To loop one prerecorded video on YouTube Live, add it to an OBS Media Source and enable Loop. To cycle through several files, use OBS’s VLC Video source, add the videos to its playlist, and enable Loop Playlist. Then connect OBS to a YouTube encoder stream with the stream URL and key, start streaming, and—if the event is scheduled—check the preview in YouTube Live Control Room before selecting Go live.
Choose the right OBS source
| What you want to play | OBS source | Setting | Requirement or caveat |
|---|---|---|---|
| One video, repeated continuously | Media Source | Loop | Select a local video file. OBS documents common formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF, and WebM. |
| Several videos in sequence, repeated as a playlist | VLC Video | Loop Playlist | VLC must be installed. For 64-bit OBS, install 64-bit VLC. Check the source’s visibility behavior if it may be hidden. |
Use Media Source for the simplest single-file setup. Choose VLC Video when you need to manage multiple files in an ordered playlist. OBS describes the Media Source Loop property as specifying whether the file plays again after playback has completed. OBS Project: Media Sources
Set up a single video loop in OBS
- Create a scene. In OBS, create or select the scene you will use for the broadcast.
- Add a Media Source. In the scene’s Sources, select +, then Media Source. Create a new source or choose an existing one.
- Select the video file. In the source properties, choose the local prerecorded file you want to play.
- Enable Loop. Turn on the Loop option in the Media Source properties, then apply the settings. The file should restart after it reaches the end.
- Check the scene. Confirm that the video is visible and that its audio is present at the expected level. Let it play through the end once if you can, to verify that it starts again as intended.
Loop a playlist of prerecorded videos
- Install VLC. The VLC Video source depends on VLC being installed. Match its architecture to OBS: use 64-bit VLC with 64-bit OBS.
- Add a VLC Video source. In the scene’s Sources, select +, then VLC Video.
- Add and order the files. Add the prerecorded videos to the source’s playlist in the sequence you want them to play.
- Enable Loop Playlist. Turn on the playlist-loop option in the source properties so playback returns to the beginning of the playlist after the last item.
- Choose hidden-source behavior. VLC Video has visibility behavior settings that control whether playback continues, pauses, or stops while the source is not visible. Set this deliberately if you may switch scenes or hide the source during the broadcast.
- Verify transitions and sound. Preview the playlist and check that each file plays in order, the playlist restarts, and the audio behaves as intended at transitions.
OBS documents the Media Source and VLC Video controls in its Media Sources guide.
Connect OBS to YouTube Live
- Create or schedule an encoder stream. In YouTube Studio, open Live Control Room and create a new live stream or schedule one. Choose the privacy setting and event details that suit your broadcast.
- Copy the stream URL and key. YouTube provides an encoder stream URL and stream key. The key is a credential that allows an encoder to send a feed to your channel, so do not share it publicly or expose it in a recording.
- Enter the connection details in OBS. Open OBS’s stream settings, choose YouTube as the service when available, and enter the stream URL and key from Live Control Room. YouTube recommends RTMPS for encoder connections.
- Start sending the feed. Select Start Streaming in OBS. YouTube describes an encoder as software or hardware that converts video into a digital format for streaming to YouTube.
- For a scheduled event, check the preview. Wait for the OBS feed to appear in Live Control Room. Check picture, audio, and stream health; then select Go live in YouTube when the preview is ready.
- End the broadcast cleanly. End the event in Live Control Room and stop the encoder feed from OBS.
Follow YouTube’s instructions for creating an encoder stream and configuring its settings: Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder and Live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions.
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Set encoder quality for your connection
Use settings supported by both your system and the upload connection. YouTube’s published encoder guidance recommends H.264 for video, constant bitrate (CBR), and a keyframe interval of two seconds; it says the interval should not exceed four seconds. Choose a bitrate appropriate to the resolution and frame rate you are sending and to the sustained upload capacity available to the computer. A bitrate that exceeds that capacity can cause dropped frames or an unstable feed.
- Protocol: Prefer RTMPS, as YouTube recommends.
- Video codec: H.264 is listed in YouTube’s supported encoder guidance.
- Rate control: Use CBR.
- Keyframes: Set a two-second interval; do not exceed four seconds.
- Bitrate and resolution: Select values from YouTube’s current recommendations for your target resolution and frame rate, then ensure the internet connection can sustain the upload. Recommendations can change, so consult YouTube’s linked encoder settings page rather than relying on a copied bitrate table.
Test before the scheduled broadcast
YouTube recommends setting up the stream at least two hours before the event and starting the encoder at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start. These are preparation recommendations, not guarantees of connection performance. Use the lead time to check the entire playback path, including the loop, audio, preview, and event visibility.
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- Confirm the correct scene and video or playlist are selected.
- Check that the file loops—or that the playlist returns to its first item.
- Listen for missing audio, abrupt level changes, or unintended silence.
- Check the Live Control Room preview and stream health before inviting viewers or selecting Go live.
- Verify that the event’s privacy and access settings are what you intend.
See YouTube’s live streaming tips for its preparation guidance.
Know what happens to the stream and archive
YouTube’s encoder instructions say streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. That statement does not promise an automatic archive for a stream lasting 12 hours or longer. YouTube also notes that DVR controls, including rewind, may be limited or unavailable on very long streams, including streams over 12 hours. If an archive matters, check the resulting video after the event rather than assuming a long broadcast will be preserved in the same way.
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Copyright and prerecorded content
Looping a video in OBS does not grant permission to broadcast it. Make sure you have the necessary rights for every video, music track, sound effect, and other element in the feed. The applicable rights can depend on the content, territory, and use; a tool setting cannot determine whether a particular program or song is cleared. YouTube’s live-stream settings guidance specifically calls out rights for trailers, but that does not establish permission for other material. Review the YouTube live-stream settings guidance and obtain the appropriate rights before streaming.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| The video stops at the end instead of restarting | Loop is off, or the wrong source type or setting is being used. | For one file, open Media Source properties and enable Loop. For a playlist, use VLC Video and enable Loop Playlist. |
| The VLC Video source is unavailable or does not play files | VLC may be missing or its architecture may not match OBS. | Install VLC and match its bitness to OBS; for 64-bit OBS, use 64-bit VLC. |
| A playlist stops when its source is hidden | The VLC Video source’s visibility behavior may pause or stop playback. | Review the source’s visibility behavior settings and select the intended behavior. |
| YouTube does not receive the OBS feed | The stream URL or key may be incorrect, or the encoder connection may not be configured as expected. | Compare OBS’s stream settings with the current values in YouTube Live Control Room. Treat the key as sensitive and replace it if it has been exposed. |
| The scheduled event has no usable preview | OBS may not be sending the feed, or the event may not yet have received it. | Confirm OBS is streaming, then check Live Control Room for the incoming preview and stream health before selecting Go live. |
| The stream stutters or drops frames | The chosen output may exceed what the upload connection can sustain, or the connection may be unstable. | Check OBS and YouTube stream health, reduce the bitrate or output demand if needed, and use YouTube’s current encoder recommendations for the target resolution and frame rate. |
| Video plays but audio is missing | The source may not be providing audio to the scene or the levels may be muted. | Check the OBS audio mixer and source properties, then verify audio in the Live Control Room preview before going live. |
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