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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFor a single clip in OBS, right-click the Media Source in your scene, choose Properties, and turn on Loop. For a playlist in a VLC Video source, turn on Loop Playlist. These separate settings make the file or playlist repeat after it finishes.
Choose the loop setting for your source
First check the source type in the OBS scene. A Media Source plays an individual media file; a VLC Video source can play a media list.
| Source | What it plays | Setting that repeats it |
|---|---|---|
| Media Source | One local video file | Loop |
| VLC Video | A playlist of media files | Loop Playlist |
OBS documents these playback properties in its Media Sources guide. Supported local file types listed there include MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, GIF, and WebM.
Make a single video repeat in OBS
- In the relevant scene, find the video under Sources.
- Right-click that source and select Properties.
- Confirm it is a Media Source and that the intended video file is selected.
- Enable Loop, then apply the change and close Properties.
- Let the video reach its end and verify that it starts again.
The setting must be enabled on the source that is actually in the scene; changing a different source will not affect the clip you are watching.
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Loop a VLC playlist instead
- Right-click the VLC Video source and open Properties.
- Check that the intended media files are in its playlist.
- Enable Loop Playlist and apply the change.
- Verify that playback returns to the beginning of the list after its last item.
Loop belongs to Media Source playback; Loop Playlist controls a VLC Video list. They are not interchangeable.
Looping versus restarting when a source becomes active
Restart playback when source becomes active starts the file again when the source becomes visible or active in the current scene. It does not make a clip repeat continuously while it stays active. For uninterrupted repetition in the same scene, enable Loop as well. If you want a fresh start on each activation, use both settings.
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If the video still plays only once
- Check the source type and its matching control. Use Loop for a Media Source file and Loop Playlist for a VLC Video list.
- Check the source in the active scene. Confirm that the source showing the clip—not another similarly named source—has the repeat option enabled.
- Consider whether the source is unloaded when hidden. OBS documents that Close file when inactive unloads the file when the source is hidden or off the current scene. If the problem happens only after the source has been inactive, note whether this option is enabled and test the playback settings without changing several variables at once.
- Isolate rapid scene automation. If a script or controller hides and shows the source exactly as playback ends, test with a pause between those actions. A 2024 OBS issue report describes this narrow timing case; it is not evidence that ordinary scene changes generally break looping.
A separate historical OBS issue report described an inactive looping source configured with restart-on-activation and close-file-when-inactive, with reselecting the file reported as a workaround. That report concerns older OBS versions, so it does not establish a general cause or current bug. If basic checks do not resolve the problem, record your OBS version, source type, loop and restart settings, Close file when inactive state, and whether automation is involved.
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