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Choose VLC Video for multiple files
OBS’s built-in Media Source is the simpler choice when you need to loop one file. For several local files in a playlist, use VLC Video, which supports playlist playback. OBS notes that VLC Video can create a playlist of items, similar to an image slideshow. OBS Project’s Media Sources documentation describes both source types and their controls.
VLC must be installed for VLC Video to appear in OBS. Match the architectures: if you use 64-bit OBS, install 64-bit VLC.
Set up the playlist in OBS 31
- Install VLC and check its architecture. Install the version that matches OBS; 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
- Open the scene that will carry the stream. In the Sources panel, click the add button and choose VLC Video. Give it a clear name if you will manage multiple sources.
- Add the files. Open the source’s properties and add the local video or audio files to its playlist. Arrange them in the order you want if playback should be predictable.
- Set Loop Playlist to On. This restarts playback from the start of the list after the last item finishes.
- Set Shuffle Playlist deliberately. Leave it Off to follow the displayed order; turn it On only if you want randomized playback.
- Choose Visibility Behaviour. The documented default is Stop when not visible, restart when visible. If the source must keep playing while its scene or source is hidden, select the suitable pause/resume or always-play behavior and verify it in your scene layout.
- Check Network Caching only if needed. The documented default is 400 ms. It is a source setting, not a general remedy for an unstable connection or dropped broadcast frames; change it only when troubleshooting points to a playback-caching issue.
Understand what loop settings do—and do not do
Loop Playlist repeats the VLC source’s media list. It does not reconnect OBS to YouTube if the ingest connection fails, keep OBS running after a crash, prevent the computer from sleeping, or repair an internet outage. For a continuous broadcast, the entire chain must work: the local media must play, OBS must stay active, the computer and network must remain available, and YouTube must continue receiving the stream.
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Visibility matters too. With the default stop-and-restart behavior, hiding the source can stop its playback; making it visible again restarts it. If you use multiple scenes, test transitions and hidden-source behavior rather than assuming the playlist will run continuously in the background.
Configure YouTube output and test it
In OBS, configure the stream output for the resolution, frame rate, codec, and bitrate your connection can sustain. YouTube recommends RTMPS, constant bitrate (CBR), a 2-second keyframe interval, and says not to exceed 4 seconds. Its frame-rate guidance goes up to 60 fps. The bitrate figures below are YouTube’s recommendations, not guarantees or universal minimum requirements; they depend on codec, resolution, and frame rate.
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| Video format | YouTube recommended bitrate | YouTube minimum bitrate |
|---|---|---|
| H.264, 1080p at 60 fps | 17 Mbps | 6 Mbps |
| H.264, 1080p at 30 fps | 14 Mbps | 5 Mbps |
| H.264, 720p at 60 fps | 8 Mbps | 3 Mbps |
| AV1 or H.265, 1080p at 60 fps | 12 Mbps | 4 Mbps |
These are the values on YouTube Help’s encoder settings page, accessed October 3, 2026. Select settings your actual upload connection can sustain; a bitrate that exceeds available upload capacity can undermine stream stability.
- Start with a private or otherwise appropriate test stream and confirm that both audio and moving video reach YouTube correctly.
- Test representative material, including the kind of motion and audio the real playlist contains. YouTube specifically advises testing with similar audio and movement before going live.
- While live, monitor YouTube’s stream health as well as OBS. A playlist that advances normally in OBS is not proof that YouTube is receiving a healthy broadcast.
Common problems and fixes
- VLC Video is missing from the source menu: install VLC, then confirm its architecture matches OBS. In particular, 64-bit OBS needs 64-bit VLC.
- The playlist stops at the last file: open VLC Video properties and turn Loop Playlist on.
- Files play in an unexpected order: turn Shuffle Playlist off and check the order of files in the playlist.
- Playback stops when changing scenes: check Visibility Behaviour. The default stops playback when the source becomes invisible and restarts when visible; choose and test another behavior if it must continue while hidden.
- OBS playback continues but YouTube goes offline or reports poor health: playlist looping only governs local playback. Check that OBS is still streaming, the computer and connection remain available, the output settings fit your upload capacity, and YouTube’s stream health is normal.
- Increasing network caching does not fix dropped broadcast frames: caching applies to the VLC source. It is not a general fix for an inadequate connection or a YouTube ingest problem.
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