The Tool Desk
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First, identify which kind of loop you mean
YouTube has separate controls for a viewer replaying a video or playlist and for a creator repeating prerecorded media in a live broadcast. The viewer’s Loop feature affects playback for that viewer; a creator’s loop is handled by the media source feeding the encoder. YouTube’s loop instructions cover watching videos and playlists, not configuring a live broadcast source.
Repeat one file in OBS
- In OBS, add or select a Media Source for the file you want to repeat.
- Open the source’s properties and enable Loop. OBS describes this setting as restarting the file after playback completes.
- Play the source through the end and into the restart while monitoring the audio mix that will be sent to the stream.
OBS lists supported media types including MP4, MOV, MKV, MP3, AAC, OGG and WAV. Its documentation explains the loop control but does not guarantee seamless audio at the file boundary. See OBS Media Sources documentation.
Repeat a playlist in OBS
- Install VLC if it is not already installed; OBS requires VLC for its VLC Video source type.
- Add a VLC Video source and place the intended media items in its playlist in the order you want.
- Enable Loop Playlist, then check the playlist order and any shuffle setting.
- If scene changes are involved, review the source’s visibility behavior. OBS provides options such as stopping playback when the source is not visible or restarting it when it becomes visible.
- Monitor several item changes, including the final item returning to the first, while listening to the outgoing mix.
VLC Video is the playlist option; it is not a documented gapless-playback guarantee. OBS’s settings describe repetition and source behavior, so verify the exact transitions you intend to broadcast. OBS Media Sources.
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Diagnose a gap that remains
- The pause occurs when a single file restarts: confirm that the intended Media Source has Loop enabled, then listen to the file’s end and beginning in the outgoing mix.
- The pause occurs between playlist items: check that the intended files are in the VLC playlist, that Loop Playlist is enabled, and that playlist order and shuffle match your intention.
- The source changes behavior after a scene switch: inspect VLC source visibility behavior, particularly whether it stops when hidden or restarts when visible.
- The gap appears only at the final-to-first transition: test that boundary separately. A playlist loop setting repeats the list, but does not establish that the last and first files join seamlessly.
If the gap persists, inspect the media boundary and source behavior rather than changing a YouTube viewer loop setting. The cited official documentation does not identify a specific universal cause, such as a particular file-format defect, encoder delay or network fault.
What YouTube’s HLS settings do—and do not do
YouTube’s HLS guidance describes how an HLS live stream is ingested: it uses video segments rather than a continuous stream like RTMP, and YouTube says HLS has higher latency. The guidance specifies 1–4 second segment durations, TS segment format, a rolling playlist with no more than five outstanding segments, and audio codec and sample-rate guidance. These are ingestion requirements; the page does not say changing segment settings removes a pause already present at a source file’s loop boundary. YouTube: Set up an HLS stream.
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For embedded YouTube players, Google’s developer documentation describes looping a single video by setting the loop parameter to 1 and including that same video ID in the playlist parameter. That applies to an embedded player, not an OBS broadcast source. YouTube Embedded Players and Player Parameters.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is to keep prerecorded videos looping as a YouTube live stream without leaving a computer running, StreamNeo runs the loop in the cloud. Upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; it supports uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, and automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month. StreamNeo plays uploaded videos and streams to YouTube only. Learn more at StreamNeo, or start your free first day.
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Quick Recap
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