To stream a pre-recorded playlist on YouTube Live with subtitles, use an encoder such as OBS Studio with its VLC Video Source: add your video files in order, enable playlist looping if wanted, and turn on an embedded subtitle track. Then connect OBS to a YouTube Live event using the event’s server URL and stream key. If viewers need a selectable YouTube captions track—not just subtitle text visible in the video—you must also send captions through a YouTube-supported live-caption workflow.
Choose the subtitle result you need
There are two different ways subtitles can reach viewers, and they are not interchangeable:
- Subtitles visible in the picture: OBS’s VLC Video Source can display an embedded subtitle track as part of the outgoing video. Viewers see the text but cannot turn it off as a separate YouTube caption track.
- A selectable live caption track: YouTube requires captions to be sent to it through a supported caption method. Rendering subtitles into the video with OBS does not, by itself, establish that YouTube will offer selectable captions.
If accessibility or viewer control requires selectable captions, plan and test that separate caption delivery path in addition to the video playlist.
Prepare the videos and subtitles
For subtitles burned into the outgoing picture
Prepare the video files for local playback and confirm that the subtitle track you want is embedded in each media file. OBS documentation describes selecting an embedded subtitle track in its VLC Video Source; it does not describe a procedure for loading a separate SRT sidecar file into the playlist. If your subtitles are only in separate files, do not assume this particular workflow will load them.
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For selectable YouTube live captions
Arrange a caption feed using YouTube’s supported live-caption method: captions embedded as EIA 608/CEA 708 in the encoder output, or YouTube’s captions ingestion URL with supported caption software. YouTube currently documents one embedded caption track and one caption feed per stream entry point. Check the current options in YouTube Studio and test the complete caption path before the event.
Set up the playlist in OBS Studio
- Install VLC and OBS. OBS requires VLC to be installed for its VLC Video Source to be available. On 64-bit systems, use VLC and OBS builds with matching architecture.
- Add the source. In OBS, add a VLC Video Source to the scene that will go live.
- Load and order the media. Add the video files to the source’s playlist in the order you want them played. Leave shuffle off when sequence matters.
- Set repetition. Enable Loop Playlist if the sequence should restart after the final file. Leave it disabled for a one-time run.
- Enable the embedded subtitles. Turn on Subtitles Enabled and select the intended Subtitle Track. Check the result in the OBS preview, including the start and end of each file and the transition between files.
- Check audio and timing. Confirm that each item has audible audio at an appropriate level and that the playlist advances as expected. If the files use different audio or subtitle tracks, verify the selection for the actual media rather than assuming it is consistent across the playlist.
Create or schedule the YouTube Live stream
- In YouTube Studio, open Go Live and create a stream, or use the Manage tab to schedule one. Exact labels may change as YouTube updates Studio.
- Copy the YouTube Live server URL and stream key for the event into the encoder’s stream settings. YouTube’s encoder setup requires both. Treat the key like a password: do not show or share it, and replace it if it is exposed.
- Start streaming from OBS and wait for the YouTube preview. For a scheduled stream, YouTube’s instructions say to click Go live after the preview appears.
- If sending a separate caption feed, configure the supported caption software or embedded 608/708 output for the same stream entry point. Confirm that the caption track appears on the watch page during the test.
Test before viewers arrive
Run a private or otherwise controlled test using the same playlist, encoder settings, caption method, and network you expect to use. Check the following:
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- The intended files play in order, and the loop restarts correctly if enabled.
- Embedded subtitle text is legible and synchronized in the outgoing picture.
- Any separate selectable caption track is present and synchronized on the YouTube watch page.
- Audio is present and the YouTube preview and stream-health indicators show no problems.
- The scheduled-stream flow is understood, including when to click Go live.
YouTube recommends testing encoder settings and monitoring stream health. Its encoder setup guide says streams shorter than 12 hours are automatically archived; do not assume that a longer stream will be archived in the same way.
Keep the stream running: local encoder or cloud
OBS with VLC Video Source
The local method gives you direct control of playlist order and embedded subtitle display. Playback depends on the computer running OBS, VLC being available, and a reliable upload connection throughout the stream. The OBS subtitle feature described here is for displaying embedded subtitles in the video; it is not a substitute for configuring YouTube’s separate live-caption delivery.
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Troubleshooting common problems
The VLC Video Source option is missing
Install VLC and check that its architecture matches OBS, particularly on a 64-bit system. Restart OBS after installing VLC and check the source list again.
The playlist stops at the last video
Check that Loop Playlist is enabled. If it is enabled but the sequence does not restart, test the files and playlist in a controlled stream before relying on it for a long broadcast.
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Subtitle text is not visible
Check that Subtitles Enabled is on and the intended Subtitle Track is selected. Confirm that the subtitle track is embedded in the media file; the documented VLC playlist workflow does not establish how to load a separate SRT sidecar file.
Viewers cannot turn captions on in YouTube
Text rendered into the outgoing picture is not the same as a selectable caption track. Configure and test a supported YouTube live-caption feed, using embedded EIA 608/CEA 708 captions or the captions ingestion URL with supported software.
The YouTube preview does not appear
Verify that OBS is using the server URL and stream key for the intended event, and check encoder output and YouTube stream health. For a scheduled event, follow YouTube’s preview step and click Go live when it is ready.
The stream ends or becomes unstable
Monitor YouTube stream health and test the encoder and upload connection before the public event. With a local setup, the computer, OBS, VLC playback, and network connection must remain available. Avoid assuming a stream longer than 12 hours will be automatically archived; YouTube’s cited archive guidance covers streams shorter than 12 hours.
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