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Use OBS Studio on the spare Windows PC: add the sermon recording as a Media Source, turn on Loop, connect OBS to a YouTube Live stream with its server URL and stream key, then check the preview before clicking Go live. The PC must remain awake and connected for the stream to continue, so test the full setup before relying on it for a service.
Before you set up the stream
Check that the channel can go live
In YouTube Studio, open Create → Go live and confirm the channel is eligible. YouTube requires channel verification and no live-streaming restrictions in the preceding 90 days; first-time enablement can take up to 24 hours. Complete this well before the service. See YouTube’s encoder setup guidance and live streaming tips.
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Check the PC and recording
OBS lists Windows 10 and Windows 11 as supported, with a DirectX 10.1-compatible GPU as a basic requirement. That baseline does not guarantee a particular PC can encode your chosen resolution and frame rate. Run OBS’s Auto-Configuration Wizard, then test the actual machine with the sermon file and intended settings. OBS’s system requirements explain the performance caveat.
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Keep the recording locally accessible and confirm that its video and audio play correctly. OBS Media Source supports MP4 among other formats. If the sermon includes music, images, or other material not created by the church, verify the relevant permissions and licenses for livestreaming and any archive; having a copy does not itself establish streaming rights.
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Set up a looping sermon in OBS
- Install and open OBS Studio. Run the Auto-Configuration Wizard, choosing settings appropriate to the PC and connection rather than assuming the highest output quality will work.
- Create a scene. In the Scenes panel, add a scene for the sermon stream.
- Add the recording. In Sources, select + → Media Source. Name it, select the local sermon file, and enable Loop. OBS describes this option as specifying whether the file plays again once playback has completed. Resize or fit the source in the preview so it fills the canvas as intended. See OBS Media Sources documentation.
- For a playlist, use the VLC source instead. Add a VLC Video source, select the files, and enable playlist looping. VLC must be installed; 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. For a single recording, Media Source avoids this extra dependency.
- Check the scene and audio. Play the source in OBS and inspect the preview. Confirm the image is not cropped or stretched unexpectedly and that the sermon audio is audible at a suitable level.
Connect OBS to YouTube Live
- Create or select the event. In YouTube Studio, choose Create → Go live, then create a stream or select one already scheduled. Choose the visibility and scheduling options appropriate for the church’s event.
- Copy the ingest details. In the Live Control Room, copy the stream server URL and stream key. In OBS, open Settings → Stream, select YouTube if offered for the workflow, and enter the supplied details; if using a custom server option, paste the URL and key into their respective fields. YouTube’s instructions are to enter the server URL and key in the encoder.
- Protect the key. Treat the stream key like a password: anyone with it may be able to send a feed to the stream. If it is exposed, reset it in YouTube’s Live Control Room. See Manage live stream settings.
- Start the encoder, not the public event. Click Start Streaming in OBS. Wait for the Live Control Room preview to appear and check the stream health. Click Go live in YouTube only after the feed looks and sounds right. The encoder connection and YouTube’s event are separate steps.
Choose settings the PC and connection can sustain
For an ordinary SDR sermon loop using H.264 over RTMP or RTMPS, YouTube recommends CBR and a 2-second keyframe interval; keyframes should not exceed 4 seconds. YouTube’s encoder table lists 5 Mbps video bitrate as its recommended setting for 1080p at 30 fps. These are YouTube’s reference recommendations, not a guarantee that a particular older PC or internet connection can sustain them. Consult YouTube’s encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions.
- Use a resolution and frame rate the PC can encode smoothly and the connection can upload reliably.
- Test the upload bitrate and choose a stable setting with headroom instead of matching the connection’s best-case speed.
- Use RTMPS when available for encrypted ingestion. HLS supports different workflows and codecs and has higher latency; it is not needed for this basic RTMP/RTMPS setup.
- Watch OBS and YouTube’s stream health during a test. If frames drop or the preview stutters, reduce output demands and test again.
Test, run, and end the stream
Do a realistic test first
Run a private or unlisted test with the same PC, network, OBS scene, audio, and output settings planned for the service. Check the Live Control Room preview, stream health, picture, and sound. YouTube recommends testing before going live and monitoring audio and video during the event; its live streaming tips also advise setting up the encoder well ahead of the scheduled start.
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Keep Windows awake and the network available
A spare PC is still the encoder, so it must stay powered on, awake, and connected throughout the broadcast. Review Windows power and sleep timeouts; on a laptop, check what closing the lid does. Settings labels vary by Windows version and device. Microsoft describes configurable screen and sleep timeouts and lid actions in its Windows power guidance.
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When the loop is finished, end the event in YouTube and stop streaming in OBS. YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived; do not assume an event at or above that duration will be archived automatically. See Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder.
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Troubleshooting common failures
- OBS connects but YouTube shows no preview: Check that OBS is streaming to the correct server URL and current stream key, and that the right event is open in the Live Control Room. Wait for the preview before selecting Go live.
- The sermon stops at the end instead of restarting: Edit the Media Source properties and enable Loop. For a VLC playlist, confirm playlist looping is enabled.
- The image or audio stutters: Test at a lower resolution, frame rate, or bitrate. Check OBS’s performance and YouTube stream health; the PC’s baseline compatibility does not guarantee it can handle a demanding output.
- The stream ends when nobody is at the PC: Review sleep and power settings, laptop lid behavior, and network continuity. A local-PC workflow depends on the computer and connection remaining available.
- The channel cannot start a live stream: Confirm verification and eligibility, and allow time for first-time live access to be enabled. Do not wait until service time to discover that activation is pending.
- The key may have been exposed: Reset the stream key in YouTube’s Live Control Room, then update OBS with the replacement.
- A rights claim or restriction appears: Check the rights for the sermon recording, music, images, and other included material with the rights holder or licensing administrator. A church’s license may not cover every livestream, archive, territory, or use.
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