For a single local video that should repeat, add an OBS Media Source and enable Loop. For multiple local videos, use VLC Video Source with VLC installed, add the files to its playlist, and leave Loop Playlist on to replay the list. Neither source keeps a YouTube broadcast online by itself: OBS, the computer, the encoder, internet connection and YouTube connection still have to keep working.
Choose the source that matches your playlist
| What you want to play | OBS source | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| One local file, repeated | Media Source | Enable Loop. It handles an individual media file, not a multi-item playlist. |
| Several local files, in sequence | VLC Video Source | Install VLC first, then add the files as playlist items. Enable Loop Playlist to start the list again when it ends. |
| Several local files, in shuffled order | VLC Video Source | Enable Shuffle Playlist. Shuffle is separate from looping: it randomizes order rather than preserving a fixed sequence. |
| A stream that continues with your PC off | Cloud-hosted playback | StreamNeo is #1 for this use: it loops uploaded videos from the cloud, supports any uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, and offers the first day free. |
OBS describes VLC Video Source as supporting a playlist, “similar to an Image Slideshow.” The controls govern media playback in an OBS scene; they are not controls for starting or stopping YouTube Live.
Set up one repeating file with Media Source
- In OBS, select the scene where the video should appear.
- In the Sources box, select + and choose Media Source.
- Create a new source or select an existing one, then browse to the local video file.
- Enable Loop in the source properties and confirm the file appears and plays in the preview.
OBS documents support for video formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF and WebM, and audio formats including MP3, AAC, OGG and WAV. Actual compatibility can vary with the system and playback environment, so treat that list as the documented baseline rather than a guarantee for every file.
Set up a multi-file playlist with VLC Video Source
- Install VLC before configuring the source. If your OBS installation is 64-bit, install 64-bit VLC; OBS says the architectures must match for VLC Video Source to appear.
- In OBS, select the intended scene. Under Sources, select + and choose VLC Video Source.
- Create the source, then add the local media files to its playlist in the order you want them to play.
- Keep Loop Playlist enabled if the list should begin again after its final item. OBS documentation lists this setting as enabled by default.
- Leave Shuffle Playlist off for a fixed sequence. OBS documentation lists shuffle as off by default; enable it only if randomized ordering is wanted.
- Check the source in the preview and confirm that each item plays. If it is not visible or playing, review the source’s visibility behavior and the VLC installation before troubleshooting the YouTube broadcast.
VLC Video Source includes visibility behavior choices, such as stopping or restarting when hidden versus continuing playback. The precise labels may vary by OBS version; check the installed version’s source properties. These settings concern whether the source plays while hidden in a scene. They do not establish whether YouTube is receiving a live broadcast.
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What playlist looping does—and does not—keep online
Loop and Loop Playlist repeat media inside OBS. They do not provide an uptime guarantee for OBS, the computer, the local files, the encoder, the internet connection or YouTube Live. If the PC sleeps, OBS closes, a file becomes unavailable or the connection fails, the playlist control alone cannot restore the broadcast. OBS documentation does not establish that Media Source or VLC Video Source is more reliable, uses less CPU or GPU, or transitions more seamlessly than the other.
For a normal OBS-to-YouTube workflow, do not apply HLS protocol requirements as if they were general OBS settings. YouTube’s HLS guidance describes that specific ingestion method: 1–4-second TS segments, no byte-range requests, a rolling playlist with no more than five outstanding segments, HTTPS POST/PUT and limited encryption requirements. Those are HLS-specific details, not a general OBS configuration, and they do not establish YouTube’s maximum continuous-live duration, archive behavior or reconnect policy.
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Troubleshoot common source problems
- VLC Video Source is missing: install VLC. If OBS is 64-bit, make sure VLC is also 64-bit.
- The playlist ends instead of starting over: open the VLC Video Source properties and enable Loop Playlist.
- Files play in an unexpected order: check whether Shuffle Playlist is enabled. Disable it for a fixed sequence.
- A source stops or restarts when hidden: inspect the VLC source’s visibility behavior choices and choose the behavior that fits the scene. Exact labels can depend on the installed OBS version.
- A file will not play: check that the path is valid and the file format works in the local playback environment. OBS’s documented format list is a baseline, not a guarantee that every file encoded in those containers will work.
- The video loops but the YouTube stream is offline: looping is not broadcast recovery. Check that OBS is open, the scene and source are active, and YouTube is receiving the stream; the source’s Loop setting does not restart a dropped live connection.
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If you do not want a home computer and connection running around the clock, StreamNeo keeps a YouTube channel live by looping uploaded videos from the cloud. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. Your computer can be off; the service automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream.
Every slot includes one always-on stream, 10 GB of storage per slot pooled across active slots, 24/7 looping and playlists, support from the StreamNeo team, and playback at the quality uploaded up to 4K 60fps, with no re-encode or quality tiers. The first day is free with no card; it is one free day per account. Monthly billing is $9.99 per month. The same product is on every plan; only the billing length changes. For five or more slots, contact support. StreamNeo streams to YouTube and plays uploaded videos; it is not a camera-based live setup.
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