In OBS, put the one-time clip in its own scene as a Media Source with Loop turned off, and put the repeating video in a separate scene with Loop turned on. Start on the one-time scene, then switch back to the loop scene when the clip ends. OBS documents the playback controls, but the reviewed documentation does not establish a built-in automatic scene return when a media file ends.
Set up the one-time clip and the looping video
- Create the loop scene. In OBS, select or create a scene for the content that should repeat. Add the video with Sources > + > Media Source, then enable Loop in the source properties.
- Create a separate intro scene. Add another scene, then add the clip that should play once using Sources > + > Media Source.
- Turn off Loop for the intro. In the intro Media Source properties, leave Loop unchecked. OBS lists this setting as off by default.
- Choose what happens at the end. Enable Show nothing when playback ends if you want the source to disappear rather than leave its final frame visible.
- Start and return manually. Begin the stream or recording on the intro scene. When the clip finishes, switch to the loop scene. The source’s end-of-playback settings do not, by themselves, switch scenes.
OBS documents the Media Source controls, including Loop, Restart playback when source becomes active, and Show nothing when playback ends, in its Media Sources guide. The restart option is on by default and restarts playback when the source becomes active and visible. That behavior is useful if you later return to the intro scene: the clip may start over when it becomes visible again.
Does OBS automatically switch back when the clip ends?
Do not assume so from the Media Source settings. The documented Loop and Show nothing when playback ends options control that source’s playback or visibility; neither is documented as a scene-switch command. For the straightforward setup above, switch scenes yourself after the intro finishes.
OBS’s source API documents lifecycle signals, including media_ended, but the existence of that signal does not establish that a particular automatic scene-return workflow is built in or already configured. The OBS Source API Reference is relevant to developers building integrations; it is not a ready-made scene-switch instruction for ordinary OBS setup.
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When to use VLC Video instead
For one intro followed by one looping video, separate scenes with the built-in Media Source are the most direct documented setup. Consider OBS’s VLC Video source when you need a playlist or its extended media support.
- VLC must be installed. OBS specifies that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
- Loop Playlist repeats a playlist after it runs out and is on by default.
- Visibility Behaviour controls whether playback continues, pauses, or stops while the source is hidden. The documented default is to stop when hidden and restart when visible.
These VLC settings affect playlist and visibility behavior; they do not establish an automatic switch from an intro scene to a different scene.
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Connect the OBS setup to a YouTube live stream
Configure the video sources and scenes in OBS, then use YouTube’s encoder workflow to create the live stream and connect OBS. YouTube’s Create a live stream with an encoder guide covers the YouTube-side setup; it does not provide instructions for sequencing OBS sources or automatically returning to a loop scene.
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