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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchChoose the OBS setup that matches how you want videos to advance: use a VLC Video source for an ordered playlist, separate scenes with Studio Mode for operator-controlled changes, or the third-party Advanced Scene Switcher plugin to move to another scene when a clip ends. OBS then sends the resulting program output to YouTube through the stream server URL and key configured in YouTube Live Control Room.
Choose how the videos should switch
| What you want | Best starting method | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Play clips in a list, one after another | OBS VLC Video source with a playlist | Requires VLC; playlist, loop, shuffle, and visibility settings determine playback behavior. |
| Choose exactly when the next video goes live | Separate scenes and Studio Mode | An operator must trigger each transition. |
| Change scenes when a clip finishes | Advanced Scene Switcher macro | Requires a third-party plugin, compatible versions, and careful testing. |
A playlist advances videos inside one source; it does not itself select OBS scenes. Use separate scenes when the change should be between scenes, whether manually or through automation.
Before you configure the video sources
- Have local video files ready and confirm you have the rights to stream their video and audio. YouTube’s live content remains subject to its video and audio rights policies and Community Guidelines (YouTube Help: Set up a YouTube live stream with an encoder).
- Decide whether playback should repeat, shuffle, restart when shown, or stop when hidden. These choices affect whether a returning scene resumes or starts over.
- Make a test recording or broadcast and check picture, sound, scene timing, and stream stability before a public stream. OBS recommends testing your scene configuration and stream performance before the first live broadcast (OBS Quick Start Guide).
Option 1: Play a sequential playlist with VLC Video
Use this when OBS should play several files in a specified order without an operator selecting each next clip. OBS’s ordinary Media Source is for an individual local file; VLC Video is the playlist-capable source. OBS’s Media Sources documentation, dated 2022-01-11, covers these source behaviors and notes that VLC must be installed (OBS Media Sources).
- Install VLC if needed. The VLC Video source depends on VLC being installed. Match its architecture to OBS: OBS states, “If you are using 64-bit OBS, you must install 64-bit VLC.”
- Add the playlist source. In the OBS scene you want to use, open the Sources dock, select +, choose VLC Video, and create or select the source. Add the local files in the order you want them played.
- Set playlist behavior. Choose whether Loop Playlist is enabled. Keep Shuffle Playlist off for a fixed sequence. OBS documents loop on and shuffle off as the defaults, but check the source settings rather than relying on defaults.
- Choose what happens when the source is hidden. Review the VLC source’s visibility/playback behavior—stop and restart, pause and resume, or always play—so switching scenes does not produce an unintended restart or continue playback in the background.
- Place and check the source. Resize and position it in the preview. In OBS, higher sources in the Sources dock appear above lower ones, and the eye control changes visibility. Check the audio mixer while a clip plays; confirm the intended clip audio is audible and not clipping.
- Test the full sequence. Play through transitions between files, including the final item and the playlist’s next step. Confirm the actual loop or stop behavior you want; do not assume that a completed playlist automatically ends the YouTube stream.
Option 2: Switch manually with separate scenes and Studio Mode
Use this when a host or operator needs to choose the exact moment a documentary segment, trailer, slate, or other prerecorded clip appears. Studio Mode keeps the editable preview separate from the live program output until you trigger a transition (OBS Studio Mode).
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- Create a scene for each clip or segment. In the Scenes dock, add a scene for each programmed item. In each scene, add the local file as a Media Source.
- Set playback on scene activation. In the Media Source properties, enable Restart playback when source becomes active if each return should start at the beginning. If Close file when inactive is enabled, the file may take a short time to reload when you return to that scene.
- Turn on Studio Mode. Select Studio Mode in OBS. The live scene is on the right; the editable preview is on the left. Select the next scene in Preview without changing the current live output.
- Choose and trigger the transition. Select a transition such as Cut or Fade, set its duration if applicable, then use Transition when you want the preview to become live. You can also configure a transition hotkey or use Quick Transition controls.
