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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11To repeat a local clip in OBS while its source stays visible, enable Loop in the Media Source properties. Restart playback when source becomes active is a separate setting: it starts the clip from the beginning when the source becomes active in the current scene. Neither setting promises a perfectly gapless loop on YouTube Live.
What the two OBS settings do
| What you want | Setting | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat the same file after it ends | Loop | Replays the file after playback completes. OBS documentation lists this as off by default. OBS Media Sources |
| Start the file from the beginning when its source becomes active | Restart playback when source becomes active | Restarts the file when its source is in the current scene and visible. OBS documentation lists this as on by default. OBS Media Sources |
| Repeat a set of clips | VLC Video source and Loop Playlist | OBS supports playlists through the VLC Video source. VLC must be installed; OBS notes that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. OBS Media Sources |
For a single clip that should keep repeating while visible, Loop is the essential control. Enable the restart option too only if you want the clip to begin again whenever the source becomes active.
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Set up a looping clip in OBS
- In the scene where the clip should appear, add or select a Media Source and open its properties.
- Choose the local video file you want to play.
- Enable Loop so OBS replays the file after it completes. The OBS documentation lists Loop as off by default, so check it rather than assuming it is enabled.
- Choose whether to enable Restart playback when source becomes active. Leave it enabled if activating the source should start the clip from the beginning; disable it if you do not want activation to trigger that restart.
- Apply the properties, then watch the transition at the end of the clip in OBS. Check both the picture and audio in the actual stream output before relying on the loop.
The labels above follow the OBS Media Sources documentation. If your installed version uses different wording or layout, inspect the Media Source properties rather than relying on a remembered default.
Why scene changes can restart or stop playback
Restart-on-activation is tied to the source becoming active, not merely to the file reaching its end. OBS’s FFmpeg Media Source implementation restarts media on activation when that option is enabled and stops playback on deactivation. Hiding the source or leaving the scene can therefore affect playback; the option is not a guarantee that playback continues through every scene change. OBS FFmpeg Media Source implementation
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If you want the clip to restart every time you return to a scene, keep restart-on-activation enabled. If you want to avoid an activation-triggered restart, turn it off and test the behavior you want in your scene arrangement. Loop remains the control for repeating the file at its end.
Does Loop guarantee a seamless YouTube Live boundary?
No gapless-boundary guarantee is stated in the cited OBS documentation. Loop means OBS replays the file after completion; it does not establish that the last frame and first frame, or the final and initial audio samples, will join without a visible or audible pause. Test the actual clip, OBS version, and stream output. A cut or quiet interval can be a property of the media itself as well as the transition between plays.
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Do not confuse the local media-source loop with YouTube’s delivery settings. YouTube’s stream key supplies the encoder’s stream credentials and address, while latency settings affect capture-to-view delay; neither configures how OBS restarts a local file. YouTube Help: Set up your encoder for live streaming
Troubleshoot a clip that does not restart
- The clip plays once and stops: Open the Media Source properties and check that Loop is enabled. Restart-on-activation alone is not the loop switch.
- The clip starts over when you change scenes: Check whether the source becomes inactive and active as you switch scenes, and whether Restart playback when source becomes active is enabled.
- The source is hidden and does not behave as expected: OBS’s implementation stops playback on deactivation; inspect source visibility and scene activation alongside the restart setting.
- An automated hide/show at the exact end misses the restart: A report involving OBS 30.2.0 on Windows 11 described an immediate hide/show failing to restart and a delay of at least one second working for that reporter. This is a version- and platform-specific report, not a universal timing rule or guaranteed fix. OBS issue 10803
- OBS preview looks right but YouTube does not: Separate source playback from stream delivery. Check whether the encoder is connected using the correct YouTube stream key and review the stream output; the key and latency settings do not control local file looping. YouTube Help: Set up your encoder for live streaming
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