For a simple 24/7 lofi radio, use OBS Studio’s VLC Video source with Loop Playlist and Shuffle Playlist enabled, then send OBS to YouTube Live. But OBS’s shuffle does not promise a fresh order on every loop or guarantee that a track will not repeat before the rest of your library plays. For strict no-repeat playback, you need a history-aware scheduler that tracks which tracks have already played.
Choose the shuffle behavior you actually need
“Shuffle” can mean either a randomized playlist order or a strict rule that no track repeats until every eligible track has played. Those are different requirements.
| Approach | What it does | Repeat behavior | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| OBS VLC Video source with shuffle and loop | Randomizes the playlist order and loops the list. | A shuffled order can repeat on later loops; strict cross-cycle de-duplication is not established. | Background-radio variety without a strict no-repeat rule. |
| History-aware playlist scheduler | Tracks played IDs and selects only tracks not yet played. | Can avoid repeats until the eligible pool is exhausted if implemented correctly and playback history is retained. | A strict no-repeat requirement. |
For a scheduler, check whether it changes the order each cycle, prevents a song repeating before the full library has played, supports your file formats and transitions, and preserves history after OBS or the computer restarts. Also check whether it can operate unattended and how you will monitor it. No particular scheduler is established here as a verified solution.
Prepare music you are allowed to livestream
Before building the playlist, confirm that you have the rights to use every track in a continuous livestream. YouTube’s Livestream terms and conditions say: “you have all necessary rights for the exploitation of the Live Content on the Google Services throughout the world, including, without limitation, music licensing rights from artists, record labels, publishers (including public performance licenses) and any other royalty participants.” YouTube Livestream terms and conditions.
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- Do not assume that “royalty-free” means cleared for a continuous livestream. Check the license’s permitted uses and any duration, platform, or audience restrictions.
- A license for ordinary videos may not cover livestream use. Confirm the scope with the rights holder when it is unclear.
- YouTube warns that even licensed third-party content can interrupt a stream if the rights holder has not allowlisted your channel. Ask about allowlisting when it applies to your license.
Build a looping playlist in OBS
Install the playlist source
- Install OBS Studio and VLC. OBS’s VLC Video source requires VLC to be installed; match the architecture, including 64-bit VLC for 64-bit OBS. See OBS’s Media Sources guide.
- In OBS, create a scene for your radio broadcast. Add a VLC Video source and add the local media files you have cleared for livestream use.
- Arrange the scene’s visual elements as needed, then preview each playlist item and check that the audio is audible and at a suitable level.
OBS’s built-in Media Source can play an individual file, but VLC Video is the playlist-capable source described in the OBS guide.
Enable loop and shuffle
- Open the VLC Video source’s properties.
- Enable Loop Playlist so the source starts the list again after it runs out of files.
- Enable Shuffle Playlist to randomize the file order.
- Apply the settings and preview the source to confirm that the media plays and advances.
These controls provide a shuffled order that loops; they do not establish a new shuffle at every loop boundary. OBS’s source code applies a shuffle when source settings are updated, rather than documenting a history-aware reshuffle on every pass. An OBS forum post describes a user seeing the same shuffled order repeat, but that is an anecdotal report, not proof that every setup behaves identically. See the OBS VLC source implementation and the OBS forum discussion.
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What to do if repeats are unacceptable
Use a scheduler that records stable track IDs in a played-history set, chooses only from unplayed items, and resets its history only after the eligible pool is exhausted. Verify that its state survives a restart; otherwise, a crash or reboot could cause recently played tracks to return early. OBS’s shuffle alone is not a documented strict anti-repeat system.
For ordinary variety with OBS, use a substantial library and consider rebuilding or reordering the playlist between planned broadcast sessions. That can change the order between sessions, but does not guarantee no repeats during a continuous run.
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Connect OBS to YouTube Live
- Open YouTube Studio and go to the Live Control Room. Create or select an encoder stream.
- Copy the stream URL and stream key shown by YouTube into OBS’s streaming settings. Treat the key as private: anyone who obtains it may be able to send video to your stream.
- Start OBS’s stream output and wait for the incoming preview in YouTube Studio.
- Check that both picture and audio arrive correctly, then start the live broadcast in the Live Control Room.
YouTube live streaming requires an eligible channel. Its getting-started guidance describes a verified channel without a live-streaming restriction in the preceding 90 days; check the current status shown for your channel in Studio. See YouTube’s encoder setup guidance.
Run a shakedown before going public
Test the complete setup with a short private or unlisted broadcast before scheduling a public 24/7 run. Check playlist advance and loop transitions, the incoming picture and sound, and whether your computer and network remain stable. YouTube recommends preparing the encoder, checking the preview, monitoring stream quality, and checking local recording files. See YouTube’s live streaming preparation guidance.
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Keep the broadcast and its replay in perspective
A looped playlist does not keep the YouTube broadcast connected by itself: OBS must continue producing and sending the signal, and network disruption can break a stream. Use a reliable connection, leave upload-bandwidth headroom, test the setup, and monitor the incoming stream. The available guidance does not establish that any particular device or service guarantees 24/7 availability.
Replay archiving is a separate concern from whether viewers can watch the live feed. YouTube says streams under 12 hours can be automatically archived; a stream exceeding 12 hours may not be captured at all. YouTube also says DVR rewind may be limited or unavailable on streams longer than 12 hours. The help guidance does not state a publication year, so check the current YouTube live stream archive guidance before relying on these behaviors.
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- Size local storage against recording bitrate and duration; longer recordings require more space.
- If you plan shorter broadcast sessions to make archiving more predictable, tell viewers when the stream will end and restart. A restart interrupts the live audience.
- Do not promise viewers they can rewind the full history of a continuous 24/7 session.
Or let it run in the cloud
If the goal is to keep a pre-recorded lofi playlist live on YouTube without leaving a home computer on, StreamNeo runs the uploaded videos from the cloud. Upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops the uploaded video; it does not broadcast from a camera.
- Nothing has to stay on at home for the cloud stream to continue.
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- Automatic recovery is included if YouTube drops the stream.
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Monthly: $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo for details, then start your free first day.
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