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MediaMTX vs OBS: Loop a Prerecorded Video on YouTube Live

OBS has a built-in Media Source Loop setting for prerecorded video. MediaMTX is a stream router and forwarding layer for workflows that need one.
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For a straightforward prerecorded YouTube Live broadcast, use OBS: add the video as a Media Source, enable its Loop setting, make sure the scene has audio, and connect OBS to YouTube. MediaMTX is a media server and router, not a documented substitute for OBS’s local-file loop control. It becomes useful when you need an intermediary to receive, route, or forward a stream.

OBS and MediaMTX do different jobs

OBS plays and composes media sources into a scene, then sends that scene to YouTube. Its Media Source has a Loop property that repeats a file after playback completes. MediaMTX is designed to receive, route, proxy, and forward streams between sources and destinations. The official documentation reviewed here describes those server functions, but does not document a local-file loop setting equivalent to OBS’s.

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That distinction answers the comparison: OBS is the simpler choice when the task is one local prerecorded file looping into YouTube. Add MediaMTX when stream routing, protocol conversion, or forwarding through a server is part of the setup. This is a comparison of documented workflows, not a claim that MediaMTX cannot be paired with software that plays files. See the OBS Media Sources guide and MediaMTX introduction.

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Question OBS direct to YouTube MediaMTX in the workflow
Main role Plays the local media source, composes the scene, and streams it. Receives, routes, or forwards a stream as a media server or proxy.
Where the documented loop control is In the OBS Media Source properties. The reviewed MediaMTX documentation describes routing and forwarding, not an equivalent local-file loop control.
Components for the basic workflow OBS, a local video file, and YouTube connection details. MediaMTX, a publishing client or other stream source, and YouTube forwarding configuration.
Best fit A single machine, prerecorded file, and direct broadcast. A workflow that needs stream routing, protocol conversion, or forwarding separated from the production client.

Loop the video with OBS

  1. Create or open a scene. In OBS, select the scene that should carry the broadcast.
  2. Add the file. In the Sources area, use + and choose Media Source. Select the prerecorded file in the source properties. OBS lists MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF, and WebM among the supported extensions in its Media Sources documentation.
  3. Enable looping. Turn on Loop in the Media Source properties. OBS defines this setting as controlling whether the file plays again when playback completes.
  4. Check picture and sound. Preview the scene and confirm that both video and audio are present. Listen and watch across a loop boundary using the actual file and setup: the documented loop behavior does not guarantee a seamless transition without a pause, black frame, or audio seam.
  5. Connect to YouTube. In YouTube’s live setup, retrieve the current stream URL and stream key, then enter the connection details in OBS’s streaming settings. Keep the key private; do not show it in screenshots or share it. YouTube’s displayed ingest details are the ones to use, rather than an old copied endpoint.
  6. Start and verify the broadcast. Start streaming from OBS and check YouTube’s live interface for the incoming video and audio. Verify that the file continues into another play-through before relying on the setup for an extended broadcast.

OBS’s loop setting addresses playback; it does not by itself establish that the YouTube connection is live. Keeping those two checks separate makes it easier to tell whether a problem is in the file/source or in the ingest connection.

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When MediaMTX belongs in the setup

MediaMTX is relevant when OBS or another source should publish a stream to a server, and that server should then route or forward it. The MediaMTX documentation shows OBS reading a server stream via RTSP and publishing to MediaMTX via RTMP or WHIP; see Read with OBS Studio, Publish streams, and Read streams.

For a MediaMTX-to-YouTube route, its forwarding guide shows a destination configured with a URL and stream key, and recommends RTMPS to encrypt the connection in transit. The example endpoint on that page is explicitly described as the URL YouTube reported when the documentation was last updated, and may no longer be current. Retrieve the current Stream URL and key from YouTube when configuring the route; do not copy a stale example blindly.

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MediaMTX’s guide also warns that YouTube requires both a video and an audio track and silently rejects video-only streams. Make sure the forwarded stream contains audio as well as video. MediaMTX adds a routing layer; it does not remove the need for a source that plays the prerecorded content.

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Keep the loop and YouTube connection reliable

  • No picture or sound at YouTube: confirm the OBS scene is active and the Media Source has the intended file, then check that the scene has audio. For a MediaMTX forwarding workflow, verify that both video and audio reach the forwarding destination.
  • The file plays once and stops: reopen the Media Source properties and confirm Loop is enabled.
  • OBS plays locally but YouTube does not receive the stream: check the current YouTube stream URL and key in the live setup, and compare them with the connection details entered in OBS. Do not reuse a key or endpoint from an old tutorial without confirming it.
  • MediaMTX does not forward to YouTube: inspect the forwarding destination and current YouTube connection details. Use RTMPS as recommended by MediaMTX’s forwarding guide, and confirm the source includes an audio track.
  • A brief seam appears between repeats: OBS documents repeat-after-completion behavior, not gapless playback. Check the file’s ending and beginning and test the actual playback chain; do not assume the transition will be invisible or inaudible.
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