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How to Loop a Folder of Videos in OBS Using VLC for YouTube Live

Add local videos to an OBS VLC Video playlist, enable Loop Playlist, and connect the scene to YouTube Live. Here are the folder limits, settings, and fixes.

By DocumentaryTube Team 4 min read
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To play several local videos in a repeating sequence in OBS, add them as items to an OBS VLC Video source, enable Loop Playlist, and send the OBS scene to YouTube Live. OBS’s built-in source takes a playlist of media files; its documentation does not establish that it can add and automatically scan an entire folder at once. You may need to add the files individually.

What you need

  • OBS Studio with a scene for your YouTube broadcast.
  • VLC installed on the same computer. The VLC Video source uses VLC libraries; if your OBS installation is 64-bit, use 64-bit VLC.
  • The local video files you want to play, and a YouTube live stream set up to receive OBS.

Add videos to an OBS VLC playlist

  1. Select the scene. In OBS, choose the scene that should display the videos.
  2. Add the source. In the Sources dock, select the add control and choose VLC Video. If it is missing, install VLC; for 64-bit OBS, install 64-bit VLC, then reopen OBS.
  3. Add the media files. In the VLC Video source properties, add the video files you want to play to its playlist and arrange them in the intended order. The built-in source documentation confirms playlist support, not a control that imports and continually scans a whole folder. Treat adding files and adding a folder as different operations.
  4. Enable repetition. Turn on Loop Playlist. OBS documents this setting as On by default; when enabled, the source restarts after reaching the end of its media files. Check the setting rather than relying on the default, especially if the source has previously been configured.
  5. Choose whether to shuffle. Shuffle Playlist is Off by default, so the listed order is retained unless you turn it on.
  6. Set visibility behavior if needed. The documented default is to stop playback when the source is not visible and restart it when visible. If the scene is hidden while another scene is active, review Visibility Behaviour and decide whether that stop-and-restart behavior suits your broadcast.
  7. Position the video. Use the scene preview to size and place the source. In the Sources list, items higher in the list appear above lower items and can cover them; move the video source or other overlays as needed.

Can OBS loop a folder automatically?

The built-in VLC Video source is playlist-oriented: add the videos as playlist items, then enable Loop Playlist. The cited OBS documentation does not describe selecting a folder as one item or automatically refreshing a playlist when files are added to a folder. If you add new videos later, check the playlist and add them yourself.

A third-party OBS forum plugin called Media Playlist Source advertises file or folder items and playlist editing. It is not an OBS built-in source; check its compatibility with your OBS version before installing it. Its listing says folder contents do not automatically refresh, so adding a file to the folder may not update the playlist until you refresh it. Plugin requirements and behavior can change with versions.

Send the OBS scene to YouTube Live

Once the playlist is playing in the intended scene, configure OBS to connect to your YouTube live stream using the stream setup and ingestion option appropriate to your account. The playlist controls determine what OBS plays; YouTube’s ingestion protocol is a separate choice. HLS is not required just to loop local videos.

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If you specifically select HLS ingestion, follow YouTube’s HLS setup instructions. YouTube specifies HTTPS POST/PUT without byte ranges, TS segments lasting 1–4 seconds, and a rolling playlist with no more than five outstanding segments. YouTube also says HLS has higher latency than continuous RTMP. These are HLS requirements, not settings for OBS’s VLC playlist.

Choose the right OBS source for your playback

Need Use What to know
Repeat one video file OBS Media Source Its loop setting applies to that file. OBS lists MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF, and WebM among the formats supported by the built-in Media Source.
Play several files in sequence or shuffle them VLC Video It accepts a playlist and provides Loop Playlist and Shuffle Playlist controls. It requires VLC libraries and VLC installed.
Select folders as playlist items Optional third-party playlist plugin Check compatibility and its folder-refresh behavior before depending on it; it is not the built-in VLC Video source.

Troubleshooting

VLC Video is missing from Add Source

Install VLC and restart OBS. Match architectures: OBS Project says 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC for this source.

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The playlist plays once and stops

Open the VLC Video source properties and check Loop Playlist. Although OBS documents On as the default, a saved source configuration may have a different value.

Playback stops or restarts when changing scenes

Review Visibility Behaviour. Its documented default is to stop when the source is hidden and restart when it becomes visible.

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A video will not play

The OBS VLC Video documentation confirms playlist support but does not provide a complete compatibility matrix for codecs and containers. Test the file locally in VLC; for one file, you can also try OBS’s built-in Media Source if the format is among those it lists. Do not assume every video file will play in every source.

A new file in the folder does not appear

The built-in VLC Video source documentation does not establish automatic folder scanning. Add the new file to the playlist manually, or, if using a separate plugin, follow its refresh procedure and check its version-specific limitations.

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