To make an OBS playlist rotation start the block that should be airing now after a reboot, relaunch OBS, start Advanced Scene Switcher with it, and configure date/time conditions that select the scene or media source for the current schedule window. That is schedule-aware recovery. It is different from restoring the playlist item that happened to be playing before OBS stopped.
Advanced Scene Switcher documents the conditions and actions needed to build this setup, but there is no universal ready-made macro for an unspecified rotation. You must define your schedule boundaries, timezone, gaps, and overlaps, then test the result.
Decide what “resume” should mean
There are two different recovery goals:
- Continue the same playlist item: restore the file that was playing when OBS shut down. Media Playlist Source documents this behavior.
- Start the block scheduled for the current time: skip blocks that elapsed during downtime and select whichever scene or source belongs to the current schedule window. Use time-based conditions in Advanced Scene Switcher to build this logic.
The second option matches a rotation with fixed scheduled blocks. Restoring the previous file alone cannot determine what should be on air after an outage.
Prepare the rotation before configuring OBS
Write down the schedule rules
- Record each block’s start and end time, including the timezone OBS should follow.
- Choose what should happen during a gap: leave the last scene active, show a holding scene, or select another defined source.
- Resolve overlaps explicitly. For example, decide which block takes priority if two time windows include the same minute.
- Decide what happens at the schedule’s end and whether the rotation repeats daily.
These choices determine the conditions you will create; there is no single set of correct times or macro values for every schedule.
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Choose how each block is represented
A block can correspond to a scene, a separate media source, or a playlist. Keep the mapping explicit: for each time window, identify the scene or source that should become active and the action that starts its video. This makes the schedule easier to check and reduces ambiguity at boundaries.
Configure OBS and Advanced Scene Switcher
- Build and check your OBS scenes or sources. Add the media for each block and confirm the intended scene or source can play it. OBS Media Source handles one file and has Restart playback when source becomes active enabled by default. OBS VLC Video is the built-in playlist source; it supports ordered or shuffled playback, playlist looping, and visibility behavior. VLC must be installed, and 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. The OBS Project Knowledge Base describes these built-in sources in its Media Sources guide.
- Install and check Advanced Scene Switcher compatibility. The OBS Forums listing for version 1.36.1, updated 2026-08-07, gives OBS 31.1.1 as its minimum supported version and lists Windows, macOS, and Linux support. Plugin releases change; confirm the current release’s requirements against your installed OBS version on the Advanced Scene Switcher resource page.
- Create a time condition for each schedule window. In Advanced Scene Switcher, use its date/time condition to identify when a block should be active. Map that condition to an action that switches to the right scene or selects the intended media. The plugin documents date/time conditions and scene, media, and macro actions; its update history also records the addition of Macro Schedule for scheduling macro actions by date and time.
- Make the plugin start inside OBS. Set Advanced Scene Switcher’s startup behavior to start with OBS—either always or if it was running previously, depending on the available choice and your preference. This setting starts the plugin when OBS opens; it does not launch OBS after the computer reboots. The plugin’s startup choices are documented in its English locale strings.
- Set the operating system to launch OBS at boot. Configure your operating system’s startup mechanism to open OBS after reboot. This is separate from the plugin setting. If OBS does not open, its schedule conditions cannot run.
The time-condition and action features are documented building blocks, not a verified macro recipe for every schedule. After configuring them, confirm that the condition for each block selects the intended scene or media and that playback actually starts.
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Test recovery at schedule boundaries
Before relying on the rotation, test what happens when OBS starts at different points in the schedule. Include a time well inside a block, a block boundary, and a gap or overlap if your schedule has one. Check both the selected scene/source and the video and audio output. A scene appearing on screen does not by itself prove the media has started correctly.
Also verify that the computer’s clock and timezone match the schedule you configured. If the wrong block appears, check the time window definitions, boundary inclusivity, overlap priority, plugin startup, and whether OBS launched successfully.
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Choose the right recovery feature for your setup
| Need | Best-matching feature | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Replay one file when its source becomes active | OBS Media Source’s Restart playback when source becomes active property, on by default | Does not select among scheduled blocks. OBS Project Knowledge Base |
| Play a list of files in order or loop it | OBS VLC Video playlist source | Playlist loop and visibility settings do not establish which block is current after downtime. Requires VLC; 64-bit OBS needs 64-bit VLC. OBS Project Knowledge Base |
| Restore the same playlist item after OBS restarts | Media Playlist Source saves the currently playing file so it can play when OBS restarts | Restores the current file, not the block due according to the schedule. Its resource page lists version 0.1.3, updated 2025-04-13; confirm release compatibility with your OBS build. OBS Forums resource page |
| Select the block scheduled for the current time | Advanced Scene Switcher date/time conditions paired with scene, media, or macro actions | Requires you to design and test the conditions for your own windows; the documented capabilities do not establish a ready-made macro for an unspecified schedule. OBS Forums resource page |
Troubleshoot a rotation that starts on the wrong block
OBS does not reopen after reboot
Check the operating system’s startup configuration. Starting Advanced Scene Switcher with OBS cannot help if OBS itself never opens.
The correct scene is selected, but playback does not begin
Check that the source is present in that scene and that its media is available. For a single-file Media Source, check its restart-on-active property. For VLC Video, confirm VLC is installed and its architecture matches OBS.
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The previous playlist file returns instead of the current block
That is the distinction between item persistence and schedule recovery. Media Playlist Source is documented to restore the currently playing file. Use time conditions and actions if the intended behavior is to skip ahead to the block scheduled now.
The wrong block appears at a boundary or during a gap
Recheck the timezone and the exact start/end logic for both adjacent windows. Define an explicit gap behavior and priority for overlaps, then test a restart on either side of each boundary.
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The plugin does not run when OBS opens
Review Advanced Scene Switcher’s startup choice and confirm it is installed and compatible with your OBS release. Its listing is version-specific and changes over time, so use the current resource page rather than assuming an older compatibility note still applies.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is to keep a YouTube channel live from uploaded recordings, StreamNeo avoids keeping an OBS computer running at home. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live; StreamNeo loops it from the cloud. It plays uploaded videos, not a live camera feed.
- Nothing has to stay on at home; the stream runs from the cloud.
- Uploaded video streams as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot with no quality tiers.
- Automatic recovery is included if YouTube drops the stream.
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The monthly option is $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo for details, or start your free day.
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