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How to Limit OBS Frame Rate for a Pre-Recorded YouTube Loop Stream

In OBS, enable Loop on the Media Source and choose your output FPS under Settings → Video → Common FPS Value. Here’s how to test the loop and match YouTube settings.

By DocumentaryTube Team 3 min read
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To limit the frame rate, set OBS’s output FPS under Settings → Video → Common FPS Value. To make a prerecorded clip repeat, separately enable Loop in the clip’s Media Source properties. These settings do different jobs: the FPS setting controls OBS’s output rate, while Loop restarts the file after playback ends.

Set the loop and output frame rate separately

  1. Add the video: In your OBS scene, add a Media Source and select the local prerecorded video.
  2. Enable looping: Open the Media Source properties and check Loop. It is off by default, so verify it is enabled.
  3. Choose the output FPS: Open Settings → Video. Under Common FPS Value, select the rate you want OBS to send. For example, choose 30 fps to limit a 60 fps setup to 30 fps.
  4. Test before a long broadcast: Make a short test stream or recording. Confirm the video restarts and check stream health before relying on the setup for an extended broadcast.

The Common FPS Value setting affects OBS’s output; it does not edit or permanently change the source file. OBS recommends matching this value to your desired output rate. OBS Studio Overview Guide

Choose 30 or 60 fps

Output rate When it may fit Trade-off
30 fps Documentary footage, interviews, or a computer that is struggling at 60 fps. Less motion smoothness than 60 fps, but fewer frames for OBS to render and encode.
60 fps Footage with fast motion where smoother movement matters and the computer can sustain it. More demanding on rendering and encoding than 30 fps.

OBS says reducing frame rate reduces rendering and encoding work, and suggests trying 30 fps if 60 fps is not working. Pick based on the material and stability you need, then test the result. OBS Encoding Performance Troubleshooting

Loop one clip or a playlist

Repeat a single file

Use a Media Source and enable its Loop property. This repeats that file when playback reaches the end.

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Repeat a playlist

For multiple videos, add a VLC Video Source and enable Loop Playlist. OBS notes that VLC must be installed for the VLC source option to appear. OBS Media Sources

Match OBS output to YouTube’s live settings

YouTube’s live encoder guidance lists frame rates up to 60 fps. It recommends a 2-second keyframe frequency and says not to exceed 4 seconds. For RTMP/RTMPS, the listed codecs are H.264, H.265 (HEVC), and AV1; YouTube recommends CBR and RTMPS for secure transmission. Follow the current encoder table for your chosen resolution, frame rate, and codec rather than treating one bitrate as universal. YouTube Help: Live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions

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For H.264, YouTube’s current guidance accessed in 2026 gives these recommended bitrate examples:

Resolution and frame rate YouTube-recommended H.264 bitrate
720p at 30 fps 8 Mbps
1080p at 30 fps 14 Mbps
1080p at 60 fps 17 Mbps

These are YouTube’s recommendations for the specified H.264 modes, not universal OBS requirements. Its guidance includes separate bitrate recommendations for H.265 and AV1.

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Test the complete broadcast

  • Check that the selected file plays and loops back to the beginning.
  • Confirm the output FPS in OBS is the value you intended.
  • Test with similar movement and audio to the planned broadcast, not just a static scene.
  • Watch YouTube stream health during the test and make adjustments before depending on a long broadcast.

OBS recommends testing settings for a few minutes before a first stream, and YouTube recommends testing with similar audio and movement while monitoring stream health. OBS Quick Start Guide · YouTube live encoder guidance

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Troubleshooting

The video plays once and stops

Open the Media Source properties and check Loop. It is not enabled by default.

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The VLC playlist source is missing

Install VLC; OBS requires it for the VLC Video Source to appear. If you only need to repeat one file, use a Media Source instead.

OBS struggles at 60 fps

Set Settings → Video → Common FPS Value to 30 fps and test again. Lowering FPS reduces rendering and encoding work, though motion may look less smooth.

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The stream looks unstable or unhealthy

Check that the bitrate, codec, frame rate, and keyframe interval match YouTube’s current recommendation for the selected resolution and encoder. Test with representative footage and monitor YouTube stream health instead of relying on a setting that has not been tested.

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