To loop an MP4 in OBS on Linux, add it to a scene as a Media Source, enable Loop, set OBS to 3840 × 2160 at 60 fps, then connect OBS to YouTube Live using the server URL and stream key from YouTube Studio. For 4K/60, YouTube recommends 50 Mbps with H.264 or 35 Mbps with AV1 or H.265; use constant bitrate (CBR) and a two-second keyframe interval. Test the complete setup before relying on it: a computer that meets OBS’s basic requirements is not necessarily capable of stable 4K/60 streaming.
Before you start: check the video, computer and connection
Check the MP4’s actual resolution and frame rate before setting OBS. If the file is not 3840 × 2160 at 60 fps, setting the OBS output to 4K/60 will not add detail or motion information that is absent from the source. It may still be scaled or converted, but that is different from preserving a 4K/60 source.
- Use an OBS-compatible Linux system with an OpenGL 3.3-compatible GPU and X window system or Wayland. These are OBS’s stated system requirements, not a guarantee of streaming performance: OBS System Requirements.
- Check that your upload connection can sustain the selected video bitrate, plus audio and network overhead. YouTube’s bitrate recommendations describe the feed sent to YouTube; they do not guarantee your internet connection can maintain it.
- Verify that the Linux OBS installation exposes an encoder you can use. Hardware encoder availability depends on the GPU or integrated graphics, drivers and software environment.
- Keep the YouTube stream key private. Anyone with access to it may be able to broadcast to your channel.
OBS Project cautions: “Having a compatible system does not guarantee that it is capable of streaming or recording using OBS Studio.” The practical test is a representative stream using the same video, audio, output settings and encoder you intend to use.
How to loop an MP4 in OBS on Linux
- Create or select a scene. In OBS, select an existing scene or create one in the Scenes panel. A scene is the composition OBS sends to the stream.
- Add the video. In the Sources panel, select +, choose Media Source, and create a new source or select an existing one.
- Choose the MP4. In the Media Source properties, select the local video file. OBS’s Media Source supports MP4 on Linux.
- Enable looping. Check Loop so OBS replays the file after playback completes. If you want playback to begin again when the source becomes active, enable Restart playback when source becomes active as well.
- Decide whether to use hardware decoding. Use hardware decoding when available is optional and requires compatible GPU decoding support. If playback stutters or behaves unexpectedly, compare a test with this option enabled and disabled.
- Check the scene’s audio. If the MP4 has no audio, make sure the scene is not unintentionally sending microphone or desktop audio. If it does have audio, monitor playback and confirm the intended audio source is reaching the stream.
OBS describes these Media Source settings in its Media Sources guide.
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Set OBS to 4K at 60 fps
- Open Settings → Video. Set the base (canvas) resolution to 3840 × 2160 and set the common FPS value to 60.
- Check the output resolution. Set the output (scaled) resolution to 3840 × 2160 if you want to send a 4K frame to YouTube. Matching the canvas and output avoids an unnecessary resolution conversion when the scene and source already fit.
- Inspect the source in the canvas. Fit or transform the Media Source to the frame as needed. Scaling a lower-resolution MP4 to 4K does not make it native 4K.
- Watch system load during a test. Resolution, frame rate, encoder and scene complexity all affect rendering and encoding load. OBS’s Encoding Performance Troubleshooting guide recommends lowering settings if the system cannot keep up.
OBS’s Video settings determine the output resolution and frame rate. A 4K/60 configuration is an output target, not a promise that the source, encoder, computer or connection can deliver it without dropped frames.
Connect OBS to YouTube Live
- Prepare a YouTube live stream. In YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room, create or select the stream and locate the server URL and stream key provided for it. YouTube’s live-streaming features may depend on channel eligibility and account status; follow the requirements shown in YouTube Studio.
- Set OBS’s service and server. In OBS, open Settings → Stream, choose YouTube as the service, and enter the server URL and stream key from the Live Control Room. Use the YouTube-provided RTMPS server when available.
- Protect the key. Do not post it in a video, screenshot, public chat or support request. If it is exposed, replace or reset it in YouTube Studio before broadcasting again.
- Start a test stream and inspect YouTube’s feedback. Start streaming from OBS, then check the Live Control Room’s stream health and messages before making the broadcast public or relying on it for a scheduled event.
YouTube says, “We recommend streaming to YouTube Live with RTMPS, a secure extension to the popular RTMP streaming video protocol.” Use the server address supplied by YouTube rather than assuming one, and confirm the connection and ingest status in Live Control Room.
Choose the encoder, bitrate and keyframe interval
Open Settings → Output in OBS and configure the streaming encoder. Choose a codec your installed OBS build and Linux system actually support. YouTube lists H.264, H.265/HEVC and AV1 for RTMP/RTMPS streams up to 60 fps. Its current guidance recommends CBR and a two-second keyframe interval, with four seconds as the maximum.
| Codec | YouTube recommended bitrate for 4K/60 | YouTube listed minimum for 4K/60 | What to check in OBS |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.264 | 50 Mbps | 14 Mbps | CBR rate control and a two-second keyframe interval; do not exceed four seconds. |
| AV1 | 35 Mbps | 10 Mbps | Confirm a compatible encoder is available and exposes the required rate-control and keyframe settings. |
| H.265/HEVC | 35 Mbps | 10 Mbps | Confirm a compatible encoder is available and exposes the required rate-control and keyframe settings. |
These are YouTube’s ingest recommendations and listed minimums, not a guarantee of picture quality or a promise that a particular encoder, system or connection can sustain 4K/60. The recommended figures and protocol guidance are in YouTube’s encoder settings, bitrates and resolutions guidance.
