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Owncast does not select or loop a video hosted on YouTube. To loop a prerecorded video through Owncast, play a local video file in OBS, enable its loop setting, and send OBS’s RTMP output to your Owncast server. Owncast receives that live feed and serves it to viewers as HLS. If your goal is to keep a YouTube channel live with uploaded recordings, that is a different workflow; StreamNeo is a cloud option for that YouTube-only use case.
What this workflow does—and does not do
In this setup, the video file is available locally to the computer running OBS. OBS repeats the file and broadcasts it to Owncast; Owncast is the receiving server, not the player that imports a YouTube video or controls the loop. The documented Owncast workflow does not establish a way to ingest a video directly from a YouTube page.
Owncast takes an incoming source stream and converts it into short video segments for playback. Its documentation describes this as: “Owncast takes your source stream and converts it to short, individual video segments.” See Owncast’s video quality documentation.
So if “on YouTube” means the recording is hosted on YouTube, do not treat its page URL as an Owncast input. The steps below cover a local file sent to an Owncast instance. They do not establish how to rebroadcast YouTube-hosted material or whether a particular YouTube livestream complies with YouTube’s rules.
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Choose how OBS should repeat the video
One local video: Media Source
Use OBS’s Media Source when you want to repeat one file. OBS lists supported formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF, and WebM. Add a Media Source to a scene, select the local file, and enable Loop. Loop is off by default. OBS describes the control as: “Specifies whether the file play again once playback has completed”. See OBS Project’s Media Sources documentation.
Several local videos: VLC Video
Use the VLC Video source when you want a playlist of local files. Add the playlist to that source and enable Loop Playlist. VLC must be installed, and OBS documents that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. This differs from Media Source, which is designed for a single file and does not require VLC.
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| OBS source | Best fit | Loop control | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media Source | One local video | Loop | No VLC dependency |
| VLC Video | A playlist of local videos | Loop Playlist | VLC installed; match its 64-bit edition to 64-bit OBS |
Send the loop from OBS to Owncast
- Prepare the Owncast server. Confirm that your Owncast instance is running and note its server address and stream key. The documented incoming RTMP port is TCP 1935 by default. Keep the stream key private; change the default key after setup.
- Set the OBS source. Create a scene and add either a Media Source for one file or a VLC Video source for a playlist. Select the local video or playlist and enable the corresponding loop control.
- Configure OBS’s stream destination. In OBS, open Settings > Stream and configure the service as a custom RTMP destination. Use the Owncast endpoint pattern
rtmp://yourserver:1935/live/<your-stream-key>, replacing the server name and key with the values for your instance. Owncast’s default port is 1935; if your server administrator changed it, use the configured port. - Set compatible output. Owncast recommends H.264 video and AAC audio for assured transcoding and playback compatibility. Set the keyframe interval to two seconds; OBS measures this setting in seconds. Choose resolution, frame rate, and bitrate according to the encoding computer, server capacity, and available upload bandwidth rather than assuming one profile suits every server.
- Start and verify the stream. Start streaming in OBS, then check that the feed appears in the Owncast player. Review Owncast’s admin stream-health page as well. If you are using a playlist, confirm that playback advances between files and returns to the start as expected.
Keep quality within the limits of the setup
Reliable playback depends on the full path: OBS must encode the file, the network must upload the feed, Owncast must receive and process it, and the server must deliver HLS segments quickly enough for viewers. Higher output quality can demand more from the encoder, server, and connection. Owncast notes that transcoding and delivery use resources; excessive conversion work or slow delivery can result in buffering or errors.
- If the OBS computer is struggling, reduce the output demands or use a machine with more encoding capacity.
- If the Owncast server is struggling, reduce the work it must do or increase the capacity available to the instance.
- If viewers buffer while the stream health looks stable, investigate server delivery and network capacity as well as the OBS output.
Troubleshooting common failures
The video plays once and stops
For a single file, check that Loop is enabled on the Media Source. For a playlist, check Loop Playlist on VLC Video. The Media Source loop control is off by default.
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OBS cannot connect to Owncast
Check the server address, the /live/ path, and the stream key in the RTMP destination. Confirm that TCP port 1935 is reachable if the instance uses Owncast’s default port. If the server uses a different port, enter that port rather than assuming the default.
The playlist source is missing or fails to play
Verify that VLC is installed. If OBS is 64-bit, use 64-bit VLC. Also check that the playlist points to files available on the OBS computer.
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Viewers see buffering or playback errors
Check OBS’s output against the computer’s encoding capability, the upload connection, and the Owncast server’s processing and delivery capacity. H.264 video, AAC audio, and a two-second keyframe interval are Owncast’s documented recommendations for compatibility; they do not guarantee that any particular bitrate or resolution will work on every instance.
The loop works locally, but Owncast has no playable feed
Verify the RTMP destination and stream key, then inspect the Owncast admin stream-health page. OBS looping only controls local source playback; it does not by itself confirm that the server has received and is delivering the stream.
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Costs and keeping the setup available
With this DIY method, OBS must run on a computer that can access the local video files, and the Owncast instance needs enough server and network capacity to receive, process, and deliver the stream. No specific hardware minimum or server price is established here; those depend on the selected output and how the Owncast instance is hosted. A capable computer you already own may be enough for OBS, while an always-on Owncast server still needs ongoing administration.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your actual goal is a prerecorded-video livestream on YouTube, rather than an Owncast stream, StreamNeo is a separate cloud option: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. StreamNeo loops uploaded videos to YouTube; it is not an Owncast destination and does not stream from a camera.
- Nothing has to stay on at home: the stream runs in the cloud, so your computer and home connection do not need to remain on.
- Each slot streams the uploaded video as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot with no quality tiers.
- Automatic recovery is provided if YouTube drops the stream.
- The first day is free with no card, one free day per account. UPI and cards are available in India; card checkout is available worldwide.
Monthly: $9.99 per month.
See StreamNeo or its plan details, then start the free day.
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