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How to Loop a Folder of Videos in OBS for a 24/7 YouTube Stream

By Freedom251 Team · · 5 min read

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To loop several videos in OBS, install VLC Media Player, add a VLC Video source to your scene, add the files to its playlist, and leave Loop Playlist enabled. That repeats the playlist; it does not keep your computer or internet connection running, or guarantee an uninterrupted YouTube broadcast. The steps below cover both setup and the separate checks needed to send OBS to YouTube Live.

Choose the right OBS source

Need OBS source Loop setting
Play several videos as a playlist VLC Video Loop Playlist restarts the source after it reaches the end of the playlist.
Repeat one video file Media Source Enable that source’s Loop property.

OBS documents these as separate playback options: VLC Video is the playlist source, while Media Source is for a selected media file. See the OBS Project’s Media Sources guide.

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Set up a looping video playlist

  1. Install VLC Media Player. OBS needs VLC’s libraries for the VLC Video source. If you use 64-bit OBS, install 64-bit VLC as well.
  2. Add the playlist source. In OBS, select or create the scene for your broadcast. In the Sources dock, select the add (+) control and choose VLC Video. Name the source if useful and confirm.
  3. Add your videos. In the source properties, add the files as playlist entries. Check that the list contains the intended files and order.
  4. Set playback behavior. Leave Loop Playlist enabled to start again from the beginning after the final item. Enable Shuffle Playlist only if you want playback in randomized order; leave it off to follow the file-list order.
  5. Check source visibility. VLC source playback behavior can pause or stop when the source is not visible. Keep it visible in the live scene, or choose an appropriate visibility behavior if your broadcast switches scenes.
  6. Fit the video in the scene. Select the source in the preview and position or resize it. OBS renders sources higher in the Sources list above those lower down, so put titles, logos, and other overlays above the video.
  7. Test the playlist. Check that video and audio play, that the next file starts, and that playback returns to the first item at the end. For a single file instead, add Media Source and enable its Loop property.

OBS describes Loop Playlist as specifying whether the source restarts after it has run out of media files. The setting repeats playback; it is not an uptime setting.

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Connect OBS to YouTube Live

  1. Check channel eligibility. YouTube says encoder-based live streaming requires a verified channel and no live-streaming restriction in the previous 90 days. See its live streaming tips.
  2. Get the stream URL and key. Open YouTube Live Control Room and use the stream URL and stream key for the broadcast. Treat the key like a password: do not show it in a recording or share it publicly.
  3. Enter the connection details in OBS. In OBS, open Settings and select Stream. Choose YouTube as the service and enter the URL and key from Live Control Room, following the current YouTube and OBS connection prompts.
  4. Set output quality for your connection. Select a resolution, frame rate, codec, and bitrate that your upload connection can sustain. YouTube’s current encoder guidance varies by codec, resolution, and frame rate; for 1080p at 30 fps, it recommends 10 Mbps for H.264 and 14 Mbps for AV1/H.265. Those are YouTube’s recommendations for those specific settings, not a universal bitrate or a guarantee that your connection can maintain them. Check the current encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions before going live.
  5. Start the encoder and verify the preview. Start streaming from OBS, then check the YouTube Live Control Room preview and stream health. Confirm motion, framing, and audio before relying on the broadcast. YouTube advises testing before a live stream and monitoring stream health.

What a 24/7 loop does—and does not—guarantee

A loop only controls what the media source plays. It does not prevent OBS from closing, a computer from sleeping or restarting, a media drive or file from failing, or a network or YouTube connection from dropping. OBS and YouTube document playback and encoder setup separately; neither promises that this configuration will run without interruption. Test the complete setup and plan how you will notice and respond to a failure.

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Plan separately for the saved replay

A live feed and its YouTube archive are different outcomes. YouTube Help says a stream under 12 hours can be automatically archived, but warns that a stream exceeding 12 hours may not be captured at all. Its archive live streams guidance recommends keeping a local archive as backup. YouTube also says DVR rewind may be limited or unavailable for streams longer than 12 hours; see its DVR live stream guidance.

If you need a dependable copy, record locally and verify the recording, or divide the broadcast into planned sessions. Do not assume that a continuous 24-hour YouTube stream will produce a complete replay.

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Troubleshoot common problems

  • VLC Video is missing from the source menu: Install VLC, then restart OBS. If OBS is 64-bit, make sure VLC is 64-bit too.
  • The playlist stops after the final video: Open the VLC Video source properties and check that Loop Playlist is enabled. For one file in Media Source, check its separate Loop property.
  • Files play in an unexpected order: Turn off Shuffle Playlist if you want the listed order.
  • Playback pauses or stops after a scene change: Check whether the VLC source became hidden and review its visibility behavior. Keep it visible in the live scene or configure behavior appropriate to your scene changes.
  • The picture is covered by a logo or title: Reorder the sources. Items higher in the Sources list render above items lower in the list.
  • YouTube does not show the stream: Check channel eligibility, the stream URL and key, OBS’s streaming connection, and the Live Control Room preview. If you reset the key in YouTube, update OBS with the new one.
  • The stream buffers or reports poor health: Test a lower bitrate or less demanding resolution/frame rate that your upload can sustain, then recheck stream health. Use YouTube’s current recommendations for your chosen codec and output settings rather than treating one bitrate as suitable for every setup.
  • The broadcast runs but the replay is missing or incomplete: YouTube may not capture streams over 12 hours, and DVR rewind can also be limited for long broadcasts. Use a local recording or planned sessions if preserving the full program matters.
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24/7 streamingOBS StudioVideo StreamingVLCYouTube Live

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