Add a VLC Video source to your OBS scene, add the local files to its playlist, and enable Loop Playlist. Install VLC first, and match its architecture to OBS: 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
Leave Shuffle Playlist off when the videos must play in the order you set. Turn it on when you want random playback. Then run through the complete sequence in OBS and check the result on YouTube before treating the stream as unattended.
Choose the right playlist source
OBS has two sources that can look suitable for this job, but they are intended for different playback patterns.
Media Source is the simpler choice when a scene needs one video file. It has a Loop setting that replays that file after it finishes. It does not provide the multi-item playlist controls needed for a sequence of separate videos.
VLC Video is the source to use when you want several files to play one after another. OBS describes it as a source that can play multiple media files in a playlist, with controls for looping the playlist and shuffling its items. The official OBS Media Sources guide documents both source types and their relevant settings.
| What you need | Better OBS source | Playback behaviour |
|---|---|---|
| One video repeated | Media Source | Repeats that one file with Loop |
| Several videos in a fixed sequence | VLC Video | Plays the playlist from top to bottom with Shuffle Playlist off |
| Several videos in a random sequence | VLC Video | Randomises playback with Shuffle Playlist on |
| A playlist that restarts after its last item | VLC Video | Repeats the complete list with Loop Playlist on |
For example, a devotional channel might have an opening slate, several bhajan videos, a short channel notice, and a closing slate. A local business might have product clips followed by opening-hours information. Put those files in a VLC Video playlist rather than adding each one as a separate source and trying to control their timing manually.
The source choice does not guarantee that the files will play cleanly. Container formats, codecs, audio tracks, subtitles, frame rates, and file damage can all affect what you see. OBS lists formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF, and WebM for media sources, along with audio formats such as MP3, AAC, OGG, and WAV. That is a list of supported file types, not a promise that every file with one of those extensions will behave identically on every computer. Test the actual files you intend to use.
If your main problem is not playlist configuration but a stream that stops or reconnects, use a separate troubleshooting process. The causes covered in why a 24/7 YouTube live stream keeps disconnecting can sit outside the VLC playlist itself.
Install VLC before opening the source menu
The VLC Video source depends on VLC being installed. If VLC is missing, the source may not appear in OBS's list when you click the plus button. This is the architecture check that prevents a common roadblock halfway through setup.
First check whether your OBS installation is 64-bit or 32-bit. Current Windows installations are commonly 64-bit, but do not assume that the VLC download and OBS installation will match simply because both applications are installed on the same computer. OBS's documentation states that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC for the VLC Video source.
Download VLC from the official VideoLAN VLC page, not from an unrelated download site. Install the version that matches OBS. If OBS is 32-bit, use the compatible 32-bit VLC installation; if OBS is 64-bit, use 64-bit VLC.
After installing VLC, close and reopen OBS. Restarting OBS gives it a clean opportunity to detect the VLC installation. If VLC Video still does not appear, check the architecture again and confirm that VLC completed its installation. Reinstalling OBS before checking this mismatch is usually the wrong first move.
You do not need to open VLC and build the playlist there. The VLC application and the VLC Video source in OBS are related, but the playlist you create for this stream is configured in the OBS source properties. VLC needs to be installed so OBS can use the source.
This distinction matters when following old tutorials. Some guides tell you to create a playlist in the VLC desktop player, while the OBS workflow is to add files in the VLC Video source's properties. Keep the files in a stable local folder and avoid moving or renaming them after you have configured the source.
Add VLC Video to the scene
Open OBS and select the scene that should carry the playlist. If you have separate scenes for a waiting screen, the main programme, and a contact slide, add the source to the scene in which the videos should actually appear.
In the Sources dock, click the + button. Select VLC Video from the source list. Give it a useful name, such as Main playlist or Bhajan sequence, rather than leaving several sources with generic names. The OBS Sources Guide explains the general process for adding sources through the Sources dock.
OBS will open the VLC Video properties. You can create a new source or select an existing one, depending on whether you already configured it in another scene. For a first setup, create a new source so its playlist and playback settings are easy to identify.
The source must be visible for its video to appear in the scene. Check the eye icon beside the source in the Sources dock. Then resize or position the source in the preview as you would any other video source. If the source has an unexpected aspect ratio, decide whether you want black bars, cropping, or a background layer before going live.
