To stream a looping slideshow to YouTube Live with OBS, add an Image Slide Show source to a scene, load your pictures, leave Loop on, connect OBS to a YouTube broadcast, and test the stream before your event. The steps below cover the slideshow, YouTube connection, encoder settings, and common fixes.
1. Build the looping slideshow in OBS
- Open OBS and select the scene that will carry the slideshow. In the Sources box, click + and choose Image Slide Show.
- In the source properties, use the + control to add individual image files or directories. OBS documents support for BMP, TGA, PNG, JPEG, JPG, and GIF images. The source is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. (OBS Project: Image Sources)
- Choose the playback and presentation settings described below, then confirm the source and inspect the scene preview. Resize or position the source in the preview if needed.
Choose timing, order, and transitions
OBS’s Image Slide Show source provides automatic or manual/hotkey slide mode, transition selection, the time between slides, transition speed, randomized playback, and visibility behavior. Published defaults are automatic playback, fade, 8,000 milliseconds between slides, 700 milliseconds of transition speed, and always play while not visible. These are starting points, not requirements: shorten or lengthen the slide interval to suit the presentation, and preview the fade or another transition to ensure it looks right.
Use ordered playback when the images tell a story or need to follow a set sequence. Enable random playback only when the order does not matter. For a scene you may hide and show during the broadcast, decide whether the slideshow should keep advancing while hidden or pause according to the source’s visibility setting.
Make sure the sequence repeats
Leave Loop enabled. OBS lists it as on by default; it restarts the slideshow after the final image. Hide when slideshow is done defaults off. With Loop enabled, the show restarts instead of finishing. Preview the last-to-first transition before going live.
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2. Connect OBS to a YouTube Live broadcast
- In YouTube Studio, create or select a broadcast in the Live Control Room. Account eligibility and the current broadcast controls are managed in YouTube’s interface, so follow the labels and prompts shown there.
- Connect OBS using its YouTube service integration or the stream connection details supplied by YouTube. YouTube supports RTMP and RTMPS encoder streams and recommends RTMPS, the secure extension of RTMP. (YouTube Help: Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions)
- Keep the stream key private. Anyone who obtains it may be able to send a stream to your broadcast. Do not paste it into public chats, screenshots, or files shared with others.
- Start streaming from OBS when ready, then check the Live Control Room’s incoming preview and status before starting or scheduling the public broadcast.
OBS’s older YouTube walkthrough dates from 2015, so its specific interface labels and timing instructions may no longer match current screens. Use it only as historical orientation, not as current step-by-step UI guidance. (OBS Forums: How to stream to YouTube with OBS Studio)
3. Set stream quality to match your upload connection
Choose resolution, frame rate, codec, and bitrate based on the result your connection can sustain, not the highest available setting. YouTube recommends running a speed test, testing with representative content, and monitoring stream health during the event. Its bitrate recommendations are ingestion guidance, not a guarantee that a particular connection or computer will remain stable.
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| Example output | YouTube recommended bitrate | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 720p at 30 fps | 6 Mbps | H.264 and AV1/H.265 recommended column |
| 1080p at 30 fps | 14 Mbps for H.264; 10 Mbps for AV1/H.265 | Codec-specific recommendations |
| 1080p at 60 fps | 17 Mbps for H.264; 12 Mbps for AV1/H.265 | Codec-specific recommendations |
These examples come from YouTube’s encoder guidance accessed 2026-10-03. Check that page for the full table and current recommendations when configuring a different resolution, frame rate, or codec. YouTube lists RTMP/RTMPS, H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 video options; up to 60 fps; CBR bitrate encoding; AAC or MP3 audio; and a recommended two-second keyframe interval that must not exceed four seconds. Use settings supported by your OBS encoder and verify the actual output in a test.
A static slideshow does not inherently need a high frame rate. Pick a resolution that suits the images and audience, then choose the frame rate and codec that your system and upload connection can sustain. If low latency matters for an interactive broadcast, note that YouTube’s encoder guidance says 4K/2160 streams do not offer the “improve for low latency” option and are optimized for quality at normal latency.
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4. Test the complete stream before the event
- In OBS, check that every image is visible and correctly framed, the order or randomization is what you intended, and slide timing and transitions look right.
- Let the slideshow reach its final image and confirm it returns to the first one.
- Run a test at the actual resolution, frame rate, codec, and bitrate you plan to use. If the program includes audio, include representative audio in the test.
- Check YouTube’s incoming preview and stream-health messages. YouTube specifically advises testing with audio and movement similar to the real stream, then monitoring health and messages during the broadcast. (YouTube Help)
For a slideshow-only test, the movement is the image changes and transitions. A connection that works for a brief preview may still struggle over a longer broadcast, so keep checking health while live.
5. Choose the right source if your images are already prepared
- Image Slide Show: Best suited to a set of still images or a directory that you want OBS to advance and loop.
- Media Source: Use this if you have already rendered the slideshow as one video file and want OBS to repeat that local media. OBS documents Media Source looping. (OBS Project: Media Sources)
- VLC Video Source: Use this for a playlist managed through VLC. OBS documents that Loop Playlist defaults on; VLC must be installed, and 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. (OBS Project: Media Sources)
6. Check computer compatibility and performance
OBS lists Windows 10 or Windows 11 with a DirectX 10.1-compatible GPU; macOS 11 (“Big Sur”) or later on Intel or Apple Silicon with an OpenGL 3.3-compatible GPU; and Linux/Unix with an OpenGL 3.3-compatible GPU and X Window System or Wayland. OBS cautions that meeting these basic requirements does not ensure a computer can stream or record: CPU load varies with encoder, resolution, frame rate, and scene complexity. Its documentation, dated 2021-08-25, points to Tools → Auto Configuration Wizard to find suitable settings for your hardware. Check OBS’s current requirements before relying on those minimums. (OBS Project: System Requirements)
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7. Troubleshoot common failures
- Images do not appear: Confirm the files or directory were added in the Image Slide Show properties, use a documented image format, and verify the source is visible in the scene and not covered by another source.
- The show stops at the last image: Reopen the source properties and make sure Loop is enabled. Check that Hide when slideshow is done is not hiding the source at the end.
- Slides do not advance when expected: Check whether the source is in automatic or manual/hotkey mode, review the slide interval and transition speed, and confirm its visibility behavior if the scene or source is hidden.
- YouTube does not receive the stream: Verify that OBS is connected to the intended broadcast and that the stream connection information is current. Recheck the key privately rather than exposing it; confirm YouTube’s broadcast state and inspect the Live Control Room for status messages.
- Stream health reports problems: Test again at a lower sustainable resolution, frame rate, or bitrate; compare the upload connection against YouTube’s recommendations; and monitor health during the test. A recommended bitrate alone cannot guarantee stability.
- VLC playlist source fails to load: Install VLC and match its architecture to OBS; OBS specifies 64-bit VLC for 64-bit OBS.
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OBS keeps the slideshow and stream on the computer running OBS. If you want a YouTube channel to keep looping uploaded videos while your computer is off, StreamNeo is a cloud option: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It plays uploaded videos, not a camera feed, and streams to YouTube only.
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