You can loop a video or playlist stored on a USB SSD with OBS on a Raspberry Pi and send it to YouTube Live using the stream URL and key from YouTube’s Live Control Room. The loop is only one part of a 24/7 setup: you also need a reliably mounted drive, enough power and upload capacity, an eligible YouTube channel, and a plan for stream interruptions and session boundaries. A continuous run is not guaranteed just because the media loops.
What you need before setting it up
- A Raspberry Pi with a supported operating system and a compatible OBS installation. The exact Pi model, OS, OBS version, and encoding capacity are not specified here, so validate the setup on your own hardware.
- A USB SSD that the Pi can power, or an enclosure or hub with its own power if required. Raspberry Pi’s hardware documentation describes model-dependent USB support and notes that attached devices affect power requirements: Raspberry Pi computer hardware.
- Media files that OBS can decode, stored on the SSD. The OBS documentation lists supported media types: OBS Media Sources.
- A YouTube channel that is verified, has live streaming enabled, and has had no live-stream restrictions in the preceding 90 days, as described in YouTube’s eligibility guidance: YouTube live streaming tips.
- An internet connection with tested upload capacity for the stream settings you choose. A wired connection can reduce one source of variability, but it does not guarantee an uninterrupted broadcast.
Connect and mount the USB SSD
For this workflow, the SSD holds media; it does not need to be the Pi’s boot drive. Connect it, then use the operating system’s file manager or storage tools to mount the drive and confirm you can open the files. Raspberry Pi supports USB mass-storage boot on supported model families, but booting from USB is a separate, model-dependent setup. Consult the official Raspberry Pi hardware documentation if you intend to run the operating system from the SSD.
- Mount the SSD and open a test video from it locally before configuring OBS.
- Use a stable mount location if your OS offers that option. If the drive is mounted under a different path after a restart, OBS may no longer find the media file.
- Check the Pi’s supply and the SSD or enclosure’s power needs. If the drive disconnects or fails to mount reliably, compare its requirements with the Pi’s available USB power; an externally powered enclosure or powered hub may be appropriate when the drive needs more power.
Set up looping in OBS
Choose the source that matches what you want to play. A single Media Source is simplest for one repeating file; VLC Video is the option for a playlist of files in sequence. OBS says VLC must be installed for the VLC Video source to appear.
Loop one video file
- In OBS, add a source using the + button in the Sources dock and choose Media Source.
- Give the source a name, then select the video file on the mounted SSD.
- Enable the source’s Loop property so the file restarts when it reaches the end.
- Confirm playback in the OBS preview. If the file is missing or unsupported, resolve that before starting a live stream.
Loop a playlist in order
- Install VLC if it is not already installed, then restart OBS if needed so its VLC Video source becomes available.
- In OBS, add a VLC Video source from the Sources dock.
- Add the SSD files to the source’s playlist in the order you want them to play.
- Enable Loop Playlist, then check the preview to confirm files play in the intended sequence and restart after the final item.
OBS documents the Media Source loop property, VLC playlist looping, and supported media types in its Media Sources guide. Test the actual files: a playlist entry can be present but still fail to decode or play correctly.
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Connect OBS to YouTube Live
- Open YouTube Studio and go to Live Control Room. Create or select an encoder stream, then obtain its server URL and stream key using YouTube’s encoder setup instructions.
- In OBS, open Settings and then Stream. Choose YouTube as the service and enter or select the server and stream key as required by your OBS version.
- Treat the key like a password. YouTube Help says, “Stream keys are like your YouTube stream’s password and address.” Do not publish it or share it with anyone who should not control the stream. See Manage live stream settings.
- Set the stream’s visibility in Live Control Room, then start streaming from OBS. Check the YouTube preview and stream health before making the broadcast public; YouTube’s encoder workflow includes a preview before going live.