Do not add a separate Media Source for every video unless you have a reason to control each clip independently. Separate sources make the scene harder to maintain and do not create a playlist by themselves. VLC Video is the part of this workflow that holds multiple media items and advances between them.
Add the videos to the playlist
With the VLC Video properties open, find the playlist area and use its add control to select the local video files. Add each file you want OBS to play. You can usually select several files in the file picker, or add them one at a time when you want to build the order deliberately.
Use descriptive filenames before you add them. A folder containing names such as 01-opening.mp4, 02-morning-bhajan.mp4, and 03-channel-notice.mp4 is easier to inspect than one containing files named final2.mp4 and new-final-really-final.mp4. Clear names do not change playback, but they reduce mistakes when you need to identify a missing or wrongly placed item later.
The files should be available on the computer running OBS. A shortcut, disconnected external drive, or temporary download can produce a playlist entry that looks present but cannot play when the stream runs overnight. Keep the files in a permanent folder and do not rely on a drive that the computer may mount under a different letter after a restart.
After adding the files, inspect the playlist for duplicate entries. A duplicate may be intentional, such as repeating a short notice between longer videos, but it should not happen accidentally. Also check that the selected file is a video rather than a similarly named audio file or an old export.
If one file contains several audio tracks, check the available audio-track setting in the VLC Video properties. Subtitles are also configurable, and OBS documents subtitles as off by default. Do not assume that the track you hear in a desktop player is the one OBS will use without checking the source properties.
A local playlist is usually easier to diagnose than a network playlist. The VLC source exposes a network caching setting, with 400 ms shown as the documented default, but that setting is not evidence that network playback will remain reliable for a 24/7 stream. If the files are local, do not introduce network media into the setup without a specific reason.
Set loop and shuffle behaviour separately
Two settings control the difference between a repeating sequence and a random rotation.
Turn on Loop Playlist when the complete list should start again after its final item. With a four-file list, OBS should play item one, then item two, item three, and item four before returning to the beginning. Looping the playlist is different from looping each file individually.
Leave Shuffle Playlist off when the order matters. This is the setting for a planned sequence such as an intro, programme content, notice, and outro. It preserves the list order for playback as configured in the source.
Turn on Shuffle Playlist when you want the files to be selected in a randomised order. This can suit a lofi station, ambience channel, or large devotional catalogue where a fixed sequence is less important. Shuffle changes the playback behaviour; it should not be treated as a way to preserve a carefully arranged order.
The documented default for Loop Playlist is on, while the documented default for Shuffle Playlist is off. Still, check both boxes yourself. Defaults can be changed by a previous configuration, an imported scene collection, or another person who uses the computer.
| Playback goal | Loop Playlist | Shuffle Playlist |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed list that repeats | On | Off |
| Randomised list that repeats | On | On |
| Play the list once | Off | Off or on, depending on the desired order |
| Repeat one file only | Use Media Source and its Loop setting | Not applicable |
The final row is a reminder that VLC Video is not always the simplest source. If there is only one video, a standard Media Source may be easier to understand. If there are multiple files, VLC Video gives you the playlist controls that the single-file source does not.
Check what happens when the source is hidden
A playlist can be correctly configured and still appear to skip or restart when you change scenes. That behaviour is controlled by the source's visibility settings.
OBS documents options that can stop and restart playback when the source becomes visible or hidden, pause and resume it, or keep it playing while hidden. The correct choice depends on your scene design.
Suppose your stream uses one scene for the main playlist and another for a short “starting soon” card. If the VLC Video source is hidden when you change scenes, a stop-and-restart setting may begin the playlist from its first item when it becomes visible again. A pause-and-resume setting may continue from the same point. A keep-playing setting may allow the playlist to advance even while you cannot see it.
None of these choices is universally correct. If you want the videos to continue in the background while another scene is shown, keeping playback active may be appropriate. If each return to the scene should begin with an opening video, restarting on visibility may be deliberate.
Test the setting with your actual scene transitions. Do not infer the result from the name alone. Change scenes, return to the playlist, and observe whether the current video stops, resumes, restarts, or has continued while hidden.
