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It depends on what you mean by “YouTube playlist file.” To repeat one local media file indefinitely, put FFmpeg’s input option -stream_loop -1 before that file’s -i: ffmpeg -stream_loop -1 -i input.mp4 .... A concat-demuxer list is a finite sequence, while a YouTube playlist URL is a separate download workflow; neither is automatically made into a changing, endlessly monitored playlist by that option.
First identify what FFmpeg is reading
Look at the argument immediately following -i in your command. That tells you which solution applies:
- A media file such as
input.mp4: loop that input with-stream_loop -1. - A text file containing paths to media files: if you are using FFmpeg’s concat demuxer, it reads the listed files in sequence and stops after the last entry. That is normal for a finite list.
- A YouTube playlist URL: use a playlist-aware tool such as yt-dlp to process or download its entries; FFmpeg’s input-loop option is not a YouTube playlist downloader.
These are different jobs: repeat one source, repeat a finite list, process a YouTube playlist, or keep detecting new entries added later.
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Repeat one local file forever
Place -stream_loop -1 before the -i that names the input you want repeated:
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ffmpeg -stream_loop -1 -i input.mp4 ...FFmpeg documents -stream_loop as an input option; -1 means infinite looping. The option applies to the input that follows it, so its position matters. See the FFmpeg command-line documentation.
Keep the rest of your command’s output options and destination in place of the ellipsis. For example, if you currently have ffmpeg -i input.mp4 output.mkv, the looped form is:
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ffmpeg -stream_loop -1 -i input.mp4 output.mkvAn infinite loop does not produce a completed output file: FFmpeg continues until you stop the process or an error interrupts it. If you wanted one ordinary, finite output, omit the loop option.
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A concat-demuxer list describes files to read in order. FFmpeg reaches the end when it has processed the final listed entry. That is expected behavior, not evidence that FFmpeg failed to recognize a YouTube playlist.
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When you want one pass
Use the concat demuxer for sequential processing of compatible media files. Once all entries in the list have been read, the job ends. The FFmpeg formats documentation describes the concat demuxer.
When you want the same list repeated
Decide whether the intended behavior is to repeat the list or to process it once. The documented loop option repeats an input; it does not establish that FFmpeg will reopen a list and discover files or lines added while the process is running. If you need that behavior, the right approach depends on your exact list format and command. Do not assume an input loop is a live-list watcher.
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Process a YouTube playlist
If the input is a YouTube playlist URL, use a playlist-aware workflow such as yt-dlp to handle playlist entries. FFmpeg may be used in that workflow to merge separate video and audio formats. The yt-dlp FAQ explains this merge dependency.
Downloading or processing a playlist once is not the same as repeatedly playing a local file, nor does it mean FFmpeg will keep monitoring YouTube for new playlist entries. Check yt-dlp’s current documentation for its playlist options, including --concat-playlist, because command-line behavior can change between versions.
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Why the loop option may not solve your problem
- The option is after
-i: move-stream_loop -1before the input it should affect. - Your input is a finite concat list: reaching its last entry is expected; repeating a single media input is a different operation.
- Your input is a YouTube URL: use a playlist-aware downloader workflow rather than treating the URL as a local file to loop.
- You expect new entries to appear automatically: the reviewed FFmpeg documentation does not establish that
-stream_loop -1rereads lines appended to a list. The exact format and command are needed to determine a suitable method.
FFmpeg and yt-dlp options are version-sensitive. If a command behaves differently from the documentation, check the documentation available for your installed version and verify what the input actually is.
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