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First identify what is playing in OBS: a single local file, a playlist of local files, or a YouTube playlist embedded in a Browser Source. The fix is different for each. A local file uses Media Source’s Loop and activation settings; local playlists use VLC Video Source; embedded YouTube playlists use YouTube’s player parameters. Changing the wrong loop setting will not fix the other source types.
Identify which OBS source is restarting
In OBS, select the source in the Sources list and open its properties. Check the source type and content rather than relying on its name in the list: a source named “YouTube playlist,” for example, could still be a local-media source.
- Media Source: a local media file. OBS documents this source for adding media files to a scene. OBS Project: Media Sources
- VLC Video Source: a playlist of local files. VLC must be installed for this source to work.
- Browser Source: a web page or embedded YouTube player. Its playlist behavior is controlled by the YouTube player parameters, not Media Source’s Loop checkbox.
OBS’s Sources Guide explains how sources fit into scenes. Once you know the source type and whether it plays one file or a list, use the corresponding fix below.
Fix a single local file in Media Source
- In the OBS Sources list, select the Media Source and open its properties.
- Enable Loop if the file should play again after it reaches the end. OBS defines this setting as: “Loop — Specifies whether the file play again once playback has completed”. The statement is from the OBS Project’s Media Sources documentation.
- Check Restart playback when source becomes active separately. This setting controls what happens when the source becomes active; it is not the same as looping a file at its end. Leave it unchecked if you do not want activation to restart playback.
If playback restarts when you switch scenes or show the source again, the activation setting and the source’s visibility behavior are more relevant than the file’s end-of-playback loop setting.
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Fix a playlist of local files with VLC Video Source
- Install VLC if it is not already installed. OBS requires VLC for VLC Video Source; a 64-bit OBS installation requires 64-bit VLC.
- Add a VLC Video Source to the scene and add the local files in the order you want them to play.
- Enable Loop Playlist if playback should return to the first item after the final item.
- Set Visibility Behaviour according to what should happen when the source is hidden: stop and restart when visible, pause and resume, or always play. Choose the behavior that matches your scene-switching setup.
Media Source’s Loop option applies to a single file; use the playlist loop control for a list of local files. The OBS Project documents these source behaviors in Media Sources.
Fix a YouTube playlist in an embedded player
If OBS is displaying a YouTube playlist through a Browser Source, configure the YouTube embed rather than the local-file controls. The embed needs listType=playlist and list=PLAYLIST_ID, where PLAYLIST_ID is the ID of the playlist. Set autoplay=1 if the player should start automatically.
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To repeat the playlist after its last video, use loop=1. YouTube distinguishes looping a playlist from looping one video, so a single-video loop configuration is not a substitute for playlist looping. See Google for Developers’ YouTube Embedded Players and Player Parameters for the player parameters and their behavior.
If the source still restarts
If the matching loop settings are enabled but the source still starts over unexpectedly, check whether OBS is hiding and reactivating it during scene changes. Also verify that the content is actually a YouTube embed or a local playlist, rather than a single local file configured as Media Source. The exact cause depends on the source type and its configured properties.
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- A single local file starts over on scene changes: review Restart playback when source becomes active in Media Source properties.
- A local list stops at the last item: confirm it is a VLC Video Source and that Loop Playlist is enabled.
- A local list restarts or behaves unexpectedly when hidden: adjust Visibility Behaviour to stop/restart, pause/resume, or always play as needed.
- An embedded YouTube list does not repeat: check that both
listType=playlistand the correctlistvalue are present, and thatloop=1is set for playlist repetition.
An optional third-party alternative for local playlists is the OBS forum’s Media Playlist Source. Check its current maintenance and compatibility with your OBS installation before adding a plugin.
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