To loop a local video on YouTube Live from a Mac, copy your stream key from YouTube Studio, enter it in OBS Studio under Settings > Stream, add the file as an OBS Media Source, and turn on Loop. Start OBS streaming and verify the incoming preview in YouTube’s Live Control Room before making a scheduled broadcast public.
Before you start: check YouTube Live access
Your YouTube channel must be verified and must not have a live-streaming restriction in the preceding 90 days. In YouTube Studio, choose Create > Go Live to open the Live Control Room. YouTube’s current eligibility and setup guidance is in its live streaming tips and encoder instructions.
Have the local video file ready and confirm that your Mac can play it. OBS’s Media Source documentation lists supported formats including MP4 and MOV, but decoding depends on the file and system. If you are unsure whether the complete setup will work, test the actual file and audio before scheduling a broadcast.
Find and protect your YouTube stream key
- In YouTube Studio, open Create > Go Live, then select the Stream tab in the Live Control Room.
- Create a stream or select an existing stream and its key. YouTube supports custom keys for reuse; the screen and available choices can vary by account.
- Copy the displayed stream key. YouTube describes stream keys as “like your YouTube stream’s password and address.” Do not post it, share it in public chat, or include it in a screenshot.
If someone else may have seen the key, reset it in the Live Control Room and replace the old value in OBS. Resetting a key requires channel owner or manager permission. See YouTube’s live stream settings guidance.
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Enter the stream key in OBS Studio on macOS
- Open OBS Studio and choose OBS Studio > Settings from the macOS menu bar, then select Stream.
- If YouTube is available as a service, select it and follow the displayed connection options. Otherwise, choose the option to use a custom server, enter YouTube’s server URL, and paste the key into Stream Key. YouTube’s encoder instructions provide the server URL; OBS’s overview guide describes the service, server, and key fields.
- Use RTMPS when it is offered. RTMPS is RTMP transported over TLS/SSL, which encrypts the connection to YouTube. Follow the server and connection details shown for your stream; YouTube explains the setup in its RTMPS guide.
- Click Apply or OK to save the settings. Keep the key private in OBS as you would any account credential.
OBS and YouTube can change interface labels between versions. The important destination is OBS’s Settings > Stream page and the corresponding YouTube service or server-and-key fields.
Add a video and make it loop
- In OBS, select the scene you will use for the broadcast. In the Sources dock, click + and choose Media Source.
- Name the source if you want, then select the local video file in its properties.
- Enable Loop in the Media Source properties and confirm the change.
- Check the OBS preview. Resize or position the source so it fits the canvas as intended, and check that the expected audio is present.
A regular Media Source is the simpler choice for one file. For several files, OBS’s VLC Video source supports a playlist and a Loop Playlist option, but requires VLC to be installed. See OBS’s Media Sources documentation for source behavior and supported formats.
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Set quality and test the stream before going live
In OBS, open Settings > Output and Settings > Video to review encoder output and canvas settings. For YouTube encoder streams, YouTube recommends constant bitrate (CBR) and a 2-second keyframe interval; do not exceed 4 seconds. The appropriate bitrate depends on the resolution and frame rate you choose, as well as the upload capacity and stability of your connection. Use YouTube’s current encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions guidance for the target format rather than applying one bitrate to every stream.
- Start streaming in OBS, but do not assume that OBS showing an active connection means the public broadcast is ready.
- Return to the YouTube Live Control Room and wait for the incoming preview. Check the video, framing, audio, and stream health.
- For a scheduled event, use the Live Control Room’s Go live control when you are ready to make it public. For a first broadcast, OBS recommends a short test stream or recording; YouTube also recommends testing and monitoring the stream. See the OBS Quick Start Guide and YouTube live streaming tips.
Do not use a scene capture source simply to show a local file: a Media Source plays the file directly. macOS 13 and newer use OBS’s macOS Screen Capture source for screen capture, but that source is not needed for this local-video workflow.
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End the broadcast cleanly
To end an encoder stream, stop sending content from OBS. For a scheduled stream, use the Live Control Room’s End Stream control as appropriate, then confirm the YouTube broadcast has ended before closing OBS. YouTube says some streams under 12 hours are automatically archived; archive behavior is not guaranteed for every workflow or future policy. See YouTube’s encoder instructions.
Troubleshooting: OBS is not reaching YouTube or the loop is wrong
- YouTube does not receive a signal: Check that OBS is using the correct YouTube service or server URL and that the key matches the selected stream. If you reset the key, update OBS with the replacement. Check the Live Control Room for its incoming preview.
- The key is rejected or may be exposed: Copy the key again from the selected stream. If it was shared or shown publicly, reset it in YouTube Studio and replace it in OBS; you need owner or manager permission to reset it.
- The video appears only once: Open the Media Source properties and confirm Loop is enabled. For multiple files, verify the playlist and Loop Playlist setting in VLC Video, and confirm VLC is installed.
- The preview is blank, cropped, or incorrectly framed: Confirm the source points to the intended local file and adjust its size and position in the OBS canvas. Check the file in a media player if OBS cannot decode it.
- The stream has no audio or the wrong audio: Play the file in OBS and inspect the audio meters and monitoring/output settings. Check the Live Control Room preview before going public; audio routing and file decoding can vary by setup.
- The stream drops or looks unstable: Check the Mac’s available capacity and the stability of its internet upload connection. If the stream is not stable at the chosen quality, reduce the target resolution, frame rate, or bitrate according to YouTube’s encoder guidance, then test again.
- The YouTube preview does not arrive promptly: Leave OBS running while YouTube receives the encoder signal, verify the stream settings, and allow time for the Live Control Room to show the preview before starting a scheduled broadcast.
Copyright and YouTube policy checks for a video loop
Only stream video and audio that you have permission to use. A video being prerecorded, repeatedly played, or uploaded by you does not itself establish the rights to its music, footage, or other material. Review YouTube’s applicable copyright requirements and channel rules before broadcasting, and do not treat a successful OBS connection as approval of the content.
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