For one local Telugu song file, use OBS Media Source, select the file and enable Loop. For a queue of multiple songs, use VLC Video, add the tracks to its playlist and confirm Loop Playlist is on; VLC must be installed for that source to appear.
Looping controls playback, not whether you are allowed to broadcast a recording. The setting that restarts a source when it becomes visible is separate from Loop, so check both playback behaviour and music permissions before you go live.
Choose a single file or playlist source
Start by deciding whether your scene needs to repeat one song or move through a collection. A single file is the simpler case: Media Source provides a direct Loop control for that file. A collection calls for VLC Video, which has playlist and shuffle controls. The two sources solve different playback jobs, so installing VLC is not necessary if you only need Media Source.
| Your playback plan | OBS source | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat one song file | Media Source | Correct file, Loop, and visibility behaviour |
| Play several songs in a chosen order | VLC Video | VLC installation, playlist order, and Loop Playlist |
| Play a changing or shuffled selection | VLC Video | Playlist contents and Shuffle Playlist setting |
OBS documents MP3, AAC, OGG and WAV as supported audio formats for Media Source. That is a list of documented formats, not a promise that every file labelled as one of them will decode correctly in every environment. If a file does not play, verify the file itself and test a format in OBS's documented list rather than assuming that the loop control is at fault. The OBS media sources guide describes source options and supported formats.
For one uninterrupted devotional track, Media Source keeps the task straightforward. If you have a prepared sequence of Telugu songs and want to maintain its order in one source, VLC Video is a better fit. OBS documents VLC Video as requiring VLC to be installed, and notes that 64-bit OBS needs 64-bit VLC. If the source is missing from the add-source menu, check that requirement before rebuilding your scene.
This choice is different from choosing a whole streaming method. For an overview of playlists and channel planning, see how to automate a Telugu video playlist for continuous YouTube Live. For this guide, the concern is the OBS source that plays each local file and what it does at the end or when hidden.
Add a Media Source for one song
Open the scene that should contain the song. In the Sources panel, use the add control and select Media Source. Give it a useful name, such as “Opening bhajan” or the song title, so you can identify it later if the scene grows to include a logo, background or other audio sources.
In the source properties, choose the option to create a new source if this is the first time, then browse to the local song file. Keep the file in a stable location on the computer running OBS: moving or renaming it later can break the source path. This is a practical file-management precaution, not a special requirement of Telugu music.
If you want this song to begin whenever the source becomes visible, consider Restart playback when source becomes active. That setting concerns activation of the source. It is not what makes the song repeat at its endpoint; that is the separate Loop checkbox. You can leave restart behaviour off if you intend the file to carry on from its current position when it is hidden and shown again, but test the result in your scene before relying on it.
The OBS sources guide explains how sources are added and managed. Source names and scene layout are yours to organise; a clear name helps when diagnosing which audio source is active, especially if you have more than one scene with music.
Once the file is selected, check that the source has not been muted in the mixer and that the audio meter responds during playback. If there is no meter activity, do not infer that Loop is broken: first confirm the right source, file path and playback state. If the meter moves but the stream audience hears nothing, later test the output routing and a private or unlisted rehearsal according to your normal channel workflow.
Select the file and enable Loop
In the Media Source properties, browse to the intended local file and confirm the displayed path is the one you expect. Then turn on Loop. OBS documents Loop as off by default, so it is worth checking the box explicitly rather than assuming that selecting a file also makes it repeat.
Loop means the same file starts again after playback reaches its end. It does not mean the file restarts each time a scene is selected, nor does it instruct YouTube to replay a stream after the broadcast ends. Those are different events controlled elsewhere. A short test is useful: let the file reach its end while watching OBS, and confirm it starts again without another manual action.
There is a trade-off to the single-file approach. It is easy to set up and gives you a predictable repeated track, but it does not provide a track queue, per-track ordering or playlist shuffle. If you want several songs, adding separate sources and managing scene changes can become harder to maintain than one playlist source. In that case, choose VLC Video rather than trying to treat one Media Source as a playlist.
