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Start with an OBS Media Source pointed at your local video, enable Loop, and confirm its audio is reaching the stream mix. Then test the same scene and file in a private or unlisted YouTube stream and a local recording. Compare sync at the beginning, near the end, and immediately after the video loops. A steady offset may be adjustable; drift that grows or appears at the loop point needs diagnosis rather than an arbitrary delay.
Check the video file before setting up OBS
Play the original file from beginning to end in a local player. Check dialogue, music, and other clear audio cues against visible movement near the start and end, then inspect the transition from the end back to the beginning. If the file has a gap, mismatched audio duration, or a discontinuity at that boundary, OBS can restart it but cannot make the source itself seamless.
There is no single file-preparation recipe established here that guarantees seamless looping across every format and player. If the source is already out of sync or its ending does not join cleanly to its opening, correct or replace the source before troubleshooting stream settings.
Set up the loop and its audio in OBS
- Add the file: In your scene, add a Media Source and select the local video. OBS documents Media Source for local video and audio files.
- Enable looping: Turn on Loop in the source properties. OBS restarts the file after playback completes.
- Check the audio path: Play the source and verify its meter moves in the Audio Mixer. Make sure it is not muted and that it reaches the audio mix used for streaming.
- Monitor without creating a second audio path: If you use OBS audio monitoring, listen to it during the test, but also check a local recording and the received YouTube stream. Those reveal what is actually being sent and received.
For a single file, Media Source is the direct option. For a playlist, OBS’s VLC Video source provides a Loop Playlist option and requires VLC to be installed. Source labels and interface details can vary by OBS release.
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Test the complete stream, including the loop point
Use the same file, scene, frame rate, encoder, audio path, and expected stream duration you plan to use live. YouTube recommends testing with audio and movement similar to the planned stream. Make a local OBS recording and run a private or unlisted YouTube test; compare what you hear locally with the received stream.
- Check a clear audio-and-motion cue near the beginning.
- Check it again around the middle and near the end.
- Watch and listen through the restart, then check the same cue in the next loop.
- Monitor YouTube’s stream health and messages during the test and broadcast.
Write down whether the mismatch stays the same, grows over playback, or occurs only when the file restarts. Those patterns point to different parts of the setup.
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Diagnose the kind of sync problem you see
| What happens | What to check | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| The audio is late or early by about the same amount throughout playback. | Identify which source is out of alignment; compare the local recording, monitoring path, and received stream. | Adjust the affected source’s sync timing in small increments and repeat the full test, including the loop. Do not delay all audio if only the Media Source is affected. |
| The mismatch grows as the video plays. | Inspect file timestamps and encoding, source timing, decoding load, and whether audio sample rates are consistent across the setup. | Isolate the source and test again. The available official guidance does not establish one cause or universal correction value for every file. |
| Sync is correct during playback but jumps at every loop. | Inspect the source’s ending and beginning for gaps or differing audio/video durations, and observe how playback restarts. | Fix or replace a discontinuous source. A constant audio delay will not remove an error limited to the loop boundary. |
| OBS shows dropped frames or an unstable connection. | Check connection stability and whether the selected bitrate is sustainable. | Resolve the network or bitrate problem and retest. Dropped frames indicate connection instability or an unsustainable bitrate; that symptom alone does not prove the cause of audio drift. |
Use YouTube’s recommended 4K60 ingest settings
For H.264 at 4K/2160p and 60 fps, YouTube lists a recommended video bitrate of 35 Mbps. Its AV1 and H.265 guidance for that resolution and frame rate gives a recommended range of 10–40 Mbps. These are ingest recommendations, not evidence that a particular computer or internet connection can sustain them. Test upload stability before the broadcast.
- Rate control: CBR.
- Keyframes: 2-second interval recommended; do not exceed 4 seconds.
- Frame rate: Up to 60 fps.
- Audio: AAC or MP3. YouTube recommends 44.1 kHz for stereo or 48 kHz for 5.1 surround, with 128 kbps for stereo or 384 kbps for 5.1.
- Ingest protocol: YouTube recommends RTMPS.
- Latency: YouTube says 4K/2160 streams do not have the “improve for low latency” option and are optimized for normal latency.
These settings help configure the YouTube ingest; changing bitrate is not an established fix for source-level audio drift or a bad loop boundary. Do not plan on low-latency improvement for this 4K workflow.
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Or let it run in the cloud
If the goal is an always-on YouTube stream of uploaded videos, StreamNeo is a cloud option rather than a way to repair an out-of-sync source. Upload the recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops uploaded videos in the cloud, so no computer or home connection has to stay on. Each slot supports the uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, with automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card.
Monthly: $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo, then start your free day.
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