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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →To loop a retail-display playlist into YouTube Live with OBS, add a VLC Video source to your scene, add the clips to its playlist, and verify Loop Playlist is enabled. Then connect OBS to an encoder stream in YouTube Studio and test the picture, sound, preview, and stream health before making the display public.
This setup loops media while OBS and the computer are running; it does not by itself guarantee an uninterrupted 24/7 broadcast. YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived, but its guidance does not promise continuous multi-day operation for this workflow.
Choose the right OBS source
| Need | Media Source | VLC Video |
|---|---|---|
| Content | One local media file | A playlist of media files |
| Repeat setting | Loop | Loop Playlist |
| Dependency | Built into OBS | VLC must be installed; match VLC’s architecture to OBS |
| Best fit | A single repeating promotional clip | An ordered or shuffled retail-display playlist |
OBS describes VLC Video as supporting a playlist, unlike Media Source. For a sequence of store promotions, use VLC Video. If that source is missing, install VLC; 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. These media-source details are from the OBS Project’s documentation, dated 2022-01-11: OBS Media Sources.
Set up and test the playlist in OBS
- Prepare the clips. Put the display files in an accessible local folder. Decide their order and check that the audio and transitions make sense when the sequence repeats. OBS documents support for common video formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF, and WebM, and audio formats including MP3, AAC, OGG, and WAV.
- Add VLC Video. In the OBS scene you intend to broadcast, select Sources, add a VLC Video source, and add the media files to its playlist. If VLC Video is unavailable, install VLC and restart OBS if needed.
- Check playlist behavior. Confirm Loop Playlist is enabled; OBS documents it as on by default. Turn shuffle off if the display needs a predictable sequence. Confirm the source remains visible in the scene while the stream is running.
- Frame the content. Fit the source to the OBS canvas and inspect the preview. Check that product details and on-screen text are legible at the intended display size, and look for blank frames, unexpected cropping, or awkward clip transitions.
- Test representative playback. Play through clips with the same kind of motion and audio the public display will use. Confirm that the playlist advances and repeats as expected, and that the sound level is appropriate for the location.
OBS does not specify a retail-display layout standard or hardware specification in its media-source guidance. Fit and legibility therefore need to be checked against your own screen and content.
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Connect OBS to YouTube Live
- In YouTube Studio, open Go Live and create or select an encoder stream in Live Control Room. Interface labels can change, so follow the current controls shown in your account.
- Copy the stream URL and stream key from YouTube and enter them in OBS’s stream settings. The key is a credential: YouTube uses it to identify where the encoder sends the feed and accept it. Do not publish it or share it with people who should not control the stream. See YouTube’s encoder setup instructions.
- Start the OBS stream and check the Live Control Room preview before making the broadcast public. YouTube recommends testing with movement and audio similar to the real stream and monitoring stream health and messages: YouTube encoder settings and recommendations.
Encoder settings to check
YouTube’s encoder guidance lists RTMP/RTMPS, H.264, and CBR among its settings. It recommends a 2-second keyframe interval and says not to exceed 4 seconds. Set bitrate against the reliable upload bandwidth available at the store; the cited guidance does not establish a one-size-fits-all bitrate for this particular display. Confirm the current recommendations in YouTube’s settings page before deployment.
What “nonstop” does—and does not—mean
A looping VLC playlist feeds media to OBS; OBS then encodes and sends a live stream over the store’s computer and network. Looping does not restart OBS after a crash, restore a lost connection, or guarantee that YouTube will keep a public broadcast running indefinitely. Plan who will check the computer, network, OBS, and Live Control Room, and what they will do if the feed ends.
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YouTube states that streams under 12 hours are automatically archived: YouTube live stream archiving guidance. That statement is not a guarantee of an uninterrupted stream lasting 12 hours or more, and the cited instructions do not document a guaranteed restart procedure that preserves an uninterrupted public broadcast. Treat this approach as a looping playlist feeding a live encoder, not as a proven unattended 24/7 service.
Troubleshoot common setup problems
- VLC Video does not appear in OBS: OBS’s VLC Video source relies on VLC libraries. Install VLC, and if OBS is 64-bit, install 64-bit VLC as well.
- The playlist stops after one pass: Open the VLC Video source properties and verify Loop Playlist is enabled.
- Clips play in an unexpected order: Check the playlist order and turn off shuffle if the store needs a fixed sequence.
- The source is missing from the broadcast: Check that VLC Video is visible in the active scene and that OBS is streaming the intended scene.
- YouTube receives no feed: Recheck the stream URL and key in OBS against the encoder stream selected in Live Control Room. Keep the key private.
- The preview or stream health shows a problem: Test with representative motion and audio, review YouTube’s stream-health messages, and ensure the bitrate is appropriate for reliable available upload bandwidth.
- The stream ends or the computer loses power or network: A looping playlist alone does not provide recovery. Have an operator check the setup and restore the stream; the cited OBS and YouTube guidance does not establish an automatic recovery method for this workflow.
Or let it run in the cloud
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