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Yes. You can loop a video file in OBS and send its output to YouTube Live, so the broadcast repeats the same footage. In OBS, add the file as a Media Source and enable Loop. The loop itself does not keep a live broadcast uninterrupted: your computer and internet connection still need to keep sending the encoder feed.
Looping a video in a live stream is different from looping a YouTube video
There are two different kinds of repetition. With OBS, the file repeats in the encoder before its output reaches YouTube; viewers see that repeated footage as part of a live broadcast. YouTube’s player Loop command instead repeats an uploaded video for an individual viewer. It does not turn that video into a live stream.
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| Method | Where repetition happens | What viewers get |
|---|---|---|
| OBS Media Source with Loop enabled | In the encoder, before the feed reaches YouTube | A live broadcast whose source video repeats |
| YouTube player Loop | In each viewer’s playback session | Repeated playback of an uploaded video, not a live broadcast |
How to loop one video file on YouTube Live with OBS
- Create or select a stream in YouTube Studio. Open Live Control Room and create a live stream or choose an existing one. Copy its stream URL and stream key. Follow YouTube’s encoder setup instructions for the selected workflow.
- Enter the stream details in OBS. Open OBS streaming settings and enter the stream URL and key from YouTube. Treat the key like a password: anyone with it may be able to send a feed to your stream.
- Add the file as a Media Source. In your OBS scene, add a Media Source and select the video file on your computer.
- Enable Loop. In the Media Source properties, turn on Loop. OBS describes this option as specifying whether the file plays again after playback completes. Use the ordinary Media Source for one video; OBS documents the setting in its Media Sources guide.
- Start the encoder and check YouTube’s preview. Start streaming from OBS. Confirm that the picture and sound are correct in Live Control Room, check stream health, and click Go live if the workflow requires it.
- Keep the feed running and monitor it. OBS must continue playing and sending the video, and the computer and network must remain available. Check audio and video periodically.
- End the broadcast deliberately. End the stream in YouTube when finished, then stop the encoder feed. YouTube’s encoder guidance says: “To end the stream, stop sending content from your encoder.”
For a playlist instead of one file
OBS has a separate VLC Video source for playlists. It can loop a playlist, but VLC must be installed for that source to be available. For a single file, use the regular Media Source and its Loop option.
Choose settings you can keep stable
There is no universal computer specification established by the OBS and YouTube documentation cited here. Your device needs to run the encoder and send a stable feed. YouTube recommends testing encoder settings, previewing the stream, choosing a quality your connection can sustain, and monitoring stream health and audio/video quality. Its current guidance for encoder settings, bitrates and resolutions is at YouTube’s live encoder settings page.
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A Loop setting only controls what happens when the file reaches its end; it does not protect the broadcast from an encoder failure, power loss or network interruption. Test the whole path—from OBS playback through YouTube’s preview—before relying on it for an extended broadcast.
Know what YouTube’s 12-hour guidance does—and does not—mean
Live broadcast versus archived replay
YouTube says streams shorter than 12 hours can be automatically archived, and warns that a stream exceeding 12 hours may not be captured at all. This is an archive limitation, not a statement that a live feed must stop at 12 hours. YouTube recommends keeping a local recording as a backup. See Archive live streams.
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Live DVR rewind
DVR is separate from both the live feed and its archive. YouTube says DVR capabilities may be limited or unavailable for streams longer than 12 hours, affecting viewers’ ability to rewind during the broadcast. See Turn on DVR on live streams.
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Looping a file does not change the rights attached to its video or audio. YouTube scans live streams for third-party content matches and may replace the feed, interrupt the stream or terminate it. Even if you have a licence, the rights holder may need to add your channel to its Content ID allowlist for the stream to proceed without a match-related interruption. Check YouTube’s guidance on copyright issues with live streams, and use content you have the right to broadcast.
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Or let it run in the cloud
If you do not want OBS and your home computer to stay on, StreamNeo runs an uploaded video or playlist from the cloud to YouTube Live. Upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. The service loops the video in the cloud; it does not stream from a camera or send to other platforms.
- Nothing has to stay on at home for the stream to keep running.
- Each slot streams the uploaded file as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot rather than quality tiers.
- It automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream.
- The first day is free, with no card required; it is one free day per account.
Monthly: $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo pricing for other billing lengths. To start the free day, create a StreamNeo account.
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- 【SIMPLE, POWERFUL, COMPACT】- Easily play videos, photos, and music files from USB drives, hard drives, and SD cards. Simple and intuitive to use with no complicated settings. Takes up very little space - it’s smaller than a deck of playing cards!
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- 【READS USB DRIVES AND SD CARDS】- Reads USB flash drives and hard drives up to 8TB and SD cards up to 1TB. Supports FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS file systems. Automatic playback, continuous looping and repeat, and the ability to resume video playback from the last stop point.
- 【TRIGGER SENSOR INPUT】- Ability to loop one video continuously and play a different video when triggered by an optional push-button or motion sensor. Build an interactive digital signage display, art gallery or museum on-demand video player, or a Halloween special effect in just a few steps. Push-button and motion sensors sold separately.
- 【MEDIA FORMAT SUPPORT】 - Video: MP4, MKV, AVI, TS/TP, MOV, VOB, and M2TS files using H.265/HEVC, H.264/AVC, VC1, or MPEG2/4 codecs, up to 1920x1080p@60fps, 10-bit color, and 100mbps. Photos: JPG, JPEG, BMP, GIF (non-animated), PNG. Music: MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, APE, AAC
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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