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How to Loop Multiple Videos in OBS Without a Transition Gap on YouTube

Use an OBS VLC Video Source playlist with Loop Playlist enabled. For cleaner joins, test a combined file in Media Source with Loop enabled before going live.
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To loop multiple videos in OBS, add a VLC Video Source to your scene, load the clips in order, and enable Loop Playlist. That repeats the playlist, but OBS does not promise that separate files will join without a frame or audio gap. If a boundary is not clean, combine the clips into one continuous file and play it through a Media Source with Loop enabled, then test the result before going live.

Set up an OBS playlist that repeats

  1. Install VLC with the same architecture as OBS. If you use 64-bit OBS, install 64-bit VLC. Without VLC, the VLC Video Source may not be available in OBS. See OBS’s media sources documentation.
  2. Add the playlist source. In your OBS scene, select the add-source button, choose VLC Video Source, and add the video files to its playlist in the order you want. Leave Shuffle Playlist off for a fixed sequence. OBS lists Shuffle Playlist as off by default, but check the source properties rather than relying on defaults saved in an existing scene.
  3. Enable looping. In the VLC Video Source properties, turn on Loop Playlist. OBS lists it as on by default; confirm the setting in your source. The playlist should restart at the first item after the last one finishes.
  4. Check both kinds of boundary. Play the playlist through each change between files and through the end-to-start restart. Look and listen for a black flash, pause, missing frame, or audio break. A playlist loop setting ensures repetition; it is not a guarantee of gapless playback.

What to do if a clip boundary has a gap

If the VLC playlist pauses or flashes between files, try making the clips into one continuous media file, then use an OBS Media Source for that file and enable Loop. OBS documents Media Source looping a local file after playback completes. Joining the clips removes the need for OBS to switch between separate playlist items, so it is a reasonable workaround to test—but it is not a universal guarantee of seamless playback. Verify the joined file on the computer and OBS setup you will use for the broadcast.

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Check the end-to-start point as well as the joins inside the combined file. Looping a single file repeats it, but the documentation does not certify frame-accurate or audio-sample-accurate continuity at the restart. The source documentation describes the controls, not a gapless-playback standard. Results can depend on the files, codecs, operating system, OBS release, and hardware decoder.

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Why changing the OBS transition may not help

OBS scene transitions apply when switching between scenes; built-in options include Cut and Fade. A VLC playlist changing from one file to the next is a boundary within a media source, not a scene change. Selecting Cut therefore does not establish that the playlist will play its files without a gap. Keep the source boundary and scene transition as separate troubleshooting questions. See OBS’s overview of scenes and sources.

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Connect OBS to YouTube Live and test the broadcast

  1. In YouTube Live Control Room, set up the stream and get its server URL and stream key. In OBS, open Settings > Stream, choose YouTube as the service, and enter or connect the stream details. YouTube’s encoder setup guide explains the encoder-based workflow.
  2. Start streaming from OBS so the encoder feed reaches YouTube, then inspect the Live Control Room preview before starting the public broadcast. YouTube advises testing before streaming and checking the preview and stream health.
  3. Test the exact playlist or joined file you intend to use, including its audio and motion. Watch and listen at every file boundary and at the loop restart, then monitor stream health and audio/video quality during the broadcast. YouTube’s live-streaming tips cover testing and monitoring.

Choose YouTube encoder settings for the stream

OBS’s media-source loop settings and YouTube’s encoding requirements solve different problems: correct bitrate or resolution will not make a playlist boundary gapless. For encoder configuration, use YouTube’s current live encoder settings, bitrate, and resolution guidance for your chosen resolution, frame rate, and codec. It covers RTMP/RTMPS, supported video codecs, frame rates up to 60 fps, bitrate ranges, and a recommended two-second keyframe frequency with a four-second maximum. Make sure your upload capacity can sustain the selected settings.

Even if the local OBS preview looks continuous, viewers may experience buffering. YouTube defines stream latency as the delay from capture and encoding to playback; lower latency can mean more playback buffering. Local source continuity and delivery to a viewer are separate parts of the chain. See YouTube’s latency guidance.

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Troubleshoot gaps, flashes, and playback problems

Symptom What to check Practical fix
VLC Video Source is missing Whether VLC is installed and whether its architecture matches OBS. Install VLC matching OBS’s architecture; for 64-bit OBS, use 64-bit VLC.
Playlist order changes unexpectedly Shuffle Playlist in the VLC Video Source properties. Turn Shuffle Playlist off and confirm the clip order.
Playlist stops after the last clip Loop Playlist in the source properties. Enable Loop Playlist and test through the end of the list.
Black flash, pause, or audio break between files The actual file-to-file boundary in the local OBS preview; OBS documentation does not identify a single cause for a particular setup. Test the clips as a joined continuous file using Media Source with Loop enabled. Check the joins and the restart before broadcasting.
Cut transition does not remove the gap Whether the issue is inside a playlist source rather than a switch between scenes. Adjust or test the media source itself; scene Cut controls scene switching, not playlist file changes.
Local playback looks clean, but viewers report buffering YouTube preview, stream health, upload capacity, and the selected latency setting. Monitor the live feed and encoding health. Treat viewer-side buffering as a delivery issue distinct from the local media boundary.
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Or let it run in the cloud

If your goal is to keep a YouTube channel live with uploaded videos, StreamNeo is an alternative to running OBS on a computer: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. The cloud loops the uploaded videos, so nothing has to stay on at home. It accepts uploads as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot; it automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly: $9.99 per month.

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