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For one video, add an OBS Media Source, select the MP4, and enable Loop in the source properties. That makes OBS replay the file when it finishes; it does not repair synchronization or timestamp problems already present in the file. Check the video at several points and across the loop boundary before relying on it.
Choose the right OBS source
One MP4: Media Source
In OBS, add a Media Source to the scene and select your MP4 in its properties. Enable Loop to replay the file after playback finishes. OBS lists MP4 as a supported video format. OBS Media Sources documentation describes this playback behavior.
For a single file, Media Source is the straightforward choice: it is built into OBS and does not require VLC. The Loop option controls repetition only; it does not rewrite timestamps or correct audio/video synchronization in the MP4.
A playlist: VLC Video
Use a VLC Video source when you need a playlist. OBS provides a Loop Playlist option for this source. It depends on VLC being installed, and 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. VLC Video also provides playback controls such as selecting an audio track. See the OBS Media Sources documentation for source options.
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| Need | Source | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat one MP4 | Media Source with Loop enabled | Built into OBS; no VLC installation required. |
| Play a list of files | VLC Video with Loop Playlist | Requires VLC compatible with OBS’s architecture; provides playlist playback controls. |
Check the MP4 before setting up the loop
First play the file outside OBS and check whether its audio and video stay together. Sample the beginning, middle, and end, then listen and watch across the point where the file will repeat. This is a practical diagnostic sequence, not a guarantee that a file will loop seamlessly.
Then add it to the actual OBS scene, enable Loop, and observe more than one playback cycle. Separate three symptoms:
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- Constant offset: audio is already ahead of or behind the picture, but the gap does not keep growing.
- Progressive drift: audio and picture become increasingly separated as playback continues.
- Loop-boundary glitch: playback is synchronized before the end but clicks, skips, or breaks when it restarts.
These symptoms point to different parts of the workflow. Looping can expose a bad transition, but OBS’s Loop setting is not a general repair for any of them.
Understand the settings before converting
Bitrate is not frame timing
CBR and VBR describe bitrate behavior; CFR and VFR describe frame timing. A constant-bitrate label does not mean a file has a constant frame rate. OBS forum administrator, moderator, and developer RytoEX put it plainly: “CBR (Constant BitRate) vs. VBR (Variable BitRate) has nothing to do with CFR (Constant Frame Rate) vs. VFR (Variable Frame Rate).” Read the OBS Project forum discussion.
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So do not convert a file merely because it is VBR, or assume that making its bitrate constant will stop timing drift. Identify the actual symptom and inspect the source before choosing a conversion.
Remuxing is not frame-rate conversion
A remux changes the container while copying the encoded streams rather than re-encoding them. In FFmpeg, -c copy selects stream copy. By contrast, FFmpeg’s constant-frame-rate output mode can duplicate or drop frames to reach the requested rate. That changes the video stream and is not a no-reencode remux. Timestamp and synchronization results also depend on the selected modes and streams. Consult the FFmpeg documentation before choosing options.
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Do not blindly force a guessed frame rate. If you decide a CFR conversion is appropriate, inspect the source and choose a target rate deliberately; then check the converted copy through the same points and loop seam. Keep the original until the copy has been verified. There is no single conversion command that can be relied on to fix every long MP4.
Check OBS and audio-device sample rates if drift accumulates
If a file plays in sync outside OBS but drifts during OBS playback, check whether OBS and the audio devices in use have compatible sample-rate settings. In one OBS support case, a volunteer identified inconsistent device sample rates and suggested 48 kHz for that setup. That is a useful diagnostic lead, not proof that sample-rate mismatch is the cause in every case or that changing a setting will repair an MP4 that is already mistimed. The OBS Project support discussion gives the case-specific context.
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Troubleshoot by symptom
| What you observe | What to check | Practical next step |
|---|---|---|
| The same audio offset is present from the start | Play the MP4 outside OBS and compare the beginning, middle, and end. | If the offset is already in the file, OBS Loop is not a repair. Investigate the source or make a corrected copy, then verify it before replacing the original. |
| The gap grows during playback | Compare sync at several points; check OBS and relevant audio-device sample-rate settings. | Inspect timing before converting. Do not mistake CBR for CFR. If testing a conversion, evaluate a copy and confirm results throughout playback. |
| Audio or video clicks, skips, or breaks only at the repeat | Watch and listen across the file’s end and restart in the actual scene. | Treat it as a loop-seam issue, distinct from progressive drift. OBS documents replay behavior but does not guarantee a seamless transition. |
| A playlist will not load or behave as expected | Confirm VLC is installed and its architecture matches OBS; 64-bit OBS needs 64-bit VLC. | For one MP4, use Media Source instead; for a playlist, configure VLC Video and its Loop Playlist option. |
Or let it run in the cloud
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