it means continuous repetition.
Enable Loop for repeat playback
To repeat a local Media Source after it finishes, enable Loop in that source’s properties. OBS documents this as replaying the file once playback has completed. The default is Off, so a source that should keep returning to its opening needs the setting switched on.
Loop is the control for end-of-file repetition. It does not mean “restart whenever the source appears”, and it does not alter the video or audio contained in the file. If the clip ends on a spoken syllable and starts with room tone, OBS can replay it, but those two moments may still sound like an abrupt edit. The playback rule and the quality of the join are separate questions.
A looping background may work well when the last image and sound lead naturally into the opening. For example, a slow cloud scene can be edited so the final frame resembles the first, with continuous ambient sound underneath. A recorded talk may be a poor candidate for a single-file loop if the final sentence is followed immediately by its opening introduction; repetition is functioning, but the content boundary remains noticeable.
Loop also differs from a sequence of items. If your programme consists of several videos, adding them as a playlist changes the question from “repeat this file” to “what should happen when the playlist runs out?” OBS’s VLC Video source has a separate Loop Playlist control, documented as restarting when the source has run out of media files. For a broader playlist workflow, see how to loop gaming videos with VLC; the source type and its visibility behaviour still need to suit your setup.
Understand restart-on-activation
The full interface label is Restart playback when source becomes active. OBS documents the source as active when it is in the current scene and visible. With the option enabled, making the source active restarts the file from the beginning. The option is on by default.
This is useful when each return to a scene should show the start of the clip. Suppose you switch from a holding scene to a welcome scene containing a short introduction video. If you want the introduction to begin again whenever that scene is shown, leave restart-on-activation on. If instead the scene is hidden briefly and you want the video to carry on from its existing position when shown again, turn the option off and test that behaviour in your scene.
It does not replace Loop. A source can be set to loop while restart-on-activation is off: it repeats at the end, but hiding and showing it does not request a fresh start. Conversely, a source can have restart-on-activation on and Loop off: it starts from the beginning when activated, then reaches the end and stops according to the other settings. Those are different combinations with different outcomes.
Visibility can also affect whether a source is loaded. OBS lists Close file when inactive separately, default Off. Enabling it unloads the media file while it is hidden or not in the current scene; when it is opened again, there may be a short period where it is not showing while it reloads. Consider that trade-off if you are changing scenes during a live programme: unloading may be relevant to resource use, but a reload delay can be visible.
For a simple video that remains in a single scene all day, activation may rarely matter because the source is not repeatedly hidden and shown. For a multi-scene broadcast, document which scenes contain the source and rehearse transitions. A checklist for running separate 24/7 streams with FFmpeg addresses a different workflow, but the underlying planning lesson is useful: write down what each playback source should do when it is not on air.
Choose settings for the intended behaviour
Start with the desired behaviour, rather than switching on every option. The table separates the controls most likely to be confused. Defaults below are those stated in OBS’s Media Sources guide; a later software version could present different defaults, so check your installed version’s properties.
| Intended behaviour | Loop | Restart playback when source becomes active | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repeat one local file while it remains in use | On | Either, based on scene behaviour | Whether the end-to-start picture and sound are acceptable |
| Begin from the start whenever the source is shown | Optional | On | Whether a scene return should interrupt and reset playback |
| Continue from the current point after the source is hidden and shown | Optional | Off | What happens while hidden in your scene setup |
| Play once and leave the final image visible | Off | Usually based on activation needs | Whether Show nothing when playback ends is Off |
| Run a playlist and repeat the list | Use VLC Video’s playlist control | Set visibility policy separately | VLC installation, playlist order, and hidden behaviour |
For a single-file loop intended to stay on screen, a practical starting point is Loop on and restart-on-activation chosen according to whether scene returns should reset the clip. If the source stays visible continuously, the activation choice may make no difference during ordinary playback. Still, choose it deliberately because a later scene change can expose an unexpected restart.
The Show nothing when playback ends option is another separate control. OBS documents it as on by default: when playback finishes, the source is hidden instead of leaving its last frame visible. That matters most for one-shot playback. A looping source is intended to start again at completion, but do not use the visibility setting as a substitute for testing your chosen combination.