Also check whether the song has a clean ending and beginning. A loop repeats the source file; it does not edit out silence or blend the end into the beginning. If a long silence is included at either edge, listeners will hear it every cycle. Correct that in a properly authorised working copy before importing it, rather than changing playback settings to compensate for an unsuitable edit.
For a channel built around several devotional tracks, the regional-language bhakti sangeet playbook covers broader programming considerations. Here, the practical distinction remains: a single file loops as a single file, and playlist management belongs in a playlist-capable source.
Use VLC Video for multiple tracks
Choose VLC Video when you need OBS to play more than one media file as a playlist. Add the source to the scene, open its properties and add the song files to the playlist. Review the list itself before streaming: check that the intended tracks are present, the order is correct, and no old test file or unintended item remains.
VLC Video is useful when you want one source to advance through multiple tracks. The playlist is also where the practical difference between repeating a single file and repeating a collection becomes clear. Media Source's Loop repeats its selected file; VLC Video's Loop Playlist applies to the playlist. OBS lists Loop Playlist as on by default, but inspect the setting rather than relying on a default that may have changed through your own edits or a saved profile.
OBS also documents Shuffle Playlist as off by default. If you need a fixed devotional order, keep shuffle off and verify the sequence. If variation is appropriate, shuffle changes the ordering, so make sure that behaviour suits the channel rather than discovering it after going live. You can find the relevant source controls in the OBS media sources documentation.
Before committing to a playlist, decide how it should behave at scene changes. Will the songs continue while another scene is shown, or should playback stop while hidden and start again when the playlist scene returns? A source's visibility behaviour affects that experience. Test the same scene changes you expect to use in the broadcast, since the result depends on the settings of the source, not simply on the fact that a playlist exists.
If the VLC Video choice is absent, first check whether VLC is installed. OBS notes the 64-bit matching requirement: 64-bit OBS needs 64-bit VLC. After installing the appropriate VLC version, restart OBS and check the source menu again. This is the documented prerequisite for that source to appear; it is not a reason to choose a different file format or to reinstall OBS without checking the VLC requirement.
A laptop-based setup can be practical for a shorter or supervised broadcast, but keeping a computer running continuously creates a different set of operational questions. The guide to streaming 24/7 Bengali lo-fi music from a laptop discusses that broader always-on trade-off; it does not change which OBS source suits one file versus a queue.
Enable Loop Playlist and check VLC installation
Open VLC Video's properties and inspect Loop Playlist. If the playlist should return to its first track after the last item, leave this option enabled. If you want a finite playlist to stop at the end, turn it off. The documented default is on, but the important thing is the setting currently shown in your source properties.
Check the playlist itself by playing it in OBS. Listen through a transition between tracks, and, if time allows, observe what happens after the last item. This catches common setup mistakes such as an empty playlist, an unintended order, a missing file or a playlist that stops when you expected it to cycle. Do not assume that the visible list alone proves each local file can be opened.
If one item fails while others play, verify that file's path and test it separately. A playlist may contain files stored in different folders, so a working first track does not establish that every later path is still valid. Keep the source files in stable folders and avoid rearranging them after you have built the playlist.
VLC Video requires VLC to be installed, and OBS documents that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. If the source does not appear, check both the installation and bitness rather than looking for Loop Playlist in Media Source: it belongs to the VLC playlist workflow. The OBS source reference is the primary place to review how sources are managed in OBS.
For a 24/7 channel, playback verification is only one part of preparation. Also confirm your stream's audio output, check levels during a representative section, and watch for clipping or silence at transitions. OBS playback can be correct while the wrong audio device or track is sent to the live stream, so check the actual output path you intend to broadcast.
Separate looping from restart-on-visibility
Loop and restart-on-visibility answer different questions. Loop asks what happens when a file finishes: with it enabled, that file starts again. Restart playback when source becomes active asks what happens when the source becomes active or visible in the current scene: with it enabled, playback starts from the beginning when activated. Turning on one does not replace the other.
