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In OBS, add your piano audio or audio/video file as a Media Source, enable Loop, then send the scene to YouTube using the stream URL and key from Live Control Room. That repeats the file, but it does not smooth over a musical gap: for a seamless-sounding loop, the recording’s ending must join its beginning cleanly. Listen to that boundary before relying on the stream.
What “loop seamlessly” means
There are two separate jobs: making playback restart automatically, and making the restart sound natural. OBS can repeat a file when it finishes. The loop setting does not add a crossfade or repair a sudden change in tone, loudness, or room sound between the file’s end and beginning. A clean result therefore depends on the source recording as well as the OBS setting.
OBS documents Media Source support for audio formats including MP3, AAC, OGG, and WAV, and video formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF, and WebM. See OBS Media Sources for its format and source details.
Prepare the piano recording and confirm your rights
Use music you created or have permission to livestream and archive. YouTube’s livestream terms place responsibility on the content provider to have the necessary rights, including music licensing rights. Buying a copy of a recording or crediting its composer does not, by itself, establish livestream permission.
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Before setting up the broadcast, play the recording through its end and beginning several times. Listen for a pause, click, abrupt note cutoff, sudden volume change, or change in background noise or reverberation. Those are signs the boundary may be audible when the file restarts. OBS’s loop function repeats playback; its documentation does not say it repairs these transitions. No particular edit method can guarantee a clean join for every piano file, so judge the actual source by listening.
Choose one file or a playlist
| Setup | Use it when | Loop behavior | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media Source with one file | You want one continuous piano recording to repeat. | Enable Loop to replay the file after playback completes. | The audio or video file must be available locally to OBS. |
| VLC Video source with a playlist | You want a sequence of files rather than one asset. | Use the source’s Loop Playlist property. | VLC must be installed for this source to appear in OBS. |
Both behaviors are documented by OBS. A playlist can repeat its sequence, but each file boundary still needs to sound acceptable; looping a playlist does not make its transitions seamless.
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Set up the loop in OBS
- Create or select a scene. In OBS, use a scene for the piano broadcast. Add a visual source if you want the live picture to show artwork or another visual alongside the audio.
- Add the media. In the scene’s Sources panel, select + and choose Media Source. Create a source, then browse to and select the local audio or video file.
- Enable repeat playback. In the Media Source properties, turn on Loop. OBS describes this property as specifying whether the file plays again after playback completes.
- Check the audio path. Start playback in OBS and watch the Audio Mixer meter while listening. Confirm that the source is not muted and that the piano is audible. The meter confirms signal, not that the loop boundary sounds smooth.
- Test the join. Seek or wait to hear the end followed by the restart. Repeat the check as needed. If the join is abrupt, replace or revise the source recording before depending on a long broadcast; the Loop control will not fix the edit.
For multiple files, add a VLC Video source, select the playlist, and enable Loop Playlist. If VLC is not installed, OBS will not show that source. Check both the transitions between playlist items and the transition from the final item back to the first.
Connect OBS to YouTube Live
- Check channel eligibility. YouTube lists a verified channel and no live-streaming restrictions in the past 90 days as requirements. Its current general setup page says a livestreamer must be at least 16. See YouTube’s live-streaming requirements for the current rules.
- Open Live Control Room. In YouTube Studio, create or select the stream and locate its encoder connection details. YouTube describes stream keys as “your YouTube stream’s password and address.” Keep the key private. See Manage live stream settings.
- Enter the connection details in OBS. Open OBS Settings and select Stream. Choose YouTube as the service and enter or connect the stream key according to the available setup. If entering details manually, use the stream URL and key shown for that stream in Live Control Room; do not substitute a key from another stream.
- Start and preview. Start streaming from OBS, then check the preview in Live Control Room. Confirm that both the video and piano audio are reaching YouTube and that the loop boundary is clean in the preview.
YouTube’s encoder setup instructions cover the stream URL and key. Avoid sharing the key: someone with it may be able to send a feed to your stream.
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Preview, monitor, and end the broadcast
YouTube recommends preparing encoder streams in advance, checking that a stream is accessible on watch or channel pages and on mobile, and monitoring audio and video quality. Follow its live-streaming tips. For a piano loop, specifically listen through at least one end-to-start transition in the YouTube preview; a local OBS preview alone does not confirm the delivered stream sounds right.
Keep an eye on the encoder preview during the broadcast for audio or picture loss. When you are ready to stop, end the stream deliberately in OBS and confirm it has ended in YouTube Studio. YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived; check the current YouTube interface and policy before relying on archive behavior for a longer broadcast. See the encoder setup instructions.
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Common problems and fixes
- The music stops after one play: Reopen the Media Source properties and confirm Loop is enabled. For a playlist, confirm Loop Playlist is enabled on the VLC Video source.
- There is a gap, click, or jump in volume at the restart: The source’s end and beginning do not join smoothly. Listen to the boundary and use a recording with a cleaner transition; OBS’s loop control only repeats playback.
- The VLC playlist source is missing: OBS requires VLC to be installed for the VLC Video source to appear. Alternatively, use a single file in a Media Source with Loop enabled.
- OBS plays the piano but YouTube is silent: Check that the Media Source is not muted and that its audio is reaching the mixer, then confirm the YouTube preview. If the local meter moves but YouTube remains silent, recheck the encoder and stream configuration.
- YouTube interrupts or terminates the stream: YouTube scans livestreams for third-party content. Its copyright guidance warns that even licensed third-party music may interrupt a stream if the owner has not allowlisted the channel through Content ID. Confirm your rights and ask the music owner about allowlisting where applicable.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is a YouTube channel that keeps playing uploaded piano recordings without leaving a computer running, StreamNeo is a cloud service for looping uploaded videos on YouTube. Its setup is:
- Upload a recording or build a playlist.
- Add your YouTube stream key once.
- Go live; StreamNeo loops the uploaded video from the cloud.
Nothing has to stay on at home. Every slot streams the upload as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot, with no re-encode or quality tiers. StreamNeo automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card, and the monthly option is $9.99 per month. StreamNeo plays uploaded videos to YouTube; it does not stream from a camera. Start your free day with StreamNeo.
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