To loop a prerecorded video on YouTube Live with OBS, run OBS on a cloud desktop, add the video as an OBS Media Source, turn on Loop, then connect OBS to the stream URL and key from YouTube Live Control Room. The cloud desktop keeps OBS running without relying on your home computer, but it is not a plug-and-play guarantee of uninterrupted streaming: test your exact video, scene, encoder and runtime, and monitor YouTube’s stream health.
What you need before you start
- A YouTube channel with live streaming enabled. YouTube says first-time enablement may take up to 24 hours.
- A cloud desktop you can access remotely, with a supported operating system and enough graphics and encoding capability for your chosen OBS settings.
- The prerecorded video file, available on the cloud desktop for the full planned run.
- OBS Studio installed on that desktop.
- The stream URL and stream key from YouTube Live Control Room. Treat the key like a password: do not share it or expose it in screenshots or logs.
There is no universal cloud-desktop size that guarantees a smooth OBS stream. OBS requirements depend on the encoder, resolution, frame rate and scene complexity. The cloud providers’ workstation descriptions establish that GPU-backed desktop options exist; they do not certify a particular configuration for OBS or nonstop use. Test the setup you intend to run.
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Choose and prepare the cloud desktop
Compare cloud desktops on the properties that affect this workload, not just the advertised GPU: Windows and OBS support, hardware-encoder availability, outbound network stability, remote-access recovery, file and configuration persistence after a stop or rebuild, shutdown controls, regional availability and total cost for your runtime.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchAWS documents Windows 10/11 and Windows Server virtual desktop options in its Research and Engineering Studio module, and GPU-backed G4 instances for graphics-intensive applications and remote workstations. Google Cloud documents GPU-accelerated Windows workstations. These are general capabilities, not OBS performance recommendations. See AWS Research and Engineering Studio virtual desktop module, AWS G4 instances and Google Cloud Windows workstation guidance.
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- Provision a desktop configuration with an operating system and graphics/encoding setup suitable for your intended OBS workload. Confirm that you can reconnect to it remotely.
- Install OBS from its official distribution and open it once to confirm it launches.
- Transfer the video file to the remote desktop. OBS Media Source uses a local file path, so confirm the file remains accessible for the full run. Do not assume a disk or mounted cloud storage persists through every provider stop or rebuild workflow; check the provider’s configuration.
- Review the provider’s shutdown and autostop settings. Make sure a scheduled stop will not end the broadcast, and understand what happens to files and OBS settings if the machine is stopped or rebuilt.
Enable YouTube Live and create the stream
- If this is the channel’s first encoder stream, enable live streaming in YouTube Studio early. YouTube says activation may take up to 24 hours.
- Open YouTube Studio → Create → Go Live, then create or select a stream in Live Control Room.
- Check the stream’s visibility, audience and scheduling settings before you broadcast. YouTube notes that default privacy may depend on the account holder’s age; creators can change the privacy setting.
- Copy the stream URL and stream key shown for the selected stream. Keep the key private. Use the same stream’s details in OBS; a mismatched key or endpoint prevents the encoder from connecting.
Follow YouTube’s current setup instructions at YouTube’s guide to live streaming with an encoder.
Make a looping scene in OBS
- Open OBS and select or create a scene for the broadcast.
- In the Sources panel, choose + → Media Source. Name it, choose the video file on the cloud desktop, and enable Loop.
- Check Restart playback when source becomes active if you want the video to start from the beginning whenever the source becomes active. Set Show nothing when playback ends according to the scene behavior you want; with Loop enabled, playback should restart when the file reaches its end.
- Check the OBS preview for framing and confirm that the video’s audio is present and at a suitable level. Add overlays or other sources only if needed, since scene complexity affects the workload.
- Let the video play through its end once during testing. Confirm that it restarts and that both picture and audio continue as intended.
OBS Media Source supports local video and audio files; listed examples include MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF and WebM. Consult OBS Media Sources documentation if a file does not load.
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Connect OBS to YouTube and set stream output
- In OBS, open Settings → Stream. Select YouTube if it is available, or choose the custom server option and enter the stream URL supplied by YouTube.
- Enter the matching stream key. Do not put the key into a public scene, overlay, screenshot or shared log.
