To schedule different playlists in OBS, put each playlist in its own scene, then use Advanced Scene Switcher macros to activate the right scene at a clock time or when a VLC playlist item ends. The first method is suited to fixed programming blocks; the second lets one playlist hand off when playback reaches an item boundary. Test how your sources pause and resume before relying on unattended switching.
What you need before setting up a schedule
- OBS Studio and Advanced Scene Switcher. The plugin resource listing identifies version 1.36.1, updated August 7, 2026, and a minimum OBS Studio version of 31.1.1 for that listing. Requirements can change, so check the current Advanced Scene Switcher resource page and your installed OBS version before installing.
- A playlist source in each scene you plan to schedule. A straightforward arrangement is one scene per playlist or programming block; this is a practical workflow, not a plugin requirement.
- Clear names for scenes and sources, such as “Morning playlist” and “Evening playlist,” so macro conditions and actions are easy to identify.
Advanced Scene Switcher automates tasks through macros: conditions determine when a list of actions runs. Its resource listing includes date-and-time and media conditions, along with scene-switch actions. The exact labels and screen layout can vary by plugin release.
Set up one scene for each playlist
- In OBS, create a scene for each playlist or block of programming you want to control.
- Add the appropriate playlist source to each scene. If you use VLC Video Source, configure its playlist there; do not assume another source type reports playlist events in the same way.
- Rename scenes and sources so you can distinguish them in the Advanced Scene Switcher macro editor.
- Manually switch between the scenes once to confirm that each displays and plays the intended playlist before adding automation.
Schedule a scene by clock time
Use a date/time condition when a playlist should take over at a particular time, regardless of whether the current item has finished. The plugin listing confirms that date/time conditions and scene-switch actions are available, but the cited material does not document every recurrence or timing edge case for a specific release.
- In OBS, open Tools → Advanced Scene Switcher. Confirm the plugin is active.
- Create a macro and add a date/time condition. Set the target time and date-related options exposed by your installed version.
- Add a scene-switch action and choose the scene that contains the playlist for that schedule slot.
- Configure additional macros for other scheduled blocks, taking care that their times and conditions do not conflict.
- Test at a time you can observe. Check whether the new scene takes over immediately or whether your chosen setup waits for a playback event; do not assume a clock trigger waits for the current item to finish.
Scheduling details such as recurrence behavior can depend on the plugin version and configuration. If the macro editor does not expose the timing behavior you need, consult the current plugin documentation and verify it with a short test schedule before using it for a long-running broadcast.
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Switch scenes when a VLC playlist item ends
For playback-based transitions, use a media condition for the VLC source’s Ended state and pair it with a scene-switch action. Advanced Scene Switcher author Warmuptill describes the approach as relying on “the VLC source entering state ‘Ended’ every time the playback of a playlist item ends.” That guidance is specific to VLC playlist behavior; test any other media source rather than assuming it emits the same event.
- Open Tools → Advanced Scene Switcher and create a macro.
- Add a media condition for the VLC source in the scene that is currently playing. Select its Ended state if that option is available in your version.
- Add a scene-switch action targeting the scene whose playlist should play next.
- Run the playlist and observe the transition at an item boundary. Confirm that the condition fires as intended and that the destination scene starts the expected item.
Use a clock-based condition when the handoff must happen at a scheduled time. Use an item-ended condition when the handoff should follow playback. If you need both—for example, a scheduled block that starts only after the current item finishes—test the combination carefully; the cited material does not establish a universal macro configuration for that timing rule.
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Control what happens to a playlist when its scene goes inactive
Scene switching and playback behavior are separate concerns. A source may continue playing while its scene is inactive, or it may pause and resume when the scene becomes active again. Check the source’s properties and verify the result with your actual playlist.
A community workaround posted January 5, 2023, described enabling Pause when inactive – Resume when active in VLC source properties, then switching away when the current item had less than 1000 ms remaining. The user reported that this helped play playlist items one at a time, but also said the source sometimes continued while inactive. Treat it as an unverified workaround, not a dependable guarantee.
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- Test the inactive-scene behavior with a short playlist before building a full schedule.
- If you use the pause/resume setting, check whether playback really pauses when you switch away and resumes at the expected point when you return.
- Test item boundaries and scene changes separately, then together. A successful scene switch does not prove that playback was paused or resumed correctly.
Troubleshoot missed or unexpected switches
- The macro does not run: Confirm Advanced Scene Switcher is active under Tools, the condition is enabled, and the scene or source named in the macro still exists. Recheck compatibility against the plugin’s current resource listing.
- A clock-based switch happens at the wrong time: Recheck the condition’s date/time settings and test it while OBS is running. The cited sources do not establish all timezone, recurrence, or inactive-OBS behavior, so validate those details in your setup.
- A playlist does not trigger a transition at an item boundary: Confirm the condition targets the VLC source and its Ended state. If you use a different source type, its event behavior may differ.
- The old playlist keeps playing after switching away: Check the source’s pause/resume properties and observe playback while the scene is inactive. The community workaround has a reported inconsistency, so do not rely on the setting without testing.
- The destination scene appears, but the wrong item plays: Check the playlist order and whether the source retained its playback position or continued in the background. Verify both the scene transition and source behavior independently.
- A macro works in a test but fails during longer unattended use: Test the real playlist, OBS and plugin versions, operating system, and all transitions you intend to use. The sources cited here do not establish a guaranteed reliability level.
When a different playlist source may help
Media Playlist Source is a third-party OBS plugin described by its repository as an alternative to VLC Video Source and based internally on Media Source. Its repository lists playlist editing without restarting playback, shuffle support, and saving the current file for OBS restarts. It also lists limitations: no audio-track or subtitle selection, and no automatic refresh of folder contents. It is optional; Advanced Scene Switcher does not require it. See the Media Playlist Source repository for its current details.
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