If you want OBS to send a prerecorded video to YouTube repeatedly, add the file as a Media Source and turn on Loop. For several files, use VLC Video with Loop Playlist, then connect OBS to YouTube using the stream URL and stream key from Live Control Room.
The loop controls what OBS plays after a file ends. It does not keep YouTube connected, restart OBS after a crash, or keep a computer and network connection working overnight. Treat playback and transmission as two separate parts of the setup.
Prepare a single file or playlist
Start with the content rather than the stream key. Decide whether your channel needs one long video repeated, or a sequence of separate clips. A devotional channel might repeat one visual prayer video, while a local news channel may prefer a playlist of several prepared segments. A study channel may use one long ambience file with quiet audio.
For one file, check that the video reaches its intended end cleanly. If the final frame is abrupt, the loop will return to the beginning at that point. You can usually make the transition less noticeable by editing the ending and opening so their sound levels and visual brightness are similar. OBS will not create a crossfade between two passes of a Media Source.
For several files, decide the order before opening OBS. A fixed order is easier to audit than shuffle when you need to know which clip is playing. Shuffle can be useful for music or ambience, but it makes it harder to predict the next item when troubleshooting.
Check the file outside OBS first. Play it from beginning to end and listen for missing audio, a silent final section, clipped speech, or a different aspect ratio. If you are preparing a playlist, the batch conversion guide can help you make the files more consistent before adding them to OBS.
Keep the content folder in a stable location. Do not move or rename files after creating the source unless you are ready to update the source path. An external drive that disconnects, a network folder that becomes unavailable, or a laptop that enters sleep mode can interrupt playback even when the YouTube settings are correct.
Add a Media Source and enable Loop
For a single file, create a scene in OBS and add a Media Source. In the source properties, select the video file. The important control is Loop. When enabled, OBS starts the same file again after playback has completed. OBS documents this setting in its Media Sources guide.
A practical sequence is:
- Open the scene that will carry the broadcast.
- Select Sources, choose Media Source, and give it a clear name such as
Main loop. - Select the local file.
- Enable Loop.
- Confirm that the source is visible and that its audio appears in the mixer.
- Start playback and wait long enough to confirm that the file begins correctly.
The source properties also include Restart playback when source becomes active. This controls what happens when the source is activated again. It is useful if you deliberately hide and show the source and want it to begin from the start each time. It is not a recovery mechanism for an OBS process that has stopped or for an internet connection that has failed.
You may also see Close file when inactive. This affects whether OBS closes the media file while the source is not active. It can change how the file is handled when you switch scenes, but it does not maintain a YouTube broadcast. Do not treat either setting as an always-on switch.
Make the source fit the canvas without stretching faces, text, or artwork. If your file has a different shape from the OBS canvas, choose whether to crop or add a background rather than allowing important material to be distorted. A clean, static layout is often preferable to trying to fill every unused area with unrelated graphics.
If the source shows no picture, check the file path, file format, source visibility, and the selected scene. If there is a picture but no sound, check the source volume and the OBS audio mixer. For a more specific audio investigation, see the guide on fixing a 24/7 livestream with no sound on YouTube.
Use VLC Video for multiple files
Use VLC Video when the broadcast needs more than one local file. OBS provides a playlist for this source, including a Loop Playlist option. VLC must be installed for VLC Video to appear as an available source, so install and open VLC before looking for it in OBS.
Add the clips to the playlist in the order you want them played. Then enable Loop Playlist. This repeats the playlist after the final item rather than repeating only the item currently selected. OBS also documents shuffle as a separate playlist option. Leave shuffle off when a defined sequence matters, such as a set of scheduled announcements or a news loop.
Use descriptive filenames or labels. For example, 01_morning_prayer, 02_reading, and 03_evening_prayer make the order visible when you return to the source properties. If your files have different audio levels, the change may be obvious each time the playlist moves to another item. Normalise or adjust the files before building the live scene rather than relying on the YouTube viewer to compensate.
The playlist is still local playback. If VLC is removed, the files are moved, the computer sleeps, or OBS stops, the playlist cannot continue sending pictures. Loop Playlist says what should happen after the last playlist item; it does not say what should happen after a network failure.
