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To keep a YouTube Live broadcast running after a video ends, loop the video in your encoder. In OBS, enable Loop on a single Media Source, or enable Loop Playlist on a VLC Video source. YouTube’s Auto-stop setting does not replay a finished file; it controls what happens after the encoder stops sending content.
Why the broadcast ends when the video file finishes
There are three separate parts: the media file, the encoder that plays and sends it, and the YouTube broadcast that receives the encoder’s video. YouTube does not replay a local file when playback reaches its end. The encoder must keep producing and sending content for the broadcast to continue. YouTube Help’s encoder guide says to end a stream, stop sending content from the encoder: YouTube encoder streaming guide.
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Auto-stop is not a looping control. It governs whether YouTube ends the broadcast after the encoder stops transmitting. Google’s Live Streaming API documentation says that, when automatic stop is enabled, YouTube ends the broadcast about a minute after video transmission stops: Live Streaming API broadcast lifecycle.
Loop one prerecorded video in OBS
- In OBS, select the scene containing the video.
- In the Sources list, select the video’s Media Source and open its properties.
- Enable Loop, then apply the change. If the installed OBS version uses a different label or layout, check the Media Source properties for its playback-at-end controls.
- Start or continue the encoder stream. In YouTube Live Control Room, confirm that the incoming stream remains active and that the video resumes from the beginning when the file reaches its end.
OBS documents Media Source playback controls, including behavior when playback ends, in its Media Sources documentation.
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Loop a playlist in OBS
- Install VLC if it is not already installed. OBS requires VLC for the VLC Video source; 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
- In OBS, select the scene for the stream and add a VLC Video source.
- Open the source properties, add the video files you want in the playlist, and enable Loop Playlist.
- Start or continue streaming and check YouTube Live Control Room to verify the encoder is still sending video as the playlist repeats.
OBS describes Loop Playlist as restarting the source after it runs out of media files. See the OBS Media Sources documentation for the source options.
Choose the right OBS source
| Need | OBS source | What to enable | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repeat one file | Media Source | Loop | Check the installed version’s source properties if the control is labeled differently. |
| Play several files in sequence and repeat them | VLC Video | Loop Playlist | VLC must be installed; 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. |
Keep YouTube’s automatic controls in their proper role
YouTube’s Auto-start and Auto-stop options let the encoder start or stop a broadcast. They do not restart a finished local file. Set up looping in the encoder, then use YouTube Live Control Room to monitor the incoming stream. If the encoder stops sending video, fix the source or encoder first; changing Auto-stop cannot make the file play again.
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Troubleshoot a stream that still ends or goes blank
- The stream ends at the same point each time: Reopen the source properties and verify that Loop is enabled for a Media Source or Loop Playlist for a VLC Video source.
- The broadcast stays live, but the image disappears: Check the source’s playback and visibility options. OBS documents controls that can stop or hide media playback when it finishes or when the source is not visible.
- VLC Video is missing from the source list: Install VLC. Match its architecture to OBS: 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
- YouTube reports that the stream ended: Check whether the encoder is still sending content and whether the source is playing. YouTube’s automatic stop can end the broadcast after transmission ceases.
Plan for a long broadcast
Looping keeps the encoder supplied with video; it does not change YouTube’s archiving rules. YouTube’s encoder help says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. Treat that as an archival detail, not a way to restart a file or keep a stream alive after the encoder stops.
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