- Rehearse operator timing. Test how the outgoing clip ends, how the incoming clip starts, and whether any audio overlaps. OBS documentation does not establish frame-perfect or seamless playback between separate files, so check the result with your actual media and settings.
Option 3: Switch scenes automatically when a clip ends
OBS’s built-in source settings can restart or hide a media source, but an automatic scene change at a clip’s end calls for automation. Advanced Scene Switcher is a third-party plugin with macros, Media conditions, and scene-switch actions. Its compatibility is version-specific. At the time of the research check, the OBS Project listing showed Advanced Scene Switcher 1.36.1, updated 2026-08-07, with OBS 31.1.1 as the minimum supported OBS version; check the current listing before installing (Advanced Scene Switcher on the OBS Project).
- Check compatibility first. Review the plugin listing for its supported operating system and minimum OBS version, then install a release compatible with your OBS installation.
- Create a macro for the actual clip. In Advanced Scene Switcher, create and enable a macro with a Media condition for the source whose playback ending should trigger the change, and an action that switches to the intended next scene.
- Constrain the trigger. Use the relevant scene and source names in the macro’s conditions and actions. Avoid a condition that remains true and repeatedly fires; decide what should happen if the expected source is not active.
- Set a fallback and test. Choose a known fallback scene for unexpected endings. Test clips of different lengths, scene returns, loop/restart behavior, and the macro’s behavior after stopping and restarting playback before relying on it live.
The plugin’s update notes describe an action for waiting until media playback ends. Plugin behavior can change between versions; do not assume the built-in OBS Automatic Scene Switcher alone provides this exact media-ended workflow.
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Connect OBS to YouTube separately
Video-source playback and YouTube delivery are separate parts of the setup. In YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room, create or select the live stream and use its encoder server URL and stream key in OBS’s stream settings. The key is a credential: YouTube describes stream keys as “like your YouTube stream’s password and address,” because they tell the encoder where to send the feed and let YouTube accept it. Keep the key private (YouTube Help: Set up a YouTube live stream with an encoder).
Switching an OBS scene changes the program output being encoded; it does not change the YouTube connection. YouTube’s latency setting affects delivery delay and can affect playback buffering, while DVR lets viewers pause and resume from their paused position. Those are audience-delivery options, not controls for choosing the active OBS scene.
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Troubleshooting common switching problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check or change |
|---|---|---|
| VLC Video is missing from the source menu or does not load | VLC may not be installed, or its architecture may not match OBS. | Install VLC and match its bitness to OBS; 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. |
| Playlist plays clips in an unexpected order | Shuffle may be enabled, or the playlist order differs from the intended sequence. | Check the listed files and disable Shuffle Playlist for sequential playback. |
| The playlist repeats or stops unexpectedly | Loop Playlist setting does not match the intended behavior. | Review the loop setting and test what happens after the final item. A finished playlist is not established as a command to end the YouTube stream. |
| A clip restarts or continues after changing scenes | Media/VLC source visibility behavior, restart settings, or source activation behavior may be responsible. | Review the source’s stop/restart, pause/resume, or always-play behavior. For Media Source, check Restart playback when source becomes active and Close file when inactive. |
| The picture is hidden, cropped, or layered incorrectly | Source visibility, dimensions, position, or layer order is wrong. | Check the eye control in Sources, transform the video in the preview, and move it above overlays that should not cover it. |
| The automatic change does not fire or fires more than once | Plugin incompatibility, a condition that remains true, or mismatched scene/source names. | Verify OBS/plugin compatibility and macro conditions, constrain the source and scene, and test a fallback path before going live. |
| OBS output does not reach YouTube | The YouTube stream URL/key may be missing or incorrect, or the stream may not be ready in Live Control Room. | Check the encoder server URL and stream key in OBS against the selected YouTube stream. Never share the key. |
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