If you are looping one local video in OBS, use Media Source and turn on its Loop setting. If you need to rotate through several files, use VLC Video and its Loop Playlist setting, provided VLC is installed in an architecture that matches OBS.
These sources control playback inside your OBS scene; neither one connects OBS to YouTube by itself. Choose according to whether you have one file or a playlist, then test playback and the YouTube encoder connection as separate parts of the setup.
Choose by the number of files
Media Source is the direct choice for a single local file. Add it to a scene, point it to your video, and enable Loop. That setting repeats the selected file when playback finishes. It is built into OBS, so this route does not add a VLC installation requirement.
VLC Video is intended for a set of media files. You can create a playlist in the source properties and let it advance through the entries, with Loop Playlist controlling what happens after the final item. Shuffle is available if you do not want a fixed order. The trade-off is an additional dependency: VLC must be installed, and a 64-bit OBS installation requires 64-bit VLC.
| Your requirement | Source to use | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat one local video | Media Source | Turn on Loop; it is off by default |
| Cycle through several local files | VLC Video | Add the playlist and check Loop Playlist; it is on by default |
| Choose a different order each cycle | VLC Video | Decide whether Shuffle Playlist suits the programme |
| Avoid an extra playback dependency | Media Source for one file | VLC Video needs VLC installed with matching architecture |
The choice is not a claim that one source is universally more reliable or that transitions are seamless. OBS documents each source's controls, but that does not establish how a running broadcast behaves if you edit a playlist in the middle of playback. Keep the list stable while live unless you have tested the exact change and are willing to accept a playback interruption.
For a devotional channel, for example, a single uninterrupted bhajan recording can be a Media Source. A rotation of several abhang recordings calls for VLC Video if you want OBS to move among files. The article on creating a 24/7 Marathi abhang stream may help with the wider programming choices, but the source setting still depends on how many files you are feeding into OBS.
Set up Media Source for one local file
In OBS, select the scene that should contain the video. In Sources, add a Media Source and give it a recognisable name, such as “Main loop” or the programme title. In the source properties, choose the local file you intend to broadcast. OBS documentation lists common local video formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF and WebM, as well as audio formats such as MP3, AAC, OGG and WAV. Check the current OBS Media Sources documentation if a file format or control is unclear.
Make sure the file is on the machine that runs OBS and that OBS can access its location. A file path on a removable drive or a folder that is later renamed can leave the source unable to find the media. For a long-running channel, use a stable local path and avoid moving or renaming the file after configuring the source.
The source properties include controls with different purposes. Loop repeats the file after it reaches its end. Restart playback when source becomes active affects what happens when that source becomes active in a scene; it is not a substitute for Loop. Show nothing when playback ends controls the appearance after playback ends, while Close file when inactive controls whether the file is closed when the source is inactive. Do not treat these as interchangeable loop settings.
For one-file playback, the practical first pass is simple: select the file, enable Loop, then confirm it plays in the preview. Watch at least one complete playback cycle before relying on it for a live channel. This is a basic configuration check, not proof that every later broadcast will be uninterrupted; OBS and the video file still depend on the computer and operating system behaving as expected.
If your channel schedule depends on when viewers arrive, playback choice is only one part of the experience. A useful companion is this guide to setting a schedule viewers can rely on, which addresses the viewer-facing routine rather than the source control itself.
Enable and verify Media Source Loop
Loop is off by default for Media Source, so inspect the setting rather than assuming a source will repeat. Open the Media Source properties and enable Loop. Save the properties and let the video reach the end in the preview. Confirm that it starts again from the beginning.
If it does not repeat, check that you edited the Media Source actually present in the active scene and that the selected file is the intended one. Also distinguish an ended playback from a hidden source: a source can be hidden in a scene without its media having reached the end. The visibility and playback controls affect different situations.
If you want the video to start from the beginning when a scene makes the source active, review Restart playback when source becomes active. That behaviour may be useful for a short segment or a scene that is deliberately revisited. For an always-on scene, restarting every time the source becomes active may be the wrong behaviour if you expected it to continue from its current point. Test the scene transition and choose deliberately.
Do not use “Show nothing when playback ends” as a looping workaround. It describes what is displayed at the end of playback; Loop determines whether the file begins again. If Loop is off, a source that reaches the end can stop showing media even if the source remains in the scene.
Set up VLC Video for multiple files
Before adding VLC Video, check that VLC is installed and matches the architecture of OBS. In particular, 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. The source may not be available to add if this dependency is missing or mismatched. This is a real setup cost, not an optional detail: VLC Video relies on VLC libraries for playback support.
Once the dependency is in place, add VLC Video from the Sources list in the appropriate scene. Give it a descriptive name, then add the local media files you want to include in the playlist through its properties. Verify the order of entries and that each file points to a location accessible to the computer running OBS. Start playback in the preview and confirm that the expected item appears.
VLC Video is similar in purpose to Media Source but adds playlist support. Use it where the programme genuinely needs multiple files rather than choosing it simply because it has more controls. More settings do not make it inherently better for a one-file loop, and the separate VLC dependency creates another item to install and keep compatible.
