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How to Set OBS to Play a Video Once, Then Return to a Loop on YouTube

Use a one-shot Media Source for the intro and a separate loop-enabled scene for the repeating video. OBS’s basic documented setup requires you to switch scenes manually when the intro ends.

By DocumentaryTube Team 4 min read
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Use two OBS scenes: put the intro in a Media Source with Loop turned off, and put the repeating video in a separate scene with Loop turned on. Start on the intro scene, then switch to the loop scene when the intro ends. OBS’s documented Media Source controls do not automatically switch scenes when a file finishes, so the basic setup requires a manual scene change.

Set up the looping scene

  1. In OBS, create or select the scene you want to show after the one-time video.
  2. In the Sources panel, select + and add a Media Source. Give it a recognizable name, such as “Loop video.”
  3. Choose the video file and enable Loop in the source properties. The Media Source’s Loop option repeats the file after it finishes; OBS documents it as off by default. See the OBS Media Sources guide.
  4. Adjust the source’s size and position in the preview so it appears as intended in the stream.

Add the one-time video

  1. Create a second scene for the intro or interstitial, then add another Media Source and select the one-time video.
  2. Leave Loop off. This is the documented default, but check the setting in the source properties.
  3. Choose whether to enable Show nothing when playback ends. When enabled, OBS hides the source after the file completes rather than leaving its final frame visible. This setting hides the source; it does not change scenes.
  4. Check Restart playback when source becomes active. OBS documents this setting as restarting playback when the source is in the current scene and visible. It is on by default, so returning to the intro scene can start the clip again.

Start the YouTube stream and return to the loop

  1. In OBS, select the intro scene before starting the broadcast.
  2. Connect OBS to YouTube using your stream key and start streaming. YouTube’s encoder setup guide covers creating a live stream with an encoder; scene sequencing is handled in OBS.
  3. When the intro finishes, select the looping scene in OBS. Its loop-enabled Media Source should continue repeating.

For this documented setup, the scene change is manual. The source’s Loop and end-of-playback controls govern playback and visibility, not switching to a different scene. OBS’s Source API Reference documents source lifecycle and media signals, including media_ended; that alone does not establish that OBS has a built-in setting configured to switch scenes automatically at the end.

Media Source or VLC Video?

Option Best suited to Requirements and behavior
Media Source A single intro file and a separate looping video Built into OBS. Supports common formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF, and WebM. Loop is off by default.
VLC Video source A playlist or a workflow that needs VLC’s extended media support VLC must be installed. For 64-bit OBS, the OBS guide says to install 64-bit VLC. Loop Playlist repeats the playlist and is on by default. Visibility Behaviour controls whether playback continues, pauses, or stops when the source is hidden; the documented default is to stop when hidden and restart when visible.

For a one-time intro followed by one looping scene, separate Media Sources and scenes make the two playback states clear. VLC Video is an alternative when the content is a playlist or its additional media support is useful. These are source playback choices; neither description establishes automatic switching to another scene when the intro ends. The settings above are documented in the OBS Media Sources guide, dated January 11, 2022.

Troubleshoot playback and scene changes

  • The intro repeats: Open its Media Source properties and turn off Loop. Confirm you are editing the intro source rather than the loop source.
  • The final frame remains on screen: Enable Show nothing when playback ends if you want the source hidden after completion. Switch scenes to show the loop; hiding the source does not perform that switch.
  • The intro starts over when you return to its scene: Check Restart playback when source becomes active. When enabled, OBS restarts playback as the source becomes active and visible.
  • The loop does not repeat: Check that Loop is enabled on the Media Source in the loop scene.
  • A VLC playlist stops or restarts unexpectedly: Check the VLC source’s Visibility Behaviour setting. Its documented default is stop when not visible and restart when visible.
  • VLC Video is unavailable or fails to load: Install VLC; if OBS is 64-bit, install 64-bit VLC as well.
  • The video appears in OBS but not on YouTube: Confirm the intended scene is selected in OBS and that the broadcast is live. OBS controls the scene composition; YouTube’s encoder guide covers the live-stream connection.

Or let it run in the cloud

If your goal is to keep uploaded videos playing on a YouTube channel without leaving OBS or a computer running at home, StreamNeo is a cloud option. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live; StreamNeo loops the uploaded videos from the cloud.

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