You do not need a separate OBS playlist plugin to loop local videos on YouTube Live. Use OBS’s Media Source for one file, or its VLC Video source for a playlist; the latter depends on VLC Media Player being installed.
The right choice depends on whether you need one video or several, whether the playlist should stay in a fixed order, and what should happen when its source is hidden. This guide covers those settings and the VLC prerequisite so you can check the playback path before going live.
Do you need a plugin?
The word “plugin” can send you looking for an add-on that you do not need for this basic task. OBS already includes Media Source and VLC Video as source types. Media Source plays an individual media file, while VLC Video can manage a list of media files as a playlist. The VLC source relies on VLC Media Player, but that is a software dependency, not a separate OBS playlist plugin you must find and install.
OBS describes VLC Video as allowing you to create a playlist of items, “similar to an Image Slideshow”. That distinction matters: if all you want is to repeat one local recording, Media Source has the relevant loop setting. If you want to cycle through several local recordings, VLC Video exposes a playlist and a separate Loop Playlist setting. See the OBS Media Sources documentation for the source options and their controls.
This is also different from looping a video as a YouTube viewer. YouTube’s viewer-side loop instructions concern playback on YouTube, not the local media source that OBS sends into a live broadcast. Setting a playlist to repeat in OBS is about what your broadcast produces; it does not turn on a viewer’s YouTube loop control.
For a 24/7 channel, decide first what the programme is meant to do. A devotional channel built around one long recording may need only Media Source. A study channel rotating several subject videos may need VLC Video. If you are still defining the difference between a continuous channel and an individual broadcast, this guide to a YouTube Live stream versus a 24/7 channel can help frame the decision.
Media Source for one looping file
Add a Media Source in the scene where you want the video to appear, then select the local file in its properties. Turn on Loop if playback should begin again after reaching the end. The essential choice is that one file repeats; Media Source is not the playlist route for a sequence of different files.
A single-file setup is often easier to reason about overnight. There is one path to check, one video to listen to, and one loop boundary to review. If the file is a long ambience track or a continuous set of visuals, the source will repeat that same file when it reaches its end. Do not assume this means every file format or edit will transition invisibly at the boundary: the cited documentation establishes the loop control, not a guarantee of gapless playback.
Keep the media in a stable location on the computer running OBS. If you move, rename, or disconnect the file after selecting it, the source may no longer be able to find it. Check the properties again after reorganising folders, and play the scene locally before making it part of a live channel. If you are preparing a looped video with specific YouTube encoding settings, the separate GOP and keyframe guide for a YouTube video loop concerns the broadcast video settings; it does not change which OBS source is appropriate.
Media Source is the straightforward choice when a repeated item is the actual programme, not merely the first item in a larger schedule. It also avoids a playlist order decision. If you later need to alternate between several recordings, switch to VLC Video rather than creating a chain of scenes and assuming that it will behave like a playlist.
VLC Video for a playlist
When you have several local files, add a VLC Video source and add the files to its playlist. The source can play the items in the listed order, and the playlist can be repeated with Loop Playlist. This is the built-in OBS route for a group of files; it depends on VLC being present, as explained below.
Think through the playlist as a programme schedule. For example, a local news loop might put a headlines segment before a weather segment and a community notice. With the files arranged in the intended order, viewers encounter that sequence before it repeats. A study channel might instead use distinct subject lessons. The source does not decide which sequence is editorially sensible; you do that when you assemble and review the list.
If you want the order to vary, VLC Video also offers Shuffle Playlist. Shuffle changes the playback order rather than preserving the list as a fixed sequence. That can suit a collection of ambience videos, but it may be wrong for lessons, news segments, or a devotional programme whose transitions are deliberate. Check the intended order in the source properties and watch enough playback to confirm the behaviour you selected.
The VLC source also exposes audio-track and subtitle controls. These matter when a file has multiple tracks or subtitles that you do not want broadcast. They are separate from the playlist controls, so do not assume that enabling Loop Playlist will select the right language, audio, or subtitle presentation. Review those options with the specific file you intend to play.
A playlist does not remove the need to check every media file. Add the intended files, inspect the order, and confirm that each one opens and has the expected sound. For a channel that inserts a countdown between videos, a playlist of files may not provide the same workflow as a purpose-built sequence; the countdown-between-videos guide discusses that separate requirement.
Enable Loop Playlist
In the VLC Video source properties, add the playlist items and select Loop Playlist when you want the group to start again after its last item. This setting applies to the playlist as a whole. It is not the same as the single-file Loop option in Media Source, so look for the label that matches the source you added.
Check the three decisions side by side before you settle on a source:
| Requirement | OBS source | Setting or prerequisite |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat one local video | Media Source | Turn on Loop |
| Play several local videos in listed order and repeat the set | VLC Video | Add files to the playlist and turn on Loop Playlist |
| Vary the order of several files | VLC Video | Use Shuffle Playlist rather than relying on listed order |
| Decide playback when the source is hidden | VLC Video | Choose the visibility behaviour that matches the scene |
The table is about local files loaded into OBS. It does not settle whether an arbitrary YouTube URL can be used as a supported playlist item, and this guide does not recommend treating a YouTube page as a substitute for a local media file. The documented controls and the setup described here are for media files in the source.
