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How to Loop Lecture Videos in OBS Without Restarting Your YouTube Live Stream

Repeat one lecture with an OBS Media Source or cycle through several with VLC Video, while keeping the OBS encoder feed and YouTube live event active.
Opened Runtime4 min Written byDocumentaryTube Team
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To repeat one lecture, add it to an OBS Media Source and turn on Loop. To repeat several lectures, add them to a VLC Video playlist, turn on Loop Playlist, and turn off shuffle if they must play in order. Keep OBS streaming and do not use YouTube’s stream-ending controls: the video can start over while the encoder feed and live event remain active.

Choose the right OBS source

What you want to play OBS source and setting What to check
One lecture file Media Source; enable Loop Whether Restart playback when source becomes active affects playback when the source is shown again
Several lecture files in a fixed sequence VLC Video; add the files to its playlist and enable Loop Playlist Install VLC, turn off Shuffle Playlist, and set source visibility behavior for your scene workflow

Both approaches control media playback inside OBS. Neither setting, by itself, ends or restarts the YouTube event. OBS requires VLC to be installed for the VLC Video source to be available, and the VLC and OBS architectures must match: 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.

Loop one lecture video

  1. In OBS, select the scene that will show the lecture.
  2. In Sources, add a Media Source and select the local lecture file.
  3. Open the Media Source properties and enable Loop.
  4. Review Restart playback when source becomes active. OBS documents this option as restarting the file when the source becomes visible in the current scene. It is distinct from Loop, which repeats playback at the end of the file.
  5. Start or continue the OBS stream as appropriate, then check the YouTube Live Control Room preview and listen for the file’s ending and restart.

Loop a playlist of lectures

  1. Install VLC if needed. If the VLC Video source does not appear in OBS, check that VLC is installed and matches OBS’s architecture.
  2. In the lecture scene, add a VLC Video source and add the lecture files to its playlist.
  3. Enable Loop Playlist. If lectures must play in a set sequence, leave Shuffle Playlist off.
  4. Set Visibility Behaviour for how you use scenes. OBS documents a default behavior that stops playback while the source is not visible and restarts it when visible again. If the playlist needs to continue through scene switches, choose a continue-playing behavior available in your installed version and verify it before the broadcast.
  5. Check the YouTube preview, picture and audio, and the transition from the final playlist item back to the first.

Keep the YouTube live event running

Use the stream URL and key associated with the YouTube event to send the OBS encoder feed. The stream key identifies where the encoder sends its feed and allows YouTube to accept it. When the video or playlist reaches its end, let the OBS playback setting repeat it; do not stop streaming in OBS or click End Stream in YouTube Live Control Room if you want the event to remain active. YouTube’s encoder instructions describe stopping content from the encoder as part of ending a stream; for a scheduled event, its documented procedure also includes End Stream.

This separation matters: the OBS loop setting governs a media source, while stopping the encoder feed or ending the event governs the live broadcast. It does not guarantee an uninterrupted internet connection or prevent a connection failure. Before relying on a loop for a lecture, check the preview and monitor stream audio and video, particularly across a repeat boundary.

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Troubleshoot playback without confusing it with stream status

  • The video starts over when you change scenes: inspect the Media Source’s Restart playback when source becomes active setting, or the VLC source’s Visibility Behaviour. Source visibility behavior is separate from whether YouTube’s event is active.
  • The playlist plays in an unexpected order: check that Shuffle Playlist is off.
  • VLC Video is missing: install VLC and match its architecture to OBS; 64-bit OBS needs 64-bit VLC.
  • You need to edit a playlist while it is playing: OBS’s documented behavior does not establish whether edits preserve the current playback position across versions and setups. Prepare the playlist before going live, or test the precise edit procedure and installed versions first. The available documentation does not establish that an edit ends the YouTube broadcast.
  • The live event appears to have restarted or ended: check whether the encoder feed was stopped or End Stream was used in Live Control Room. Those are stream-ending actions; looping a media source is a playback action.
  • There is no picture or audio at the repeat point: inspect the OBS output and YouTube preview, then verify both picture and sound across the file boundary before the lecture. YouTube recommends checking preview before going live and monitoring stream audio and video quality.

Or let it run in the cloud

If the goal is to keep uploaded lecture videos playing on a YouTube channel without leaving a home computer running, StreamNeo is a cloud option: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops uploaded videos; it does not broadcast a live camera feed. Nothing has to stay on at home, and automatic recovery is available if YouTube drops the stream. Videos stream as uploaded, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot. The first day is free with no card. Monthly access is $9.99 per month. Start the free day with StreamNeo.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does looping a Media Source restart my YouTube live event?

No. The OBS Loop setting repeats the media file. The event ends through stream-ending controls such as stopping the encoder feed or, for a scheduled event, using End Stream in Live Control Room.

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Can I loop a playlist without VLC?

The OBS VLC Video source requires VLC to be installed. For a single local file, use a Media Source and enable Loop instead.

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