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gameplay recordings

How to Broadcast a Library of VR Gameplay Recordings on YouTube Live

Use OBS Studio to stream a single VR gameplay recording or a looping playlist on YouTube Live, with setup, encoding, testing and troubleshooting steps.

By VGSources Team 5 min read
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To stream prerecorded VR gameplay on YouTube Live, add your video files to OBS Studio as a VLC Video playlist, connect OBS to a YouTube stream using the server URL and stream key from Live Control Room, then start the encoder and check YouTube’s preview. Turn on playlist looping if you want the recordings to repeat. You do not need a headset or capture card to broadcast recordings you already have.

Before you set up OBS, check YouTube Live access

YouTube requires a verified channel with no live-streaming restrictions in the past 90 days, and the streamer must be at least 16. First-time activation can take up to 24 hours, so check eligibility well before you plan to broadcast. See YouTube’s live-streaming eligibility requirements.

Choose a single recording or a playlist

One video: use Media Source

If you want to play one local recording, add an OBS Media Source and select the file. Its per-file Loop option can repeat that recording. OBS documents support for common formats including MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI and WebM. See OBS Media Sources.

Several videos: use VLC Video

For a library, add a VLC Video source and choose the files for the playlist. Arrange them in the order you want or enable shuffle; enable playlist looping if the list should start again after its final video. VLC must be installed separately, and its architecture must match OBS: pair 64-bit VLC with 64-bit OBS. OBS’s Media Sources documentation is dated 2022-01-11.

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Build the playlist and scene in OBS

  1. Install VLC with the same architecture as OBS, then open OBS Studio.
  2. In the Sources panel, select + and add VLC Video. If you only need one recording, add Media Source instead.
  3. In the VLC Video source properties, add the local video files and arrange them in playback order. Choose shuffle if you prefer randomized playback.
  4. Enable playlist looping if you want the library to repeat. For a single Media Source, use that source’s Loop setting instead.
  5. Resize and position the source in the scene preview. Check that the video fills the intended canvas and that any overlays do not obscure important gameplay.
  6. Play the source in OBS and verify both picture and audio. If you use multiple scenes, confirm that the scene containing the playlist is active before going live.

Use recordings you have the right to broadcast. The technical ability to send a file does not establish permission for its gameplay, music, voice chat or other third-party material.

Connect OBS to YouTube Live Control Room

  1. In YouTube Studio, open Live Control Room and create or select the stream. Follow YouTube’s encoder setup instructions.
  2. Copy the server or stream URL and stream key shown for that stream into OBS’s streaming settings. Keep the key private; anyone with it may be able to send video to your stream.
  3. Choose YouTube’s RTMPS option in OBS where available. YouTube recommends RTMPS for secure transport; its RTMPS guidance explains the option.
  4. Before starting the public broadcast, start the encoder and wait for the incoming preview in Live Control Room. Confirm the correct recording is playing and the sound is audible.

Set video encoding for a stable stream

Choose settings for the resolution and frame rate you intend to send, and make sure your internet connection can sustain the upload bitrate. YouTube’s current encoder settings guidance, accessed 2026-10-03, specifies H.264, H.265 and AV1 as supported video codecs over RTMP/RTMPS, recommends CBR, and recommends a two-second keyframe interval (not more than four seconds). YouTube transcodes live streams into output formats for different devices and network conditions. Consult YouTube’s encoder settings, bitrates and resolutions for the complete current options.

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H.264 bitrate examples from YouTube

Output Minimum bitrate Recommended bitrate
1080p at 30 fps 5 Mbps 14 Mbps
1080p at 60 fps 6 Mbps 17 Mbps

These figures are YouTube’s H.264 guidance, not a guarantee that a particular connection can hold the stream. Test at the intended resolution and frame rate; if the upload fluctuates, lower the bitrate or output settings rather than relying on a bitrate your connection cannot sustain.

Test the broadcast and monitor playback

  • Run a test with motion and audio before the real broadcast; static menus alone will not expose all playback or sound problems.
  • Check the Live Control Room preview before making the stream public.
  • Verify that the stream is accessible on your channel or watch page and on a mobile device.
  • Confirm the local recordings are intact and that the playlist advances or loops as intended.
  • While live, monitor audio and video quality and the health indicators in YouTube Studio. YouTube’s live streaming tips cover testing and monitoring.
  • When you are finished, end the broadcast in YouTube and stop the encoder in OBS.

Common problems and fixes

VLC Video is missing from OBS

Check that VLC is installed and that it matches OBS’s architecture. A 64-bit OBS installation needs 64-bit VLC for the VLC Video source.

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The playlist does not repeat

Check the VLC Video source’s playlist-loop setting. For one file added as Media Source, use that source’s separate Loop option.

YouTube does not receive the stream

Confirm that OBS has the stream URL and key for the stream currently open in Live Control Room, and that the channel is eligible for live streaming. If the key is wrong or outdated, copy the current one into OBS and try again.

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The preview stutters or drops frames

Check whether the upload connection can sustain the selected bitrate, resolution and frame rate. Test again at a lower bitrate or output setting if it cannot; use YouTube’s encoder guidance as the reference for the chosen format.

The video is visible but the sound is missing

Check that the recording has an audio track and that OBS is receiving its audio. Preview with sound before going live, then verify the incoming audio in Live Control Room.

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