For a fixed sequence, leave the order deliberate and verify it instead of enabling shuffle by accident. For a variable selection, decide whether shuffled playback still makes sense after one item ends and the next begins. Then check the sequence in your own scene. These are operational choices, not claims that a particular arrangement will keep a broadcast running or satisfy YouTube’s policies.
Install the matching VLC version
VLC Video may not be available until VLC Media Player is installed. OBS’s documentation specifies that the VLC source requires VLC and that 64-bit OBS needs 64-bit VLC. Match the architecture of the VLC installation to the OBS installation; installing a mismatched version can leave the source unavailable even though VLC appears to be installed.
If you cannot see VLC Video in OBS, confirm the VLC installation first. Check whether OBS is 64-bit and install the corresponding 64-bit VLC when it is. Then reopen OBS and look for the source again. The OBS sources guide provides official context for adding and working with sources; use the current OBS and VLC documentation if their installation steps change.
This dependency is the principal practical difference between the two choices. Media Source does not require you to install VLC for the single-file loop described here. VLC Video is the relevant source for a playlist, but it needs VLC in a compatible architecture. That trade-off is usually simple: use the source that matches the programme, and install the dependency only when you need the playlist source.
Avoid installing an unrelated OBS plugin because a search result calls it a playlist plugin. A third-party extension may have a different purpose, but the basic requirement in this guide is already covered by OBS’s VLC Video source. If your project needs transitions, scheduling, automation, or some other behaviour beyond a local playlist, assess that requirement separately rather than assuming a plugin is necessary for looping.
Choose the right source for your setup
Count the media items and decide whether their order is editorially important. One file that should repeat points to Media Source. Several files that should play as a set point to VLC Video. If the list must play in a prescribed order, do not shuffle it. If it should vary, decide whether Shuffle Playlist is appropriate. Finally, consider what should happen when the scene containing the source is not visible.
VLC Video documents visibility behaviour choices that let you stop and restart playback, pause and resume, or always keep playing when the source is hidden. Choose deliberately. If the source lives in a scene that you switch away from, stop-and-restart may mean it begins again when shown, while pause-and-resume retains its position; always-playing means it can continue while hidden. The right choice depends on whether the hidden source is meant to keep time or to reset for the next appearance.
For a single-file Media Source, keep the decision focused on the file and its Loop setting. For VLC Video, check the playlist, loop setting, shuffle setting, visibility behaviour, and any audio or subtitle controls. These are separate controls, so a setup can have the correct playlist repeat behaviour and still play the wrong track or continue unexpectedly when the scene is hidden.
If OBS must run on a dedicated computer around the clock, the choice of source does not remove the operational burden of keeping that computer and its media available. A local setup means the computer running OBS must remain on and the file paths must remain valid. Readers comparing that approach with a cloud-run file broadcast can also review the Synology NAS and Docker cost discussion. StreamNeo is relevant when the specific pain is leaving a personal computer switched on to keep an uploaded video broadcasting; it does not change the OBS settings explained here or make VLC Video a requirement.
Before publishing, run through the programme in your own scene: confirm file order, sound, the point where a loop restarts, and hidden-scene behaviour. This is a practical check, not a guarantee of uninterrupted live delivery. If the stream is public, also ensure that you have rights to broadcast the chosen media and review YouTube’s current requirements yourself.
Common playback issues
If VLC Video is missing, check whether VLC Media Player is installed and whether its architecture matches OBS. OBS specifically calls for 64-bit VLC when OBS is 64-bit. Re-check this prerequisite before hunting for a playlist plugin, because the built-in source may simply be unavailable without the dependency.
If one file repeats but the playlist does not, confirm that you added a VLC Video source rather than a Media Source and that Loop Playlist is enabled. For a single file, confirm Loop in the Media Source properties. The controls have similar purposes but apply to different source types and different playback arrangements.
If the next item is not the one you expected, inspect the list and check whether Shuffle Playlist is enabled. A shuffled set will not retain the fixed sequence you arranged. For a programme where order matters, disable shuffle and review the full intended ordering before broadcast.
If playback changes after switching scenes, inspect the source’s visibility behaviour. Decide whether a hidden source should stop and restart, pause and resume, or keep playing. Test a scene switch and return to the source in your own setup so that the observed behaviour matches your programme plan.
If video plays but sound, subtitles, or language are wrong, inspect the VLC source’s audio-track and subtitle controls as well as the file itself. A playlist control cannot correct an unsuitable track selection. OBS documents network caching at a default of 400 ms for VLC Video; changing that value should not be treated as a universal fix for playback problems. Start by identifying what is actually wrong, then consult current official documentation rather than changing unrelated settings at random.
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FAQ
Is VLC Video a separate OBS plugin?
No. VLC Video is an OBS source with playlist functionality, and it depends on VLC Media Player being installed. You do not need a third-party OBS playlist plugin for the basic multi-file loop described here.
Which source should I use to repeat one video?
Use Media Source, select the local file, and enable Loop. VLC Video is the choice when you need a playlist of multiple local files.
Why can’t I see VLC Video in OBS?
Check that VLC Media Player is installed and that its architecture matches OBS. OBS specifies that 64-bit OBS needs 64-bit VLC; after installing the compatible version, reopen OBS and check the source list.
Does YouTube’s loop button loop my OBS playlist?
No. YouTube Help’s loop instructions describe viewer-side playback on YouTube. To repeat local files in a live broadcast, configure the Media Source or VLC Video source in OBS.