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OBS command line

How to Use OBS Command-Line Options to Open a Loop-Stream Profile

Use OBS launch options to open the right profile and scene setup, then enable looping in a Media Source or VLC Video source.

By DocumentaryTube Team 4 min read
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Launch OBS with --profile "Loop Stream" to load your streaming settings. Add --collection "Loop Scenes" to load the scene collection containing your looped media source, and optionally --scene "Main" to select a scene. Configure looping inside that source’s properties; there is no command-line flag that turns a profile into a loop stream.

What the OBS options select

An OBS profile and a Scene Collection are separate saved parts of a setup. A profile holds stream, video, and output settings; it does not hold scenes. A Scene Collection holds scenes and their related setup. The --profile option selects the former, while --collection selects the latter. The optional --scene option selects a scene.

Use the names as they appear in OBS, and put quotation marks around names that contain spaces:

  • --profile "Loop Stream" loads the profile.
  • --collection "Loop Scenes" loads the scene collection.
  • --scene "Main" selects the scene named Main.

These launch parameters are documented by the OBS Project Launch Parameters guide. Option availability and behavior should be checked against the OBS version and platform you use, particularly before automating a live start.

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Set up the video loop in OBS first

Choose the source based on whether you need one file repeated or a playlist restarted. Add the source to a scene in the Scene Collection you plan to open. The scene and source setup are stored with the collection, not the profile.

Loop one video file

  1. Open the relevant scene and add a Media Source.
  2. Open the source properties, select the video file, and enable Loop.
  3. Confirm playback repeats after the file reaches its end. OBS documents Loop as off by default.

OBS documents these media-source settings in its Media Sources guide.

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Loop a playlist

  1. Add a VLC Video source to the scene.
  2. Set up the playlist in the source properties and enable Loop Playlist.
  3. Confirm the playlist restarts after its final item.

The VLC Video source requires VLC. OBS specifies that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. Choose this source when you want a sequence of files rather than one file repeating; the single-file Media Source does not require the playlist approach. See OBS’s Media Sources guide for the source requirements and loop behavior. The Sources Guide explains how sources are added to scenes.

Launch OBS with the profile and scene setup

Use the launch method appropriate to your operating system. The Windows shortcut example below assumes OBS is installed at the shown path; adjust it if yours differs.

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Windows shortcut

  1. Find or create an OBS shortcut, then open its Properties.
  2. In Target, put the parameters after the executable path. For example:
    "C:Program Filesobs-studiobin64bitobs64.exe" --profile "Loop Stream" --collection "Loop Scenes" --scene "Main"
  3. For a scheduled or automated launch, set Start in to the folder containing obs64.exe.
  4. Launch the shortcut and check that OBS opened the intended profile, collection, scene, and media source.

macOS Terminal

Launch OBS from Terminal with:

open -a "OBS" --args --profile "Loop Stream" --collection "Loop Scenes" --scene "Main"

OBS also documents using open -a "OBS" --args followed by the options in an Automator Run Shell Script action. The cited OBS launch guide gives Windows and macOS instructions; it does not provide a Linux-specific example, so these commands should not be assumed to apply unchanged on Linux.

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Check available options

To inspect the options supported by the OBS executable available in your terminal or command prompt, run obs --help or obs -h. For unattended automation, confirm the launch behavior on your installed OBS version and platform before relying on it.

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Start streaming automatically only if intended

Add --startstreaming to start a live stream when OBS launches. For example, append it to the Windows Target or macOS command above. This option starts streaming; it does not select a profile, scene collection, or scene, and it does not configure a media loop.

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Before using it, open OBS normally and verify the selected profile’s stream destination and settings, the chosen collection and scene, and the looping source. A startup command can begin a broadcast as soon as OBS opens, so do not add this option unless automatic transmission is deliberate.

Common problems and fixes

  • The wrong scenes open: A profile does not store scenes. Add --collection "Scene Collection Name" for the collection that contains the intended scene; add --scene "Scene Name" if a particular scene should be selected.
  • OBS does not find a named profile or collection: Check the spelling against the names in OBS and quote names containing spaces.
  • The file plays once and stops: Open the Media Source properties and enable Loop.
  • The playlist does not repeat: Check that the source is VLC Video, that Loop Playlist is enabled, and that VLC is installed. Match VLC’s bitness to OBS; 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
  • OBS starts but does not go live: --startstreaming is the option that requests automatic streaming. Check the profile’s stream setup and confirm you have intentionally included the option.
  • An automated launch behaves differently from a manual launch: Verify the shortcut’s Start in directory on Windows and test the exact command on the installed OBS version and operating system.

Or let it run in the cloud

For a YouTube stream made from uploaded video, StreamNeo avoids keeping OBS or a computer running at home: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops the video in the cloud, supports the 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 streams to YouTube only; it does not stream from a camera. See StreamNeo or pricing details. To try it, start the free first day.

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