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To repeat a video file in OBS without restarting your live broadcast, open the media source’s Properties and enable Loop. That repeats the file when playback ends; it does not restart the stream. Keep Restart playback when source becomes active off if you also want playback to continue from its current position when the source becomes active again.

Loop a single media file in OBS

  1. In the Sources list, add a Media Source or select the one you want to change.
  2. Open the source’s Properties.
  3. Select the local media file if one is not already selected.
  4. Enable Loop. OBS defines this setting as specifying whether the file plays again after playback has completed.
  5. Leave Restart playback when source becomes active disabled if you do not want the file to jump back to its beginning when the source becomes active.
  6. Apply the changes and check playback in the scene and output arrangement you plan to use.

The labels and setting descriptions above are documented by the OBS Project’s Media Sources documentation (dated January 11, 2022). The controls concern media playback, not restarting the live broadcast.

What the two playback settings do

Loop

Loop makes the selected file play again after it finishes. Use it for a single video you want to repeat continuously.

Restart playback when source becomes active

This is a separate option. OBS describes it as restarting the file once the source is in the current scene and visible. Leave it off when you want playback to retain its position as the source becomes active again; turn it on only if you want activation to start the file over.

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Neither setting is a command to restart your stream. The broadcast and the media source are separate: changing the file’s playback behavior does not itself stop and restart the live output.

Keep playback going across scene changes

Scene transitions and source visibility affect when a media source is active. If you switch scenes, leaving Restart playback when source becomes active off may let playback continue from the same source’s current position. However, the observed result depends on whether the source remains active in the output as scenes change. Check the behavior in your actual scene arrangement rather than assuming the file will always continue uninterrupted; community guidance describes this as a practical setup, not a guarantee for every configuration.

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  • Test the transition between the specific scenes you use.
  • Confirm the source is visible and active in the intended scene.
  • Watch the output through the transition to verify whether playback continues or restarts.

Use a playlist instead of one file

For a playlist, use OBS’s VLC Video source rather than a single-file Media Source. OBS documents a Loop Playlist option for VLC Video; it specifies whether the source should restart when it has run out of media files. VLC must be installed for VLC Video to appear as an available source in OBS. If a playlist pauses or stops when its source is hidden, check the VLC source’s visibility behavior as well.

Troubleshooting playback

The video plays once and stops

Open the Media Source’s Properties and confirm Loop is enabled. The loop option applies to the selected file after it reaches the end.

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The video starts over after a scene change

Check whether Restart playback when source becomes active is enabled. Disable it if you do not want source activation to restart playback, then test the scene transition again.

A playlist will not loop

For a playlist, use VLC Video and check its Loop Playlist option. Confirm VLC is installed if VLC Video is missing from the source choices.

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Playback stops when the source is hidden

Check the source’s visibility and activity behavior in the scenes involved. OBS’s settings do not establish identical behavior for every scene arrangement, so verify the result in your own output.

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