If you only want the same VLC Video Source playlist to start over, enable OBS’s built-in Loop Playlist option—no Lua script is needed. If you need a custom action after playback ends or want to apply changed playlist settings, Lua can connect to a media-end signal and update the source, but that update rebuilds playback and may interrupt it. The signal alone is not documented as a reliable marker for the end of the entire playlist.
Choose between looping and reloading
| What you need | Approach | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat the same configured playlist | Turn on Loop Playlist in the VLC Video Source properties. | This repeats the configured list; it is not a custom workflow for rereading changed playlist settings. |
| Run a custom action at an end event or apply changed playlist settings | Use a Lua callback connected to the source’s media_ended signal, then update the VLC source if appropriate. |
The update rebuilds the player’s playlist handling and can restart playback. The signal is not documented as identifying only the final item in a playlist. |
Use Loop Playlist for an unchanged list
OBS’s VLC Video Source supports multiple media files in a playlist. In OBS, select the VLC Video Source and open its properties, then enable Loop Playlist. Use Shuffle Playlist if you want the items played in a different order. VLC must be installed for the VLC Video Source feature to appear in OBS. See the OBS VLC Video Source guide.
How a Lua refresh workflow fits together
OBS scripting includes Lua through the obslua module, and scripts are managed from Tools > Scripts. The OBS scripting guide documents the Lua API and warns that incorrect handling of OBS data and source objects can leak memory or crash OBS: OBS scripting documentation.
- Identify the VLC Video Source. Use its exact name as shown in the OBS Sources list. A callback must target the intended source, not merely any media source in the scene.
- Get its signal handler. OBS exposes source signal handlers and Lua’s
signal_handler_connect(handler, signal, callback)function for connecting a callback. The source API includes themedia_endedsignal. See the OBS source reference and OBS scripting reference. - Check what ended before refreshing. Do not treat every
media_endedevent as proof that the last playlist item finished. Verify how the signal behaves with your source and versions, and make the callback distinguish an item transition from the end condition you actually want. - Update only when needed. If your workflow changes VLC playlist settings, preserve the existing
playlistarray and each entry’svaluefield unless you are deliberately replacing those entries. The VLC source implementation reads this settings array and rebuilds playlist handling when settings are updated: VLC source implementation. - Release OBS objects correctly. Follow the API’s ownership and cleanup requirements for any source or data objects your script obtains. A refresh is not a guaranteed seamless in-place reread: updating settings can restart player handling and briefly interrupt video.
Why there is no universal drop-in script here
The documented pieces support a version-sensitive implementation pattern, but they do not establish a tested, universal script that detects the final item in every VLC playlist. In particular, media_ended is a media lifecycle signal; the API documentation does not promise that it fires only when the entire playlist is exhausted. A script that refreshes on every such event may run during ordinary item changes instead of at the end of the list.
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Before deploying a callback, test it in a duplicate scene with a short playlist. Log each signal, observe whether it fires at item transitions, and confirm that the source refresh does not create an unwanted loop or interruption. Check behavior again after changing OBS, VLC, or the operating system; exact timing should be verified in the setup where the script will run.
Common problems and fixes
- VLC Video Source is missing: Install VLC, restart OBS, then check the source-add menu again. The source requires VLC to be installed.
- The callback never fires: Confirm that the script loaded under Tools > Scripts, that it connected to the intended source’s handler, and that the source name matches exactly.
- The list restarts between videos: The callback may be reacting to an item-level
media_endedevent. Do not refresh on every event unless that is the intended behavior; verify playlist-boundary behavior first. - The video briefly stops or restarts after refresh: This is consistent with updating VLC source settings, which rebuilds player handling. Avoid treating a settings update as a seamless refresh.
- OBS becomes unstable after script changes: Review object cleanup and ownership against the scripting documentation, disable the script, and retest in a copy of the scene before restoring it to a live production scene.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is a YouTube channel that keeps prerecorded videos live around the clock, rather than controlling an OBS playlist on your computer, StreamNeo is a separate cloud option: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; it streams uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, with automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month. Start a free day with StreamNeo.
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