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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →You can schedule Windows to open OBS Studio and start sending your configured stream at a set time: create the YouTube event first, then use Windows Task Scheduler to launch OBS with its documented --startstreaming parameter. That does not guarantee YouTube will publish the broadcast without a person: YouTube’s documented encoder workflow says to check the preview in Live Control Room and click Go live.
What this setup does—and what it does not
There are two separate actions: OBS sends video to YouTube, while YouTube controls the scheduled event and whether it becomes public. A Windows task can start OBS streaming, but it does not create the event, choose the right stream key, configure your scene, or bypass YouTube’s preview and publication steps.
This method is for a Windows PC with OBS Studio already configured to produce the video you want. The PC, OBS, your capture or media sources, and an internet connection must be ready at the scheduled time. It is not a way to switch on a powered-off PC.
Before scheduling the task
Enable YouTube live streaming
If you have never streamed from the channel before, enable live streaming in YouTube. YouTube says first-time activation may take up to 24 hours; after activation, streams can start instantly. Check YouTube’s encoder setup instructions before relying on a newly enabled channel.
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Prepare OBS and the event
- Open OBS and confirm the intended profile, scene, video source, audio source, and stream output are ready.
- In YouTube Studio, go to Create → Go Live → Manage → Schedule stream. Create an event or reuse a previous stream’s settings, and set the event details and privacy.
- In the event’s encoder settings, copy its stream URL and stream key into OBS. Keep the key private; anyone who has it may be able to send a feed to your channel.
YouTube’s default privacy setting differs for users aged 13–17 and users 18 or older, and the streamer can change it. Confirm the event’s privacy rather than assuming it will be public.
Create the Windows scheduled task
OBS officially supports the --startstreaming launch parameter. Its guidance specifically says automated Windows launches need a working directory (“Start in”) set to the folder containing obs64.exe. OBS published that guidance on 2021-05-30: OBS Studio launch parameters.
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- Open Windows Task Scheduler and create a task with a time-based trigger for the broadcast start time. Task Scheduler’s exact labels may vary by Windows version; use the equivalent trigger and action options shown in your installed version.
- Set the action to start a program. For the program, enter the full path to the installed OBS executable, commonly
C:Program Filesobs-studiobin64bitobs64.exe. Use the actual location on your PC if OBS was installed elsewhere. - In the action’s arguments field, enter
--startstreaming. - Set the action’s Start in (working directory) field to the directory that contains
obs64.exe, for exampleC:Program Filesobs-studiobin64bitif that is where the executable resides. Do not put the executable filename in this field. - Save the task and check its trigger time, time zone, and account/session conditions. The Windows user session and any sources that need to be available must be ready when it runs.
The example paths are illustrative, not a guarantee of where OBS is installed. To locate yours, find obs64.exe on the computer and use its containing folder as the working directory.
Test whether the broadcast can actually go public unattended
Run a full rehearsal well before the intended broadcast. Confirm that the task opens the intended OBS setup, OBS starts streaming, and the scheduled event receives the expected video and audio. Then observe what YouTube requires: its documented scheduled-encoder sequence is to start the encoder, wait for the preview in Live Control Room, and click Go live. Do not assume a scheduled OBS launch alone makes the event public.
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- If a person must confirm the preview, plan for someone to do so at broadcast time.
- If your account or event presents an automatic-start option, verify its behavior with a private or otherwise suitable test event before relying on it. The documented flow cited here does not establish that automatic start removes the preview confirmation in every case.
- Check that the scheduled task runs in the intended Windows user session and that OBS has access to the right profile, sources, stream key, and network connection.
Stopping the stream and handling recurring schedules
Starting OBS, stopping the YouTube broadcast, and closing OBS are distinct operations. OBS’s documented launch parameter covers starting a stream; it does not document a corresponding stop-streaming parameter. Avoid ending a live broadcast by forcibly killing OBS: that is not a documented clean stop procedure. For a recurring schedule, create or configure triggers for the dates and times you need, and separately decide how the stream will be ended safely.
YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. That applies to the stream after it ends; it does not change the Windows startup or YouTube publication steps. See YouTube’s encoder guidance.
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Common problems and fixes
| What happens | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| OBS does not open or cannot load correctly from the task | The executable path is wrong, or the working directory is missing or points somewhere other than the folder containing obs64.exe. |
Use the installed executable’s full path and set Start in to its containing folder, as OBS specifies. |
| OBS opens, but no video or audio appears | The wrong profile or scene loaded, a source is unavailable, or the source has no signal. | Rehearse under the same Windows account and session that will run the task; verify the scene and each required source in OBS. |
| OBS is streaming, but the scheduled YouTube event has no expected feed | OBS may be using the wrong stream URL or key, or the event may not be configured as expected. | Copy the URL and key from that scheduled event’s encoder settings into OBS and check the Live Control Room preview. |
| The feed appears in YouTube but is not public | YouTube’s preview confirmation may still be required. | Check the preview and click Go live when YouTube presents that step; do not infer public status from OBS showing that it is streaming. |
| The task runs at the wrong time or not at the intended recurrence | The trigger date, time, recurrence, time zone, or user-session conditions may not match the plan. | Review the task’s trigger and conditions in the installed Windows version, then test a near-term run. |
When API automation is a better fit
Google’s YouTube Live Streaming API provides resources for managing and scheduling broadcasts and streams. It is a software-development route rather than a plug-and-play replacement for Task Scheduler; implementation details such as authorization and API setup are beyond this workflow.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is an always-on YouTube stream rather than a PC waking OBS for a particular event, StreamNeo is the cloud alternative: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. It keeps looping from the cloud, so nothing has to stay on at home. Every slot streams uploaded video as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot; it also includes automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly: $9.99 per month.
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