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DocumentaryTube
gaming VOD

How to Automate Daily Gaming VOD Reruns on YouTube

Learn how to loop gaming recordings through OBS into scheduled YouTube Live events, what must run at broadcast time, and when a scheduled VOD is the better fit.

By DocumentaryTube Team 6 min read

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To rerun prerecorded gameplay as an actual YouTube Live event each day, feed the recording into an encoder such as OBS Studio, enable looping, and connect OBS to a scheduled YouTube broadcast. A live rerun needs an encoder that is running at broadcast time; scheduling alone does not make an uploaded file play live. If you only want a recording to become public every day, schedule regular uploads in YouTube Studio instead.

Choose between a live rerun and a scheduled VOD

A rerun can mean two different things on YouTube. A scheduled livestream has a live event page and uses an encoder to send video to YouTube. A scheduled upload is a normal video that becomes public at a chosen time; it is not a live event. YouTube documents these as separate workflows: creating an encoder-based livestream and scheduling a video’s publish time.

  • Choose a livestream if you specifically want a live watch page and the live-event format.
  • Choose scheduled publishing if the goal is simply to release one gameplay recording each day without a live event.

Check eligibility and rights before automating

Confirm the channel can livestream

YouTube’s getting-started guidance says a channel must be verified and have no live-streaming restrictions in the preceding 90 days; its general guidance also says users must be at least 16. Check the channel’s current status and age eligibility before building a recurring workflow. See YouTube’s live-streaming eligibility guidance.

Clear the gameplay and every included asset

You are responsible for having the necessary rights for livestream content and any archived version, including music licensing rights. Check the game publisher’s permissions and the rights for music, overlays, and other audiovisual material in every recording. Replaying a file rather than broadcasting it live does not remove those responsibilities. YouTube sets them out in its livestream terms and conditions.

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Set up OBS to loop a gameplay recording

Loop one local file

  1. Prepare the recording. Keep the rights-cleared gameplay video accessible on the computer that will run OBS. Confirm its video and audio play correctly before scheduling a broadcast.
  2. Add a Media Source. In OBS, add a Media Source and select the local video file.
  3. Enable Loop. Turn on the source’s Loop option so playback restarts when the file reaches its end. OBS documents local-file playback and looping in its Media Sources guide.
  4. Check the scene and audio. Preview the scene, confirm the video fills the intended canvas, and listen for sound. Leave OBS running with the source loaded when the broadcast is due to start.

Loop a playlist of files

  1. Install VLC if it is not already available; OBS requires VLC for its VLC Video source type.
  2. Add a VLC Video source and create or select a playlist of the gameplay recordings.
  3. Enable Loop Playlist, then preview the sequence to confirm the files play in the intended order and their audio is usable.

OBS’s documentation covers both the VLC playlist source and its loop behavior in the same Media Sources guide. A playlist is useful when the daily broadcast should rotate through multiple recordings rather than repeat one file.

Schedule and connect the YouTube Live event

  1. Create the event. In YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room, schedule a livestream and set its title, description, privacy, and other event details.
  2. Get the encoder connection details. Use the stream URL and stream key shown for the event to connect OBS. YouTube describes the encoder setup in Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder.
  3. Connect OBS. Enter YouTube’s stream URL and key in OBS’s streaming settings, then check the preview/feed before relying on the scheduled start.
  4. Review reused settings for each event. YouTube can reuse settings, including metadata and a stream key. Verify the title, description, privacy, and other copied details rather than assuming they are correct for the next day. YouTube’s live stream settings guide explains these options.
  5. Protect the key. YouTube Help says, “Stream keys are like your YouTube stream’s password and address.” Do not expose the key in a public screen capture or give it to an untrusted operator.

Automate the daily repeat—and know what still has to run

Use Studio for a straightforward schedule

You can schedule livestreams manually in YouTube Studio. This handles event scheduling, but the encoder and its video source still need to be available when each broadcast starts. A computer that is shut down, OBS that is closed, or a missing media file can prevent the rerun from reaching YouTube.

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Use the API for a programmatic event workflow

YouTube’s Live Streaming API can create and manage broadcast resources and associate broadcasts with stream configurations. A scheduler can use those documented components to create recurring events, but the API does not itself play the gameplay file: an encoder host and source must still be running at the scheduled time. See Google’s documentation on broadcasts and streams and the Live Streaming API. This describes a components-based workflow, not a guarantee that a particular unattended setup will work without operational checks.

Plan for archives and monitoring

YouTube may automatically archive livestreams shorter than 12 hours. Streams longer than 12 hours may not be captured at all, so do not rely on YouTube as the only copy of a long rerun. YouTube recommends keeping a local backup; its archive live streams guidance explains the archive behavior.

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  • Before the scheduled start, verify that the encoder is running, the correct scene and file are selected, and the outgoing feed has both picture and sound.
  • During the event, check that the broadcast is still reaching YouTube rather than assuming the schedule guarantees a successful stream.
  • Afterward, check the event and archive, and retain a local copy when the recording matters.

Troubleshoot common failures

Symptom Likely cause What to check
The scheduled event starts but has no video OBS was not running, the source file is unavailable, or the wrong scene is active. Open OBS on the encoder host, confirm the file path and selected scene, and preview the source before the next start.
The video plays once and stops Loop was not enabled for the Media Source, or Loop Playlist was not enabled for the VLC Video source. Check the loop setting for the source type you actually added, then preview through the end of a file.
A playlist will not load in OBS VLC may not be installed, which OBS requires for its VLC Video source. Install VLC, reopen or reconfigure the source, and test the playlist in OBS.
The wrong event details appear Reused settings copied metadata or other details from a prior stream. Review title, description, privacy, and stream configuration for every scheduled broadcast.
The stream key is rejected or the encoder does not connect The key or stream URL may not match the event’s current encoder settings. Compare OBS’s connection details with those shown in YouTube Live Control Room; keep the key private.
A long stream has no YouTube archive Streams longer than 12 hours may not be captured. Keep a local archive backup rather than depending solely on YouTube’s archive.
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Or let it run in the cloud

If you want a YouTube channel to keep replaying uploaded gameplay without leaving OBS and a computer running at home, StreamNeo is a cloud option: upload the recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. The same slot price applies to any uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps, with no re-encode or quality tiers; it can recover automatically if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly billing is $9.99 per month. StreamNeo is for uploaded videos streamed to YouTube, not camera broadcasts. Start your free first day with StreamNeo.

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