For a fixed lineup of videos, use OBS Studio’s VLC Video source to play a playlist on a loop; you do not need WebSocket code just to cycle through clips. Use OBS WebSocket when an external tool must trigger or control changes. The key distinction: the playlist source plays media, OBS renders and sends the stream, and WebSocket lets a client control OBS—it does not create a schedule or guarantee uninterrupted playback.
Choose between a playlist and WebSocket automation
| Approach | Best for | What it controls | Complexity and limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| OBS VLC Video playlist | A fixed, ordered or shuffled lineup that repeats | The source plays the media items and can loop or shuffle them. | Requires VLC and compatible installation architecture. It does not provide an external schedule or trigger by itself. |
| External client with OBS WebSocket | Changes triggered by a schedule, event, or another system | Supported OBS scenes and sources through requests in the installed protocol version. | Requires a client, authentication handling, and version- and source-specific implementation. A universal request recipe for changing an individual playlist item is not established. |
If you only need videos to repeat, start with the VLC Video source. If the next video depends on an outside trigger, use WebSocket to control OBS, and validate the exact action against your installed version and source type.
Set up a looping video playlist in OBS
- Install VLC on the computer running OBS. Match architectures: 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
- In OBS, add a VLC Video source to the scene that will appear on stream.
- Open the source properties and add the video files to its playlist. Choose the order you want, or enable shuffle if the lineup should play in a different order.
- Enable looping so playback returns to the playlist after its final item. Confirm the source displays and plays media in the OBS preview.
- Check the scene’s audio routing and transitions with representative files. Play through a full cycle before relying on the setup unattended.
This is playlist playback inside OBS. It is not a WebSocket playlist-update procedure: the precise way to alter playlist contents or an individual item depends on the source and implementation.
Use OBS WebSocket for externally triggered changes
OBS WebSocket is a remote-control interface for scenes and sources. OBS Project’s Remote Control Guide says it is built in since OBS Studio 28 and can help automate or control scenes and sources with external tools. OBS versions earlier than 28 may require the separate plugin.
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- Check your versions and source kind. Record the OBS Studio version, the installed obs-websocket protocol version, and whether the media is a VLC Video source or another source. Request names, fields, and supported operations can vary.
- Enable and secure the server. In OBS, open Tools > WebSocket Server Settings, enable the server, and keep authentication enabled with a strong password. Do not expose the WebSocket port to untrusted networks.
- Connect and identify. The protocol begins with a Hello/Identify handshake. Your client must respond to the server’s Hello and include authentication when the server requests it. Send requests only after identification succeeds.
- Use the matching protocol documentation. Check the generated protocol documentation for the version installed with OBS and confirm the request and fields supported for your source kind. Do not assume that a request for switching scenes is equivalent to changing a playlist item or media file.
- Test in a non-live scene. Verify the trigger, selected video, audio, transition, and behavior when a file is missing or playback ends. Log connection failures and request errors so an unattended setup can be diagnosed.
The WebSocket connection is a control path, not the video player or streaming schedule. A client can issue supported OBS actions, but a connection alone neither chooses when to change videos nor guarantees that OBS, the computer, network, or YouTube stream will stay online.
Connect OBS to YouTube Live
- In YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room, create or open the live stream and obtain YouTube’s server URL and stream key.
- In OBS, open Settings > Stream, select YouTube as the service, and enter the provided stream details. Keep the stream key private.
- Use YouTube’s current encoder guidance to select protocol and video settings. YouTube recommends RTMPS, and its guidance lists H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1, up to 60 fps, constant bitrate (CBR), and a recommended two-second keyframe interval (do not exceed four seconds).
- For one reference point, YouTube’s encoder guidance lists 5 Mbps minimum and 14 Mbps recommended for H.264 at 1080p30. That is guidance for that resolution, frame rate, and codec—not a universal bitrate requirement. Choose settings your upload can sustain reliably.
- Start with a private or otherwise appropriate test, inspect stream health in YouTube’s Live Control Room, and check representative motion and audio before switching to a public unattended run.
See YouTube’s encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions for current recommendations. YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived; that does not establish that a 24/7 broadcast will be archived as one uninterrupted video.
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Plan for failures in an unattended stream
A working playlist and WebSocket client are not an uptime plan. OBS must keep rendering and encoding, and the local machine must remain powered, connected, and able to read the media. YouTube’s encoder setup guidance does not establish automatic recovery behavior for a dropped connection.
- Process failure: Decide how OBS and any automation client will be restarted if they exit. Test recovery rather than assuming a WebSocket reconnect resumes playback correctly.
- Power or computer failure: A local OBS stream stops if its host shuts down or loses power. Consider whether your setup can detect and recover from that failure.
- Network failure: Monitor upload stability and stream health. A brief interruption can end or disrupt the broadcast even if the playlist itself is intact.
- Media or storage failure: Keep source files available for the full run and test what happens when a file is missing, unreadable, or ends unexpectedly.
Before leaving a stream unattended, test the complete workflow for a representative runtime and monitor it during operation. Do not infer continuous uptime from successful switching in a short test.
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Respect copyright and YouTube monetization rules
Having permission to play a video on your own channel does not automatically establish that it is suitable for every use or eligible for monetization. Check rights for the video, music, and other included material, and review YouTube’s current copyright and monetization policies—especially rules concerning reused content. A playlist, automation client, or continuous broadcast does not change those obligations.
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Troubleshoot common problems
- VLC Video source is unavailable or does not play: Install VLC and check that its architecture matches OBS; 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. Reopen OBS after installation and test the source again.
- WebSocket connection fails: Confirm the server is enabled, the client is using the correct connection details, and authentication matches the server settings. Keep the service off untrusted networks.
- Authentication or identification fails: Follow the Hello/Identify handshake for the installed protocol version and provide the required authentication response before issuing requests.
- A request is rejected or changes the wrong thing: Verify its name and fields in the generated protocol docs for the installed version, and confirm that the request applies to the specific source kind. Test in a separate scene before changing a live scene.
- The playlist runs but does not switch when an outside event occurs: Playlist looping and WebSocket control are separate functions. Confirm that the automation client receives the event, connects, identifies, and issues a supported action; do not assume the playlist source has an externally controlled update operation.
- The YouTube stream drops: Check OBS output and YouTube stream health, then investigate local power, network stability, and process state. A successful WebSocket connection does not itself recover the encoder stream.
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