Choose resolution, frame rate, and bitrate
Use YouTube’s encoder guidance as a planning reference, not as proof that a particular Raspberry Pi can encode continuously at a given setting. The Pi model, content, OBS configuration, and upload connection all affect whether a chosen mode is sustainable. YouTube recommends CBR, supports H.264, H.265, and AV1 for RTMP/RTMPS, recommends RTMPS, and advises a two-second keyframe interval that should not exceed four seconds. See the current YouTube encoder settings guidance.
| Example mode | YouTube recommended bitrate | How to use the figure |
|---|---|---|
| H.264, 720p at 30 fps | 8 Mbps | YouTube’s platform recommendation; check whether the Pi and your upload connection can sustain it. |
| H.264, 1080p at 30 fps | 14 Mbps | YouTube’s platform recommendation; it is not a Raspberry Pi performance result. |
Start with a conservative resolution and frame rate, then test the actual playlist for long enough to reveal problems. Leave upload headroom rather than setting the stream at the full measured capacity of the connection. Watch YouTube’s stream-health status and OBS for dropped frames, encoding lag, or other warnings. If the stream is unstable, reduce the resolution, frame rate, or bitrate and test again.
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What 24/7 means in practice
OBS can repeat media, but a looping source does not keep the whole system online by itself. The Pi still needs power, the SSD must stay mounted and readable, OBS must remain running, and the internet connection and YouTube ingest must remain available. The supplied sources do not establish a particular Pi’s thermal endurance, encoding ceiling, or round-the-clock uptime, so validate the exact setup rather than assuming it will run indefinitely.
YouTube’s encoder setup guidance says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. Do not assume one indefinitely open stream will produce a single automatic archive. If an archive matters, plan shorter sessions and how you will end and restart them. For a long-running channel, set a routine to check playback, drive mounting, power, stream health, and the next session’s start rather than treating a successful initial test as a guarantee.
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Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| OBS shows a blank source or media cannot be opened | The SSD is not mounted, its path changed, or the file is not readable or supported. | Open the file locally, check the mount location, and reselect the file in the source properties. Verify its type against OBS’s media-source documentation. |
| Playlist plays only once or stops at the final item | Looping was not enabled on the correct source. | For one file, check Loop on Media Source. For a playlist, check Loop Playlist on VLC Video and confirm the files appear in the intended order. |
| VLC Video is missing from the source menu | VLC is not installed or OBS has not detected it. | Install VLC and restart OBS, then check the source menu again. |
| SSD disconnects, disappears, or fails to mount | The drive or enclosure may need more power than the Pi can provide, or the connection may be unstable. | Check the Pi model’s supply guidance and the drive/enclosure requirements. If the drive requires more current, consider a powered hub or externally powered enclosure. Raspberry Pi’s hardware documentation explains model and peripheral power considerations. |
| YouTube reports dropped frames or poor stream health | The upload connection may not sustain the selected bitrate, or the encoder may be overloaded. | Check OBS and YouTube stream health, then lower the output resolution, frame rate, or bitrate and run another test. Use YouTube’s settings recommendations as guidance, not a performance guarantee. |
| YouTube does not receive the stream | The stream URL or key may be wrong, or the channel may not be eligible to stream. | Recheck the current URL and key in Live Control Room, and verify channel eligibility under YouTube’s live-streaming requirements. Regenerate a key if it may have been exposed. |
| The broadcast ends or its archive is shorter than expected | A connection interruption or session boundary may have ended the event; automatic archiving is not stated for sessions of 12 hours or longer. | Check the event status and plan shorter sessions if you need YouTube’s stated automatic archive behavior. |
Copyright and channel eligibility
Only stream media you have the rights or permission to broadcast. A local file playing successfully does not establish that you may rebroadcast it on YouTube. YouTube’s live-streaming rules and channel eligibility can change; review its current live-streaming tips before relying on a stream. Also consider YouTube’s policies on reused content if your goal is monetization; this workflow does not guarantee that a channel or playlist qualifies.
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