# Using a YouTube video as your loading screen background

> Embed a YouTube video as a FiveM loading screen background: the exact embed URL parameters for autoplay, loop and hidden controls, how to cover the screen without black bars, and the limits of YouTube embeds.

Source: https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-loading-screen-youtube-background · FAM Tools · published 2026-09-11 · updated 2026-09-11 · about 10 min

**Short answer.** Embed the video in a full-screen iframe with `autoplay=1&loop=1&playlist=VIDEO_ID&controls=0&modestbranding=1&rel=0&playsinline=1`, scale the iframe with the cover technique so there are no black bars, and disable pointer events so players cannot interact with it. Use a video you own, or one whose owner allows embedding.

## Key points

- Looping a single video needs **both** `loop=1` and `playlist=VIDEO_ID`.
- `controls=0` hides the controls; `pointer-events: none` stops clicks on the player.
- Cover the screen by sizing the iframe to the larger of the two viewport dimensions.
- If the owner disables embedding, the video will not play — use your own uploads.

A YouTube embed is the fastest way to put a trailer behind your loading screen: no encoding, no hosting, and YouTube serves the right quality for each player’s connection. It also comes with rules you do not control — the owner can block embedding, and the player can see YouTube’s own interface if the embed is set up carelessly. Here is how to do it properly.

## YouTube vs a self-hosted video

|  | YouTube embed | Self-hosted WebM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Setup | Paste a video ID | Encode and host a file |
| Bandwidth | YouTube’s | Yours |
| Quality per player | Adaptive | One file for everyone |
| Control | Owner can disable embedding; UI may flash | Complete |
| Start time | Player loads, then buffers | Starts from the first frame |

If your trailer is on your own channel, YouTube is a perfectly good choice. If you need frame-perfect control, a WebM file is better — see [video backgrounds](https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-loading-screen-video-background).

## The embed URL

Everything is controlled by URL parameters on the embed address. Replace `VIDEO_ID` with the part after `v=` in the normal YouTube link.

*index.html*

```html
<div class="yt">
  <iframe
    src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID?autoplay=1&mute=0&loop=1&playlist=VIDEO_ID&controls=0&modestbranding=1&rel=0&playsinline=1&iv_load_policy=3"
    allow="autoplay; encrypted-media"
    frameborder="0"
    title="Background video"></iframe>
</div>
```

| Parameter | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| `autoplay=1` | Starts playing immediately |
| `mute=0` / `mute=1` | Sound on or off |
| `loop=1` + `playlist=VIDEO_ID` | Loops a single video — `loop` alone does nothing |
| `controls=0` | Hides the control bar |
| `rel=0` | Related videos come only from the same channel |
| `playsinline=1` | Plays inline rather than full-screen |
| `iv_load_policy=3` | Hides video annotations |
| `start=30` | Starts 30 seconds in (optional) |

> **Autoplay with sound** — A normal browser tab blocks autoplay with sound until the user interacts. FiveM’s loading screen is allowed to autoplay, so `mute=0` works in game even though the same page may start muted in your desktop browser.

## Filling the screen without black bars

An iframe cannot use `object-fit`. To make a 16:9 video cover any window, make the iframe at least as large as the window in both directions, keeping 16:9, and centre it. The overflow is cropped.

*style.css*

```css
.yt {
  position: fixed; inset: 0;
  overflow: hidden;
  pointer-events: none;   /* nobody can pause or click through */
  background: #000;
}
.yt iframe {
  position: absolute;
  top: 50%; left: 50%;
  width: max(100vw, calc(100vh * 16 / 9));
  height: max(100vh, calc(100vw * 9 / 16));
  transform: translate(-50%, -50%);
}
```

Put your darkening overlay and content in elements after the iframe so they sit on top.

## Limits you should know

- **Embedding can be disabled** by the video owner. The player then shows an error instead of the video. Use videos from your own channel.
- **Monetised videos may show ads** in embeds. Uploading the trailer to your own un-monetised channel avoids this.
- **Region and age restrictions** apply. An age-restricted video will not play embedded.
- **YouTube’s interface can flash** briefly as the player starts. Starting a few seconds in (`start=`) and a dark overlay hide most of it.
- **Music rights** still apply: a trailer with a commercial song can be muted or blocked. See [music and copyright](https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-loading-screen-music-copyright).

## YouTube audio and your music track

A YouTube background brings its own audio. If you also play a music file, players hear both. Either use the video’s audio as your music, or add `mute=1` to the embed and play your track separately with a volume control, as described in [audio and volume controls](https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-loading-screen-audio-volume-controls).

## Questions

### How do I loop a YouTube video in an embed?

Add both `loop=1` and `playlist=VIDEO_ID` (the same ID) to the embed URL. `loop=1` on its own does not loop a single video.

### Why does my YouTube loading screen show an error?

The video owner may have disabled embedding, or the video is age- or region-restricted. Use a video from your own channel with embedding allowed.

### How do I remove the black bars around a YouTube background?

Size the iframe to the larger of the viewport’s width and height at 16:9 and centre it with a transform, inside a container with `overflow: hidden`.

### Can players pause the YouTube video?

Not if you set `controls=0` and `pointer-events: none` on the container. Only enable the cursor if you add your own controls.

### Will ads play on my loading screen?

Embeds of monetised videos can show ads. Upload your trailer to your own channel without monetisation to avoid them.

## Related

- https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-loading-screen-video-background
- https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-loading-screen-audio-volume-controls
- https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-loading-screen-music-copyright
- https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-loading-screen-performance