To loop one podcast episode in OBS, add it as a Media Source and enable Loop. To play several episodes in order and repeat them, add a VLC Video Source, load the files as a playlist, keep Loop Playlist enabled, and turn Shuffle Playlist off. These settings make OBS replay the file or restart the playlist; they do not guarantee a gapless transition between separate files. Preview your actual episodes before streaming.
Choose the right OBS source
| What you want to play | OBS source and settings | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| One episode on repeat | Media Source; enable Loop. | Repeats one file, not a multi-episode playlist. |
| Several episodes in order, then repeat the list | VLC Video Source; enable Loop Playlist and disable Shuffle Playlist. | VLC must be installed with the same 32-bit or 64-bit architecture as OBS. OBS documents restarting the list, not gapless timing. |
OBS’s official Media Sources guide describes the loop controls. Its Sources Guide explains how to add sources to a scene.
Loop one podcast episode
- Open the OBS scene you plan to stream.
- In the Sources dock, click + and choose Media Source.
- Create a new source or select an existing one, then choose the local episode file in its properties.
- Enable Loop and confirm the source settings.
- Check the scene preview to confirm the video and audio play as expected and restart after the file ends.
OBS defines Loop as replaying the file after playback completes. It is the straightforward option when the same episode should repeat continuously.
Loop a playlist of episodes in order
- Install VLC before configuring the source. OBS requires VLC for VLC Video Source to appear. Match its architecture to OBS: for 64-bit OBS, install 64-bit VLC.
- In your OBS scene’s Sources dock, click + and select VLC Video Source.
- Create or select the source, then add the episode files to its playlist in the order you want them to play.
- Leave Loop Playlist enabled so the source restarts after it runs out of media files.
- Turn Shuffle Playlist off if you want a predictable episode order. OBS lists Loop Playlist as on and Shuffle Playlist as off by default.
- Preview the episode endings and handoffs using the same exported files you intend to stream. Listen as well as watch; inspect the stream output if possible before relying on it live.
The OBS documentation describes Loop Playlist as restarting the source after its media files run out. It does not say that separately encoded files will transition with sample-accurate audio or frame-perfect video continuity. A brief pause, silence, or visual discontinuity may therefore remain at a handoff even when playlist looping is enabled.
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Can OBS guarantee no gap between episodes?
No such guarantee is documented for separate files. A loop setting controls what happens when playback ends; it does not establish that one file’s final audio sample will meet the next file’s first sample without interruption. Check the exported episode files and the actual OBS output rather than treating the checkbox as a gapless-playback control.
If a handoff is disruptive, a practical workaround is to join the episodes into one continuous file before adding it as a Media Source and looping that single file. This changes how you prepare the content, so retain separate originals if you need them as individual episodes. Test the resulting file in OBS before going live.
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Optional third-party playlist plugin
Media Playlist Source is a third-party OBS plugin offered as an alternative to VLC Video Source; it is not required for the built-in VLC workflow. The plugin author’s update history says version 0.1.3 requires OBS 31 or newer and records fixes for playlists that did not continue after transitions or when a file path repeated. Check the author’s current installation guidance and test compatibility with your OBS build before using it.
Check the stream before YouTube viewers do
- Confirm that the right scene is active and the episode source is visible and audible.
- Let the playlist reach a file boundary during a private or otherwise controlled test, then listen for silence and watch for a pause or black frame.
- Verify the order across more than one transition and confirm the playlist returns to its first episode after the last one.
- If the source does not appear, verify that VLC is installed and matches OBS’s architecture.
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