Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsYou can loop pre-recorded videos into a YouTube Live stream with OBS Studio on a Windows mini PC: use OBS’s Media Source for one repeating video, or its VLC Video source for a playlist. YouTube supplies the stream URL and key; OBS sends the video feed. The playlist can repeat, but that alone does not make the setup reliably unattended: the available official guidance does not verify how to make Windows boot, launch OBS, or recover OBS after a crash. Rehearse the whole run and plan how you will respond if the encoder stops.
What you need before setting up
- A YouTube channel eligible to live stream. YouTube says the channel must be verified and have no live-streaming restrictions in the prior 90 days. First-time live-stream enablement can take up to 24 hours, so enable it well before your planned broadcast. See YouTube’s encoder setup guide and live stream settings.
- OBS Studio on the mini PC. OBS acts as the encoder: it combines the selected video source and audio, then sends the feed to YouTube.
- For a multi-file playlist, VLC installed on the PC. OBS’s VLC Video source requires VLC, and 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. OBS’s Media Sources documentation describes the source options.
- Video files you have the right to stream, a stable internet connection with adequate upload capacity, and a mini PC capable of encoding your chosen resolution and frame rate. The cited platform guidance does not establish minimum CPU, RAM, or GPU specifications for a mini PC.
Choose how OBS will play the videos
One video that repeats
Add the file as an OBS Media Source and enable its Loop option. Use this when the stream should repeat the same recording rather than move through several files.
Several videos in a playlist
Add a VLC Video source and populate its playlist with the files in the order you want. OBS documents Loop Playlist as enabled by default; leave it on to repeat the sequence. Shuffle is off by default: keep it off for a fixed order, or enable it if you want randomized playback. VLC Video also has visibility behavior options—stop/restart, pause/unpause, or always play—so check that the source and its scene behave as intended if you switch scenes or hide the source.
OBS documents playlist playback and looping, not uninterrupted playback through every damaged file, decoding error, or machine restart. Test the actual files and sequence for the full expected run time.
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Connect OBS to a YouTube Live event
- Enable live streaming in advance. Confirm the channel is eligible and that live streaming is enabled. YouTube says first-time enablement may take up to 24 hours.
- Create or schedule the event. In YouTube Studio, open the Live Control Room and create or schedule an encoder stream. Choose public, private, or unlisted visibility deliberately. A scheduled stream may appear as upcoming to subscribers, who can select “Notify me.” Scheduling promotes the event; it does not start the Windows PC or encoder.
- Copy the encoder details. Get the stream URL and stream key from the Live Control Room. YouTube describes the key as like the stream’s password and address, so keep it private and out of screenshots or public instructions.
- Enter them in OBS. In OBS, open Settings > Stream, select YouTube as the service, and enter the stream key and server/stream URL as prompted. YouTube’s encoder instructions explain how the encoder connects to the event. Do not share or publish the key.
- Configure the video source and output. Put the Media Source or VLC Video source in the scene you intend to stream, then choose output resolution, frame rate, bitrate, and a supported codec that the mini PC and connection can sustain. YouTube recommends RTMPS and lists H.264, H.265, or AV1 video and AAC or MP3 audio for RTMP/RTMPS; availability in the encoder does not guarantee that a particular mini PC can encode a given setting smoothly. Consult YouTube’s encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions guidance and test the selected settings on the target machine.
- Review Auto-start and Auto-stop carefully. YouTube’s options control whether the stream starts or stops from the encoder. They do not establish that Windows will boot or OBS will reopen after a restart. Reusing stream settings also copies these selections; check them when reusing settings. See YouTube’s live stream settings guide.
Prepare the mini PC for a run—and know the unattended limit
The documented OBS and YouTube steps cover playlist playback and sending the encoder feed. The official sources cited here do not specify Windows procedures for launching the mini PC, signing in, preventing sleep, starting OBS after reboot, or relaunching it after a crash. Do not assume a scheduled YouTube event handles any of those jobs. If you intend to leave the system unattended, validate your Windows power and startup configuration against authoritative Windows guidance and rehearse a complete restart-and-recovery scenario on the exact PC. Keep a way to check the stream and intervene if it fails.
A mini PC may suit a fixed installation because the workflow uses a computer-based software encoder, but no specific model or minimum hardware configuration is established here. Match the machine to the chosen encoding load and verify it with a sustained test rather than inferring capability from the OBS settings menu.
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Test and operate the stream
- Set up early. YouTube advises setting up an encoder livestream at least two hours before the event and starting the encoder at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start.
- Run a realistic test. Test the full playlist, audio, scene, visibility, and expected duration. YouTube recommends test content with audio and movement similar to the actual stream. Watch stream health and messages during the test.
- Check the preview before going live. In the Live Control Room, inspect the preview before clicking Start Streaming. Confirm the intended video and audio are present and that the event is set to the intended visibility.
- Monitor the broadcast. YouTube recommends continuously monitoring audio and video quality. An unattended plan should include a way to notice and respond to problems; looping a source is not evidence that the computer, OBS, or connection cannot fail.
- Stop cleanly. After the event has stopped on YouTube, stop the encoder, following YouTube’s livestream guidance at YouTube live streaming tips for computers.
Copyright, archives, and long runs
Use recordings you own or are authorized to broadcast. A playlist setting does not grant permission to use music, gameplay footage, or other material, and this workflow does not guarantee a stream will avoid copyright claims or other YouTube enforcement. Check the rights for every item before scheduling.
YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. The cited guidance does not establish that streams lasting 12 hours or more will be archived as one complete video, so do not rely on a single complete archive for a longer or around-the-clock run. If a complete recording matters, plan a separate local recording and verify it in a test.
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Common problems and what to check
- VLC Video is missing in OBS: Install VLC. If OBS is 64-bit, install 64-bit VLC, then reopen OBS and check the source list.
- The playlist stops instead of repeating: Open the VLC Video source settings and check Loop Playlist. For one file, confirm Loop is enabled on the Media Source.
- The playlist order changes: Turn off Shuffle for a fixed sequence; OBS documents it as off by default.
- The source stops or behaves unexpectedly after a scene change: Review the VLC Video visibility behavior option and make sure the intended scene remains active.
- YouTube does not receive a feed: Check that OBS has the correct stream URL and key for the event, that the key has not been exposed or replaced, and that the encoder is sending. Treat the key as a credential.
- The stream is unstable or quality is poor: Re-test with connection-appropriate bitrate, resolution, and frame rate. Confirm the mini PC can encode the chosen settings and inspect YouTube’s stream-health messages.
- The scheduled event exists but is not live: A scheduled event is not an encoder. Start OBS and send the feed; scheduling alone does not launch Windows or OBS.
- The stream does not resume after a PC or OBS failure: The cited OBS and YouTube materials do not verify a Windows auto-restart or crash-recovery method. Follow Windows-specific authoritative instructions and prove the recovery behavior in a rehearsal before relying on it unattended.
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