The Tool Desk
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Set the video source to repeat in OBS
Choose the source type that matches what you are playing. OBS’s Media Sources guide documents both options; its page is dated January 11, 2022, so labels may vary slightly between OBS versions. OBS Media Sources
For one video file: Media Source
- In OBS, add a Media Source to the scene that is going to air.
- Open the source properties and select the video file.
- Enable Loop. OBS repeats the file when playback reaches the end.
- Use Restart playback when source becomes active only if you want playback to restart when the source becomes active again. That setting handles scene reactivation; it does not control how long YouTube keeps a broadcast open.
For multiple files: VLC Video
- Add a VLC Video source to the scene.
- Select the files for the playlist in the source properties.
- Make sure Loop Playlist is enabled. OBS documents this setting as on by default, but check it rather than relying on the default.
VLC must be installed for VLC Video to appear in OBS. If you use 64-bit OBS, OBS says to install 64-bit VLC. If the VLC source is unavailable, check that installation and its architecture before trying to configure the playlist.
Set YouTube’s broadcast behavior separately
YouTube’s auto-stop setting governs whether a broadcast can be stopped from the encoder and whether you can reconnect to the same broadcast after streaming stops. In YouTube’s stream settings, disable Auto-stop if you need that reconnect option. OBS’s YouTube integration warns that with auto-stop enabled, “You will not be able to reconnect.” YouTube’s live stream settings help explains the auto-start and auto-stop controls.
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This setting does not keep a broadcast alive without an incoming video feed. Google’s Life of a Broadcast documentation says YouTube automatically ends a broadcast around a minute after video stops arriving on the bound live stream. So loop the media or transition to another continuing video source; disabling auto-stop alone is not a substitute for sending video.
If you reuse a YouTube stream, YouTube says the reused stream copies its auto-start and auto-stop choices. Check those settings on the broadcast you are actually using.
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Keep an active picture on the program output
When a playlist finishes, OBS must still have a valid video source on the program output. The simplest approach is to loop the playlist. If you do not want it to repeat immediately, prepare a continuing holding scene and transition to it before the playlist ends. A static scene or other continuing video can keep a picture going, but a scene that leaves the bound stream without video will not preserve the broadcast indefinitely.
Check stream health if the connection is unstable
Watch the stream-health information in YouTube Live Control Room while OBS is sending. OBS’s Help Portal says an increasing dropped-frames counter with a yellow or red connection indicator means the connection to the streaming service is unstable or cannot keep up with the configured bitrate. In that situation, looping may be configured correctly while the feed still struggles to reach YouTube; check the connection and whether it can sustain the configured bitrate.
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