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Add the countdown as a video clip in an OBS VLC Video source playlist, positioned between the program videos. Turn off Shuffle Playlist to preserve the order, and enable Loop Playlist if the full sequence should repeat. This makes the countdown part of the sequence OBS sends to YouTube.
What you need
- OBS Studio and the local video files you want in the loop.
- A countdown video clip with the duration and design you want. OBS does not prescribe a countdown-making tool or export settings.
- VLC installed. OBS’s Media Sources documentation says VLC Video requires VLC; if you use 64-bit OBS, install 64-bit VLC.
Add the countdown to an OBS playlist
- Prepare the countdown clip. Make or obtain a video showing the countdown. Its duration becomes the time between the surrounding program videos.
- Add a VLC Video source. In the OBS scene where the loop should appear, use the Sources dock to add a VLC Video source. OBS documents that this source can play a playlist and requires VLC to be installed.
- Build the sequence. Add your local video files in the order you want viewers to see them. Place the countdown clip between each pair of program videos that should have a countdown.
- Set playlist behavior. Keep Shuffle Playlist off for a fixed sequence. Turn Loop Playlist on if you want the sequence to restart after its final item. OBS documents Shuffle Playlist as off and Loop Playlist as on by default.
- Check visibility behavior. OBS documents the default as “Stop when not visible, restart when visible.” If the source is hidden during scene changes, it may stop and restart rather than continue playing.
- Preview the whole sequence. Before a public broadcast, check the item order, audio, countdown duration, and transitions in a private or otherwise suitable preview.
OBS describes the VLC Video playlist option as specifying whether the source should restart when it has run out of media files. Treat the countdown as an ordinary item in that playlist rather than relying on a separate timer to detect when another clip ends.
Choose a clip or an overlay
| Approach | How it works | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Countdown video clip | Add the clip as a playlist item between program videos. | The duration and appearance are edited in the clip itself. This uses OBS’s documented playlist workflow. |
| Text or browser overlay | Place a text or browser source above the video; OBS’s Sources Guide explains that sources higher in the list appear above lower sources. | The cited OBS material does not explain how to automatically start or reset a timer at every playlist transition. Do not assume synchronization without confirming a current plugin or script works with your OBS version. |
For one repeating video, use Media Source
If you only need to repeat a single file, add it as a Media Source and use its Loop setting. That repeats the individual file; it is different from Loop Playlist, which repeats a VLC Video playlist.
Make sure the loop is in the livestream
YouTube’s instructions for looping videos or playlists on YouTube concern playback by a viewer watching YouTube. They do not construct the sequence OBS sends in a livestream; put that sequence in OBS. For connecting OBS to YouTube, the OBS forum guide is community-authored, so treat its interface steps as guidance rather than authoritative documentation of current YouTube settings. A scheduled broadcast’s transition to public live may also need separate handling.
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Troubleshoot common problems
The VLC Video source is unavailable or will not play
Confirm VLC is installed and that its architecture matches OBS. OBS specifies 64-bit VLC for 64-bit OBS.
The clips play in the wrong order
Turn off Shuffle Playlist and check the playlist order, including the countdown’s position between program videos.
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The sequence stops after the last file
Enable Loop Playlist if the full sequence should restart. For a single Media Source file, enable its separate Loop setting instead.
The source restarts after a scene change
Check whether the source became hidden. OBS documents the default visibility behavior as stopping when not visible and restarting when visible; adjust the source’s visibility behavior if it must continue through scene changes.
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The countdown does not reset at the next clip
A countdown clip in the playlist plays as part of the sequence. If you chose a text or browser timer overlay, automatic synchronization with playlist transitions is not established by the cited OBS guidance. Use a clip or verify a compatible plugin or script before relying on an overlay timer.
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