- Open Settings → Output and choose an encoder and bitrate that the cloud desktop can sustain. YouTube recommends CBR and a keyframe interval of two seconds, and says not to exceed four seconds. Its encoder-settings page provides bitrate guidance by resolution; for example, YouTube lists 2 Mbps as the recommended video bitrate for 720p at 30 fps. Check the current table for your chosen resolution and frame rate rather than applying that example to other settings.
- In Settings → Video, select the output resolution and frame rate for the stream. Choose settings that match the source and the desktop’s tested encoding and network capability; higher resolution or frame rate increases workload and bitrate needs.
- Use RTMPS where available. YouTube says, “We recommend streaming to YouTube Live with RTMPS, a secure extension to the popular RTMP streaming video protocol.”
See YouTube’s encoder settings and bitrate guidance. For OBS compatibility and performance, the OBS Project recommends trying Tools → Auto-Configuration Wizard; its system requirements page cautions that a compatible system does not guarantee it can stream or record with OBS. See OBS system requirements.
Run a full preflight before announcing the stream
- Use the exact scene, video, audio and output settings you plan to use. A still test image or a short low-motion clip may not reveal problems in a more demanding real broadcast.
- Start OBS streaming and check YouTube Live Control Room for the incoming signal and stream-health messages.
- Watch representative motion and listen to the audio. Confirm the loop restarts cleanly, the image is not dropping frames, and the connection can sustain the selected bitrate.
- If YouTube reports problems, lower the output load or bitrate, revisit the encoder choice, and repeat the test. Use the OBS Auto-Configuration Wizard as a starting point, not as a substitute for testing the real scene.
- Before going public, recheck visibility, audience and schedule settings in Live Control Room.
YouTube recommends a connection speed appropriate to the selected bitrate, testing with representative audio and movement, and monitoring stream health during the broadcast. Its guidance is at YouTube’s encoder settings page.
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Plan for interruptions and long broadcasts
A cloud desktop removes the need to keep a home computer on, but OBS, the desktop session, network connection and YouTube ingest can still encounter failures. OBS has automatic reconnect settings; configure and test them, and arrange a way to check both the remote session and YouTube health. Reconnect is not a promise that every failure will recover automatically.
YouTube automatically archives streams under 12 hours. That does not establish that longer broadcasts will be archived, nor that a loop or stream will continue indefinitely. Plan monitoring and recovery for the intended duration. OBS’s overview documents reconnect options at OBS Studio overview; YouTube’s archive limit is described at YouTube’s live-stream archiving guidance.
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Troubleshooting common problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check or do |
|---|---|---|
| OBS cannot connect to YouTube | Live streaming is not enabled, or the stream URL/key does not match the selected YouTube stream. | Confirm channel live-stream access, select the intended stream in Live Control Room, and enter that stream’s exact endpoint and key in OBS. First-time channel enablement may take up to 24 hours. |
| Video plays once and stops | The Media Source’s Loop option is off, or the wrong source/file is configured. | Open the Media Source properties, verify the file path and enable Loop; test through the end of the file. |
| Media Source is blank or missing | The remote desktop cannot access the local file path, or the format/file is not loading. | Confirm the file exists on the cloud desktop, the source points to its current path, and the format is supported. Re-select the file if it was moved. |
| Playback is choppy or OBS struggles | The encoder, resolution, frame rate or scene exceeds the desktop’s practical capacity. | Run the Auto-Configuration Wizard, simplify the scene, reduce resolution or frame rate, or use another encoding configuration. Re-test the exact workload; a GPU product description alone does not establish OBS performance. |
| YouTube shows poor stream health | The outbound connection may not sustain the chosen bitrate, or output settings may not match YouTube’s guidance. | Check the current YouTube bitrate guidance for your resolution and frame rate, use CBR and the recommended two-second keyframe interval (no more than four seconds), and test again with representative motion. |
| Stream ends when you leave or return to the desktop | A provider shutdown/autostop rule, session loss or machine rebuild may have stopped OBS or removed access to its media. | Review runtime and shutdown settings, verify file persistence, reconnect to the desktop and check OBS plus YouTube Live Control Room. Do not assume session reconnection restores the broadcast. |
| Long broadcast is not archived as expected | The planned stream duration exceeds YouTube’s stated automatic-archive range. | YouTube states that streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. Do not rely on this statement as an archive guarantee for a longer stream. |
Or let it run in the cloud
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Quick Recap
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