To loop one local track in OBS, add it as a Media Source and enable Loop. To repeat a playlist, add a VLC Video source and enable Loop Playlist. For music to keep playing through scene changes, leave Restart playback when source becomes active off unless you specifically want the file to restart when the source activates. Test your final scene setup before going live.
Choose the right OBS source
| What you want | OBS source | Setting | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repeat one local track | Media Source | Loop | Simple setup; playback repeats when the file ends. |
| Cycle through multiple files | VLC Video | Loop Playlist; optionally Shuffle Playlist | Requires VLC installed. OBS and VLC must have matching architecture; 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. |
| Keep playback moving across scene changes | Either, configured for the scene arrangement | Check the Media Source restart option or VLC visibility behavior | Activation and visibility behavior can affect continuity, so test the exact scene transitions. |
OBS Media Source supports common audio formats including MP3, AAC, OGG and WAV, as well as video formats such as MP4, MOV, MKV and WebM. The source is available on Windows, macOS and Linux. See the OBS Media Sources guide.
Loop a single track with Media Source
- In the scene where the music should be available, select Sources, click +, and choose Media Source.
- Name the source, then select the local audio file in its properties.
- Enable Loop. OBS will replay the file after playback completes.
- Decide whether to enable Restart playback when source becomes active. Leave it off if you want the track to continue through scene changes rather than restart when the source becomes active in the current scene and visible.
- Apply the settings and test playback, including the scene transitions you plan to use on stream.
Loop and the restart option control different behaviors: Loop repeats at the end of the file; the restart checkbox controls what happens when the source becomes active. A file can loop correctly yet still restart on activation if that option is enabled.
Loop a multi-track playlist with VLC Video
- Install VLC if it is not already installed. If OBS is 64-bit, use 64-bit VLC; otherwise the VLC source may not appear.
- In the desired scene, click Sources, choose +, and add VLC Video.
- Populate the playlist with the local tracks you want to play.
- Enable Loop Playlist. Turn on Shuffle Playlist only if you want the track order randomized.
- Review the source’s visibility behavior and test it in the scene collection you will use live.
Make scene changes without interrupting the music
For a continuous lofi soundtrack, plan which scene contains the audio source and how the source behaves when it becomes visible or hidden. A source configured to restart on activation can interrupt continuity during a scene change. OBS’s Media Source option is explicitly named Restart playback when source becomes active; configure that behavior deliberately rather than assuming Loop prevents restarts.
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- Keep the music source in a scene arrangement where it remains available as visuals change.
- Leave the Media Source restart option off when the desired result is uninterrupted playback through scene changes.
- For VLC Video, check its visibility behavior and verify playlist playback across your actual scene transitions.
- Test before broadcasting; do not rely on the source settings alone to predict how a particular scene collection will behave.
Check YouTube stream settings and preview
Choose a stream quality your upload connection and encoder can sustain. YouTube recommends testing in advance, checking upload speed, leaving bandwidth headroom, previewing the stream and monitoring stream health and messages while live. Its streaming tips recommend keeping 20% of upload bandwidth available beyond the stream bitrate. Read YouTube’s streaming tips.
YouTube’s encoder guidance recommends constant bitrate (CBR), up to 60 fps, and a two-second keyframe interval (no more than four seconds). Available codecs and settings depend on the encoder. As a current platform example, YouTube’s 2026 Help table recommends 5 Mbps video bitrate for 1080p at 30 fps using H.264 and 128 Kbps stereo audio bitrate. These are recommendations, not guarantees that a given computer or connection can sustain them. YouTube transcodes live streams into viewer output formats. See YouTube’s encoder settings, bitrates and resolutions.
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- Before the broadcast, start a test stream and inspect YouTube’s Live Control Room preview.
- Listen for the music, check that the visual scene is correct, and confirm that audio does not cut out during scene changes or when a track loops.
- During the broadcast, monitor YouTube’s stream health and any messages rather than assuming a successful OBS connection means the stream is problem-free.
Confirm you have rights to the music
Looping a track in OBS is only a playback setting; it does not give you permission to broadcast the recording. YouTube’s livestream terms say the content provider represents that it has the necessary rights to exploit live content, including applicable music rights from artists, record labels, publishers and other royalty participants. Confirm that you have the required rights for both the recording and composition before using a track. See YouTube’s livestream terms and conditions.
Troubleshoot common playback problems
The track restarts when I change scenes
Check whether Restart playback when source becomes active is enabled. If the track should continue through scene changes, turn it off and test the source’s visibility and activation in the scene collection.
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The track stops at the end
For one file, confirm that Loop is enabled in Media Source properties. For a playlist, confirm that the source is VLC Video and Loop Playlist is enabled.
VLC Video is missing
Install VLC and match its architecture to OBS. In particular, 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC for the VLC source.
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The stream preview has no music or the audio is interrupted
Check that the intended source is present and active in the live scene, then test the actual output in YouTube’s preview. Inspect OBS audio levels and monitor the stream health and messages during the test.
The stream buffers or reports poor health
Choose a bitrate and quality that the upload connection can sustain. Run a speed test, leave YouTube’s recommended 20% upload headroom, and test the stream before the event.
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