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To stream a playlist of video files continuously to YouTube Live with OBS Studio, add them to OBS’s VLC Video source, enable Loop Playlist, and send the OBS output to a YouTube stream using its stream URL and key. This method plays local files you have rights to broadcast; it does not import a playlist hosted on YouTube. For an unattended stream, the computer running OBS must stay powered, connected, and monitored.
What this OBS method can—and cannot—play
OBS’s VLC Video source supports playlists of local media files. The OBS Project describes it as allowing a playlist of items, similar to an image slideshow: OBS Media Sources documentation. The documented workflow is to add files stored on your computer, then stream the OBS scene to YouTube Live.
This is not a way to paste a YouTube playlist URL into OBS and rebroadcast its hosted videos. A video being publicly viewable on YouTube does not give you permission to stream it again. Use files for which you have the necessary rights, including rights to the music.
What you need before setting up
- OBS Studio and VLC installed on the computer that will run the stream.
- Local video or audio files, in the order you want them played, and permission to broadcast them.
- A YouTube channel that can use live streaming, and access to YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room.
- A stable, sufficiently fast upload connection and a computer that can remain on for the planned broadcast.
If you use 64-bit OBS, install 64-bit VLC as well; OBS documents this as a requirement for the VLC Video source to appear and work. See the OBS source documentation.
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Add and loop the playlist in OBS
- Create or select a scene. In OBS, choose the scene that should carry the playlist. Add other sources only if you need them in the broadcast layout.
- Add the VLC Video source. In the Sources panel, select +, choose VLC Video, and create a new source.
- Add local media. In the source properties, add the desired video or audio files to the playlist and arrange them in playback order. Check that the source fits the scene canvas as intended.
- Set continuous playback. Leave Loop Playlist enabled so the sequence starts again after the final item. Leave Shuffle Playlist disabled if you want the listed order preserved. OBS documents loop as on and shuffle as off by default; verify the settings rather than relying on defaults.
- Check the scene locally. Play through the start of the playlist and inspect the preview, framing, audio level, and transitions between files. Test transitions between every file if an uninterrupted handoff matters.
Connect OBS to YouTube Live
- In YouTube Studio, select Create → Go Live and create or select a stream in Live Control Room. Follow YouTube’s encoder setup flow: Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder.
- Copy the stream URL and stream key shown for that stream. Treat the key as a password: anyone who has it may be able to send a feed to your broadcast.
- In OBS, open Settings → Stream, select YouTube as the service if available, and enter the stream key. If OBS offers a connection flow that supplies the server and key, follow that instead. Use the stream URL and key from the current Live Control Room session; do not share them.
- Apply the settings, return to the main OBS window, and select Start Streaming. Wait for YouTube’s Live Control Room preview and stream-health indicators before making the event public or going live through YouTube’s controls.
- Monitor the preview, audio, and stream health while the playlist runs. YouTube recommends testing representative movement and audio and checking stream quality. Its guidance is at YouTube live streaming tips.
Choose encoder settings for your connection
There is no single bitrate that suits every resolution, frame rate, and upload connection. Use YouTube’s current encoder table for your intended output and choose a bitrate your connection can sustain: Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions. YouTube recommends constant bitrate (CBR) and a two-second keyframe interval. These are platform recommendations, not a guarantee of uninterrupted streaming.
- Resolution and frame rate: Set OBS output to a target supported by your media, computer, and upload bandwidth. Avoid choosing a higher output than the connection can reliably carry.
- Bitrate: Select a value from YouTube’s table for the chosen output, then test it on the actual connection. Leave capacity for normal network variation rather than treating the connection’s peak speed as a dependable stream rate.
- Rate control and keyframes: Use CBR and a two-second keyframe interval as YouTube recommends. Check the current YouTube guidance if its requirements change.
- Audio: Confirm OBS is sending the intended audio source and that the YouTube preview has sound. A playlist can appear to play correctly in OBS while the audience receives silence or an unintended desktop audio feed.
Test the full broadcast and end it cleanly
Before a public or long-running stream, run a representative test through the entire path: playlist playback, OBS encoding, network upload, and YouTube’s preview. Check that video framing is correct, every transition behaves as expected, audio remains present, and YouTube reports acceptable stream health. YouTube’s live-streaming tips recommend testing and monitoring audio and video.
When finished, end the event in YouTube Live Control Room and stop the OBS encoder feed. YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived; see its encoder setup guidance. Do not assume the archive behavior covers a stream lasting 12 hours or longer.
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Rights, copyright, and YouTube limits
YouTube’s livestream terms place responsibility on the broadcaster to have the necessary rights for the live content, including music licensing rights. The terms state: “You represent and warrant that you have all necessary rights for the exploitation of the Live Content on the Google Services throughout the world, including, without limitation, music licensing rights from artists, record labels, publishers (including public performance licenses) and any other royalty participants.” Read the Livestream terms and conditions before broadcasting.
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Keep an OBS playlist running for a long broadcast
Looping a playlist repeats the media sequence; it does not make the computer, OBS, VLC, or internet connection resilient. OBS documents the VLC source’s playlist behavior, but does not promise recovery from computer sleep, an OBS crash, a dropped network connection, or a media-file error.
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- Keep the computer powered and connected, and configure its sleep behavior so it will not suspend during the broadcast.
- Test the full expected runtime or a representative section, including transitions and the loop back to the first item.
- Monitor OBS and YouTube’s preview and stream health during the broadcast. These are practical operating precautions, not guarantees of continuous uptime.
- Keep a copy of the playlist files in a stable location and avoid moving or renaming them while the source is in use.
Common problems and fixes
VLC Video does not appear in OBS
Check that VLC is installed and that its architecture matches OBS. In particular, OBS’s 64-bit build needs 64-bit VLC for this source.
The playlist stops after the last file
Open the VLC Video source properties and enable Loop Playlist. If playback order should stay fixed, disable Shuffle Playlist.
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YouTube does not show a preview
Confirm OBS is streaming, the correct YouTube stream URL and key are configured, and the stream is selected in Live Control Room. Check OBS’s connection status and YouTube’s stream-health information before proceeding.
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The broadcast has no sound or the wrong sound
Check the audio meters in OBS while each playlist item plays, then confirm audio is present in YouTube’s preview. Inspect the VLC source and OBS audio routing for the intended source; do not assume that local playback means the encoder is sending that audio.
The stream buffers, drops frames, or loses quality
Compare the OBS output’s resolution, frame rate, and bitrate with YouTube’s current encoder recommendations and your actual upload capacity. Test at a sustainable setting, use CBR and the recommended two-second keyframe interval, and watch YouTube’s health indicators.
The stream is interrupted or replaced
Review YouTube’s copyright guidance and confirm you have rights to every video and audio item. A third-party match can interrupt or terminate a live stream even when the source video is available to watch on YouTube.
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The stream ends when the computer sleeps or OBS stops
The local OBS workflow depends on the computer, application, and connection staying available. Prevent sleep where appropriate, keep the system powered and online, and monitor it; OBS’s playlist loop does not provide automatic recovery from these failures.
Or let it run in the cloud
If you want the playlist to keep streaming without leaving a computer on at home, StreamNeo runs uploaded videos from the cloud to YouTube. The setup is: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, then go live. It plays uploaded files rather than broadcasting from a camera.
Quick Recap
- Nothing has to stay powered on at home; StreamNeo loops from the cloud and can recover automatically if YouTube drops the stream.
- Every slot streams your upload as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot—there are no quality tiers or re-encoding.
- The first day is free with no card, with one free day per account. Monthly billing is $9.99 per month.
Start your StreamNeo free day.
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