If OBS keeps replaying one video, first check that you are using a VLC Video Source, not a Media Source, and that every intended video appears as a separate entry in the VLC playlist. Loop Playlist repeats the entries already in that list; it cannot add videos that were not added.
Why OBS repeats only one video
OBS has two different source types that can look similar in a scene but serve different purposes. A Media Source is configured around an individual media file. A VLC Video Source supports a playlist of media items. If the source is Media Source, looping it will replay that file rather than move through a folder of videos.
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Even with a VLC Video Source, the source can only play the entries actually in its playlist. Selecting a folder or adding a playlist document is not necessarily the same as adding each video as its own item.
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- Check the source type. In the OBS scene, select the source and open its properties. If it is a Media Source, add a VLC Video Source instead: select + in the Sources dock, choose VLC Video Source, and open its properties. OBS requires VLC to be installed for this source type to appear.
- Check the playlist contents. In VLC Video Source properties, inspect the playlist and confirm that each video you expect to play is listed as its own entry. Add any missing media files. If the folder contains playlist documents such as
.xspffiles, verify that the source has the actual intended video entries rather than only a playlist document. - Choose end-of-list behavior. Enable Loop Playlist to restart the list when it runs out of media files. Disable it if you want playback to stop at the end.
- Choose playback order. Leave Shuffle Playlist off to play entries in their listed order; enable it to randomize file order. Shuffle changes order, not which files are included.
- Apply the changes and test. Confirm the visible playlist has multiple entries, then let playback reach the end of one video and transition to the next. This verifies the entries and playback behavior rather than merely confirming that the source can loop.
Make sure VLC matches OBS
OBS requires VLC to be installed to use VLC Video Source. If OBS is 64-bit, OBS documentation specifies that VLC must also be 64-bit. After installing or correcting VLC, reopen OBS and check whether VLC Video Source is available.
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If the playlist still repeats one item
- Only one entry appears: Add the other videos as separate playlist entries. Looping a one-entry playlist will repeat that entry.
- The entry is an
.xspffile: Check whether that playlist document points to the videos you intend to play and whether the VLC Video Source shows the individual media entries you expect. A 2022 OBS issue report described one.xspffile repeating after a directory of.xspffiles was added. The report concerned OBS 27.2.4 on Windows 10 and was closed as not planned; it does not establish that folders or XSPF files fail in all setups. See OBS issue #6513. - Shuffle seems ineffective: Confirm that multiple media files are listed. Shuffle can rearrange existing entries but cannot create additional ones.
- The VLC source option is missing: Install VLC, matching OBS’s architecture. For 64-bit OBS, use 64-bit VLC, then reopen OBS.
- The source has multiple entries but still behaves unexpectedly: Record your OBS version, operating system, exact source type, and the entries shown in the playlist before treating the behavior as a general OBS bug. The cited XSPF report is one specific configuration, not a diagnosis for every repeated-video problem.
Media Source or VLC Video Source?
| Source | Use it for | Playlist behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Media Source | One local media file | Not the playlist-capable source described in OBS documentation |
| VLC Video Source | Multiple media items | Can play listed entries, with options to loop the list or shuffle its order |
OBS’s Media Sources documentation describes the two source types and their settings. The documentation lists Loop Playlist enabled and Shuffle Playlist disabled as implementation defaults; check the actual settings in your source rather than relying on defaults, which may vary by configuration or change over time.
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