For a sequence of clips in one OBS scene, use VLC Video Source and configure its playlist. If each clip should lead to a different OBS scene, use the Advanced Scene Switcher plugin to watch for media completion and trigger a scene change. Neither approach starts or schedules the YouTube broadcast for you: OBS supplies the video output, while YouTube Live must be enabled and configured separately.
Choose how you want OBS to move between files
| What you want | Use | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Play several files in order in one layout | VLC Video Source | The source advances through a playlist; the OBS scene stays the same. |
| Change the layout or scene when a particular file ends | Advanced Scene Switcher | A macro watches a media source’s playback state and switches to a chosen scene. |
| Repeat one file in the same scene | OBS Media Source | The individual file loops; it is not a multi-file playlist. |
For ordinary sequential playback, start with the VLC playlist: it is simpler than making a scene for every clip. Use scene-switching macros only when the clips need different OBS layouts or other scene-level behavior.
Play a playlist in one OBS scene
Prerequisites
Install VLC before configuring the source. The VLC Video Source depends on VLC, and 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. If the source is missing, check that VLC is installed and that its architecture matches OBS.
Configure the playlist
- In OBS, select the scene that should remain on air.
- In the Sources panel, add a VLC Video Source. If it is not available, install the matching VLC build and reopen OBS.
- Open the source properties and add the local video files in the order you want them played.
- Set Loop Playlist according to whether the sequence should start again after the last file. Enable it for a repeating program; leave it off for a playlist that should finish.
- Set Shuffle Playlist off for a fixed order, or on if you want OBS to randomize playback.
- Confirm the source appears correctly in the scene preview, then test the sequence before going live.
The documented VLC source defaults are loop on and shuffle off, so check both settings rather than assuming the playlist will stop or repeat as intended. A playlist stays within its scene; it does not create a separate OBS scene transition between clips.
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Switch OBS scenes when an individual file ends
Install a compatible plugin
Advanced Scene Switcher provides Media conditions and Switch scene actions that can be combined in a macro. The OBS Project forum resource listing reports version 1.36.1, last updated August 7, 2026, and lists OBS Studio 31.1.1 as its minimum supported version. Check the current release notes and compatibility against your installed OBS version before installing: Advanced Scene Switcher resource listing.
Build and test a macro
- Create the OBS scenes needed for the different layouts or segments, and add the corresponding media source to each scene.
- Open Advanced Scene Switcher’s Macro area and create a macro for the transition you need.
- Add a Media condition that watches the relevant media source for its playback-completion state.
- Add a Switch scene action that selects the next scene.
- Activate the switcher, then test the transition privately. Check the exact condition and state labels shown by the installed plugin version, and test every transition in the sequence before streaming.
The plugin’s resource listing documents those condition and action categories, but does not establish that a particular configuration will be gapless. Test for any pause or unexpected transition in your own setup. Also account for OBS Media Source’s Restart playback when source becomes active option: when a scene is revisited, an enabled setting restarts the file rather than resuming it.
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What the built-in Media Source can and cannot do
OBS’s built-in Media Source plays an individual local audio or video file. Documented video formats include MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF, and WebM. Its Loop setting repeats that file, while Restart playback when source becomes active starts it again when it becomes visible in the current scene. Use it for a single clip or a scene-specific file, not as a substitute for a multi-file playlist.
Prepare the YouTube Live handoff
- Make sure live streaming is enabled for your YouTube channel. YouTube says first-time enablement may take up to 24 hours; enable it ahead of the event. See YouTube Help: Create a live stream with an encoder.
- Configure the YouTube encoder-based stream and connect OBS using the stream setup and key shown in your YouTube Live workflow.
- Before the event, confirm OBS is sending the intended scene and that the clip sequence or scene-switch macros behave as expected.
- Start and monitor the broadcast through the YouTube and OBS workflows you have configured. A playlist or scene-switch macro changes OBS’s output; by itself, it does not schedule, start, or end a YouTube broadcast.
Troubleshoot common failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| VLC Video Source is missing | VLC is not installed, or its architecture does not match OBS. | Install VLC; for 64-bit OBS, use 64-bit VLC, then reopen OBS. |
| Files play in an unexpected order | Shuffle is enabled or the playlist order is wrong. | Turn Shuffle Playlist off for a fixed program and review the file order. |
| The playlist repeats when it should stop | Loop Playlist is enabled. | Disable Loop Playlist for a sequence that should end. |
| A clip starts over when returning to a scene | Restart playback when source becomes active is enabled. | Review that setting on the Media Source and test the desired re-entry behavior. |
| The scene does not change at the end of a clip | The macro may be inactive, watching the wrong source, using a mismatched playback state, or targeting the wrong scene. | Confirm the switcher is active, inspect the selected source and state labels in the installed version, and test the macro privately. |
| YouTube Live is unavailable before the event | Live streaming may not yet be enabled for the channel. | Enable it ahead of time; YouTube says first-time enablement may take up to 24 hours. |
Or let it run in the cloud
If you need a pre-recorded YouTube stream to keep running without leaving your OBS computer on, StreamNeo is a cloud alternative: upload a recording or playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; it streams your uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream, and the first day is free with no card. Monthly access is $9.99 per month. StreamNeo plays uploaded videos to YouTube; it does not go live from a camera. See StreamNeo or start the free first day.
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