For VLC Video, OBS documents Visibility Behaviour as a separate policy for when the playlist is not visible, with a default of stopping while not visible and restarting when visible. Do not transfer that behaviour automatically to Media Source; read the options for the source type you actually added. If a playlist is the right fit, use the OBS Media Sources documentation to check its available controls and VLC requirement.
Inspect the file’s ending and opening
A playback setting cannot repair an edit that is already audible or visible. Inspect the final seconds and the first seconds of the file as a pair. Look for a hard cut, a fade to black followed by a bright opening, a pause in the soundtrack, a word that is cut off, a sudden change in loudness, or a change in room tone. Any of these can make a correctly repeating source feel like it has stopped and restarted.
Use an editor or media player that lets you move through the end and beginning precisely. Listen on headphones as well as watching the image: a dark frame may hide a visual cut, but a clipped breath or a sudden ambience change can still reveal the boundary. If your editor supports a temporary timeline arrangement, place a copy of the opening immediately after the ending and listen across that splice. This is an inspection method, not proof that OBS will output it identically.
For an atmosphere loop, look for stable motion and a sound bed that can cross the boundary without an obvious jump. A water or rain recording may need a short crossfade or careful selection of start and end points. For a spoken programme, a seamless repeat may not be the right editorial goal; a deliberate pause, closing card, or transition can signal that the sequence is beginning again. The important decision is whether the join suits the content, not whether a setting is labelled Loop.
If you need to revise the file, keep an original and export a test copy. Check the exported copy’s final and opening moments again, because an edit or encode can introduce a frame or audio change. Then use the revised file in OBS and inspect the actual playback there. The guide to keeping a 24/7 stream monetised during a long broadcast covers a broader operational concern; content suitability and playback continuity are separate checks, and neither should be assumed from a successful preview alone.
Test the join in the OBS scene
Test the source in the scene where it will be used. Open the OBS preview, wait for the file to reach its end, and watch and listen as it starts again. Check a few transitions rather than judging only from the first pass. If the video is part of a more complex scene, check it alongside the other visible elements and audio sources, since those can mask or emphasise a change at the boundary.
Then test the visibility behaviour separately. Hide the source or change scenes, and bring it back. With Restart playback when source becomes active enabled, confirm that the beginning is what you intend to show. With it disabled, observe whether continuing from the prior position suits the programme. If Close file when inactive is enabled, include the reload in the rehearsal and note any blank or delayed return.
A reported OBS issue concerns a narrow timing case: a source is hidden and shown very quickly just after the playback-ended event, and the visibility change may not be processed in that interval. The issue report on fast hide/show after playback ends describes a specific reproduction, not a universal timing rule or a reason to add a fixed delay to every scene. If you encounter this behaviour, reproduce it deliberately, avoid relying on a rapid toggle at that exact boundary, and check for updates or later issue discussion.
A preview verifies only what you actually tested. If you need to know what reaches YouTube, run a private or otherwise appropriate test broadcast and inspect the received output, including the picture and sound at the join. Monitor for longer than a single cycle if the file is long or scene changes form part of the show. Do not describe the loop as tested on YouTube unless you have checked that output path.
For unattended use, make a short operating note: which file is loaded, whether Loop is on, what activation should do, what should happen while hidden, and what you observed at the join. If you later replace the video or change a source option, repeat the boundary check. A scene can remain unchanged while its media file has been updated, so a past successful test does not establish that a new export behaves the same way.
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FAQ
Does Restart playback when source becomes active make a video loop?
No. It restarts playback when the source becomes active in the current scene and visible. To repeat a local file after it reaches the end, enable Loop; decide separately whether activation should also send it back to the beginning.
Should I leave restart-on-activation on?
Leave it on if every time the source is shown it should begin at the start. Turn it off if showing the source again should not reset its playback, then test that expectation in the scene where you use it.
Why is my loop not seamless even though Loop is enabled?
Loop controls repetition, not the content of the file or a guaranteed gapless transition. Inspect the final and opening picture and audio, adjust the edit if needed, and test the boundary in OBS.
Is VLC Video the same as a local Media Source?
No. VLC Video is intended for playlist use and has separate playlist-looping and visibility controls. OBS requires VLC to be installed for the source to appear, and specifies matching 64-bit VLC for 64-bit OBS.