For example, suppose a single song is looping and you switch to a scene where its source is hidden. When you return, the result depends on activation and inactivity behaviour. If you want the track to start from the beginning on return, enable restart-on-activation and test it. If you want it to carry on from where it was, do not request a restart, and check that the source is not being unloaded while hidden.
Media Source has a separate Close file when inactive control. When enabled, the file is unloaded while the source is hidden or off the current scene; OBS notes that reloading it can cause a delay. That behaviour can matter if your scene changes are frequent or you expect audio to continue between scenes. It is a separate choice from Loop and restart-on-activation, so change one control at a time and observe the result.
VLC Video has its own Visibility Behaviour control. OBS documents its default as stopping when not visible and restarting when visible. If your planned scene changes should not restart the playlist, examine this control and test the intended behaviour rather than assuming that Media Source's controls also apply to VLC Video.
This distinction is useful when diagnosing a song that unexpectedly starts at the beginning or stops during a scene change. Ask whether the file reached its end, whether the source became visible, and whether the source was unloaded or stopped while hidden. Each question points to a different setting. None of these settings establishes a right to transmit the recording.
Check source visibility, audio and rights
Before a live broadcast, test the source in the scene that will actually be used. Confirm the eye/visibility state in the Sources panel, start playback, and check the mixer meter. Then switch scenes in the way you expect to use them and listen for continuity, a restart, a gap or silence. If you make a change, test it again; otherwise it is easy to fix one behaviour while unintentionally changing another.
A source can be present but hidden, muted or inactive. Look for those conditions before replacing files or changing Loop. If there are multiple audio sources, briefly isolate the song source during a test so you can tell which meter and playback are responsible. Make sure that the sound reaches the stream's intended output, not only local monitoring.
Playback configuration and broadcast permission are separate. YouTube says live streams are scanned for matches to third-party content, and a stream may be interrupted or terminated if matched content remains after a warning. Its live-streaming guidance on copyrighted content explains this scanning process. A song looping correctly in OBS does not prevent a match or determine the rights status of a Telugu recording.
If you have permission from a rights owner for third-party music, check whether that owner must add your channel to a Content ID allowlist. YouTube says a licence alone may not prevent interruptions when a channel is not allowlisted. The YouTube Help page on Content ID claims during live streams is a primary source for the current guidance. Verify the requirements with the rights holder for the specific recording and channel.
Do not assume a licence for one use covers a live stream, every territory, or an archived replay. YouTube's Creator Music FAQ says Creator Music does not currently support licensing for live content. A “free” label by itself is not proof that a track can be used in a live broadcast. Confirm the rights for the particular recording, live use, relevant territory, any replay you keep, and any required allowlisting. No specific Telugu recording or rights holder is verified by this setup guide.
If the late-night failure you are guarding against is an OBS restart rather than a track transition, read how to keep a sleep-music stream playing when OBS restarts. It addresses a different operational problem; source Loop settings repeat media during playback, not a guarantee that a broadcast will resume after an application or connection failure.
When you have tested the playback and confirmed the rights path for your own recordings, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
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
Should I use Media Source or VLC Video for one Telugu song?
Use Media Source for one local song file and turn on Loop if it should repeat after reaching the end. Use VLC Video when you want a playlist of multiple files; VLC must be installed for that source to appear.
Why does my song restart when I change scenes?
Loop restarts a file at its endpoint, while restart-on-activation controls whether it begins again when the source becomes active or visible. Check that setting and the source's inactivity behaviour, then test the same scene change again.
Does Loop Playlist mean YouTube has approved the music?
No. Loop Playlist changes how VLC Video repeats its list; it does not grant music rights or prevent Content ID action. Check current YouTube guidance and confirm permission and any required allowlisting with the rights holder.
Why can I not find VLC Video in OBS?
VLC Video requires VLC to be installed. OBS also notes that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC, so check that the installed version matches OBS and then reopen OBS to check the source list.