If an OBS playlist does not show videos you just added, first identify the source type. The built-in VLC Video source, the third-party Media Playlist Source plugin, and a Browser Source refresh in different ways. For VLC Video, check the source’s Properties and playlist entries; for the plugin, change and save a setting to refresh added-folder contents. A Browser Source refresh reloads a webpage, not a media playlist.
Identify which OBS source you are using
In OBS Studio, look at the source name and type in the Sources list, then open its Properties if you are unsure. These similarly named sources are not interchangeable, and the right refresh steps depend on which one holds the videos.
- VLC Video: OBS’s built-in source for a media playlist. It requires VLC installed on the system to appear as an available source, according to the OBS Project’s Media Sources documentation.
- Media Playlist Source: a separate, third-party plugin. Its folder-refresh behavior is documented by the plugin listing.
- Browser Source: displays a webpage. Its refresh controls reload that page; they do not refresh a VLC playlist. See OBS’s Browser Source documentation.
- Media Source: a source for media files with playback controls, not a documented playlist-folder scanning mechanism. OBS describes options such as restarting playback when active and closing the file when inactive in its Media Sources documentation.
Refresh a built-in VLC Video playlist
- Open the source’s Properties. Select the VLC Video source in the Sources list and open Properties.
- Check the playlist entries. Confirm the newly added video paths are actually listed. If they are missing, add the files to the playlist there; restarting playback or refreshing a webpage will not insert them.
- Check VLC installation and architecture. VLC must be installed for VLC Video to be available. OBS specifically notes that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
- Review playlist behavior. Check the listed order, shuffle, and loop options if the new file appears but does not play when expected.
The OBS Project’s Media Sources documentation describes VLC Video playlists, looping, and shuffle, but does not document continuous folder scanning or a dedicated playlist-refresh button. If you add files to a folder after building a playlist, do not assume OBS will discover them automatically: inspect the entries in Properties and add missing paths to the playlist.
Refresh folders in the Media Playlist Source plugin
The plugin author documents a manual refresh for folder-based entries: change a setting in the source’s Properties and save the settings. Folder contents are not documented as refreshing continuously on their own.
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- In Sources, select Media Playlist Source and open Properties.
- If the playlist uses added folders, change a setting and save the Properties to trigger the documented folder refresh.
- If the filename displayed in Properties looks stale, close and reopen Properties; the plugin listing says reopening it refreshes that display.
- Check the plugin listing’s current OBS-version requirement before installing or troubleshooting. Its update notes say version 0.1.0 raised the minimum requirement to OBS 31; requirements can change in later updates.
What not to use as a playlist refresh
- Browser Source “Refresh cache of current page” reloads the webpage displayed by that source. It is not a documented way to rescan a VLC playlist.
- Refresh browser when scene becomes active likewise refreshes a webpage when its scene activates, not media playlist entries.
- Media Source playback options such as restarting playback when active or closing the file when inactive control playback of a media file. They do not document scanning a folder for newly added playlist items.
Troubleshoot by symptom
The added videos are missing from the playlist
Check the source type first. In VLC Video Properties, verify that the files appear as playlist entries and add missing paths there. For the plugin, use its documented change-and-save refresh when the playlist uses folders.
The videos appear, but the source does not play them as expected
In VLC Video Properties, inspect playlist order, shuffle, and loop settings. If the issue is with ordinary Media Source playback, its restart and close-file controls apply to that media source; they do not update another source’s playlist.
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VLC Video is unavailable
Install VLC and check the architecture match. OBS’s documented requirement is 64-bit VLC when using 64-bit OBS.
The plugin refresh steps do not work
Confirm that the source is the plugin rather than VLC Video, that the playlist uses added folders, and that the installed plugin supports your OBS version. The plugin author’s listing is the place to verify its current requirements and behavior.
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A browser refresh has no effect
That is expected if the problem is a media playlist. Browser Source refresh controls act on a webpage, so return to the Properties for the actual playlist source.
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