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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallIn OBS Studio’s built-in Media Source, Restart playback when source becomes active starts the media file again when the source is in the current scene and visible. It is listed as on by default. It does not mean “repeat at the end”: that is controlled separately by Loop.
What the setting does
Open the Media Source’s properties and enable Restart playback when source becomes active to have OBS restart the file when that source becomes active—meaning it is in the current scene and visible. Merely having a source somewhere in the project does not make it active. Switching to a scene where the source is visible, or making a hidden source visible in the current scene, can activate it.
OBS lists this option as on by default in its Media Sources documentation. The exact result depends on the source becoming active; the checkbox is not a general guarantee that a file will never play at startup or after every property change.
How it differs from the other playback controls
| Control | What triggers it | Listed default and trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Restart playback when source becomes active | The Media Source is in the current scene and visible. | On. Starts the file over when the source becomes active. |
| Loop | Playback reaches the end of the file. | Off. Replays the file after it finishes; it is separate from activation behavior. |
| Show nothing when playback ends | Playback reaches the end. | On. Hides the source after the file finishes. |
| Close file when inactive | The source is hidden or is off the current scene. | Off. Unloads the media to free memory; showing it again may take a short time while it reloads. |
These labels and defaults are documented for OBS’s built-in Media Source. Together they address different questions: whether activation restarts playback, whether the file repeats at its end, whether it disappears when finished, and whether OBS keeps its media loaded while inactive.
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Will the video restart when I switch scenes?
It should restart when you switch to a scene in which the Media Source is visible, because the documented trigger is the source being in the current scene and visible. If the source is hidden in that scene, it is not yet active; making it visible can activate it. If you want the video to continue from its current position instead, turn off Restart playback when source becomes active.
Set it up and check the result
- In OBS, select the scene containing the built-in Media Source.
- In the Sources list, open the Media Source’s properties.
- Set Restart playback when source becomes active according to whether you want a fresh start each time the source becomes visible in the current scene.
- If the video should repeat after reaching its end, enable Loop separately. If it should stop displaying when it finishes, leave Show nothing when playback ends enabled.
- Apply the settings, then test by switching away from the scene and back, or by hiding and showing the source. Confirm the behavior in the OBS version you use.
Built-in Media Source versus VLC Video
Do not assume the built-in Media Source checkbox describes every video source in OBS. VLC Video is a separate source type, has its own Visibility Behaviour control, and requires VLC to be installed. OBS displays “Stop when not visible, restart when visible” as VLC Video’s default behavior. Use the control belonging to the source type you actually added.
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When the expected restart does not happen
A very fast hide/show does not restart playback
A report involving OBS 30.2.0 described a rapid hide/show immediately after playback ended that did not restart the file. An OBS project member explained that visibility changes are processed by the graphics thread; an extremely quick toggle may occur before that thread handles the change. If automation is toggling visibility, allow time for OBS to process each change and test it in your installed version. See OBS Studio issue #11040.
The file plays at startup despite the option being off
A report involving OBS 27.0.0-rc6 described a media file starting when OBS launched or its properties were changed, despite Restart playback when source becomes active being disabled. That is a version-specific report, not evidence that all current versions behave this way. If you see it, verify the installed version and reproduce the behavior with the source’s visibility and scene state in mind; the checkbox should not be treated as a universal “never autoplay” control. See OBS Studio issue #4778.
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The source appears after a delay
If Close file when inactive is enabled, OBS unloads the media while the source is inactive. The documentation warns that it can take a short time to show again while it reloads. If that delay is undesirable, turn the option off and keep the media loaded, accepting that it will not be unloaded to save memory.
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