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livestreaming

How to Rotate Playlists on a YouTube Live Stream Using OBS

Use OBS’s VLC Video Source to play multiple local files in order or shuffled, loop the playlist, and send it to YouTube Live.

By DocumentaryTube Team 5 min read
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To rotate multiple prerecorded videos on a YouTube live stream, add OBS’s VLC Video Source to the scene you’re streaming, load the files into its playlist, and choose whether to shuffle and repeat them. VLC must be installed for that source to appear. For one file on repeat, use OBS’s Media Source and enable Loop.

Choose the right OBS source

What you want to play OBS source Setting Requirement
One media file repeatedly Media Source Loop on No VLC dependency is listed for this source.
Several files in a fixed order VLC Video Source Loop Playlist on; Shuffle Playlist off VLC installed.
Several files in a changing order VLC Video Source Shuffle Playlist on; turn on Loop Playlist if you want the sequence to repeat VLC installed.

A local OBS playlist is part of the video output OBS sends to YouTube. It is not a playlist hosted on the YouTube watch page. OBS interface placement may change between versions, but the source names and settings below are the relevant controls.

Set up a rotating playlist in OBS

  1. Prepare your files. Put the videos or audio files you plan to play in an accessible local folder. Make sure you have the rights to stream them; playlist controls do not grant permission to rebroadcast media.
  2. Install VLC if necessary. OBS’s VLC Video Source depends on VLC. For 64-bit OBS, install 64-bit VLC. If VLC Video Source is missing from the Sources add menu, check that VLC is installed and that its architecture matches OBS.
  3. Add the source to the stream scene. In OBS, select the scene that will go to YouTube. In the Sources dock, use the add control and choose VLC Video Source. Add the media files to its playlist and arrange them in the order you want. OBS combines sources within a scene to create the output sent to the stream.
  4. Set order and repetition. Leave Shuffle Playlist off to play the listed order, or turn it on for a randomized order. Turn on Loop Playlist to start the playlist again after its final item. OBS documents loop as on by default and shuffle as off by default, but inspect the settings in your own source rather than relying on defaults.
  5. Choose hidden-source behavior. Set how the VLC source behaves when it is hidden during a scene change: stop and restart, pause and resume, or keep playing while hidden. With stop and restart, returning to the scene can restart the playlist rather than resume at its previous position.
  6. Check the picture in the scene. Confirm the media is visible in the OBS preview and positioned as intended. If the playlist contains audio-only material, check that the audio is present and that other sources or scenes will not leave the stream silent.

Playlist playback does not establish that transitions between files will be seamless or include crossfades. Check the actual output before relying on a particular transition.

Connect OBS to YouTube Live

  1. Create or schedule the stream. In YouTube Studio, open the Live Control Room and create a stream or select the scheduled stream you intend to use.
  2. Copy the connection details. In the Live Control Room, get the stream URL and stream key. In OBS, open Settings and then Stream, select YouTube as the service, and enter or connect the stream details using the options shown in your version of OBS. Interface labels and placement can change.
  3. Start sending from OBS. Start streaming in OBS. Check the Live Control Room preview to confirm YouTube is receiving the intended video and audio.
  4. Start the broadcast in YouTube when required. For a scheduled stream, inspect the preview and click Go live in the Live Control Room to begin the public broadcast. Starting the encoder in OBS sends the feed; it does not by itself replace YouTube’s scheduled-stream controls.
  5. Monitor the stream. Check picture and sound before inviting viewers, and continue monitoring them during the broadcast.

YouTube Help describes a stream key as “like your YouTube stream’s password and address.” Keep it secret. If you believe it has been exposed, reset it in the Live Control Room and update the saved details in OBS.

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Check rights and YouTube policy before broadcasting

Using a file in an OBS playlist does not make it safe or authorized to stream. Confirm that you have the necessary rights for every video and audio track. Copyright and YouTube policy outcomes depend on the content and account circumstances; the playback controls alone cannot determine whether a stream may be claimed, restricted, or removed.

Troubleshoot common playlist problems

  • VLC Video Source is not in the add menu: Install VLC and check that its architecture matches OBS (64-bit VLC for 64-bit OBS). Reopen OBS after installation if the source still does not appear.
  • The playlist stops after the last file: Open the VLC Video Source properties and turn on Loop Playlist.
  • Files play in an unexpected order: Turn off Shuffle Playlist for the listed order, then review the playlist order in the source properties.
  • The playlist starts over after returning to a scene: Review the source’s visibility behavior. Stop/restart can begin playback again when the source becomes visible; choose pause/resume or always play while hidden if those behaviors suit your scene changes.
  • YouTube has no preview or the stream does not start: Check that OBS is sending to the intended stream URL and key, that the stream is selected in the Live Control Room, and that you have started the broadcast there when needed.
  • Viewers cannot hear the media: Check that the source’s audio is reaching OBS’s output and that sound is present in the Live Control Room preview. Monitor both picture and sound before going public.
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