To make OBS try to restore a dropped stream, open Settings → Advanced, enable Automatically Reconnect, then choose a retry delay and maximum retries. OBS increases the wait between attempts after each retry, so the delay is a starting interval—not a fixed polling schedule. Reconnect settings do not control whether your playlist loops: configure that separately in the media source.
Set OBS to reconnect
- In OBS Studio, open Settings → Advanced.
- Find the network-related reconnect controls and enable Automatically Reconnect.
- Set Retry Delay and Maximum Retries. Choose values based on the destination service’s reconnect behavior and how long you want OBS to keep trying. OBS does not publish universal numeric settings that suit every service and network.
- Apply the settings and test the output before relying on it for a long broadcast.
OBS’s output documentation says the retry wait time doubles after each attempt to avoid overloading services. As a result, the configured delay is not necessarily the interval between every attempt. The API documentation also says a retry count of zero disables reconnecting. OBS output API documentation
Configure the playlist separately
A reconnect restores the output connection; it does not configure playback. For a playlist, OBS provides the VLC Video source, which requires VLC to be installed. In that source’s properties, check that Loop Playlist is enabled if playback should repeat. Shuffle Playlist is off by default, so items play in their listed order unless you enable it. OBS Media Sources
Test the playlist independently of the stream: check playback through item transitions and after changing source visibility. A playlist may continue playing while the stream output is disconnected, and the stream may reconnect while the media source has a separate playback problem.
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Choose retry settings by recovery needs
There is no single best delay-and-retry preset. Balance how long an interruption is acceptable against the destination’s session rules and the number of attempts you want OBS to make. Because retry waits increase, the maximum retry count helps define how long OBS will keep trying rather than guaranteeing recovery within a fixed time.
- Destination behavior: Check whether the platform accepts a reconnect to the same live session and whether the session has a duration or lifecycle limit. OBS’s controls cannot override a destination’s rules.
- Interruption tolerance: A viewer may experience a gap while OBS retries or while the destination restores playback. Reconnect is an attempt to recover the output, not a promise of uninterrupted viewing.
- Retry load: Increasing retries or shortening the starting delay is not a substitute for diagnosing a failing network path.
- Playlist behavior: Decide separately whether playback should loop and whether it should shuffle.
Limits are service-specific. For example, Amazon IVS documents a maximum stream duration of 48 hours; that limit applies to Amazon IVS and should not be treated as an OBS, YouTube, or universal streaming limit. Amazon IVS real-time streaming guide
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Test before a 24/7 broadcast
- Verify the video and playlist play as intended, including looping and transitions.
- Start a test output and confirm that the destination receives it.
- Simulate a controlled interruption, then observe whether OBS retries and whether the destination resumes the stream. Check the destination’s status separately; an OBS reconnect attempt alone does not prove viewers can watch again.
- Record what happened and adjust retry settings only after checking the failure cause and destination behavior.
OBS recommends testing stream setup before going live. OBS Stream Connection Troubleshooting
Troubleshoot repeated disconnects
Repeated reconnects usually call for investigating the connection or stream configuration, not simply extending the retry count. OBS identifies unstable connectivity and a bitrate the network cannot sustain as possible causes of dropped frames and disconnections. Its troubleshooting guidance recommends checking the following:
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- Network stability: If possible, connect the broadcast computer to the router or switch over Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi.
- Ingest server: Try a different available server and check whether the problem changes.
- Bitrate: Reduce it if the connection cannot sustain the current setting. This may lower video quality; choose a level the connection can maintain.
- Network software: Check VPNs and security or network software that may interfere with the connection.
- Drivers and hardware: Check the network adapter, drivers, and physical network equipment. OBS points users to the device or motherboard manufacturer for current network drivers.
- Destination credentials and session: Confirm the stream URL and stream key, and review the platform’s stream lifecycle settings. YouTube describes the stream key as information used to let it accept an encoder feed; OBS retry controls do not replace those platform settings. YouTube Help: Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder
For platform-specific reconnect and lifecycle requirements, consult that platform’s current documentation rather than assuming OBS can keep one session alive indefinitely.
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