Arrange and verify the playlist order
When shuffle is off, the order in the VLC Video playlist is the order you are asking OBS to follow. Arrange it before the stream begins rather than relying on the order in which files happen to appear in a folder.
Select an item and use the playlist controls to move it up or down, or remove and re-add it if that is how your OBS version exposes the controls. Read the complete list from top to bottom. Look for an opening clip that has slipped into the middle, a notice that appears too early, and an outro that would create an awkward pause before the sequence restarts.
A useful ordered playlist might look like this:
01-opening.mp4
02-programme-a.mp4
03-programme-b.mp4
04-sponsor-notice.mp4
05-programme-c.mp4
06-closing.mp4
The filenames are only an example. The important point is that the intended sequence is visible and easy to audit. A numbered naming convention can help, but the playlist order in OBS is the setting that should be checked.
Preview every item. Confirm that the video fills the intended area, that the audio meter responds, and that there is no unexpected subtitle track. If a file opens with a black frame, no sound, or an error, remove it from the unattended playlist until you understand the cause.
If the sequence contains music, devotional material, news clips, or other material you did not create, check the rights and platform rules separately. A technically correct playlist does not resolve copyright or Community Guidelines questions. You can review what can trigger a Community Guidelines strike on a live stream, then check YouTube's current official guidance before publishing.
Test the repeated sequence before going live
Do not test only the first video. The point of a playlist is the transition between files and the return from the last item to the first, so the test must include those moments.
Start with the VLC Video source visible and watch enough of the sequence to confirm that one file hands off to the next. Check for black frames, abrupt audio changes, stretched video, missing audio, unexpected subtitles, and clips that fail to start. A problem at a transition may not be visible while the first file is playing normally.
You do not need to wait through a long feature-length list to inspect every item in one sitting if you can make the test practical. Use short test copies where appropriate, or build an initial playlist from short representative files. Before the real stream, however, test the actual exports and their transitions. A short test file may not reveal a problem in a longer file.
Watch the final item finish and confirm that the first item begins again when Loop Playlist is on. This confirms that the repeat is occurring at the source level. It does not prove that a YouTube broadcast will stay connected indefinitely. OBS documentation describes the source controls, not uninterrupted operation across every operating system, codec, software update, power interruption, or network failure.
Then test the stream path. Start the OBS broadcast, open the YouTube watch page from a separate device or browser, and compare what YouTube shows with the OBS preview. YouTube's official live streaming help covers the platform-side process and current requirements. This second view can reveal a muted audio track, a wrong scene, a stalled broadcast, or a delay that is not obvious in OBS.
Leave the computer running during the test and observe the behaviour through at least one complete playlist cycle where practical. Check that the machine does not enter sleep mode, the files remain available, and OBS does not display an error. Also check the operating system's audio and display settings, because a computer that sleeps or reboots is not an unattended streaming setup.
If the computer itself is the weak point, compare that arrangement with other operating choices rather than assuming every 24/7 workflow should use the same tool. The guide to the best affordable VPS in India for a 24/7 YouTube stream discusses a different operating model, while OBS remains useful when you need local scene control and can keep the machine maintained.
For a YouTube-only workflow where you want to upload the file once, paste the stream key, and avoid leaving your own computer switched on, StreamNeo removes the repeated local playback and overnight restart work, but it does not remove the need to check your files, rights, stream settings, and YouTube playback.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
Can I use Media Source for several videos in OBS?
Media Source is designed around a single media file and its loop setting. For a playlist of multiple local videos, use VLC Video, which provides the playlist, Loop Playlist, and Shuffle Playlist controls.
How do I make OBS play videos one after another?
Install VLC, add a VLC Video source to the scene, and add the files in the source properties. Leave Shuffle Playlist off for the order shown in the list, and turn on Loop Playlist if the complete sequence should repeat.
Why is VLC Video missing from my OBS source list?
VLC must be installed for the source to appear. Check that the VLC architecture matches OBS, particularly that 64-bit OBS is paired with 64-bit VLC, then restart OBS and check the source menu again.
Does looping the playlist guarantee a continuous YouTube stream?
No. Loop Playlist controls what the VLC Video source does after its final item. It does not guarantee that OBS, the computer, the network connection, or YouTube will remain connected without interruption, so test both the local sequence and the platform playback before leaving it unattended.