To keep a video playing when you switch OBS scenes, prevent its source from restarting or unloading while hidden. For a local Media Source, turn off Restart playback when source becomes active and leave Close file when inactive off. For a VLC Video Source, set its visibility behavior to continue playback while hidden. For a Browser Source, leave its shutdown and refresh-on-activation options off. Then test the transitions in your actual OBS project before relying on it for a 24/7 broadcast.
Why scene changes can interrupt playback
OBS scenes are arrangements of sources. When you switch scenes, a source may become hidden or inactive; what happens to playback depends on that source’s settings. A setting that restarts, unloads, or refreshes the source can interrupt the video even though OBS itself continues running. OBS’s Sources Guide also explains that source order determines which elements appear on top of others.
For a kids’ stream, a useful design is to keep one playback source active and change overlays or other scene elements around it. If you use separate scenes, check whether the playback source is present and how it behaves when it becomes hidden. Source settings can reduce interruptions at scene changes, but they do not guarantee that YouTube ingest, your network, a webpage player, or the computer will remain uninterrupted for 24 hours.
Keep a local Media Source playing
For a video file on the computer, use an OBS Media Source and check these options in its properties:
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- Restart playback when source becomes active: turn this off so the file does not restart when the source becomes active again.
- Close file when inactive: leave this off so OBS does not unload the file while the source is hidden. OBS notes that unloading can cause a short period when the source is not showing after it is displayed again.
- Loop: enable this only if the file should start over when it finishes. Looping controls what happens at the end of the file; it does not prevent a restart caused by activation settings.
These controls are documented on OBS’s Media Sources page, published January 11, 2022.
Keep a VLC Video Source playing while hidden
If your source is a VLC Video Source, open its properties and set Visibility Behaviour to continue playback when the source is not visible. The available behavior choices determine whether playback continues, pauses, or stops while hidden.
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This source type requires VLC to be installed. OBS specifies that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. If VLC is missing or the installed version does not match, use a local Media Source instead or install the required VLC version. See OBS’s Media Sources documentation.
Keep a Browser Source from shutting down or refreshing
If playback is inside a webpage loaded as an OBS Browser Source, leave both of these options off when you want the page to retain its state across scene switches:
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- Shutdown source when not visible: leave off to avoid unloading the page while the source is hidden.
- Refresh browser source when scene becomes active: leave off to avoid refreshing the page when the scene returns.
OBS documents these options in its Browser Source guide, published January 11, 2022. These settings prevent OBS from shutting down or refreshing the page in those circumstances; they cannot ensure that a particular website’s player will continue seamlessly. The player and its own behavior remain dependencies.
Choose the source type that fits the video
| Source type | Best fit | Setting to check for scene changes | Dependency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media Source | A local video file | Turn off Restart playback when source becomes active and Close file when inactive. | The file must be available to OBS. |
| VLC Video Source | VLC-supported media or a VLC playlist | Choose the visibility behavior that continues playback while hidden. | VLC must be installed; match its 64-bit edition to 64-bit OBS. |
| Browser Source | A webpage player | Leave Shutdown source when not visible and Refresh browser source when scene becomes active off. | The webpage and its player must preserve playback. |
Decide based on where the video lives, whether it must keep playing while hidden, whether the source is unloaded or reloaded on activation, and whether the required external software is installed. The relevant OBS behavior is described in its Media Sources and Browser Source guides.
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Test the actual scene transitions
- Set the playback source’s properties. Apply the source-specific settings above before building a broadcast around the scene.
- Switch away from the playback scene. Observe whether the video continues, pauses, disappears, or reloads.
- Switch back. Check whether playback resumes at its existing position or starts over, and whether there is a visible delay.
- Repeat for every transition you will use. Test the real overlays, scene order, and source visibility in the project rather than assuming all scenes behave identically.
- Check the broadcast path separately. A successful OBS transition test does not establish that YouTube ingest, the network, a browser player, or a long-running computer will remain available continuously.
Common problems and fixes
- The video starts over after a scene change: for a Media Source, turn off Restart playback when source becomes active.
- The video is briefly missing when you return to its scene: make sure Close file when inactive is off for a Media Source; that option unloads the file while hidden.
- VLC playback pauses or stops off-scene: change Visibility Behaviour to continue playback while hidden, and confirm that VLC is installed in the edition required by OBS.
- The webpage player reloads or loses its state: turn off the Browser Source shutdown and refresh-on-activation options. If playback still breaks, the website’s player may be responsible; the OBS setting alone cannot control every page.
- Playback appears behind an overlay or other source: review source ordering in the scene. OBS source order controls which items are shown on top.
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