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First identify what stopped: a video file finishing, OBS losing its connection, and YouTube ending the broadcast are different problems. For a finite local video that should repeat, open its OBS Media Source properties and enable Loop. If the YouTube broadcast itself ends, check the event’s auto-stop setting in YouTube Live Control Room; if OBS reports a disconnection, investigate the encoder connection instead.
Identify which part of the stream stopped
A source can stop playing while OBS continues sending output. OBS can lose its connection while a source continues playing. YouTube can also end a broadcast when the encoder stops, depending on the event settings. The title alone does not establish which occurred, so check OBS and YouTube before changing settings.
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- OBS still says it is streaming and YouTube Live Control Room is receiving data: inspect the source’s playback settings.
- OBS reports a dropped connection or reconnect attempt: investigate the output connection and OBS reconnect settings.
- YouTube reports that the event ended: inspect the Live Control Room controls and how the event was started or stopped.
OBS’s Media Sources documentation describes playback controls for media sources; its overview guide covers Automatic Reconnect. YouTube documents broadcast controls in Manage live stream settings.
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Media Source: enable Loop
- In OBS, select the scene containing the video and locate its Media Source in the Sources list.
- Open the source properties.
- Enable Loop and apply the change.
- Test playback and confirm that the file begins again when it reaches the end.
Loop is the setting for repeating a finite file. Restart playback when source becomes active serves a different purpose: it restarts playback when the source becomes active in the current scene and visible. It is useful if you hide the source or switch scenes and want playback to begin again when it returns, but it does not replace Loop for continuous repetition.
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Understand the other end-of-playback options
- Show nothing when playback ends hides the source after its file completes. It does not, by itself, mean OBS must stop sending the stream.
- Close file when inactive unloads the file when its source is hidden or off the current scene. It may take time to reload when shown again.
These controls affect the source’s playback or visibility, not YouTube’s broadcast start/stop behavior.
VLC Video source: check playlist behavior
A VLC Video source has playlist controls distinct from a single Media Source. OBS lists Loop Playlist as on by default, along with a Visibility Behaviour setting that can continue, pause, or stop playback when the source is not visible. Check those settings if you use VLC Video rather than Media Source. VLC must be installed; 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
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Check YouTube’s auto-stop and event workflow
Inspect the event’s auto-stop setting
- Open YouTube Studio and go to the event in Live Control Room.
- Inspect its auto-start and auto-stop settings, especially if the event uses reused stream settings.
- If auto-stop is on, YouTube says the encoder can stop the stream. Reusing stream settings copies the auto-stop selection, so verify it on the event rather than assuming it reset.
YouTube’s documented wording is: “When these settings are on, you can start or stop streaming from your encoder.” This applies to auto-start and auto-stop for encoder/mobile streams, not webcam streams. See Manage live stream settings.
For a scheduled stream, complete the Go live step
For an encoder-based scheduled broadcast, YouTube’s workflow can require you to select Go live in Live Control Room after the preview appears. Confirm the event is actually live rather than assuming that an active encoder connection has started the broadcast. See Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder.
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End the encoder stream deliberately
YouTube’s encoder workflow also covers ending the stream from the encoder. If the event should remain live, do not stop the encoder output as part of source troubleshooting; first establish whether the source, connection, or broadcast is the issue.
If OBS output disconnected, check reconnect settings
OBS’s Automatically Reconnect option is under Settings > Advanced. It concerns a disconnected streaming output; it cannot make a local file loop or restore a media source that is unavailable. Configure it for your connection, then test the event and observe whether OBS resumes output after a disconnection. OBS’s overview guide identifies Automatic Reconnect among Advanced settings.
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YouTube recommends testing encoder streams, monitoring stream health, and testing failover for encoder-based events. Treat failover as broader event-resilience preparation, not as a fix for a video file that has ended. See YouTube live streaming tips.
Troubleshoot by symptom
| What you observe | Control or check | What it addresses |
|---|---|---|
| A local video finishes | Media Source Loop | Repeats that file after playback completes. |
| A source returns after being hidden or scene-switched | Restart playback when source becomes active | Restarts playback when the source becomes active and visible. |
| OBS output disconnects | OBS Automatically Reconnect under Settings > Advanced | Attempts to restore a disconnected output connection. |
| YouTube broadcast stops when the encoder stops | Live Control Room auto-stop | Controls whether the encoder can stop the broadcast. |
| A scheduled broadcast is not live despite encoder activity | Live Control Room event workflow | Check whether the event needs the Go live action after preview appears. |
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