To repeat a local video in OBS, add it as a Media Source and enable Loop. The separate Restart playback when source becomes active option controls whether playback returns to the beginning when the source becomes visible in the current scene; it does not make the file loop. Neither setting guarantees a seamless end-to-start transition, so check the clip and preview the transition in your intended OBS scene before relying on it.
Choose the setting for the behavior you want
| Setting | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Loop (Media Source) | Replays the file after playback completes. It is off by default. | Turn it on to repeat a single local video. |
| Restart playback when source becomes active | Restarts the file when the source is in the current scene and visible. It is on by default. | Leave it on if returning to the scene should start the video from its beginning. Turn it off if playback should not reset on activation. |
| Close file when inactive | Unloads the media file when the source is hidden or not in the current scene. It is off by default; reopening can leave the source blank briefly while the file loads. | Consider the reload behavior if you enable it. |
| Show nothing when playback ends | Hides the source after playback ends rather than leaving its final frame visible. It is on by default. | Relevant to one-shot playback; a looping source is intended to repeat instead. |
These are separate controls: Loop governs what happens at the end of playback, while Restart playback when source becomes active governs what happens when the source becomes visible. For a video that should repeat and begin from the start whenever its scene is activated, enable Loop and leave the restart option on.
Set up a repeating video in OBS
- Add the local video to your scene as a Media Source.
- In that source’s properties, enable Loop.
- Choose whether activation should reset playback. Keep Restart playback when source becomes active enabled if a return to the scene should start at the beginning; disable it if that reset is not wanted.
- Inspect the file’s final and opening pictures and audio. A visible or audible mismatch at the boundary will remain a mismatch when the clip repeats.
- Preview the complete end-to-start transition in the intended OBS scene and output path. The OBS settings describe repeat and activation behavior; they do not promise gapless playback.
OBS documents Media Source as available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Its instructions are at OBS Project’s Media Sources guide.
For a playlist, use VLC Video controls
If the content is a playlist rather than one local file, OBS’s VLC Video source has playlist-specific options. Loop Playlist restarts the source after it runs out of media files and is on by default. Visibility Behaviour separately determines what happens while the source is not visible; its documented default is to stop while hidden and restart when visible.
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#1 Best Overall
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VLC Video requires VLC to be installed before it appears as an available source. OBS specifies installing 64-bit VLC when using 64-bit OBS. Consult the OBS Media Sources guide for the source’s controls and requirements.
Understand the visibility edge case
An OBS issue report describes a specific case in which a source is hidden and shown very quickly just after playback ends. The report says the graphics thread may not process the visibility change in that interval; its reproduction notes waited at least 60 frames before controlling visibility. That is an issue-specific observation, not a general delay requirement for every loop. See the OBS issue report if your source fails to restart during this narrow timing sequence.
Rank #2
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