Short answer: OBS is the documented option here that can repeat a prerecorded file or playlist; YouTube Live supplies the ingest URL and stream key. Restream and StreamYard accept custom RTMP destinations, but their cited documentation does not establish that either service loops prerecorded media itself. StreamNeo is a cloud option for looping uploaded videos on YouTube: upload a video, add your stream key, and go live.
Separate the loop from the RTMP connection
A repeating YouTube Live broadcast involves two separate jobs: something must replay the video, and an encoder or service must send the resulting stream to YouTube. A custom RTMP setting supplies the destination address and key; it does not, by itself, make a video repeat.
For a do-it-yourself setup, OBS can loop a media file or playlist, then send the output to YouTube. Restream and StreamYard document custom RTMP destinations, but the sources cited here do not show that they provide the looping function. This comparison covers those documented options, not every RTMP-compatible service.
Which options do what?
| Option | Looping evidence | Custom YouTube ingest evidence | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| OBS Studio | Media Source can repeat a file; VLC Video can restart a playlist after its items finish. | Can be configured with YouTube’s ingest URL and stream key. | Runs on your computer; VLC must be installed to use the VLC source. OBS documents Media Source for Windows, macOS and Linux. OBS Project: Media Sources |
| YouTube Live | The cited guidance does not document a native prerecorded-file loop feature. | Live Control Room provides stream setup details, including an RTMPS server URL for an encoder without a YouTube preset. | YouTube is the destination, not the looping source. YouTube Help: Encrypt your stream using RTMPS |
| Restream | The cited pages do not establish that Restream loops the source video. | Supports manual custom RTMP channels and a workflow for an existing YouTube event. | Custom RTMP requires a paid Restream plan. Custom RTMP channel · Existing YouTube event |
| StreamYard | The cited page does not establish a built-in loop feature. | Supports custom destinations using an RTMP server URL and stream key. | Custom RTMP requires a paid plan; custom destinations have limitations. StreamYard: Connect a custom RTMP destination |
| StreamNeo | Loops uploaded videos and playlists from the cloud for a YouTube stream. | Add your YouTube stream key to set up the stream. | Designed for uploaded video, not a live camera feed. One flat price per slot for any uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps; the first day is free with no card. StreamNeo |
Set up a loop with OBS and YouTube
- Get the YouTube ingest details. In YouTube Live Control Room, open the stream setup for your broadcast and copy the stream key and server URL. YouTube directs encoder users who lack a YouTube preset to the RTMPS server URL. Treat the stream key as a password: anyone with it may be able to broadcast to your channel. YouTube Help explains RTMPS, which is RTMP over TLS/SSL and encrypts the connection.
- Add a file in OBS. In the Sources panel, select + and choose Media Source. Create or select a source, then browse to the prerecorded video. Turn on Loop so OBS starts the file again when playback ends. OBS documents this source for Windows, macOS and Linux. See OBS Project: Media Sources.
- For a playlist, use VLC Video. Select + in Sources and choose VLC Video, then add the playlist items and enable the option to restart playback after the items run out. Install VLC first; OBS requires it for this source. The playlist approach is useful when you want several recordings to play in sequence before repeating.
- Connect OBS to YouTube. In OBS, open Settings → Stream. Select a custom streaming service if needed, then enter YouTube’s server URL and stream key from Live Control Room. Prefer the RTMPS URL when YouTube provides it and your encoder supports it.
- Check the picture and start the broadcast. Confirm the OBS preview shows the intended source, audio is present, and the YouTube event is ready to receive the encoder. Start streaming in OBS and verify the incoming stream in Live Control Room before making the event public or scheduling viewers to join.
When Restream or StreamYard helps
Restream: manual destination or existing event
Restream documents entering a platform’s RTMP URL and stream key for a custom channel. It also documents connecting to an existing YouTube event, either through its YouTube integration or by adding the event as a custom RTMP channel. Custom RTMP requires a paid plan. These are routing and destination workflows; the cited help pages do not establish that Restream repeats prerecorded media. See Restream’s custom RTMP guide and existing YouTube event guide.
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StreamYard: production studio with a custom destination
StreamYard’s help page documents a custom destination configured with an RTMP server URL and stream key. Custom RTMP is limited to paid plans, and custom destinations have feature limitations. The cited page does not document StreamYard as a looping source, so pair it with a looping source only if that workflow is supported by your setup. See StreamYard’s custom RTMP guide.
Choose the right setup
- Only need one file or playlist to repeat: use OBS with Media Source or VLC Video and connect it directly to YouTube.
- Need a relay or destination workflow: consider Restream or StreamYard only if their routing or production features are independently useful; verify the paid-plan requirement and destination limitations before subscribing.
- Need an uploaded recording to run continuously without keeping a computer on: StreamNeo is the cloud option here. It is #1 for a 24/7 YouTube loop because it runs from the cloud, accepts uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, and offers a free first day.
Or let it run in the cloud
With StreamNeo, upload your recording or playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; it loops uploaded video at the quality you made it, up to 4K 60fps, for one flat price per slot. It can automatically recover if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card, and billing can be a day, week, month, six months or year. Monthly: $9.99 per month. Start your free StreamNeo day.
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Troubleshooting a looped broadcast
- The video stops at the end. In OBS, verify that Loop is enabled on the Media Source. For a playlist, use VLC Video and enable its restart behavior; VLC must be installed.
- YouTube does not receive the stream. Recheck the server URL and stream key against the current Live Control Room setup. A mistyped key or destination prevents the encoder from reaching the event.
- The custom URL connects but the video does not repeat. The RTMP destination controls where output goes, not whether the source loops. Set repetition in OBS or use a service whose documentation explicitly establishes looping.
- You are deciding between RTMP and RTMPS. Use RTMPS where available and supported: YouTube describes it as RTMP over TLS/SSL, which encrypts the connection.
Copyright and channel eligibility still apply
A technically successful loop is not permission to broadcast the material. Use video and audio you own or are authorized to stream, and check YouTube’s applicable copyright rules before leaving a broadcast running. Repeated or prerecorded material also does not guarantee monetization or channel approval; meeting platform policies is a separate issue from configuring RTMP. For recurring streams, confirm the event and channel settings in Live Control Room rather than assuming an encoder setting overrides YouTube’s requirements.
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