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In OBS, add the video as a Media Source, enable Loop in its properties, and make sure the source is visible in the scene you send to YouTube. Then test the end-to-start transition and check both OBS’s preview and YouTube Live Control Room’s incoming preview before broadcasting publicly. Looping repeats playback; it does not guarantee a black-screen-free transition on every file or system.
Loop one video in OBS
- Choose the scene. In OBS, select or create the scene that will be sent to YouTube.
- Add the file. In the Sources dock, select +, choose Media Source, and select the local video. OBS lists common supported formats including .mp4, .ts, .mov, .flv, .mkv, .avi, .gif, and .webm; verify that your particular file plays in the installed OBS version. OBS Project: Media Sources
- Enable looping. Open the Media Source properties and check Loop. OBS documents this as replaying the file when playback completes; the setting is off by default. Restart playback when source becomes active is a separate option: it controls whether playback restarts when the source becomes visible in the current scene. OBS Project: Media Sources
- Make the video visible. In the Sources dock, confirm its eye icon is on. Check that no opaque source above it is covering it: sources higher in the list appear over lower ones. Fit and position the video in the canvas, then inspect the preview. OBS Project: Sources Guide
- Test the repeat. Let the video reach its end in OBS and watch the transition back to the start. Check that the image and audio behave as intended before you go live.
- Connect and preview the stream. In YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room, use the stream URL and stream key with your encoder. Check YouTube’s incoming preview before starting the public stream. YouTube recommends testing with audio and video movement similar to the planned broadcast and monitoring stream health during it. YouTube Help: Create a live stream with an encoder
Single file or playlist: choose the OBS source that matches
| Approach | Best for | What to set up |
|---|---|---|
| Media Source | Repeating one local video | Enable Loop in the source properties. |
| VLC Video source | Playing multiple files in order and repeating the playlist | Add a playlist and enable Loop Playlist. VLC must be installed; OBS states that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. |
For a single file, Media Source has the direct Loop setting. VLC Video’s playlist loop repeats the playlist rather than serving as the single-file control. OBS Project: Media Sources
Why the YouTube player’s Loop button does not loop your live output
YouTube’s player Repeat or Loop control affects playback for the viewer using that control. It does not configure the encoder or make a YouTube Live broadcast repeat its source. Set the loop in OBS (or another encoder workflow) before sending the stream. YouTube Help: Loop videos or playlists on YouTube
Find where the black screen starts
Compare the OBS program/output scene, YouTube Live Control Room’s incoming preview, and the viewer watch page. The first point where the image disappears narrows down what to inspect; it does not by itself establish a definitive cause.
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OBS preview is black
- Confirm the Media Source points to the intended local file and that the file plays.
- Confirm the source is in the active scene and its eye icon is on.
- Check whether an opaque source above the video is hiding it, then inspect the canvas fit and position. OBS documents source visibility and stacking behavior. OBS Project: Sources Guide
OBS preview shows video, but YouTube’s incoming preview is black
- Confirm the scene or output being sent by the encoder is the one you inspected in OBS.
- Check that the encoder is using the current YouTube stream URL and key.
- Read Live Control Room messages and stream health, and check its preview before starting. These are isolation checks, not a guaranteed diagnosis. YouTube Help: Create a live stream with an encoder YouTube Help: Encoder settings
YouTube’s incoming preview works, but the watch page is black
Check that the stream is still live, then inspect the watch page on another device or network. The official setup guidance does not identify a universal fix for viewer-side black playback; the cause depends on the particular device, network, and setup.
The black screen appears only between repetitions
Test the file’s end-to-start transition in OBS before broadcasting. The documented Loop setting restarts playback when it completes, but OBS does not promise a frame-perfect transition for every file or system. OBS Project: Media Sources
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Consider hardware decoding only when relevant
OBS documents hardware decoding for certain media types when the GPU has an appropriate decoder. If that applies to your setup, toggling the option can be a troubleshooting experiment—not a general black-screen fix. OBS Project: Media Sources
Check YouTube’s encoder settings before going live
YouTube’s general guidance for RTMP/RTMPS lists H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1, recommends CBR encoding, and recommends a two-second keyframe frequency without exceeding four seconds. Bitrate depends on codec, resolution, and frame rate, so choose it from YouTube’s current recommendations for your intended configuration instead of relying on one universal number. YouTube Help: Encoder settings
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Connect the encoder with the stream URL and stream key shown in Live Control Room. Treat the key like a password; if it is compromised, reset it there. YouTube Help: Create a live stream with an encoder The cited encoder procedure does not establish that every third-party service uses an identical setup.
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