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You can keep a pre-recorded playlist on a YouTube Live broadcast overnight with OBS on a Mac, provided you set up the right playback source, prevent the Mac from sleeping while it is plugged in, and confirm the YouTube stream is ready. First decide whether your playlist is already hosted on YouTube or is a set of local video files: each uses a different loop control.
Choose where the playlist plays
| Playback route | Use it when | Loop control | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube player playlist | Your playlist is hosted and played on YouTube. | Turn on Loop in the playlist box. | OBS captures browser or app playback, so playback and capture depend on that player session. |
| OBS Media Source | You want to broadcast one local media file. | Enable Loop in the Media Source properties. | It repeats a single local file; it is not a YouTube-hosted playlist. |
| OBS VLC Video | You want several local media files in a playlist. | Enable Loop Playlist in the VLC Video source properties. | Requires VLC to be installed on the Mac. |
Looping in the YouTube player does not control a separate OBS media playlist. Set the loop where the video actually plays.
Set up the playback loop
For one local video file
- In OBS, add a Media Source to the scene you plan to stream.
- Choose the local video file in the source properties.
- Enable Loop, then confirm the source is visible in the scene.
OBS describes Loop as replaying the file after playback completes. Check that the file remains available at the same path for the whole stream.
For a playlist of local files
- Install VLC on the Mac; OBS’s VLC Video source depends on it.
- In OBS, add a VLC Video source and add the files in the order you want.
- Enable Loop Playlist. Leave Shuffle Playlist off if the order matters.
- Check the source’s visibility behavior if you switch scenes. OBS documents the default as “Stop when not visible, restart when visible,” which can stop or restart playback when the source is hidden.
OBS documents 400 ms as the VLC Video network-caching default. This is a setting default, not a guarantee that it is optimal for every file or connection. Source properties and labels can vary by OBS version.
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For a playlist already on YouTube
- Open a video in the playlist in YouTube.
- Expand the playlist box beside the video.
- Turn on the playlist’s Loop control.
- In OBS, capture the browser or app playback if that is the intended broadcast. On macOS 13 or later, OBS documents macOS Screen Capture for a display, window, or application, including desktop audio. Review macOS permissions and your OBS version’s capture options; the documented method does not guarantee audio capture in every configuration.
YouTube says its playlist Loop control repeats the playlist continuously. Keep the player session open and confirm the correct window or display is being captured before you start the live broadcast.
Keep the Mac awake with the display off
Preventing system sleep and turning off the display are separate controls. Connect the Mac to mains power for an overnight stream, then check the sleep setting for the actual Mac model. Apple’s current guide places laptop controls under System Settings → Battery → Options, and desktop controls under System Settings → Energy. Look for Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off or the corresponding desktop option. You can set the display to turn off separately.
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Apple notes that options vary by Mac, and delaying or preventing sleep may increase power consumption. “Wake for network access” alone is not a substitute for keeping OBS awake. Menu labels and availability can differ by model and macOS version.
Prepare the YouTube Live stream
- Open YouTube Live Control Room and choose the intended scheduled or active stream.
- Verify its privacy setting and other stream-specific settings, including latency and DVR as appropriate.
- In OBS, configure the encoder with the stream URL and stream key provided for that broadcast. Keep the key private; anyone with access to it may be able to send video to your stream.
- Review optional auto-start and auto-stop settings in Live Control Room. Their availability and behavior depend on the stream and account.
- Start the OBS output and confirm the Live Control Room reports a healthy incoming feed before leaving the Mac unattended.
YouTube’s encoder setup uses a stream key and stream URL to send the feed. Confirm the specific destination rather than assuming a saved key points to the stream you intend to run.
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Check rights and viewer expectations
Use content you are authorized to broadcast
Only stream video and audio you have the rights to use. YouTube scans live streams for third-party content. If it identifies material that remains in the broadcast, the stream may be interrupted or terminated; copyright or Community Guidelines strikes can also end it. A recording being available to you does not by itself establish permission to rebroadcast it.
Do not promise full rewind on a long stream
YouTube DVR lets viewers pause, rewind, and resume in supported streams, but YouTube warns that DVR capabilities may be limited or unavailable for streams longer than 12 hours. Check the DVR setting in Live Control Room and avoid promising viewers they can rewind the entire overnight broadcast, particularly if it may continue past that threshold.
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Troubleshoot before leaving the stream unattended
- The video stops after one play: Confirm Loop is enabled on the Media Source, or Loop Playlist is enabled on the VLC Video source. For a YouTube-hosted list, enable Loop in YouTube’s playlist box instead.
- The playlist is out of order: Check the VLC Video source’s playlist order and make sure Shuffle Playlist is off.
- Playback stops after changing scenes: Review the VLC source’s visibility behavior; its documented default stops when hidden and restarts when visible.
- The Mac stops streaming when the display turns off: Check the power-adapter sleep-prevention option under Battery on a laptop or Energy on a desktop. Keep the Mac plugged in and verify the setting on that model.
- OBS captures video but not desktop audio: Recheck the selected capture method, macOS permissions, and OBS version. macOS Screen Capture supports desktop audio in OBS documentation for macOS 13 or later, but the setup still needs to be checked on the Mac.
- YouTube interrupts or ends the broadcast: Check Live Control Room for stream status or enforcement notices, and review the rights for all video and audio in the playlist.
- Viewers cannot rewind to the beginning: Long streams over 12 hours may have limited or unavailable DVR; do not treat a missing full rewind history as proof that OBS playback failed.
Or let it run in the cloud
If the point is to keep a pre-recorded YouTube stream running without leaving a Mac on overnight, StreamNeo is the cloud alternative to consider first: it runs continuously from the cloud, supports any uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, and offers a free first day.
- Upload your recording or build a playlist.
- Add your YouTube stream key once.
- Go live; StreamNeo loops the uploaded video from the cloud.
Your computer and home connection do not have to stay on. StreamNeo automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. Each slot includes 10 GB storage, pooled across active slots, plus looping, playlists, and support. There are no quality tiers or re-encoding; uploaded video streams as made, up to 4K 60fps. The same product is available on every plan, with billing lengths from a day to a year; UPI and cards are supported in India, and card checkout is available worldwide. Five or more slots can be discussed with support.
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