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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallYes. OBS WebSocket can remotely restart a supported OBS media input or move to the next or previous item in a configured playlist, without that command itself ending or restarting your YouTube broadcast. OBS media playback and YouTube broadcast state are separate controls.
What the remote controls do
OBS WebSocket controls OBS scenes, sources, and media inputs. Its media-input actions include play, pause, stop, restart, next, and previous. You can also request media status, including states such as playing, buffering, ended, and error. The commands apply to the selected OBS input; they do not, by themselves, change the status of the YouTube broadcast.
OBS Studio 28.0.0 and later include obs-websocket by default. The protocol’s documented media requests are available from protocol version 5.0.0. The OBS WebSocket project documents its default server port as 4455, which can be changed in settings. See the OBS WebSocket project and OBS’s Remote Control Guide.
Set up remote control safely
- Check your OBS version. Use OBS Studio 28.0.0 or later for the built-in WebSocket server. For older OBS releases, the project points users to legacy releases; check their compatibility before connecting a current client.
- Enable the WebSocket server in OBS. Open Tools > WebSocket Server Settings and enable the server. Confirm the port shown there; the documented default is 4455.
- Enable authentication and set a strong password. OBS recommends protecting the connection with a password. Do not expose an unauthenticated WebSocket endpoint to the internet.
- Choose a compatible client. Use a client that supports the 5.x protocol and can issue media-input actions on your platform. OBS’s guide names examples including Streamer.bot, Touch Portal, Aitum, and Bitfocus Companion Module; it does not rank them or provide a current compatibility comparison.
- Decide how the client will reach OBS. A client on the same machine or local network has a different security profile from one connecting over the internet. For off-site control, use a secured remote-access path rather than forwarding an unprotected OBS port publicly.
Restart or navigate the playlist
- Identify the OBS media input. Select the source that actually contains the media or playlist you want to control. The WebSocket action targets an input, so make sure the client is not sending the request to a similarly named but different source.
- Send the relevant media action. Use
TriggerMediaInputActionfor that input and chooseRESTARTto restart its playback,NEXTorPREVIOUSto navigate a playlist, or another documented action such as play or pause. - Check playback if needed. Request
GetMediaInputStatusfor the same input. Its response can report states such as opening, playing, buffering, paused, stopped, ended, or error, along with timing fields. A restart request is not proof by itself that playback resumed successfully.
Exact screens and button names vary by WebSocket client. The API request names and actions are the useful constants; confirm your client’s interface and protocol support before building a control.
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Looping is not the same as restarting on demand
OBS’s media-source guide describes a Loop Playlist setting for restarting a source automatically after its media files run out. WebSocket’s restart action is an explicit command issued when you choose. These solve different needs: looping handles the end of the configured media, while a remote restart lets an operator trigger playback again at a chosen time.
OBS documents VLC as a media source when VLC is installed, including playlist looping. That does not establish that every external YouTube playlist URL will work as an OBS VLC playlist. Check the actual source configuration and supported media before relying on playlist navigation. See the OBS media sources guide.
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OBS playback versus YouTube broadcast state
| Operation | What it controls | Relevant control | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restart or navigate playlist playback | An OBS media input | WebSocket media action: restart, next, or previous | Requires the intended playlist or media to be configured in that input. |
| Change YouTube event state | A YouTube live broadcast | Authorized YouTube liveBroadcasts.transition API operation |
A testing/live transition requires the bound stream to be active; this is not the same as restarting OBS media. |
YouTube’s Live Streaming API documents broadcast transitions separately from encoder media playback. Before transitioning a broadcast to testing or live, the bound stream’s status must be active. Completing a broadcast is another transition, and YouTube also documents optional auto-start and auto-stop behavior. Use the YouTube broadcast transition documentation for API authorization and lifecycle details. Restarting an OBS input alone does not establish that the YouTube event ended, restarted, or changed status.
Troubleshooting remote playlist controls
- The client cannot connect: Confirm the WebSocket server is enabled, the client uses the configured host and port, and the network path permits the connection. Check the port in OBS settings rather than assuming it remains at the documented default of 4455.
- Authentication fails: Re-enter the password configured in OBS and confirm the client supports the server’s authentication method. Keep authentication enabled.
- The request is rejected or unsupported: Check that the client supports the 5.x protocol and that OBS exposes the target as a media input with the requested action.
- The wrong item restarts or advances: Verify the exact input name or identifier sent with the request, then confirm the intended playlist is configured on that input.
- Status reports buffering, ended, or error: Use the status response to distinguish a command being received from media actually playing. Inspect the source and its media configuration; the WebSocket documentation does not guarantee compatibility with arbitrary playlist URLs.
- The YouTube broadcast does not come back live: A media-input restart is not a broadcast transition. Check the broadcast and bound stream separately in YouTube’s Live Control Room or through the authorized API, including the active-stream precondition for testing/live transitions.
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