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OBS Studio 30 Settings for Looping Pre-Recorded Videos on YouTube Live

Add a Media Source, enable Loop, match OBS output to YouTube’s encoder guidance, and use a holding scene if playback should wait until the stream connects.

By VGSources Team 5 min read
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To loop a pre-recorded video on YouTube Live with OBS Studio 30, add it to a scene as a Media Source, select the file, and enable Loop. Set OBS’s stream output to match YouTube’s encoder guidance, then test playback, audio, and stream health before going live. If you want playback to begin only after OBS connects, start on a holding scene and switch to the video scene when ready.

Set up one video to repeat

  1. Create or select the OBS scene that should show the video.
  2. In the Sources dock, add a Media Source and choose the local video file. OBS lists common formats including MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, and WebM. See the OBS Media Sources guide.
  3. In the Media Source properties, enable Loop. This makes the file play again after playback completes; OBS lists the setting’s default as Off.
  4. Keep the source visible in the scene. Enable Restart playback when source becomes active if you want the file to start over whenever the source becomes visible.
  5. Check that the video fits the canvas and its audio is routed and audible as intended.

Loop and Restart playback when source becomes active solve different problems: Loop repeats a finished file, while restart-on-activation starts playback over when the source becomes visible. Turn on both for a repeating video that also restarts whenever it is shown. OBS’s overview guide explains arranging scenes and sources and recommends testing the finished setup.

Use a playlist instead of one file

For one local video, Media Source is the straightforward built-in choice. For multiple files, use OBS’s VLC Video source, which supports playlist looping and shuffle controls. VLC must be installed; a 64-bit OBS installation requires 64-bit VLC. VLC Video also provides visibility behavior settings for hidden sources. Details are in the OBS Media Sources guide.

Choose when playback begins

Playback follows OBS source visibility and activation; it does not indicate that YouTube has made the event publicly live. The stream key and URL tell OBS where to send its output, while the media-source settings control local playback. These are separate controls.

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  1. Create a holding scene that does not contain the video source.
  2. Start the stream from OBS and wait for the YouTube connection and preview to be ready.
  3. Switch to the scene containing the looping source. The visible source begins playback, subject to its restart setting.

This holding-scene handoff is a practical way to avoid using up the video’s opening while OBS connects. YouTube’s stream URL and key are managed separately in YouTube live stream settings.

Match OBS output to YouTube’s encoder guidance

In YouTube Live Control Room, use the stream URL and key in OBS’s streaming configuration. YouTube recommends RTMPS; RTMP is also supported. Its published guidance lists H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 video codecs. Use a codec supported by the encoder you select in OBS, and match the bitrate to that codec, resolution, and frame rate. These figures are YouTube recommendations, not guarantees of stream quality or reliability.

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AV1 or H.265/HEVC 1080p at 30 fps 4 Mbps 10 Mbps
AV1 or H.265/HEVC 720p at 30 fps 2 Mbps 6 Mbps

The figures above are from YouTube’s live encoder settings; the page’s publication date is not stated. The rows cover the listed 30 fps outputs, so do not treat them as bitrate guidance for other resolutions or frame rates.

  • Rate control: use CBR.
  • Keyframes: set a two-second interval; YouTube says not to exceed four seconds.
  • Audio: use AAC or MP3. YouTube lists stereo at 44.1 kHz and 128 kbps as recommended advanced settings.
  • Resolution and frame rate: YouTube detects these automatically by default in Live Control Room. Choose an output your computer and connection can sustain.

Check upload capacity and test before going live

Your available upload bandwidth needs to carry the total outgoing stream bitrate. YouTube recommends leaving 20% headroom. Test with audio and movement similar to the planned stream, then watch stream health and messages during the event. See YouTube’s streaming tips and encoder settings. The 20% figure is YouTube’s recommendation; the page does not state a publication year.

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  • Play the local file through to its end and confirm it loops as expected.
  • Confirm the source is visible in the intended scene and that picture and audio are present.
  • Check that OBS uses the codec, bitrate, rate control, and keyframe interval you intend.
  • Confirm YouTube’s preview and stream health are normal before switching away from the holding scene.
  • Test the full start-and-switch sequence before the first live stream; the OBS overview guide recommends testing scenes and stream performance.
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Troubleshoot common problems

The video plays once and stops

Open the Media Source properties and enable Loop. Restart playback when source becomes active is not a replacement for Loop; it only restarts playback when the source becomes visible.

The video starts before the stream is ready

Start on a holding scene without the media source, then switch to the video scene after the YouTube preview is ready. Source visibility controls playback; it does not control when YouTube marks an event publicly live.

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The playlist source is missing or does not behave as expected

For a multi-file playlist, use VLC Video and verify VLC is installed. If OBS is 64-bit, OBS requires 64-bit VLC. Check the source’s playlist and visibility settings.

YouTube reports an unstable or unhealthy stream

Compare the OBS output against the bitrate row for the selected codec and 30 fps resolution. Check that rate control is CBR and the keyframe interval is two seconds, then verify total outgoing bitrate fits available upload capacity with YouTube’s recommended headroom. Reduce output demands if the connection or computer cannot sustain them, and test again.

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