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How to Loop a Media Source in OBS Without a Black Screen

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To loop one video in OBS, add it as a Media Source and turn on Loop in the source’s properties. If it disappears when playback ends, check Show nothing when playback ends; if you see only a brief flash at the repeat point, that is a separate loop-boundary artifact and OBS’s documented settings do not establish a universal fix.

Loop one video file in OBS

  1. In your scene’s Sources dock, select + and choose Media Source.
  2. Name the source, then select OK.
  3. In the Media Source properties, select Browse and choose the local video file.
  4. Enable Loop, then select OK. OBS documents this option as replaying the file after it completes; it is off by default.
  5. Start or preview playback and allow the file to reach its end to check the repeat.

OBS lists Media Source support on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Its documented video extensions include .mp4, .ts, .mov, .flv, .mkv, .avi, .gif, and .webm; supported audio extensions include .mp3, .aac, .ogg, and .wav. See the OBS Media Sources documentation.

Choose the right source for a file or playlist

Source Use it for Repeat setting Requirement
Media Source One local video or audio file Loop Built into OBS; supports the documented media extensions.
VLC Video A list of files, with optional shuffling Loop Playlist VLC must be installed. OBS specifies that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.

For a playlist, add a VLC Video source, add the files to its playlist in the source properties, and enable Loop Playlist. OBS documents that setting as on by default; Shuffle Playlist is off by default. If VLC Video is unavailable, check that VLC is installed and that its bitness matches OBS.

Diagnose what “black screen” means

The source is black or empty from the start

  • In the Sources dock, check that the source’s visibility control is enabled.
  • Confirm the source points to the intended local file.
  • Check the source order. OBS renders sources higher in the list above sources lower down; move the media source above any layer that could cover it.

OBS explains visibility and source order in its Sources Guide.

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The video plays once, then disappears

For a single file, confirm Loop is enabled. Also inspect Show nothing when playback ends: OBS documents that this option hides a Media Source when playback completes and lists it as on by default. For a playlist, check Loop Playlist in the VLC Video source instead.

A brief flash happens exactly at the repeat point

A momentary black frame at the boundary is different from a source that simply stops or is hidden. Confirm the source type and its repeat setting, then test the particular file in a recording or preview. OBS community threads from 2015 and 2016 contain user reports of blank frames, stutter, or a brief black flash at loop boundaries, but those historical reports do not establish a current general cause or a validated fix for every file: 2015 thread and 2016 report.

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Change one thing at a time and check the boundary again. Do not assume that changing an export setting or enabling hardware decoding will fix it: OBS lists Use hardware decoding when available as off by default, but its Media Source documentation does not identify that setting as a black-flash remedy.

Playback stutters more broadly or OBS struggles

If the problem affects playback beyond the repeat point, investigate system and scene load rather than treating it as a loop-setting failure. OBS’s encoding performance guide recommends reducing GPU contention, simplifying scenes, limiting expensive sources, and using lower-resolution media where appropriate. These performance measures are not guaranteed fixes for a file-specific boundary flash.

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Media Source settings that can affect playback behavior

  • Restart playback when source becomes active: on by default. Relevant if the source is activated again and starts over unexpectedly.
  • Close file when inactive: off by default. OBS documents this as a file-handling option; it is not a repeat control.
  • Speed: defaults to 100%, with a documented range from 1% to 200%. Keep it at 100% while diagnosing normal-speed playback.
  • YUV Color Range: a color-range option, not a loop control.

These defaults and options are listed in the Media Sources documentation. A blank Game Capture source is a different issue: OBS’s Game Capture troubleshooting page covers game capture setup, not looping local media files.

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