A single Media Source is simpler when you have one finished programme. VLC Video is more suitable when you need a set of clips, a chosen order, or playlist shuffle. The choice depends on the number of files and the desired playback behaviour, not on whether one source is able to keep YouTube online by itself.
| Requirement | Suitable OBS source | Setting to check | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repeat one local video | Media Source | Loop | Repeats one file only |
| Repeat several local videos | VLC Video | Loop Playlist | Requires VLC and accessible files |
| Restart when a source is activated | Media Source properties | Restart playback when source becomes active | Controls source activation, not stream recovery |
| Reduce file handling while inactive | Media Source properties | Close file when inactive | Does not preserve the YouTube connection |
Set the YouTube live stream in Live Control Room
Open YouTube Studio and go to the live-streaming area. Create a new stream or select the scheduled stream that should receive the OBS feed. The exact labels can change, so use the current controls shown in your Live Control Room rather than relying on an old screenshot.
YouTube’s encoder workflow uses a Stream URL and a Stream key. The key identifies the destination for the encoder feed and should be treated as a credential. YouTube describes stream keys as similar to a password and address for the stream in its live-stream management guidance.
If YouTube offers an RTMPS endpoint, prefer it when your OBS version and connection support it. RTMPS is RTMP carried over TLS or SSL, so the connection is encrypted. Copy the RTMPS URL displayed in Live Control Room rather than changing an ordinary RTMP address by guesswork. YouTube explains the distinction in its RTMPS guidance.
For a scheduled stream, YouTube normally needs to receive the encoder feed before you complete the live-start step. The usual process is to connect OBS, wait for the preview and health information in Live Control Room, then select Go live when the stream is ready. If Auto-start is enabled, sending the encoder feed can start the broadcast according to YouTube’s current workflow. If Auto-stop is enabled, stopping the encoder can end it.
Auto-start and auto-stop change how YouTube responds to encoder activity. They do not restart OBS after a crash and do not repair a failed local network connection. Decide whether you want those controls before beginning a long broadcast, then verify the current setting in the selected stream.
Keep the stream key private. Do not place it in a public screenshot, a shared document, or a support post. If you think it has been exposed, reset it in Live Control Room and replace the old value in OBS. YouTube states that permission to reset a key is limited to channel owners and managers.
Copy the stream URL and key into OBS
In OBS, open Settings, then Stream. Choose the YouTube service if it is available in your installation, or select a custom service when you need to enter the server details yourself. Paste the YouTube Stream URL into the server field and paste the Stream key into the key field.
Do not paste the stream key into the URL field or include extra spaces. If you are using a custom service, confirm that the server field contains the complete URL supplied by YouTube. When an RTMPS address is available, use that displayed address rather than assuming the default server is the secure one.
The key does not identify the video file. It identifies where OBS sends the encoder output. The Media Source or VLC Video source determines what appears in that output. This is why a perfect local loop can still fail to appear on YouTube if the URL, key, account, or selected stream is wrong.
For the video encoder, begin with a setting supported by your hardware and the YouTube guidance for the codec, resolution, and frame rate you have chosen. YouTube’s current encoder recommendations include H.264, H.265 or HEVC, and AV1 video, with CBR encoding and a keyframe interval of two seconds recommended and four seconds as the maximum.
Do not choose a bitrate because it worked for a different resolution. YouTube’s table lists H.264 1080p at 30 frames per second with 5 Mbps as a minimum and 14 Mbps as a recommended value. For H.264 720p at 30 frames per second, it lists 3 Mbps as a minimum and 8 Mbps as a recommended value. Other codecs, resolutions, and frame rates have different ranges. Check YouTube’s encoder settings guidance before settling on the value.
Your upload connection must sustain the chosen output, with room for normal variation. A connection that briefly reaches a speed is not the same as one that remains stable while OBS is sending video. If your upload capacity is limited, reducing resolution or frame rate may be more useful than selecting an ambitious bitrate that repeatedly falls behind.
For stereo audio, YouTube’s advanced recommendations specify AAC or MP3 and 128 Kbps. Confirm that the audio format selected in OBS is supported by the current YouTube instructions and that the mixer is receiving the intended source. Avoid leaving a microphone or desktop-audio input enabled unless it belongs in the broadcast.
Test playback and the live connection
Test the entire path before treating the setup as an overnight stream. First check the local scene: the correct file should play, the picture should remain visible, and the audio meter should move only when intended. Then start streaming from OBS and watch the preview and stream-health messages in Live Control Room.