This can be helpful for a study channel that alternates among several prepared focus sessions or a local information channel that rotates a set of recorded segments. If your intended programme is one continuous ambience video, a playlist is not automatically necessary; see the discussion of whether 24/7 ambient streams need a playlist before adding complexity.
Configure Loop Playlist and optional shuffle
VLC Video has separate controls for repeating a playlist and changing its order. Loop Playlist is on by default, so the playlist restarts when it runs out of media. Shuffle Playlist is off by default. Turn shuffle on only if varying the order is part of the programme; a fixed sequence is easier to plan around when segments have an intended progression.
Review the playlist itself before going live. Check that each entry is a local file you mean to show, that the sequence makes sense from the last item back to the first, and that audio and picture are appropriate for your scene. The documented controls do not guarantee that changing entries during a live broadcast will avoid a reset or gap. Make edits before going live where possible, and test any planned live change on a non-critical broadcast or scene first.
VLC Video includes other properties, such as network caching and audio or subtitle track selection. These are useful when relevant to the media being played, but they do not replace playlist controls. A playlist of local files is the scope here; do not assume that a web watch-page URL will play as a source simply because VLC Video uses VLC libraries. The documentation cited here does not establish that compatibility.
For a fixed rotation, write the order down and test a complete cycle before broadcasting. For a shuffled rotation, check the result enough to make sure the entries are suitable in any order. A sequence that begins with an introduction and ends with a closing message may be awkward when shuffled, even if every individual file plays correctly.
Understand what happens when a source is hidden
A source is visible or hidden within an OBS scene. You can control that state with the eye control in the Sources dock. It does not refer to whether the OBS application window itself is on screen. OBS's Sources Guide explains the visibility controls and their role in scenes.
VLC Video has visibility behaviour settings. The documented default is to stop when the source is not visible and restart when it becomes visible. This matters if you switch between scenes: a VLC playlist hidden in one scene may stop, then restart when its source becomes visible again. That is different from leaving the source visible in the active scene throughout the broadcast.
Think through a concrete transition. If your main scene contains the playlist and you briefly switch to a holding scene that does not show it, the playlist may stop under the default behaviour. When you return, it may restart rather than continue at the point you left. If continuity matters across scene changes, inspect the visibility options and test the transition with your actual scene arrangement before going live.
Media Source also has source-activation and inactive-file controls, but their labels should be read literally. Restart playback when source becomes active relates to becoming active; Close file when inactive relates to file handling while inactive. Neither should be confused with the VLC Video visibility behaviour or with a general guarantee that playback continues while hidden. Test the source in the scenes you will actually use.
For a 24/7 broadcast, a hidden source may also mean that viewers are receiving a different scene, not that the channel has stopped streaming. That distinction is useful when diagnosing a black or changed picture: check scene selection and source visibility before changing the YouTube connection.
Connect OBS's encoded feed to YouTube Live
The source plays media inside your OBS production. OBS then encodes the composed scene and sends that feed to YouTube Live. The source's Loop or Loop Playlist setting does not establish the YouTube connection, and the stream key does not control whether the media repeats.
In YouTube's live settings, obtain the stream details for the broadcast and enter the appropriate stream URL and stream key in OBS's streaming configuration. Treat the key as a credential and do not publish it in a screenshot or share it with people who do not need it. YouTube's instructions for managing live stream settings explain the stream URL and key fields. Check the current official guidance because platform workflows and labels can change.
Before starting a long session, confirm the OBS preview shows the intended source, the audio meters respond as expected, and the broadcast is connected to the right YouTube destination. If you use a playlist, verify the sequence and visibility behaviour separately. A successful encoder connection only confirms the feed path; it does not prove that a local file will loop as intended.
If the stream key is not retained between OBS sessions, investigate that as its own settings issue rather than changing the media source. This guide to checking why a YouTube stream key was not saved after restarting OBS covers that separate problem.
For an always-on channel, there is also an operating choice beyond these OBS source settings: keeping a computer running OBS versus using a workflow that can continue with your computer switched off. StreamNeo is relevant when the specific pain is leaving the local computer on to keep a prepared video broadcasting, rather than managing a source or playlist inside OBS.
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 video?
Use Media Source for one local video and enable Loop. It is built into OBS, while VLC Video adds a VLC installation and matching architecture requirement without being needed for a single-file loop.
Does Media Source Loop work for a playlist?
The documented Media Source Loop control repeats a file; it is not the documented playlist-loop choice. For several files, use VLC Video, add the playlist and use Loop Playlist.
What does stop when not visible mean?
It refers to whether the source is visible in the OBS scene, such as its eye control being enabled in the Sources dock. It does not mean that the OBS application window is off-screen; the default VLC Video behaviour stops when hidden and restarts when visible.
Does looping in OBS make the YouTube stream continuous?
Looping controls the media source, while OBS's encoder connection sends the resulting scene to YouTube. Check the source playback and the YouTube connection independently; neither setting alone guarantees an uninterrupted broadcast.