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YouTube 24/7 Playlist Rotation: OBS Media Source vs. VLC

For several videos in order, use OBS VLC Video with Loop Playlist on and Shuffle Playlist off. For one repeating file, use Media Source with Loop enabled.

By DocumentaryTube Team 5 min read
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For a YouTube broadcast that rotates several local videos in order, use OBS’s VLC Video source: it supports playlists, with Loop Playlist on and Shuffle Playlist off by default. For one local file repeated over and over, use Media Source and enable its Loop property. VLC Video requires VLC to be installed; 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.

Choose the OBS source that matches your playlist

What you want to play Source to start with Setting to check
One video file, repeated Media Source Enable Loop.
Several video files, in a fixed order VLC Video Enable Loop Playlist and leave Shuffle Playlist off.
A playlist without installing VLC Media Source sources may work if you arrange the files in separate sources or scenes. This is a different setup from one VLC playlist; choose it only if that arrangement suits your production.

These are feature-based choices, not reliability rankings. OBS’s documentation describes the controls but does not establish which source is more reliable during continuous playback.

Set up a repeating playlist with VLC Video

Install the matching VLC version

In OBS, open the Sources dock, select +, and look for VLC Video. If it is missing, install VLC and restart OBS. OBS lists VLC Video for Windows, macOS, and Linux; its documentation specifies that 64-bit OBS needs 64-bit VLC.

Add and order playlist files

  1. In the target scene’s Sources dock, select + > VLC Video, then create or select the source.
  2. In the source properties, add the local video files to the playlist and arrange them in the sequence you want.
  3. Confirm Loop Playlist is on and Shuffle Playlist is off. OBS documents those as the VLC Video defaults, but check the settings in your installed version.
  4. Apply the properties and preview the scene. Confirm that the video is visible and that the files move through the intended sequence before starting the YouTube stream.

OBS documents Media Source support for local video formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF, and WebM, and audio formats including MP3, AAC, OGG, and WAV. Check that your own files play in OBS before relying on them in a live broadcast.

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Keep the source active in its scene

Sources belong to scenes. The eye icon in the Sources dock shows or hides a source in the scene; this is about the source’s visibility in OBS, not whether the OBS application window is on screen. VLC Video also has a Visibility Behaviour setting: its documented default is to stop when hidden and restart when visible. If you switch scenes, check this setting and choose the behavior that fits your production. Hiding or showing a source does not itself start or stop the YouTube broadcast.

VLC Video exposes Network caching (ms), documented with a default of 400 ms by OBS Project in 2022. Treat that as a setting default, not a universal recommendation or a guarantee against playback interruptions.

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Use Media Source for one repeating file

  1. In the scene’s Sources dock, select + > Media Source, then create or select the source.
  2. In the source properties, choose the local media file.
  3. Enable Loop so the file starts again when playback finishes.
  4. Apply the properties and preview playback, including the transition from the end of the file back to its beginning.

Media Source is for a single media file at a time. To rotate several files with one playlist and ordered playback controls, use VLC Video instead.

Connect OBS to YouTube and start the broadcast

  1. In YouTube Live Control Room, prepare the live stream and copy its stream URL and stream key.
  2. In OBS, open Settings > Stream, choose the YouTube service or a custom service as appropriate, and enter the stream URL and stream key.
  3. Apply the settings. In the intended scene, verify the video and audio in the preview, then select Start Streaming.
  4. Check the live preview and stream health in YouTube Live Control Room. Monitor the stream while it runs rather than treating a looping source as proof that the broadcast is uninterrupted.

Keep your stream key private. If it is exposed, replace or reset it through YouTube’s live-stream settings.

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Plan around YouTube’s long-stream limits

A looping OBS source can keep media playback cycling, but it does not guarantee that a YouTube broadcast will remain live indefinitely or that YouTube will preserve the full broadcast. YouTube Help says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived; streams exceeding 12 hours may not be captured at all. YouTube also warns that DVR rewind may be limited or unavailable on streams longer than 12 hours. Do not promise viewers a complete replay or the ability to rewind the entire duration of a 24/7 stream.

  • Make a separate local recording or backup if retaining the broadcast matters.
  • Monitor audio, video, and stream health while live; YouTube recommends monitoring quality rather than assuming a live indicator means everything is working correctly.
  • Keep total streaming bitrate within your available upload bandwidth and leave headroom, as YouTube advises. A saturated or unstable connection can disrupt delivery even when the playlist itself is functioning.

Common problems and fixes

Symptom Likely cause What to check
VLC Video is missing from the source menu VLC is not installed, or its architecture does not match OBS. Install VLC and restart OBS; for 64-bit OBS, use 64-bit VLC.
The playlist does not repeat Loop Playlist is off, or a single-file source is being used instead. For VLC Video, turn on Loop Playlist. For Media Source, turn on Loop.
Files play in an unexpected order Shuffle Playlist may be on or the playlist order may be wrong. Turn off Shuffle Playlist and review the listed file order.
Playback stops after changing scenes The source may stop when hidden under Visibility Behaviour. Check VLC Video’s Visibility Behaviour and select the behavior you need for scene changes.
YouTube is live but playback or audio is wrong The source, scene, file, or audio may not be behaving as expected. Preview the intended scene before going live; check that the source is visible and that the file’s video and audio play as intended.
The stream disconnects or quality degrades Available upload bandwidth may be insufficient or unstable. Check YouTube stream health, reduce total bitrate if needed, and leave upload-bandwidth headroom.
The live broadcast has no complete YouTube archive The stream exceeded YouTube’s 12-hour capture threshold. Keep a separate local recording or backup; YouTube says streams over 12 hours may not be captured at all.
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