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Why OBS Repeats the Same Video in a YouTube 24/7 Playlist Rotation

OBS may be looping a single Media Source or restarting it when it becomes visible. For several videos, check the VLC Video playlist and its loop and visibility settings.

By DocumentaryTube Team 3 min read

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OBS repeats the same video when the active source is a single-file Media Source with looping enabled, or when that source restarts as it becomes active. To rotate several distinct videos, use an OBS VLC Video source and check that its playlist contains every intended file. YouTube’s Loop control is for viewer playback; it does not change what OBS sends to a live stream.

First identify which OBS source is playing

Check the source type in the OBS Sources list. The settings differ depending on whether you added one media file or a playlist. OBS’s Media Sources documentation, published January 11, 2022, describes both sources and their playback controls; labels or behavior may differ in a later OBS version.

Source or control What it plays or repeats Relevant dependency or setting
Media Source One local media file. Loop repeats that file after it finishes; it is not a multi-file rotation. OBS lists Loop as off by default. “Restart playback when source becomes active” can start the file over when the source is in the current scene and visible; OBS lists this setting as on by default.
VLC Video A playlist of media files. Loop Playlist starts the list again after it runs out of files. Requires VLC installed. OBS says 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. Visibility Behaviour can affect playback when the source is hidden.
YouTube player Loop Repeats a video or playlist for someone watching in the YouTube player. It does not choose or rotate the media OBS sends to a live broadcast.

For a multi-file rotation, VLC Video is the OBS source intended for a playlist. OBS documents Loop Playlist and Shuffle Playlist as separate controls: looping repeats the list at its end, while shuffle changes the playback order.

Check the playlist and playback settings

  1. Confirm the source type. Select the source in OBS and open its properties. If it is a Media Source, it represents an individual file. If the goal is to rotate several videos, create or select a VLC Video source instead.
  2. Verify the VLC playlist contents. In the VLC Video source properties, inspect the media list and confirm that each intended, distinct file is present. A playlist containing only one file will naturally play that file each time through, even if it is configured to loop.
  3. Set whole-list repetition. Enable Loop Playlist if the rotation should start again after the final listed file. Check Shuffle Playlist separately: enable it only if you want the playlist order randomized.
  4. Review visibility behavior. VLC Video’s Visibility Behaviour determines whether playback continues, pauses, or stops when the source is not visible. OBS lists “Stop when not visible, restart when visible” as the default. If the source is hidden and shown again by a scene change, that setting can cause playback to start over.
  5. If using one Media Source, inspect its two restart controls. Loop repeats that one file. “Restart playback when source becomes active” can restart it when the source becomes active or visible again. Adjust these according to whether you want a single file to repeat and whether it should resume or restart after becoming visible.

Why YouTube’s Loop button will not fix the live rotation

YouTube’s Loop videos or playlists instructions concern repeating playback in the YouTube player. That control affects a viewer’s playback, not the media source OBS is broadcasting. To change the live rotation, correct the source type, playlist contents, or playback settings in OBS.

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If the same file still repeats

If the checks above do not explain it, avoid assuming a particular cause without seeing the setup. Record the OBS source type, exact playlist contents, visibility behavior, scene transitions, and OBS log. Those details can distinguish a one-file playlist from a source restarting as scenes change; the documented settings alone cannot diagnose an unknown installation.

An OBS forum post from April 20, 2020 describes one user’s playlist edits restarting media playback in a running YouTube live stream (“Adding media to running YouTube Live Stream”). That is an individual report, not proof that playlist edits are causing another stream’s repeated video.

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