Use representative content during the test. A static image may hide a problem that appears during fast motion, while a quiet devotional track may not reveal clipping that occurs during a spoken announcement. Include the loudest and most visually active parts of the actual loop.
Watch for dropped frames, encoder overload, buffering warnings, and audio that falls behind the picture. These messages describe different problems. Dropped frames usually point towards the connection or delivery path, while encoder overload indicates that the computer is struggling to produce the selected output. A source that stops changing may be a file or playback issue rather than a YouTube issue.
YouTube recommends testing before going live and monitoring stream health and messages during the event. Use its encoder setup documentation alongside the OBS statistics window. Do not assume that a local preview proves that YouTube is receiving a stable feed.
For a scheduled stream, wait for the preview in Live Control Room before selecting Go live, unless your chosen Auto-start behaviour is meant to handle that step. Confirm the public watch page from a separate device or connection if possible. This can reveal a muted track, an incorrect thumbnail, or a stream that is still waiting to begin.
Leave the test running long enough to expose the transition from the end of the file to its beginning, or from the last playlist item to the first. That is where an incorrect loop setting, a missing file, or an audio discontinuity is most likely to appear. Also verify that the computer does not sleep and that the user account running OBS can continue to access the content folder.
Playback options are not connection uptime
An always-on loop has two separate jobs. The first is playback: OBS must select the source, open the file, decode it, and begin the next file or repetition. The second is transmission: OBS must remain open, the computer must remain powered, the network must continue uploading, and YouTube must continue receiving the encoder feed.
Loop addresses only the first job. Loop Playlist also addresses only the first job, across several files. Restart playback when source becomes active tells a source how to begin when it becomes active. Close file when inactive changes how an inactive source handles its file. None of these settings promises that a failed application, sleeping computer, lost internet connection, or system restart will recover the live broadcast.
This distinction matters when diagnosing a stream that went offline overnight. If the public stream ended, first check whether OBS is still running and whether its status shows that it is streaming. Then check the OBS statistics window, the network, the source file, and the messages in Live Control Room. Re-enabling Loop will not repair a stopped encoder connection.
A local OBS setup gives you direct control over the files and scene, but it leaves the computer, power, storage, operating system, OBS process, and internet connection in the path. It can suit a small business or community channel that already has a dependable machine and someone who can check it. It is less convenient when leaving a computer on overnight is itself the main problem.
If the specific pain is keeping a local computer switched off while a prepared file continues as a YouTube broadcast, StreamNeo removes that part of the routine: upload the video once, add your YouTube stream key, and let the channel run from the cloud with monitoring and automatic restart if the stream drops. It is YouTube-only, so it does not replace an OBS workflow when you need several destinations or live scene production.
Another useful comparison is whether you need local production or simple file delivery. OBS is the better fit when you need scenes, local inputs, live overlays, or manual control. A file-based service is more focused when your content is ready and the main task is keeping the YouTube channel running without leaving your own computer switched on. The right choice depends on which failure points you are prepared to monitor.
If you are weighing a small local computer against a hosted approach, the Raspberry Pi or VPS comparison covers the operating trade-offs. If electricity use is the concern, see how to reduce electricity use when streaming prerecorded videos on YouTube 24/7.
Do not promise viewers that the stream will never stop. Instead, document the checks you will perform: confirm the source path, confirm the loop mode, verify the stream key, test the upload, disable sleep, monitor OBS and YouTube, and decide who will respond if the computer or connection fails.
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
Does OBS Loop keep my YouTube stream online?
No. Loop repeats a Media Source after the file ends, but it does not keep OBS running or restore a failed connection. The computer, encoder, network, and YouTube session still need to continue working.
Should I use Media Source or VLC Video?
Use Media Source for one local file and VLC Video for several files in a playlist. VLC must be installed for VLC Video to be available, and Loop Playlist repeats the playlist rather than guaranteeing delivery to YouTube.
Can I reuse a YouTube stream key?
YouTube allows a custom stream key to be reused. Treat it as a credential, and reset it in Live Control Room if it is exposed, then update OBS with the new key.
Will YouTube archive a 24/7 stream?
YouTube states that streams under 12 hours are automatically archived after they end. That guidance does not promise a complete archive for a longer continuous stream, so check the current official rules and plan accordingly.