You can loop video files stored on a USB SSD with OBS on a Raspberry Pi and send the feed to YouTube Live—but looping media does not by itself guarantee an uninterrupted 24/7 broadcast. Mount the SSD, configure OBS to repeat one file or a playlist, connect OBS to YouTube with your stream URL and key, and test the Pi’s encoding, power and internet connection before relying on a long run.
What you need before you start
- A Raspberry Pi model and power supply suitable for the workload and connected USB devices.
- A USB SSD, connected and mounted so the Pi can read the video files. Keep its mount path stable.
- An installed Raspberry Pi operating system, OBS, and media files that the selected OBS source can play. The VLC Video source requires VLC to be installed.
- A YouTube channel eligible for live streaming. YouTube’s cited guidance requires a verified channel with no live-stream restrictions in the preceding 90 days; check the current requirements in YouTube’s live-streaming tips.
- An internet connection with tested upload capacity for your chosen video settings. Ethernet can be useful where available, but the connection must be tested in the actual setup.
If you intend to boot the operating system from the SSD rather than use it only for media, first check USB mass-storage boot support for your exact Pi model. Raspberry Pi documents model support and warns that USB storage devices have power requirements; see Raspberry Pi computer hardware documentation.
Mount the SSD and check playback locally
- Connect the SSD and confirm that the operating system can read it. If it is not mounted automatically, mount it using your operating system’s storage tools.
- Use a consistent mount point and verify that the video files remain accessible there after a reboot. A changed path or an unmounted drive will leave OBS unable to find its media.
- Open the intended files locally before configuring the broadcast. Check that the picture and sound play correctly and that the files are in a format the OBS source can decode.
Using an SSD only for media avoids the separate model-specific question of booting from USB, but it does not remove the need to check whether the Pi can supply enough power to the drive and any enclosure.
Configure OBS to repeat a file or playlist
Repeat one video file
- In OBS, add a Media Source to the scene that will be broadcast.
- Choose the local video file on the mounted SSD.
- Enable the source’s Loop property, then apply the settings.
- Preview the scene and let the file reach its end. Confirm that it starts again without an unwanted gap or an error.
Play and repeat an ordered playlist
- Install VLC if it is not already installed; OBS requires VLC for its VLC Video source to appear.
- Add a VLC Video source to the scene and add the files from the SSD in the order you want them played.
- Enable Loop Playlist, then preview the source long enough to check that playback advances through the files and returns to the beginning.
Use Media Source for a single repeating file and VLC Video when you need multiple files played in sequence. OBS documents supported media types, the loop properties and the VLC requirement in its Media Sources guide.
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Connect OBS to YouTube Live
- Open YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room and create or select an encoder stream. Follow YouTube’s encoder setup instructions.
- Copy the server URL and stream key shown for the stream into OBS’s streaming settings. Use the current URL and key provided in Live Control Room rather than relying on an old saved value.
- Keep the key private. YouTube Help describes stream keys as “like your YouTube stream’s password and address”; anyone who obtains it may be able to send a feed to your stream. See Manage live stream settings.
- Choose the stream’s privacy and other options in YouTube. Start the encoder from OBS, then check the preview in Live Control Room before starting the public broadcast.
- Once live, monitor both OBS and YouTube’s stream-health indicators. Do not assume that a successful initial connection proves the Pi and network will sustain the stream indefinitely.
Choose settings the Pi and connection can sustain
YouTube’s published encoder recommendations are a planning guide, not a performance test for a Raspberry Pi. Its current guidance accessed October 4, 2026 recommends 14 Mbps for H.264 at 1080p/30 fps and 8 Mbps for H.264 at 720p/30 fps. The same guidance recommends CBR encoding, a two-second keyframe interval (not over four seconds), and RTMPS; it lists H.264, H.265 and AV1 for RTMP/RTMPS. Check YouTube’s encoder settings, bitrates and resolutions for the current table and details.
- Start with a resolution and frame rate your Pi can encode while keeping the stream stable. The guidance above does not establish that any particular Pi model can sustain those settings.
- Measure upload performance where the Pi will run and leave headroom rather than setting video bitrate equal to the connection’s best observed upload rate.
- Test with the actual video content. Watch for dropped frames, buffering, encoder overload or stream-health warnings, then reduce resolution, frame rate or bitrate if needed.
- Keep the OBS output settings aligned with YouTube’s current requirements, including CBR and the keyframe interval. A lower-quality stable stream is preferable to a higher setting that repeatedly fails.
What 24/7 operation does—and does not—mean
OBS can loop the media continuously, but that does not make the Pi, SSD, power supply, network connection or YouTube event immune to interruption. A crash, power loss, drive disconnect, internet outage or YouTube-side disconnection can stop the feed. The cited setup guidance says YouTube automatically archives streams under 12 hours; it is not a promise of one indefinitely archived recording for a continuous broadcast. See YouTube’s encoder setup page.
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For a long-running channel, plan how you will check the stream and restart it if required. Decide whether to schedule shorter sessions and how you want their archives handled. Test recovery procedures before relying on them; the source loop alone does not restart OBS or guarantee reconnection after every failure.
Troubleshoot common failures
| Symptom | Possible cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| OBS shows a missing file or blank source | The SSD is not mounted, its mount path changed, or the source points to an old path. | Confirm the drive is mounted and readable, then update the source to the current file path. Recheck after reboot. |
| The source appears but will not play | The file may use a media format the source cannot decode, or the file itself may be damaged. | Test playback locally and confirm the format is supported by the selected OBS source. For VLC Video, confirm VLC is installed. |
| The playlist stops at the end | Looping may not be enabled on the correct source. | For a single Media Source, check Loop; for VLC Video, check Loop Playlist. |
| The SSD disconnects or behaves intermittently | The drive or enclosure may draw more power than the Pi’s USB supply can provide. | Check the power requirements of the Pi, drive and enclosure. If the drive requires more power than the Pi can supply, consider a powered hub or externally powered enclosure. |
| The stream buffers or YouTube reports poor health | The selected bitrate may exceed stable upload capacity, or the connection may fluctuate. | Check stream health and actual upload performance. Test a lower bitrate, resolution or frame rate, then monitor again. |
| YouTube does not receive the feed | The server URL or stream key may be wrong, outdated or entered incorrectly. | Copy the current URL and key from Live Control Room into OBS. Keep the key confidential. |
| The Pi stops streaming after running for a while | Power, thermal conditions, storage, software or network stability may be involved; no model-specific endurance result is established here. | Check system warnings and logs, verify the supply and airflow are suitable for the model and workload, and run a monitored test before depending on a long session. |
Keep documentary streams copyright-safe
Having a video file on an SSD does not establish that you have the right to stream it. Before broadcasting documentaries, music or other material, confirm that your licence or other legal basis covers live streaming on YouTube and any included footage, soundtrack and third-party assets. Review YouTube’s current copyright and monetization rules as well as the terms of any licence; permission to download or watch a work is not automatically permission to rebroadcast it.
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