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How to Keep a Prerecorded YouTube Stream Live After Closing Your Browser

Closing your browser does not stop a live stream sent by OBS—but OBS and its computer must keep running. Here’s how to loop a prerecorded video and confirm YouTube is live.
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Yes—once YouTube is receiving your stream and any required Go live step is complete, you can close the browser. But closing the browser does not keep the stream running by itself: with a local setup, OBS and the computer running it must remain powered on and connected to the internet. The browser is the control room; the encoder sends the video feed to YouTube.

What must stay on after you close the browser?

YouTube receives the live feed from an encoder, such as OBS, rather than from the Live Control Room browser tab. That means closing the tab does not stop a connected encoder. It also does not make local playback independent of the computer: OBS, the computer, power, and internet connection must continue working for the feed to reach YouTube. This distinction follows from YouTube’s documented encoder workflow: Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder.

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  • Browser: used to configure and monitor the broadcast, and sometimes to perform a manual Go live action.
  • Encoder: sends the video and audio feed to YouTube.
  • Local playback: if OBS is playing a file on your computer, the computer and OBS need to stay on, awake, and connected.

Set up a prerecorded video to loop in OBS

  1. Create the YouTube encoder stream. In YouTube Studio, open Live Control Room and create or schedule an encoder stream. Set its title, visibility, and other stream details. YouTube’s setup guidance is at Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder.
  2. Copy the stream URL and key. YouTube uses these to connect an encoder to the stream. Keep the key private: YouTube describes stream keys as being like the stream’s password and address in Manage live stream settings.
  3. Add the video in OBS. Add a Media Source and point it to the prerecorded file. Enable Loop in the source settings. If you are using OBS’s VLC Video source with a playlist instead, enable Loop Playlist; OBS says VLC must be installed for that source. See OBS Media Sources.
  4. Connect OBS to YouTube. Use OBS’s YouTube service integration or configure it with YouTube’s server URL and stream key. For protocol and output guidance, consult YouTube’s encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions.
  5. Check the feed before relying on it. Start the encoder and confirm that YouTube’s Live Control Room preview shows video and audio correctly. Check the stream status before proceeding.
  6. Complete the launch step. If your scheduled stream requires it, click Go live in YouTube Studio after the encoder preview appears. Depending on the stream settings, auto-start may let the encoder start the stream; verify which workflow applies rather than assuming the browser can be closed before the stream is live. YouTube documents auto-start and auto-stop in Manage live stream settings.
  7. Close the browser only after the stream is live. Keep OBS open and the computer powered, awake, and online. Closing the tab is fine; closing OBS, shutting down or sleeping the computer, or losing the network stops the local encoder from sending the feed.

Encoder settings and channel requirements

Confirm that the channel can stream

YouTube’s live-streaming guidance says the channel must be verified and have no live-streaming restrictions in the preceding 90 days. Check YouTube live streaming tips if you cannot start a stream.

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Choose settings for your actual output

Use YouTube’s recommended settings for the resolution, frame rate, and codec you have selected; there is no single bitrate that applies to every stream. For example, YouTube recommends 5 Mbps for H.264 at 1080p, 30 fps, and 6 Mbps for H.264 at 720p, 30 fps. Its recommendations vary by codec and frame rate, so check the complete encoder settings table for your output. YouTube recommends RTMPS for encrypted delivery.

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Plan long broadcasts around archives and DVR

YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived; a stream exceeding 12 hours may not be captured at all. If a replay matters, keep a local recording as a backup and plan the broadcast duration accordingly. See Archive live streams. DVR rewind may also be limited or unavailable for streams longer than 12 hours, so do not promise viewers they can rewind through a very long broadcast: Turn on DVR on live streams.

What can go wrong—and how to fix it

  • The stream stops when the browser closes: Confirm that OBS is still running and connected. The tab is not the encoder; a local encoder must keep sending.
  • The stream ends when you leave the computer: Check that the computer is not sleeping, shutting down, or losing power. Keep it awake for the whole broadcast.
  • YouTube shows a preview but viewers cannot see the live stream: Check whether the scheduled stream still requires a manual Go live action. Do not close the control room until the stream status confirms that it is live.
  • The video plays once and stops: Reopen the OBS Media Source properties and confirm Loop is enabled. For a VLC playlist, confirm Loop Playlist is enabled and VLC is installed.
  • Video or audio is missing or unstable: Check the Live Control Room preview, the OBS source and audio levels, and your selected encoder settings. Match bitrate to the chosen codec, resolution, and frame rate instead of applying an unrelated preset.
  • The encoder will not connect: Recheck the YouTube server URL and stream key in OBS. Treat the key as a password; if it may have been exposed, manage the stream key in YouTube Studio before reconnecting.
  • The stream cannot be started: Verify channel eligibility and check YouTube Studio for a restriction or setup issue.
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Or let it run in the cloud

If you need the prerecorded stream to continue without leaving your own computer running, StreamNeo runs the playout from the cloud. Upload your video, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. You do not need to keep a home computer or connection on; it supports the video as uploaded up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, and it automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card, and StreamNeo is a YouTube-only cloud service for keeping a channel live from uploaded videos.

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