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Advanced Scene Switcher

How to Schedule Playlists by Time of Day on a YouTube Livestream

YouTube schedules a live event, not its changing content. Use OBS scenes, VLC playlists, and Advanced Scene Switcher date/time rules for dayparts.

By VGSources Team 5 min read
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To change what viewers see at set times during one continuous YouTube livestream, schedule the changes in your encoder—not in YouTube Studio. In OBS, create a scene for each time block and use the Advanced Scene Switcher plugin’s date/time conditions to switch scenes automatically. Add an OBS VLC Video source to a scene when you need it to play an ordered playlist.

What YouTube scheduling does—and does not do

A YouTube live broadcast is the event viewers join; a separate live stream carries the audio and video feed. Scheduling the broadcast controls the event’s start time and interval. It does not tell YouTube to rotate playlists or change the content inside an already-running feed.

For time-of-day programming, your playout software must change the feed. The workflow below uses OBS, with VLC for ordered playlists and Advanced Scene Switcher for timed scene changes.

Choose how to organize the content

One continuous playlist

If the same sequence should run regardless of the hour, add an OBS VLC Video source and load the playlist in the desired order. OBS documents loop and shuffle options. VLC must be installed for this source to work. Choose the playback and visibility behavior you want, then test it: OBS allows behavior such as stopping, pausing, or continuing playback when a source becomes hidden, depending on its settings.

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Different content for different dayparts

If the morning, afternoon, and evening should each have their own playlist or layout, make a separate OBS scene for each block. Add the appropriate VLC Video source and any other scene elements to each one. Advanced Scene Switcher can then activate the right scene at the required time.

Use separate scenes when each block needs distinct content or graphics. A single playlist is simpler when the program is one uninterrupted sequence. Think through whether a scene change should preserve playback or restart a source; the configured source visibility behavior affects that outcome.

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Set up automatic time-of-day switching in OBS

  1. Prepare the media. Install VLC, then in OBS add a VLC Video source to the scene that should play the playlist. Load the files in order and set the desired loop or shuffle behavior.
  2. Create a scene for each distinct block. In OBS, create and name scenes such as “Morning” and “Evening.” Add the relevant playlist source and other on-screen elements to each scene.
  3. Install Advanced Scene Switcher. Check the plugin’s current OBS compatibility requirements and operating-system support before installing. The listing consulted on October 3, 2026 identified release 1.36.1, minimum OBS Studio 31.1.1, and Windows, macOS, and Linux support; these details can change.
  4. Create a time rule for each transition. In Advanced Scene Switcher, make a macro using a date/time condition for the desired time and a scene-switch action naming the destination scene. Add a rule for each daypart boundary. Verify the selected condition and time carefully; a wrong boundary or timezone can send the show to the wrong scene.
  5. Test the schedule before relying on it. Check the computer’s clock and timezone, preview the scene expected at each boundary, and confirm the playlist’s playback and audio behavior during the transition. Make sure OBS remains connected to YouTube and the encoder continues sending the feed.
  6. Schedule the YouTube event separately. If creating a scheduled broadcast through YouTube’s API, the API requires a scheduled start time. The broadcast reference says an omitted end time is treated as indefinite. Those event settings do not control OBS scene changes or playlist rotation.

What to verify before leaving the stream unattended

  • Clock and timezone: Confirm the computer uses the timezone assumed by your time rules, including any daylight-saving changes relevant to your location.
  • Scene at each boundary: Confirm the destination scene activates at the intended time and that rules do not conflict.
  • Playback and transitions: Check whether a playlist continues, pauses, or restarts when its scene is hidden and shown. Listen for audio gaps or overlapping audio.
  • Connection: Verify the encoder stays connected to YouTube. Scene automation does not ensure an uninterrupted internet connection or recover a failed computer.
  • Content rights: Use video and audio you have permission to stream. A scheduled scene does not grant rights to music, game footage, or other material. Review YouTube’s current copyright and monetization requirements before running a long or recurring stream.

OBS and plugin documentation describe configurable behavior, not a guarantee that a particular computer will run unattended without interruption. Monitor the first scheduled changes and investigate any missed transition before relying on the setup for a long session.

Common problems and fixes

The scene does not change at the scheduled time

Check that the macro is enabled, its date/time condition matches the intended boundary, and its action points to the correct scene. Then verify the system clock and timezone.

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The playlist is silent, stopped, or starts over after a scene change

Confirm VLC is installed and the source contains the intended media files. Check the VLC source’s visibility/playback behavior in OBS: depending on the setting, a hidden source can stop, pause, or continue. Test the exact scene transition to see whether playback resumes or restarts as desired.

The timed change works locally, but viewers lose the stream

Scene switching changes what OBS sends; it does not maintain the connection to YouTube. Check the encoder and internet connection, then confirm the broadcast event is active. YouTube event scheduling and OBS content scheduling are separate.

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The plugin is unavailable or incompatible

Recheck the current Advanced Scene Switcher listing against your OBS version and operating system. The release and minimum OBS version noted above were the listing’s details on October 3, 2026, and may no longer be current.

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