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gaming archive

How to Stream a Continuous Gaming Video Archive to YouTube Live with OBS

Loop one gaming video or a playlist through OBS to YouTube Live, with practical setup, local recording, and archive-retention guidance.

By DocumentaryTube Team 3 min read
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To loop a gaming video archive on YouTube Live with OBS, use a looping Media Source for one file or an OBS VLC Video source for a playlist. Connect OBS to a YouTube stream key, check the preview and audio, then start the broadcast. If you want YouTube to retain a replay, don’t rely on one uninterrupted session: YouTube says streams over 12 hours may not be captured at all.

Choose the right OBS source for your archive

This workflow broadcasts prerecorded video files; it is different from capturing live gameplay. For live gameplay, OBS offers Game Capture on Windows and video-capture-device sources, including capture cards. Those sources capture a device or game rather than replaying an archive file. See the OBS Sources Guide.

One video file: Media Source

In your OBS scene, add a Media Source, select the local video file, and enable Loop. OBS lists common supported formats including MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, and WebM. When playback reaches the end, the source starts the file again. See OBS Media Sources.

Several files: VLC Video

For a rotating archive, add a VLC Video source and build its playlist from your files. VLC must be installed for this source to appear in OBS. Loop Playlist is enabled by default; choose shuffle if you want files to play in randomized order. See OBS Media Sources.

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Connect OBS to YouTube Live

  1. In YouTube Studio, open the Live Control Room and create or select a stream.

  2. Copy the stream URL and stream key shown for that stream into OBS’s streaming settings. The key is the credential that lets the encoder send video to the correct YouTube stream. Keep it private; if it is exposed, reset it in Studio. See YouTube’s live stream settings help.

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  3. Start streaming in OBS. Check the preview in Live Control Room and verify that both video and audio are present. If the stream’s settings require a manual start, start the YouTube event there as well. YouTube recommends testing the setup and monitoring stream quality. See Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder and YouTube live streaming tips.

The reviewed setup guidance does not establish a universal bitrate, resolution, or keyframe interval for every gaming archive. Use settings appropriate to your video and connection, and verify the live preview rather than assuming the stream is healthy because OBS says it is connected.

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Record a local safety copy

Enable OBS recording while streaming if you need a local copy. Confirm that the recording file is growing during the broadcast. OBS recommends MKV for recordings because an unexpected stop is less likely to corrupt the whole file; see the OBS Standard Recording Output Guide. YouTube also recommends keeping a local backup when archive retention matters (Archive live streams).

Plan around YouTube’s 12-hour archive risk

YouTube says, “If your live stream is less than 12 hours, YouTube can automatically archive it for you.” The same guidance warns that streams exceeding 12 hours may not be captured at all. This is an archive threshold, not a guarantee that every shorter stream will produce a complete replay. If keeping YouTube replays matters, use local recording and consider planned session boundaries rather than relying on one uninterrupted 24/7 event. Splitting a stream does not guarantee every segment will archive successfully.

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DVR is separate from the saved replay. It lets viewers pause and resume a live stream, but YouTube says rewind may be limited or unavailable on streams longer than 12 hours, and viewers cannot seek to a point before the stream began. DVR compatibility can also be more limited on Apple TV, AirPlay, and older apps. See Turn on DVR on live streams.

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Or let it run in the cloud

If you want the archive to keep looping without leaving your computer on, StreamNeo is a YouTube-only cloud service for streaming uploaded videos. Upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; videos stream as uploaded at any quality up to 4K 60fps for one flat price per slot, and StreamNeo automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly is $9.99 per month. Start your free day with StreamNeo.

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