To repeat a video in OBS without restarting your live broadcast, open the Media Source’s Properties and turn on Loop. That setting repeats the media file when it finishes; it does not restart the stream. Keep Restart playback when source becomes active off if you also want the file to continue from its current position when the source becomes active again.
Loop a single video file in OBS
- In the Sources list, add a Media Source or select the one you want to change.
- Open the source’s Properties.
- Select the local media file if one is not already selected.
- Enable Loop. OBS defines this as playing the file again after playback completes.
- Leave Restart playback when source becomes active unchecked if you do not want the file to jump back to the beginning when the source becomes active.
- Apply the settings and test the source in the scene and output arrangement you plan to use.
What “restart” means in these settings
Loop repeats the media, not the broadcast
Loop controls what happens when the selected file reaches its end: OBS plays it again. It is a media playback option, not a command to stop and restart your live stream.
Restart playback when source becomes active resets the file
OBS describes Restart playback when source becomes active as restarting the file when the source is in the current scene and visible. Leave it off when you want playback to retain its position as the source becomes active again. This setting is separate from Loop.
Keep playback going across scene changes
Scene changes and source visibility affect whether a media source is active. A community example reports that playback from the same source can continue between scenes when restart-on-activation is off, but that is practical guidance rather than a guarantee for every scene arrangement.
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- Check whether the source remains active in the output as you switch scenes.
- Test the exact scenes and transitions you intend to use; a source hidden in one scene may behave differently from one that remains active.
- Confirm that the file loops as expected after reaching its end, not just during the first playback.
Loop a playlist instead of one file
For a playlist, use OBS’s VLC Video source and its Loop Playlist option. OBS documents this option as controlling whether the source restarts after it has run out of media files. VLC must be installed for VLC Video to appear as an available source.
VLC Video has its own visibility behavior. If playlist playback pauses or stops when the source is hidden, check that source’s visibility settings and test it in the relevant scenes.
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Troubleshoot playback that does not behave as expected
- The file plays once and stops: Reopen the Media Source’s Properties and confirm that Loop is enabled.
- The file starts from the beginning after a scene change: Check that Restart playback when source becomes active is off, then verify whether the source remains active in the output while changing scenes.
- A playlist does not loop: Confirm that you are using VLC Video with Loop Playlist enabled. Install VLC if VLC Video is not available in the source list.
- Playlist playback changes when the source is hidden: Check VLC Video’s visibility behavior and test the scene arrangement; visibility can affect playback.
- You are worried the live stream will restart when the video loops: The Media Source’s Loop option repeats the file. It is not a live-stream restart control.
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