To play different prerecorded videos at planned times in an OBS YouTube stream, create a scene for each video and automate scene changes with a scene-switching tool. For clips that should simply play one after another, use an OBS VLC Video playlist instead. Schedule the YouTube live event separately: OBS controls what goes into the stream, not when YouTube starts the event. Rehearse the complete sequence before relying on it for a public broadcast.
Choose between a playlist and scheduled scene changes
| What you need | Practical method | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Clips playing one after another in a list | Use an OBS VLC Video source with a playlist. | VLC must be installed. Playlist order, looping, or shuffling does not select a clip for a particular clock time. OBS documents the VLC source and its playlist settings. |
| Different clips starting at planned times or after set durations | Put each clip in its own scene and automate scene changes. | This involves more scene and source setup. The scene-switching approach is described in an OBS community thread, not guaranteed by the core media-source documentation; check the controls available in your installed plugin version. See the OBS community example. |
| A prerecorded video becoming public later, without being part of an ongoing live event | Upload it to YouTube and schedule its publication. | This publishes an uploaded video; it does not switch media inside an OBS live stream. YouTube’s scheduling help explains scheduled publication. |
Set up the OBS video sequence
1. Prepare and test the files
Keep each video in a stable local folder and play it before adding it to OBS. OBS Media Source supports local formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF, and WebM. Its options include looping a file, restarting playback when the source becomes active, and hiding the source when playback ends. See the OBS Media Sources documentation for the available behavior.
A portable drive can be useful if your library is too large for your computer’s internal storage, but external storage is not required: the media source plays local files wherever you keep them. Avoid moving or renaming a file after configuring its source unless you update the source path in OBS.
2. For a simple sequence, make a VLC playlist
- Install VLC on the computer running OBS. If you use 64-bit OBS, OBS advises installing 64-bit VLC.
- In OBS, add a VLC Video source and add the video files to its playlist.
- Set the playlist order and choose whether to loop or shuffle, according to the behavior you want.
- Test the playlist through the OBS output. A playlist is for sequence playback; it does not by itself provide clock-time selection of individual clips.
These source requirements and playlist controls are covered in the OBS documentation.
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3. For planned changes, make a scene per video
- Create a separate OBS scene for every scheduled clip, using clear names such as “Opening,” “Gameplay,” and “Break.”
- Add a Media Source for the relevant local file in each scene. Configure its playback behavior—for example, whether it should restart when the scene becomes active or loop if it must repeat.
- Add scene automation to switch scenes at the desired times or after durations that match the clip runtimes. An OBS community answer suggests using Advanced Scene Switcher for duration-based changes. The exact setup depends on the installed plugin version, so verify its controls and test the transitions rather than assuming the example applies unchanged.
- Preview the complete run in OBS. Check that each clip begins at the intended point, its audio is audible and routed correctly, and the transitions look as intended.
Separate scenes make each selection explicit; they also mean more sources and scene settings to maintain. The community workflow is a practical suggestion, not a promise of exact wall-clock timing under every condition.
Schedule the YouTube event separately
Changing scenes changes the video and audio OBS sends; it does not create, schedule, or start the YouTube event. YouTube distinguishes the broadcast event from the stream carrying its audio and video. Its API guide describes a broadcast as an event viewers can watch as it happens and explains the relationship between broadcasts and streams: Understanding Broadcasts and Streams (last updated 2026-09-14 UTC).
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Set up the live event in YouTube separately, then connect OBS to that event using the stream details YouTube provides. Do not confuse this with scheduling an uploaded video to become public later: that is a different publishing action, described in YouTube Help.
Rehearse the full broadcast and plan for failure cases
- Test the whole sequence: run every scene and transition in order and inspect the actual stream output, not just the scene names in OBS.
- Check media reloads: OBS notes that closing an inactive file can leave a short period without display while the file reloads. Confirm that your chosen source behavior does not create a gap at a transition.
- Do not rely on live playlist edits without testing: a user in an OBS forum thread reported mixed results—an edit appeared in the live broadcast once, while another attempt required restarting OBS and YouTube. This is anecdotal, not a general rule for current versions. Test changes before an event rather than relying on them live. Read the forum discussion.
- Account for interruptions: the cited OBS materials do not establish guaranteed wall-clock precision through dropped frames, computer sleep, crashes, or network interruptions. Keep the computer awake and the connection stable, and have a recovery plan appropriate to the event.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is to keep prerecorded videos playing on a YouTube channel without leaving OBS and a computer running at home, StreamNeo is a cloud alternative: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. It plays uploaded videos—not a camera feed—and runs on YouTube only. Nothing has to stay on at home; each slot streams your upload at its original quality, up to 4K 60fps, for one flat price per slot. It can automatically recover if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card, one free day per account. Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month.
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