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For a playlist of local videos, use OBS’s VLC Video source and enable Loop Playlist. A regular Media Source is for one local file and loops that file, not a multi-video playlist. If you mean a YouTube playlist or a YouTube watch-page URL, that is a different playback path: YouTube’s loop control affects its own player, and an older OBS issue report about YouTube URLs on macOS does not establish what happens in current versions.
First identify which player is supposed to loop
“OBS won’t play my YouTube playlist” can mean three different things. The fix depends on which one you intend to play the video:
- Local video files in an OBS scene: configure an OBS source. Use Media Source for one file, or VLC Video for a playlist.
- A YouTube playlist in YouTube’s player: use YouTube’s playlist Loop control. This does not set an OBS source to loop.
- A YouTube watch-page URL entered as an OBS source: that is URL playback, not local-file playlist playback. A 2020 issue report describes a failure on older macOS and OBS versions, but does not confirm the behavior or a fix for current versions.
Start by testing local media in OBS. If local files play but a YouTube URL does not, treat those as separate playback paths rather than changing the local playlist’s loop settings.
Loop a playlist of local videos in OBS
1. Add VLC Video to the scene
- In OBS, select the scene that feeds your live output.
- In the Sources panel, choose + and select VLC Video.
- If VLC Video is missing, install VLC. OBS documents that VLC must be installed for this source to appear; for 64-bit OBS, install 64-bit VLC.
2. Add the files and set playlist behavior
- Open the VLC Video source’s properties and add your local video files in the order you want them to play.
- Turn on Loop Playlist to repeat the whole set.
- Leave Shuffle Playlist off if you want the files to play in a fixed sequence.
- Check Visibility Behaviour. OBS documents the default as stopping playback when the source is not visible and restarting it when visible. Switching scenes can therefore make playback stop or restart.
OBS’s official Media Sources documentation describes VLC Video as using VLC libraries for extended media support. The exact available options can depend on the installed software and OBS version.
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3. Test a single local file before the full playlist
Try one local file in the same scene. If it plays, add the remaining files and test the sequence. This separates basic source playback from playlist configuration; it does not test whether a YouTube URL will work in that source.
Media Source or VLC Video?
| Option | Best for | Loop control | Formats and setup | When hidden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Media Source | One local video file | Loop repeats that file | OBS documents .mp4, .ts, .mov, .flv, .mkv, .avi, .gif and .webm. No VLC installation is needed for this built-in source. | Playback behavior depends on the source’s visibility settings. |
| VLC Video | A sequence of local files | Loop Playlist repeats the playlist; Shuffle Playlist controls whether order is randomized | Requires VLC to be installed; OBS says it uses VLC libraries for extended media support. | The documented default stops when not visible and restarts when visible; check the source’s Visibility Behaviour setting. |
For a single file, a Media Source is the simpler choice. For multiple local files in sequence, VLC Video provides playlist controls. OBS lists the built-in Media Source formats in its documentation.
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If you meant a YouTube playlist
YouTube’s loop control repeats playback in the YouTube player. Its instructions are to open a video in the playlist, expand the playlist, and click Loop in the playlist box. That does not configure a local Media Source or VLC Video playlist in OBS. See YouTube’s instructions for looping videos or playlists.
If OBS is trying to play a YouTube URL on Mac
A GitHub issue opened on September 12, 2020 reported that a YouTube watch-page URL would not play in OBS VLC Video Source on macOS 10.15.6 with OBS 25.0.8. The reporter said it worked in VLC.app and in OBS’s VLC source on Windows. That report is specific to those older versions; it does not establish that current macOS, OBS or VLC versions have the same problem, and it does not provide a confirmed present-day fix. Read the OBS issue report.
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- Confirm whether the source is meant to play a local file or a YouTube URL; the local playlist controls do not resolve URL playback compatibility.
- Check the versions of macOS, OBS and VLC you are using before treating the historical report as a diagnosis.
- If the current combination still fails, the available evidence does not identify a reliable universal fix for YouTube watch-page URLs in VLC Video.
Optional OBS alternative: Media Playlist Source
The OBS Forums listing describes Media Playlist Source as a macOS-capable plugin alternative to VLC Video. Its latest update notes specify a minimum of OBS 31. The listing advertises playlist editing, selecting files or folders, and shuffle features. It also notes limitations: folder contents are not automatically refreshed, audio-track and subtitle selection are unsupported, and a displayed current filename does not automatically refresh at video end because of a stated crash concern. Check the listing for current compatibility and details before installing: Media Playlist Source on the OBS Forums.
If the real symptom is dropped frames
A source that will not start or advance its playlist is different from a stream that is losing frames. OBS says a rising dropped-frames counter points to an unstable connection to the streaming service or a bitrate the connection cannot sustain. Diagnose that as a streaming transport or output issue, separately from local media playback. See the OBS connection troubleshooting guide.
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