If an OBS playlist keeps returning to its first video instead of advancing, first confirm the scene uses VLC Video for a playlist of local files, then check the playlist order, shuffle, looping, and visibility settings. A regular Media Source is for a media file, not a playlist. The right fix depends on the source type: a YouTube playlist shown in a browser source follows a different path.
Identify what kind of playlist you are using
OBS has two sources that are easy to confuse. Its Media Source adds a supported media file to a scene. VLC Video can play a playlist of media items; OBS describes it as letting you create “a playlist of items, similar to an Image Slideshow.” See the OBS Media Sources documentation.
- Local video files: use VLC Video when you want OBS to play multiple files as a playlist.
- One local video: Media Source is appropriate for an individual file.
- YouTube playlist in a browser source: the VLC-specific settings below may not apply. Identify the actual source and troubleshoot that browser-based setup separately.
Fix a VLC Video playlist that will not advance
1. Confirm VLC Video is available
VLC must be installed for the VLC Video source to appear in OBS. OBS’s documentation also says that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. If VLC Video is missing, check that VLC is installed and that its bitness matches OBS.
2. Verify the playlist entries and playback order
Open the VLC Video source properties and check that every intended file is listed in the playlist and in the expected order. With Shuffle Playlist off, items play in list order; with it on, playback is randomized. Turn shuffle off if you expect a predictable sequence.
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3. Understand what Loop Playlist does
Loop Playlist controls whether the source restarts after it runs out of media files. Enable it if the sequence should repeat after its final item. Looping does not itself make one item advance to the next; verify the entries and order separately.
4. Check source visibility behaviour
OBS documents the VLC Video default as Stop when not visible, restart when visible. Check that the source is visible in the active scene and choose a visibility behaviour that suits how you use it when hidden. This setting refers to whether the source is visible in an OBS scene, not whether the OBS application window is on screen.
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If playback resets after editing the playlist
A user on the OBS Forums reported in a thread started April 20, 2020, that adding a media source or editing a VLC playlist during preparation for a YouTube Live stream reset playback to the first video. This is one user’s report, not proof of a universal OBS defect or a confirmed general fix. When practical, finish and test playlist edits before going live. The report is in the OBS Forums thread about adding media to a running YouTube Live stream.
If the settings do not fix it
Gather details that distinguish a playlist-advance problem from a restart caused by a scene or playlist change. OBS’s Help Portal links to documentation and support resources.
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- OBS version and operating system.
- Whether the source is VLC Video, Media Source, or a browser source.
- Whether playback fails at every item or only after a playlist edit or scene change.
- An OBS log and steps that reproduce the issue.
A community discussion mentions Advanced Scene Switcher for timed scene changes after a playlist, but that is an optional scene-automation idea, not an established fix for a VLC playlist that fails to advance. See the OBS Forums discussion about streaming a playlist of local files.
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