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How to Add a Video Playlist to OBS Without Black Gaps on YouTube Live

Use OBS’s VLC Video Source for multiple videos and Loop Playlist to restart the list. These steps do not guarantee gapless transitions; here’s what to check when black gaps appear.
Opened Runtime3 min Written byDocumentaryTube Team
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For several videos in an ordered sequence, add OBS’s VLC Video Source, load and arrange the files, then enable Loop Playlist if you want the list to start over when it ends. This makes a playlist repeat; it does not guarantee gapless transitions between separate files. For a single video, use Media Source and enable Loop.

Choose the right OBS source

What you want to play OBS source What to know
One video, repeated Media Source Enable Loop. OBS lists common supported extensions including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF, and WebM. Actual playback depends on the file and system.
Several videos, in sequence or shuffled VLC Video Source Supports a playlist and playlist looping. VLC must be installed; 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
An alternative playlist plugin Media Playlist Source The OBS Forums listing describes version 0.1.3 by CodeYan, with OBS Studio 30.0.0 as its minimum version and Windows, macOS, and Linux support. Check the listing for current version and compatibility before installing.

OBS describes VLC Video Source as allowing “a playlist of items, similar to an Image Slideshow.” It is the built-in choice for multiple local files. The plugin is an optional dependency; use it only if its current compatibility and playlist-editing features suit your setup.

Set up a VLC playlist in OBS

  1. Select the scene. Choose the OBS scene where the videos should appear.
  2. Add the source. In the Sources dock, select +, then choose VLC Video Source. If it is not available or does not play files, install VLC. Match its architecture to OBS; in particular, 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
  3. Load and order the files. Add your video files to the VLC source playlist and arrange them in the intended playback order. Keep shuffle off for a fixed sequence; OBS documents shuffle as off by default.
  4. Choose whether the playlist repeats. Enable Loop Playlist if playback should restart after the final item. This is an end-of-list option, not a documented transition or crossfade setting.
  5. Check visibility and layering. Confirm the source is enabled and visible. In OBS, sources higher in the Sources list appear above lower sources and can cover them. Put an intended background below the video source.
  6. Review visibility behavior. The VLC source offers options to stop playback when it is not visible and restart when visible. Consider these if you switch scenes, so the source behaves as intended when hidden or shown.
  7. Preview the full run. Watch every file boundary and, if looping, the final-to-first handoff in the actual scene before going live. This helps reveal problems in your specific files and setup; it cannot establish a general gapless guarantee.

What to do about black gaps

OBS documents playlist playback and looping, but its documentation does not promise gapless handoffs between different files or identify one setting that eliminates black frames. Loop Playlist restarts the list after it runs out; it should not be treated as a fix for pauses between items. OBS also lists network caching, but its documentation does not establish that raising it fixes gaps with local files.

Check the visible source first

  • Verify that the VLC source is enabled and visible in the scene.
  • Check its position in the Sources list. A source above it may obscure the video.
  • Confirm VLC is installed and that its architecture matches OBS, especially when using 64-bit OBS.
  • Test each file in the OBS scene on its own. If an individual file fails, investigate that file’s playback before diagnosing playlist transitions.

If only clip boundaries remain

If uninterrupted imagery is essential, a practical workaround is to edit or encode the clips into one continuous file, then play that file through a looping Media Source. This avoids separate playlist handoffs, but it is a workaround—not an OBS guarantee that a particular export will play without interruption. OBS’s formats guide calls MP4 the de facto standard for internet video and says MKV is compatible with every audio and video encoder supported in OBS; neither statement means a given file will play smoothly or transition seamlessly on every system. Test the actual exported file in the actual scene.

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