YouTube can schedule the live event, but it won’t restart your computer or launch OBS after a reboot. To resume a prerecorded loop automatically, configure three separate pieces: the YouTube event and stream settings, OBS and its looping media source, and your computer’s startup task. Then test the whole sequence with an actual reboot.
What needs to happen after a reboot
A scheduled YouTube stream is an event viewers can find and receive reminders for. At broadcast time, an encoder still has to connect and send video. YouTube’s scheduled-stream guidance says to wait for the encoder preview and click Go live, unless stream auto-start is enabled. Scheduling the event alone does not open OBS or start the computer. YouTube’s encoder setup guide explains the scheduled-stream workflow.
For unattended recovery, the computer must power back on, the operating system must start OBS in the right user session, OBS must load the intended scene and media, and the encoder must connect to the correct YouTube event. YouTube’s auto-start setting controls whether the encoder can start the broadcast; it does not launch OBS. YouTube’s live stream settings guide describes this stream-level setting.
1. Schedule or select the YouTube event
- In YouTube Studio, open Create > Go live, then use the Live Control Room’s Manage tab to schedule a stream or select an existing scheduled event. YouTube describes scheduling as a way to promote the event and let viewers set reminders.
- Open that event’s stream settings and note the stream URL/server and stream key. Use the URL shown in Live Control Room; if your encoder supports it, YouTube recommends RTMPS, its encrypted extension of RTMP. Don’t assume an ordinary RTMP URL is interchangeable. See YouTube’s RTMPS guidance.
- Treat the stream key like a password: don’t put it in screenshots, public scripts, logs, or instructions. If it is exposed, reset it in Live Control Room and update OBS with the replacement. YouTube’s troubleshooting guide covers encoder connection problems.
- Decide whether the encoder should start the event without a person present. Enable YouTube’s auto-start setting for that stream if unattended start is intended. If you want to inspect the preview and manually approve the broadcast, leave auto-start off and plan to click Go live yourself.
2. Connect OBS to the scheduled stream
- Open OBS and choose the YouTube service in its streaming settings, or enter the server URL and stream key from the selected YouTube event. Confirm that the key belongs to the intended event; a correct key for a different event can send the feed to the wrong destination.
- Save the OBS profile and scene collection you intend to use. Check the scene shown when OBS opens, including the media source and any overlays. Keep the key private wherever the profile or its settings are stored.
- For a scheduled stream that should begin unattended, confirm YouTube auto-start is enabled as described above. Otherwise OBS may connect and provide a preview while YouTube waits for a person to start the event.
3. Set up the video or playlist to loop
One video file
- In the intended OBS scene, add a Media Source and select the local video file.
- Enable Loop in the source’s properties. OBS Media Source supports local video files and a loop option; see OBS’s Media Sources guide.
- Make sure the file’s location will still be available after reboot. If it is on an external or network drive, confirm that drive mounts before OBS starts. A missing file path prevents the source from playing.
A playlist
- Add a VLC Video source and configure the playlist. This source type requires VLC to be installed.
- Confirm Loop Playlist is enabled. OBS documents this option as enabled by default for VLC Video; still verify it in the source properties.
- Check that every playlist item has a stable path and that the storage containing it is available when OBS launches. The same OBS guide covers Media Sources.
4. Start OBS after the computer reboots
Configure the operating system to launch OBS either at system startup or when the intended user logs in. The exact setup depends on the OS, user-session arrangement, permissions, and graphics session; a task that runs before the desktop session may not behave like OBS launched interactively. Keep the machine’s power settings in mind too: startup automation cannot help if the computer does not power back on.
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OBS documents the --startstreaming launch parameter for automatically starting a stream. Use it with the OBS launch entry so OBS opens and starts streaming, for example by appending --startstreaming to the OBS launch command. Follow the operating system’s method for setting a startup or login task rather than assuming this parameter creates that task by itself. On Windows, OBS’s launch guidance says scheduled or automated launches should set the working directory to the folder containing obs64.exe. See OBS’s Launch Parameters guide for the documented parameter and Windows detail.
5. Reboot-test the complete chain
YouTube recommends testing the encoder in advance, checking the Live Control Room preview, and confirming the watch page is accessible. A full reboot drill checks the extra computer-startup and media-loading steps too. YouTube’s live streaming tips cover advance testing and preview checks.
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- Before the test, confirm the scheduled event, destination, visibility, stream URL and key, OBS profile and scene, and media paths. Do not expose the key while checking settings.
- Reboot the computer and verify that it actually powers up and reaches the user session configured to launch OBS.
- Check that OBS opened with the expected profile and scene, that the video or playlist is playing, and that the media source is looping.
- Check OBS’s connection status and the Live Control Room preview. Confirm that the event is in the expected preview or live state based on whether auto-start is enabled, and verify that the watch page has the intended public, unlisted, or private visibility.
- Let the loop run long enough to verify it reaches the end and starts again. Confirm the stream remains connected through that transition.
Automatic reconnect is not reboot recovery
OBS or YouTube may reconnect after a temporary network interruption, but reconnect behavior is different from restarting the computer. A reboot closes OBS; the separate operating-system startup task must reopen it, and the media source and encoder must then initialize successfully. The launch and media-source steps above are why a successful transient reconnect alone is not proof that reboot recovery works.
Troubleshooting: what to check when it does not start
- OBS does not open after reboot: Check that the startup task is enabled and runs in the intended user session. On Windows, verify its working directory points to the folder containing
obs64.exe. Check permissions and whether the machine reaches the required desktop or graphics session. - OBS opens but does not start streaming: Confirm the launch entry includes OBS’s
--startstreamingparameter. Check that OBS loaded the intended profile and stream settings. - YouTube shows no preview or the encoder cannot connect: Verify the stream key and server URL against the selected event, and confirm the key has not been reset. Use the RTMPS URL provided by Live Control Room if supported. See YouTube’s live-stream troubleshooting steps.
- The preview appears but the event does not go live: Check whether YouTube auto-start is enabled. If it is off, a person needs to review the preview and click Go live for the scheduled event.
- The source is blank or stops: Check the media file path and confirm its drive is mounted and accessible at OBS launch. For VLC Video, verify VLC is installed and the playlist entries remain available.
- The video plays once instead of repeating: Enable Loop on a Media Source, or verify Loop Playlist on a VLC Video source.
- The computer never returns online: Check its power and firmware settings separately from OBS. A software startup task cannot restart a machine that remains powered off.
Or let it run in the cloud
If you want a YouTube loop without relying on a home computer restarting and reopening OBS, StreamNeo runs uploaded videos from the cloud. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; StreamNeo streams the uploaded quality as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot. It automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card, and the monthly option is $9.99 per month. It is for uploaded video loops to YouTube, not camera streaming. Learn more at StreamNeo, or start your free first day.
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