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Admit one · Blog

How to Add a Countdown Slate Between Videos in a 24/7 YouTube Stream

Create a separate OBS countdown scene and use a tested Advanced Scene Switcher workaround to show it between playlist clips in a 24/7 YouTube stream.
Opened Runtime5 min Written byDocumentaryTube Team
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In OBS, put your playlist in one scene and a countdown slate in a second scene. To switch automatically between playlist clips and the slate, use the Advanced Scene Switcher plugin to detect a clip nearing its end, then switch back when the slate video finishes. That automation is a community-described workaround, not a built-in OBS playlist feature, so test full cycles with your own media and settings before leaving a stream unattended.

Choose the right OBS source for your videos

OBS scenes are layouts built from sources such as video, text, images, and browser content. Add sources in the Sources dock, arrange their stacking order there, and position or resize them in the preview. Higher sources in the list appear above lower ones. See the OBS Media Sources guide and OBS Sources Guide.

What you want to play OBS source Relevant settings Trade-off
One repeating video Media Source Loop; optionally restart when active or show nothing when playback ends Simple playback of one file, not a multi-item playlist
Several clips in sequence VLC Video Playlist order, Loop Playlist, Shuffle Playlist, and visibility behavior Requires VLC; behavior when the source is hidden matters during scene changes

OBS lists video file extensions including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF, and WebM, and audio extensions including MP3, AAC, OGG, and WAV. Listed extensions do not guarantee that every codec combination will work identically. VLC Video appears only when VLC is installed; 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.

For one repeating video

Add a Media Source to your video scene and select the file. Its Loop setting defaults to Off; Restart playback when source becomes active defaults to On; Show nothing when playback ends defaults to On. Enable Loop if you want the file itself to repeat.

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For a playlist of documentary clips

Add a VLC Video source and populate its playlist. Leave Shuffle Playlist off if you want the listed order. Loop Playlist defaults to On. Its default visibility behavior is to stop playback when the source is not visible and restart when visible; choose deliberately because scene switching can hide the playlist source.

Build the countdown slate scene

  1. Create a scene: In the Scenes dock, add a new scene for the break card.
  2. Add the slate: Add a countdown video as a Media Source, or compose a static slate from an image and text sources. A browser source can show web content, but OBS’s cited documentation does not prescribe a countdown timer page or establish its reliability.
  3. Arrange the layout: In the Sources list, drag sources to set their layer order, then position and resize them in the preview.
  4. Set the break length: For a pre-rendered countdown, use a video whose duration matches the intended break. OBS’s cited documentation explains sources and playback controls but does not provide a built-in live countdown-timer procedure.

Automate the switch between clips and slate

OBS’s official guides explain scenes and sources, but not automatic insertion of a slate between VLC playlist items. OBS community forum discussions describe using the Advanced Scene Switcher plugin to detect a playlist item nearing its end, switch to the slate scene, and return after the slate media ends. Examples use a media condition such as “playing” with “time remaining shorter than” roughly one to two seconds, or a threshold below 1,000 milliseconds. These are community examples, not guaranteed settings for every OBS or plugin version. See the OBS community forum discussion.

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  1. Install and open Advanced Scene Switcher: Use the plugin’s media-condition and scene-switching controls; exact labels can vary by installed version.
  2. Make a near-end trigger: Configure a condition for the playlist media while it is playing and its remaining time is below your chosen threshold. Have the action switch to the countdown scene. The forum examples use a short threshold near the clip boundary.
  3. Handle playlist progression: Configure the action sequence to advance the playlist as needed for your setup. Verify whether switching away from the VLC source pauses, stops, or otherwise affects the next item.
  4. Return after the slate: Add a separate condition or macro that detects the slate media ending and switches back to the video scene.
  5. Test repeated cycles: Run through several different playlist items and slate returns, including the end of the playlist if it loops. Confirm timing, item order, and whether hidden-source behavior changes playback before relying on the setup unattended.

A simple “ended” trigger may not fire as expected in a looping playlist because the playlist can advance instead of entering an ended state. Forum users also report inconsistent results involving hidden-source pause behavior and media rules. These reports do not establish broad compatibility.

Manual fallback and troubleshooting

If the automation is unreliable, switch scenes manually with OBS controls or a configured hotkey. No hardware controller is required for that approach.

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  • VLC Video is missing: Install VLC. If OBS is 64-bit, use 64-bit VLC.
  • The playlist order changes: Check that Shuffle Playlist is off.
  • The playlist stops or restarts after switching scenes: Review VLC Video’s visibility behavior. OBS documents stop-and-restart as the default; test any alternative with your scene-switching sequence.
  • The slate appears too early or too late: Adjust the near-end threshold and repeat the cycle with the actual clip files. The community examples are starting points, not universal timings.
  • The return switch does not happen: Check whether the slate source reaches an ended state and whether the return condition is watching the right source. Test independently of playlist switching.
  • A media file fails despite having a listed extension: The extension list does not guarantee compatibility for every codec combination. Try a different file encoding or source file.
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Copyright and YouTube policy still apply

A countdown slate does not grant rights to the videos in the playlist or make a channel eligible for monetization. Use footage and audio you have permission to stream, and review YouTube’s copyright and reused-content requirements for your channel before running a continuous playlist.

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