OBS Studio can switch scenes automatically, but playback-end switching is not a built-in control: it requires a Lua or Python script that detects the end of a media source and changes the program scene. A community script called Media Switch Scene demonstrates this approach and also requires Audio Status Monitor; because it was last updated in 2021, verify compatibility with your OBS version and test the entire setup before relying on it live.
What OBS can automate—and what it cannot do by itself
OBS Studio supports LuaJIT 2 and Python 3 scripts through Tools > Scripts. Scripts can automate OBS behavior using events or timers, but OBS does not provide a default button that says “switch scenes when this video ends.” The script must connect the media source’s playback-end event to a scene change.
That distinction matters: a media source playing or reaching its end is one operation; selecting the next scene for the stream output is another. OBS transitions are what move the program output between scenes. The script must identify the relevant source and then select the intended scene, with the desired transition.
Choose how to arrange the videos
Media Source for individual local files
Use Media Source when each scene will play a local video file. Create a scene for each clip, add a Media Source, and select the file in the source properties. Check the playback options—such as restarting playback when the source becomes active—against the behavior you want. OBS documents Media Source as supporting local video and audio files.
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VLC Video for a playlist
Use VLC Video when you want OBS to play a playlist. VLC must be installed separately; OBS specifies 64-bit VLC for 64-bit OBS. A playlist can advance media without changing scenes. If your goal is a scene change at the end of a particular clip, confirm that the script responds to the right item or source event rather than assuming playlist advancement will also change the output scene.
Pick a trigger that matches the sequence
- When a video ends: suitable for a sequence of clips where each clip should hand off to a known next scene. The script needs to identify the media source and map its end event to the next scene.
- On a timer: useful when the change should happen after a set interval, but duration-based timing can drift if playback starts late, pauses, or fails to load.
- Hotkey or external event: useful when a person or another system should decide when to switch. This requires a different trigger and implementation from a playback-ended script.
OBS’s scripting API includes timers and media-source signals, but those building blocks do not mean every desired automation pattern has a current, ready-made script. Choose a script designed for your trigger, and test its exact behavior with your sources and scenes.
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Install and configure a playback-end script
- Build and test the scenes first. In OBS, create a scene for each video or other desired output state. Add the appropriate Media Source or VLC Video source, select each file or playlist, and manually switch scenes to confirm that video, audio, and transitions behave as expected.
- Choose a compatible script. Media Switch Scene is a community example for changing the active scene after a selected media file ends. Its forum page lists Audio Status Monitor as a dependency. The script’s last update was December 20, 2021, so its age is a reason to test—not proof that it will or will not work with a current OBS release.
- Install any required dependency using its own instructions. Confirm that Audio Status Monitor is available and loaded if the script requires it. If a script or dependency is missing from the Scripts window, check its installation instructions and compatibility notes rather than guessing at a file location.
- Open Tools > Scripts in OBS. Add the script in the Scripts window, then set its properties to the intended media source and destination scene where the script provides those options. Use the exact source and scene names shown in OBS; a mismatch can leave the trigger with nothing to act on.
- Confirm the handoff behavior. Check that the trigger occurs when the intended file ends, that the next scene is selected, and that the transition is the one you want. Also check what happens if playback is restarted, the source is inactive, or the stream is already on the destination scene.
- Run a complete off-air test. Play the sequence from its beginning through every handoff. Watch for missing video, audio cutoffs, unexpected loops, a missed event, or repeated scene changes before connecting the automation to a public broadcast.
Lua or Python?
| Option | Runtime setup | Best reason to choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Lua | OBS includes LuaJIT 2 support. | The script you want is written in Lua, or you are more comfortable maintaining Lua code. |
| Python | OBS supports Python 3. On Windows and macOS, install a Python version matching OBS’s architecture and configure its path in OBS. | The script you want is written in Python, or you are more comfortable maintaining Python code. |
Neither language is universally better for this task. The specific script, your familiarity, and the runtime requirements are the practical deciding factors. OBS’s scripting API is powerful; if you write or modify a script, follow its object-reference and memory-management requirements. OBS warns that poorly written scripts can leak memory or crash the program.
Connect OBS to YouTube separately
Scene automation does not configure the broadcast destination. In YouTube Studio, create or open the live stream and use the encoder details provided for that stream. Configure OBS’s streaming service or custom server with YouTube’s stream URL and stream key. Treat the key like a password: do not show it in a recording, screenshot, public post, or stream. YouTube’s setup guidance says first-time live enablement can take up to 24 hours.
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Encoder settings to check
| Setting | YouTube guidance |
|---|---|
| Video codec | RTMP/RTMPS guidance lists H.264, H.265/HEVC, or AV1. |
| Frame rate | Up to 60 fps. |
| Keyframe interval | Two seconds recommended; do not exceed four seconds. |
| Rate control | CBR. |
| Audio codec | AAC or MP3. |
| Bitrate | Select according to resolution, frame rate, codec, and available upload capacity; YouTube’s guidance does not make one bitrate right for every setup. |
These are YouTube encoder recommendations, not requirements for the scene-switching script. The applicable codec and setting choices depend on the stream configuration.
Test the stream before it matters
- Set up the encoder well in advance; YouTube recommends at least two hours before the scheduled event.
- Start the encoder at least 15 minutes before the event, as YouTube recommends, and check the Live Control Room preview and stream-health messages.
- Run through a scene change while watching the preview. Confirm that the correct clip appears, audio continues as intended, and no unexpected blank or wrong scene is sent.
- Leave upload-bandwidth headroom. YouTube recommends 20% headroom; this is platform guidance, not a guarantee that a connection will be stable.
- Keep monitoring stream health and messages during the broadcast, rather than assuming a successful test proves the stream will remain healthy.
Troubleshoot common switching problems
The script does not appear in Tools > Scripts
- Check that the script was installed in the manner its author specifies and that OBS can load its file type.
- For Python, confirm a compatible Python 3 installation and the configured path in OBS on Windows or macOS.
- Check whether the script expects a dependency such as Audio Status Monitor and whether that dependency is loaded.
The video ends but the scene does not change
- Verify that the script is watching the actual media source, not a similarly named source in another scene.
- Check the selected destination scene and spelling of source and scene names in the script’s properties.
- Confirm that the script is designed for a media-ended event; a timer or playlist-advance trigger is not necessarily equivalent.
- Check whether the script and its API assumptions work with your installed OBS version. The community example’s 2021 update date makes a full compatibility test important.
The wrong scene appears, or the transition is abrupt
- Review the script’s source-to-scene mapping and make sure the destination is the scene intended for that clip.
- Set and test the desired OBS transition independently; a playback-end trigger does not itself guarantee a particular transition effect.
The script behaves unpredictably or OBS becomes unstable
- Disable the script and test playback and scene changes manually to isolate whether automation is involved.
- Check for repeated triggers, missing playback-state handling, mismatched names, or incompatibility as possible implementation risks—not as confirmed defects in a particular script.
- If you maintain the code, follow OBS guidance on releasing references to acquired or created objects. Remove an unstable script rather than trusting it during a live event.
YouTube shows no incoming stream or reports poor health
- Recheck the stream URL and key in the encoder settings; create or retrieve the correct key in YouTube’s live settings and keep it private.
- Confirm the encoder is sending a supported codec and the chosen bitrate is within the connection’s capacity.
- Check upload stability and leave the recommended headroom, then review YouTube’s stream-health messages and preview.
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