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For a single video that should repeat in OBS, add it as a Media Source and enable Loop. The separate Restart playback when source becomes active option resets the video to its beginning when the source becomes visible in the current scene; it does not make the video loop. Neither setting guarantees a gapless audiovisual join, so check the clip’s ending and beginning and preview the transition through your intended OBS output.
Choose the setting for the behavior you want
| Setting | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Loop | Replays a local Media Source file after playback completes. It is off by default. | Turn it on when one video should repeat continuously. |
| Restart playback when source becomes active | Restarts playback when the source is in the current scene and visible. It is on by default. | Leave it on if returning to the scene should start the clip over. Turn it off if playback should continue rather than reset when the source becomes active. |
| Close file when inactive | Unloads the media file while the source is hidden or not on the current scene. It is off by default. When shown again, the file may take a short time to reload. | Consider the reload delay before enabling it. |
| Show nothing when playback ends | Hides the source after playback finishes instead of leaving its final frame visible. It is on by default. | It mainly affects one-shot playback; a looping source is intended to repeat. |
These behaviors are separate: a source can loop at the end of its file, and its activation behavior determines what happens when it becomes visible. OBS documents the controls in its Media Sources help page, published January 11, 2022.
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Set up a single video to repeat
- In OBS, add the video as a Media Source in the scene where it should appear.
- Open the Media Source properties and enable Loop.
- Choose whether activating the source should reset playback. Keep Restart playback when source becomes active enabled if each return to the scene should begin at the start; disable it if that reset is not wanted.
- Check Close file when inactive only if its unloading behavior suits your scene. Reopening can briefly leave the source blank while it reloads.
- Inspect the video’s last and first frames and its ending and opening audio. Preview the end-to-start transition in OBS using the scene and output path you intend to use.
OBS’s documented controls specify repeat and activation behavior; they do not promise gapless playback. A visible pause, pop, jump, or mismatch can come from the media’s own boundary or its playback in the actual scene. Do not assume the loop is seamless based on the checkbox alone.
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For a playlist rather than one local file, OBS provides a VLC Video source. Its Loop Playlist control restarts playback when the source runs out of media files and is on by default. Its separate Visibility Behaviour control determines whether playback continues, pauses, or stops while the source is not visible; the documented default is to stop when not visible and restart when visible.
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- VLC Video must be available in OBS. Install VLC; for 64-bit OBS, OBS directs users to install 64-bit VLC.
- Choose playlist looping separately from the visibility policy. A playlist looping at its end does not determine what happens when it is hidden.
- Preview transitions between playlist items as well as the return from the last item to the first if those joins matter to your presentation.
OBS lists Media Source as available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. See the OBS Media Sources documentation for source-specific controls.
A timing edge case when hiding and showing a source
An OBS issue report dated July 29, 2024 describes a particular case in which a source is hidden and shown very soon after its playback-ended event. The report says the graphics thread may not process that visibility change during that interval. Its reproduction notes waited at least 60 frames before controlling visibility; that is a detail of the reported case, not a universal delay requirement. If a rapid hide/show near the end of playback behaves unexpectedly, test with a slower visibility change and check whether the issue is reproducible in your scene. The report is available at OBS Studio issue 11040.
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