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How to choose among the codecs
- Start with what your system supports. OBS documents Linux support for NVIDIA NVENC, AMD AMF and Intel Quick Sync, subject to hardware, driver and software compatibility. An encoder family being documented does not mean it will appear in your installed OBS build or perform well at 4K/60. See OBS Hardware Encoding.
- Use the YouTube bitrate table as an ingest target. The recommended 4K/60 bitrate is lower for AV1 and H.265 than for H.264, but that alone does not make either codec the right choice for your Linux machine.
- Check the actual OBS controls. Confirm that the selected encoder supports CBR and lets you set the required keyframe interval. If controls are missing or the encoder is unstable, try an available supported encoder and test again.
Set the keyframe interval correctly
Set the keyframe interval to 2 seconds. If the encoder setting is expressed in frames rather than seconds, at 60 fps that corresponds to 120 frames. YouTube says not to exceed four seconds; follow the encoder’s own units and verify the resulting value rather than assuming a field uses seconds.
Set audio and verify what viewers will hear
YouTube lists AAC or MP3 audio for RTMP/RTMPS and recommends 128 kbps stereo audio. In OBS, check the active audio source and its output settings. A video loop with a soundtrack should send that soundtrack rather than unintended desktop or microphone sound. A silent video should not acquire background audio simply because a desktop or microphone source remains active.
Test with the actual loop’s motion and audio. A static screen, short preview or test without the intended soundtrack may not expose the same load or mixing issues as the real broadcast.
Test the stream before relying on it
- Use the final scene and MP4. Confirm that the file loops, playback starts as expected, and the picture fills the canvas as intended.
- Run at the target settings. Test 3840 × 2160 at 60 fps with the codec, bitrate, keyframe interval and audio settings you plan to use.
- Check OBS statistics and YouTube stream health. Look for dropped frames, rendering or encoding lag in OBS and warnings or poor ingest health in YouTube Live Control Room.
- Observe a complete playback cycle if practical. Confirm the transition back to the start of the MP4 behaves as expected and that audio does not cut, overlap or switch to an unintended source.
- Change one limiting factor at a time. If the stream is unstable, reduce the load and repeat the test so you can identify whether resolution, frame rate, encoder or connection is the constraint.
Fallback choices if 4K/60 is unstable
Choose the fallback according to what matters most in the documentary: image detail or motion smoothness. Test both options rather than assuming one is universally better.
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| Fallback | Keep | Reduce | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4K at 30 fps | 4K output detail | Frame rate from 60 to 30 fps | Fine image detail matters more than the smoothest motion, and 60 fps is a system or connection constraint. |
| Lower resolution at 60 fps | 60 fps motion | Output resolution below 4K | Motion smoothness matters more, and the computer or connection cannot sustain the 4K output. |
OBS specifically suggests reducing from 60 fps to 30 fps when 60 fps is not working. Lowering resolution instead may better preserve motion, but the best fallback depends on the footage and measured stability. Apply the change in OBS’s Video settings, then retest the full stream and confirm YouTube receives the new output.
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The video stops instead of looping
Reopen the Media Source properties and confirm Loop is checked for the intended source. Check that the source is not being disabled or replaced at the end of playback by scene or source changes.
The stream is not actually 4K/60
Check both OBS’s output resolution and FPS, then confirm the MP4’s own resolution and frame rate. YouTube’s Live Control Room can take time to reflect a new stream format; use its stream health and current stream details to verify what is arriving rather than relying only on the local preview.
YouTube reports poor stream health or frames are dropping
Check whether the issue is connection-related or caused by rendering or encoding load. Verify the chosen bitrate is sustainable on the upload connection and that OBS is not reporting rendering or encoding lag. Reduce output resolution or frame rate and test again; OBS recommends trying 30 fps if 60 fps is not working.
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The encoder or codec is missing
Encoder availability depends on the installed OBS build, compatible GPU or integrated graphics, drivers and software environment. Consult the OBS hardware-encoding compatibility notes, update or correct the relevant drivers where appropriate, and choose an encoder that actually appears in OBS. Do not assume that support listed for a hardware family guarantees availability or 4K/60 performance on your system.
Playback stutters while the stream is live
Check OBS’s performance indicators and the Media Source decoding option. Hardware decoding is optional and requires compatible support; compare a test with it enabled and disabled. If the system remains overloaded, reduce resolution or frame rate and retest.
The stream has unwanted sound or no sound
Inspect OBS’s audio mixer and active sources. Disable unintended microphone or desktop audio for a silent loop; for a soundtrack, confirm the Media Source audio is active and the selected output is reaching the stream. Validate what YouTube receives in a private or otherwise appropriate test before a public broadcast.
YouTube does not receive the stream
Confirm the service, server URL and key in OBS match the current stream in YouTube Live Control Room. Check the key for accidental spaces or transcription errors, and confirm the stream is active in YouTube Studio. If the key may have been exposed, replace it rather than continuing to use it.
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Keeping OBS live versus running the loop in the cloud
With OBS, the computer, Linux environment, OBS process, power and internet connection all need to remain available for the broadcast. That can be appropriate when you want direct control over a live scene, but it is a constraint for a continuous pre-recorded loop. For unattended operation, a UPS is an optional way to reduce brief power interruptions; it does not solve internet or software interruptions.
Or let it run in the cloud
StreamNeo is a cloud service for keeping a YouTube channel live from uploaded videos. Upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. The cloud loops the uploaded video, so no computer or home connection has to stay on.
- One flat price per slot for any uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps; there are no quality tiers.
- Automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream.
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