In OBS Studio, Restart playback when source becomes active restarts a Media Source file when that source is in the current scene and visible. OBS lists the option as on by default. It responds to the source becoming active—not merely to the source existing in your project.
What the setting does
Open the Media Source’s properties and enable Restart playback when source becomes active to have OBS start the file from the beginning when the source becomes active. For a scene change, that means the source must be in the current scene and visible. Hiding it or switching away can make it inactive; showing it again can activate it and restart playback.
OBS documents this control for the built-in Media Source. The behavior should not be assumed to apply identically to the separate VLC Video source, which has its own visibility behavior control.
How to find and use it
- In OBS Studio, select the scene containing the video source.
- In the Sources list, right-click the relevant Media Source and choose Properties.
- Enable Restart playback when source becomes active if you want the file to start over when the source becomes active. OBS lists this option as on by default.
- Choose OK, then switch away from and back to the scene—or hide and show the source—to check the behavior. Make sure the source is visible in the current scene.
Restart, loop, hide, or unload: which control matters?
These Media Source properties address different events. Use the one that matches what you want OBS to do.
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| Control | What triggers it | Effect | OBS-listed default |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restart playback when source becomes active | The source becomes active in the current scene and is visible. | Restarts the file from the beginning. | On |
| Loop | The file reaches the end. | Plays the file again. | Off |
| Show nothing when playback ends | The file finishes. | Automatically hides the source. | On |
| Close file when inactive | The source is hidden or is not on the current scene. | Unloads the media to free memory. It may take a short time to appear again while it reloads. | Off |
For a video that should repeat continuously, turn on Loop. The restart option is about activation; it does not itself repeat a file that has ended. If you enable both, the file loops at the end and also restarts when the source becomes active.
Will it restart when I switch scenes?
It can, if switching scenes makes the Media Source inactive and then active again. The documented condition is that the source is in the current scene and visible. A source that remains active or is not visible may not meet that condition, so test the scene and visibility arrangement in your OBS project.
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Timing and version caveats
There are reports of behavior that qualify what to expect. In a report involving OBS 30.2.0, a very rapid hide-and-show after playback ended did not restart the file. An OBS project member explained that visibility changes are processed by the graphics thread; an extremely quick toggle can occur before that change is processed. If automation toggles source visibility, allow time for OBS to process the change and test with your installed version.
A separate report involving OBS 27.0.0-rc6 described playback beginning on startup or after properties were changed even when the restart option was disabled. That is a version-specific report, not evidence that current OBS always behaves this way. The checkbox should not be treated as a guarantee against every possible start or autoplay behavior.
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Media Source versus VLC Video
Check the source type before looking for this setting. OBS documents Media Source and VLC Video separately. VLC Video has a distinct Visibility Behaviour control, shown with Stop when not visible, restart when visible as its default, and requires VLC to be installed. Do not assume the Media Source checkbox or its behavior is interchangeable with that VLC control.
Troubleshooting
- The file does not restart after a scene switch: Confirm that the source is a Media Source, is in the current scene, and is visible when you expect it to activate. Check the restart option in its properties.
- The file stops at the end instead of replaying: Enable Loop. Restart playback when active is not the end-of-file repeat control.
- The video disappears after it finishes: Check Show nothing when playback ends. OBS lists it as on by default, so the source is hidden after playback ends unless you change that behavior.
- The source takes a moment to return: If Close file when inactive is enabled, OBS unloads the media while it is inactive and may need a short time to reload it when visible again.
- An automated hide/show does not trigger a restart: Avoid an extremely fast toggle. Give OBS time to process the visibility change and test the timing in your installed version.
- Playback starts despite the option being off: An older report described this in OBS 27.0.0-rc6 during startup or property changes. Check your version and reproduce the behavior in your own project rather than assuming the report describes all versions.
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