To loop a prerecorded video on YouTube Live, play it through an encoder such as OBS Studio: add the video as a Media Source, enable Loop, then send the scene to YouTube using the stream URL and stream key from YouTube Studio. That repeats the file, but it does not guarantee a gap-free boundary. Test the exact video and playback path before relying on it.
What “loop” can—and cannot—guarantee
YouTube Live receives a feed from an encoder; the encoder is responsible for replaying your prerecorded video. OBS’s Media Source includes a Loop property, described by OBS Project as: “Specifies whether the file play again once playback has completed.” That is the control for repeating one file.
Looping is not the same as guaranteeing seamless playback. OBS documentation confirms that the file can repeat, but does not promise that every file, scene, encoder, and viewer playback path will avoid a brief pause, black frame, or audio discontinuity at the boundary. Treat “gapless” as something to verify, not as a result promised by a checkbox.
Set up a repeating video in OBS
- Create or select the scene. In OBS, choose the scene you intend to send to YouTube Live.
- Add the video. In the scene’s Sources area, select +, choose Media Source, give it a name, and select the local video file. OBS documents Media Source support on Windows, macOS, and Linux, with common containers including MP4, TS, MOV, MKV, AVI, and WebM.
- Enable the repeat. In the Media Source properties, turn on Loop. Check that Show nothing when playback ends is not causing the source to disappear at the end. Confirm the video is visible in the active scene.
- Check the boundary locally. Let the file play through a complete repeat in OBS. Watch and listen across the end-to-start transition. If the transition is not clean here, do not assume sending it to YouTube will fix it.
- Connect OBS to YouTube. In YouTube Studio’s live workflow, create or select the stream and obtain its stream URL and stream key. Enter them in OBS’s streaming settings, then start the stream from OBS when YouTube is ready to receive it. Treat the stream key as a credential: anyone who obtains it may be able to send a feed to your stream. YouTube recommends RTMPS for ingestion.
- Verify the live playback. Before making the stream public, check it through YouTube using a private or unlisted test. Observe both video and audio at the repeat boundary, since the encoder preview alone does not establish what viewers will receive.
Choose encoder settings for your stream
Use YouTube’s current encoder settings table for the resolution and frame rate you intend to send. The appropriate bitrate and other encoder values depend on that target; the available source material does not establish one universal setting for every stream. YouTube recommends RTMPS. Avoid treating a particular codec, frame rate, or export setting as a proven cure for a loop-boundary gap: no such guaranteed fix is established here.
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If you use HLS instead of continuous RTMP, YouTube documents additional ingestion constraints: use TS segments, keep segment durations from 1–4 seconds, and maintain a rolling playlist with no more than five outstanding segments. YouTube also documents higher latency for HLS than for continuous RTMP. HLS is not documented as a way to eliminate a loop-boundary gap.
Troubleshoot a black frame, pause, or audio break
- The source disappears at the end: Reopen the Media Source properties, confirm Loop is enabled, and check whether Show nothing when playback ends is hiding the source. Verify the source remains visible in the active scene.
- The boundary looks wrong in OBS: Replay the exact file and inspect the transition in the scene. The specific cause can vary; the documented Loop control does not diagnose or eliminate every interruption.
- The preview is clean but the YouTube stream is not: Test the actual private or unlisted stream and its viewer playback path. Check picture and sound at the boundary before publishing. A clean local preview alone does not prove a gap-free viewer experience.
- The stream does not reach YouTube: Confirm that OBS has the stream URL and the correct stream key for the selected YouTube stream, and that YouTube is ready to receive the encoder feed. Keep the key private.
- You are using HLS: Check the TS format, 1–4-second segment duration, and rolling-playlist limit of five outstanding segments. These requirements address ingestion, not seamless looping.
The specific reason for any given black frame or discontinuity cannot be determined from the Loop setting alone. Do not assume that changing a codec, frame rate, or export option will fix it without testing that actual setup.
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Or let it run in the cloud
If you do not want a home computer to keep the encoder running, StreamNeo is a cloud service for keeping a YouTube channel live from uploaded videos. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. StreamNeo loops the video in the cloud, so your computer and home connection do not have to stay on. It automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream.
- One flat price per slot for any quality up to 4K 60fps as uploaded, with no re-encode and no quality tiers.
- Each slot includes one always-on stream and 10 GB of storage per slot, pooled across active slots, plus 24/7 looping, playlists, automatic recovery if YouTube drops, and StreamNeo team support.
- The first day is free with no card, once per account. Billing options are a day, a week, a month, 6 months, or a year; cancel any time. UPI and cards are supported in India, and card checkout is available worldwide. For 5 or more slots, contact support.
- The monthly option is $9.99 per month.
See StreamNeo or its pricing page. To try it, start your free first day.
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