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OBS profiles

How to Launch OBS with a Saved Profile and Scene Collection for YouTube Looping

Use OBS launch parameters to select a saved Profile, Scene Collection, and looping scene, with platform notes and checks before automating a YouTube stream.

By VGSources Team 6 min read
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To launch OBS with saved YouTube stream settings and a looping scene, select a Profile and Scene Collection in OBS, then start the program with their names: obs64.exe --profile "YouTube Loop" --collection "Loop Scenes" --scene "Loop" --startstreaming. This is an illustrative Windows-style command based on OBS’s documented launch parameters, not a verified command for every installation. A Profile holds most stream, video, and output settings; a Scene Collection holds scenes and sources. The two are separate, and the names must match your saved OBS items.

What the Profile and Scene Collection each save

OBS keeps stream configuration and scene layout in different places. Mixing them up is a common reason an automated launch opens with the wrong settings or missing content.

  • Profile: stores most stream, video, and output settings. OBS’s Profiles guide lists Stream (including Connected Account), Video (including Base/Canvas Resolution), and Output. Profiles can be duplicated and exported for backup. OBS explicitly notes that profiles do not store scenes; use Scene Collections for those settings. See the OBS Profiles guide.
  • Scene Collection: stores scenes and sources, and includes Global Audio Sources. It does not store output settings; those belong in a Profile. See the OBS Scene Collections guide.

These details are described in OBS documentation published in January 2022. Menu wording or behavior can change between releases, so confirm the names and settings in the version installed on your system.

Prepare OBS to loop a video

  1. Open OBS and create or select the Profile you intend to use. Configure the stream destination or connected account, video settings, and output settings in that Profile.
  2. Create or select a Scene Collection for the loop. In the desired scene, add the video as a Media Source, choose the local file, and enable Loop. The OBS Media Sources guide says Loop is off by default. Consult OBS Media Sources for source behavior.
  3. If you need to repeat a list of videos instead of a single file, use VLC Video and enable Loop Playlist (on by default according to OBS’s documentation). VLC must be installed, and its bitness must match OBS: 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. This is a different source choice from Media Source, which is intended for a local file.
  4. Check that the intended scene is selected and that the media source points to a file or playlist that is available on this machine. Preview playback and listen to the audio before automating the launch.

Launch OBS with the saved configuration

OBS’s official Launch Parameters page, published May 30, 2021, lists switches for selecting a Profile, Scene Collection, and scene, and for starting a stream. Use the exact saved names; quote names that contain spaces.

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obs64.exe --profile "YouTube Loop" --collection "Loop Scenes" --scene "Loop" --startstreaming

This Windows-style example assumes an executable named obs64.exe. The executable name and path vary by installation and platform. It illustrates the documented switches; it is not a tested command or a guarantee that a particular installation will start streaming successfully.

  • --profile "YouTube Loop" selects that saved Profile.
  • --collection "Loop Scenes" selects that saved Scene Collection.
  • --scene "Loop" selects the named scene within the collection. You can omit it if the desired scene is already selected.
  • --startstreaming tells OBS to begin streaming on launch. Add it only when automatic streaming is intended.

Before using the command, confirm the precise Profile, Scene Collection, and scene names in OBS. A launch flag cannot correct a wrongly configured Profile, unavailable media file, or unsuitable stream destination.

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Set up a Windows shortcut or scheduled launch

Shortcut

  1. Make a copy of the OBS shortcut so the normal launch remains unchanged.
  2. Open the copied shortcut’s properties and append the arguments after obs64.exe in the Target field. Keep the executable path and arguments together in that field, with the arguments following the executable.
  3. Apply the change, then launch from the shortcut and verify the selected scene, playback, audio, and stream status.

Scheduled or automated launch

When an automated Windows launch needs a working directory, set Start in to the folder containing obs64.exe. OBS’s launch-parameter documentation calls out this working-directory setting for scheduled launches. The exact setup depends on the scheduler or automation method you use.

Do not use --version as a Windows version check: OBS’s launch documentation marks that switch unavailable on Windows.

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Launch on macOS

OBS documents passing launch parameters through open on macOS. The general form is:

open -a "OBS" --args --profile "YouTube Loop" --collection "Loop Scenes" --scene "Loop" --startstreaming

You can use the same form in an Automator Run Shell Script action. Confirm the application name and saved OBS item names on your Mac. This is an illustrative form based on OBS’s documentation, not a guarantee for every macOS installation.

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Portable mode is optional—and does not package your media

Portable mode is not required to select a saved Profile and Scene Collection. OBS says it loads configuration from beside the application, but the media files referenced by a Scene Collection are not thereby made portable. If you move the configuration or use another machine, verify that every media path still points to an accessible file. OBS’s Running in Portable Mode guide, published July 23, 2024, says portable mode is unsupported on macOS and Linux.

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Verify the stream before relying on automation

Starting OBS is not the same as confirming a working YouTube broadcast. After the first launch, check the scene preview, confirm the video is playing and audio is present as intended, and verify OBS reports a live stream. Then check the YouTube stream itself before depending on an unattended run.

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The OBS documentation cited here explains launch switches and media looping; it does not establish current YouTube eligibility or rules for continuous streams of repeated content. A successfully launched stream is not proof that YouTube will accept the format or that a channel meets current requirements. Check YouTube’s current requirements and copyright rules for your channel and content; no specific YouTube policy limit is established by the cited OBS sources.

Troubleshooting common launch and loop problems

  • OBS opens with the wrong output settings: check the exact Profile name and make sure the stream, video, and output settings were saved in that Profile. Scene Collections do not contain output settings.
  • The expected scene or sources are missing: confirm the Scene Collection name and that the desired scene belongs to it. Profiles do not contain scenes.
  • The command does not find or launch OBS: check the executable name and full path for your installation. For scheduled Windows launches, set Start in to the folder containing obs64.exe.
  • The media source is blank or stops: check that the local file exists at the path saved in the source, then verify that Loop is enabled for a Media Source. Moving configuration alone does not make media files portable.
  • A VLC playlist does not play or loop: confirm VLC is installed, its bitness matches OBS, and Loop Playlist is enabled.
  • OBS launches but YouTube is not live: inspect the selected Profile’s stream destination or connected account, then check OBS’s stream status and the YouTube stream. The launch switches select configuration and can initiate streaming; they do not validate account setup, YouTube eligibility, or policy compliance.

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