To repeat a playlist in OBS, add a VLC Video source, load your files and enable Loop Playlist. That repeats the media; it does not crossfade tracks or fade each item’s audio at its boundaries.
If you want audio to fade in or out, treat that as a separate job. OBS scene transitions affect changes between scenes, while automated source-volume fades can be configured with the optional Advanced Scene Switcher plugin, provided your OBS and plugin versions are compatible and your chosen trigger works as intended.
Add a VLC Video playlist source
In OBS, use the Sources dock to add a VLC Video source. Give it a useful name, such as “Evening bhajans” or “Rain playlist”, then open its properties and add the media files you want in the playlist. The OBS Media Sources guide documents the VLC source as the playlist option; the basic Media Source is intended for an individual local file.
A playlist source is useful when you have separate files you want OBS to play in sequence. For example, you might keep a set of devotional recordings in one source rather than combining them into a single long video. If you are planning a channel around a particular type of material, the workflow in setting up a Hindi bhajan playlist as a YouTube Live loop may help you think through the content side as well as the source setup.
After adding files, check their order in the source properties. Use names that make it easy to identify tracks, and play through the list in OBS before connecting it to a live broadcast. Listen for unexpected silence at the start or end of each file, inconsistent loudness, or a file that does not play. Those are content or source issues; a loop setting will not repair them.
If the source is not available in the add-source menu, first check whether VLC is installed. OBS documents that VLC is required for the VLC Video source to appear. If you already have a setup using a single long recording rather than a playlist, the trade-offs discussed in software for looping prerecorded videos on a YouTube Live stream are relevant: a playlist and a prepared long file solve different organisational needs.
Install the matching VLC version
OBS requires VLC for its VLC Video source. The OBS documentation also says that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. If the source is missing or fails to behave as expected, verify that VLC is installed and that its architecture matches OBS before rebuilding the scene or changing your broadcast settings.
This is a compatibility check, not a reason to install several media players and hope one is detected. Note whether your OBS installation is 64-bit, install the corresponding VLC version, then restart OBS and look again in the Sources dock. If you are using an older OBS release or a managed computer, check the current OBS documentation and your system’s installation details rather than assuming that a tutorial for another version applies unchanged.
Keep a copy of the original media files in a stable location. A playlist that points to files on a removable drive or a folder later renamed may stop finding its media. Before relying on it overnight, restart OBS once and confirm the source can still play the files from their actual saved locations.
Enable Loop Playlist
Open the VLC Video source properties and enable Loop Playlist. OBS documents this control as making the playlist repeat after it reaches the end. The documented default is on; nevertheless, check the setting yourself rather than relying on a default that might have been changed in an existing scene or profile.
Looping and shuffling are separate controls. Loop Playlist repeats the sequence; shuffle changes the playback order. OBS documents shuffle as off by default. If the sequence matters—for example, if you are alternating a welcome message, a programme and a closing slate—leave shuffle off and inspect the playlist order. A channel that wants variety may prefer shuffle, but it should still listen through the resulting sequence before going live.
Test the behaviour at both ends of the list. Start playback, confirm the first item, then observe what happens after the last item finishes. The source should return to the beginning when looping is enabled. Do not infer from that restart that OBS has blended the ending of one track into the beginning of the next; the repeat control concerns playback order, not an audio transition.
If you need to change a playlist while a channel is already running, plan the edit rather than making a hurried change during a broadcast. The advice in changing the playlist on a running 24/7 YouTube stream can help you consider the continuity risks. For a test, make a duplicate scene or profile where possible, so you can check the list without disturbing the version currently on air.
What Loop Playlist does not fade
Loop Playlist repeats media; it is not a crossfade control. The VLC source properties document loop and shuffle options, but they do not document a playlist-item transition duration or an audio crossfade setting. Do not assume that enabling the loop will lower one track’s volume as the next one begins.
That distinction matters in a long stream. If the end of a recording contains a few seconds of silence, the next file may begin only after that silence. If the recording ends abruptly, the change may sound abrupt too. A repeating playlist will reproduce those characteristics every time around. To smooth them, prepare the audio files themselves in an editor or use a separately tested automation approach; changing the loop checkbox does not edit the files.
OBS Ideas and Suggestions contains a request for transitions between videos in the VLC Video playlist source. That request is useful context for understanding why users ask for this feature, but a feature request is not a complete specification of every OBS release. Check the properties in the OBS version you actually use, and do not plan a live channel around a crossfade control unless you have confirmed it exists and works in your installation.
For a sequence of long ambience videos, consider whether a single pre-edited video is simpler than managing many boundaries. If you need separate items for scheduling or replacement, keep the playlist, but test the seam between each pair of files. The practical guide to OBS source settings for looping a long rain video is a useful companion when the material is a long visual loop rather than a music set.
Scene transitions are not item fades
An OBS Fade is a scene transition. It controls how OBS moves from one scene to another, with a transition type and duration. The OBS Studio Overview Guide describes scene transitions separately from media-source playback. A scene transition can be useful when you move from a holding screen to a programme scene, but it does not by itself create a fade between two files inside one VLC playlist.
It is easy to conflate these controls because both are described with the word “fade”. Imagine a stream with one scene containing a VLC playlist. The scene can remain unchanged while the playlist advances from one recording to the next. A scene Fade has no scene change to act on at that boundary, so it should not be treated as an item-level audio fade.
If your programme uses distinct scenes for different parts of the broadcast, a scene transition may give the desired visual or audio change when you switch between those scenes. That is a different arrangement from playlist-item fading. Keep the question specific: are you fading the whole scene as you move to another scene, or fading the volume of a source at a point in a playlist? The answer determines which control or automation you need.
Before a live test, make a short scene-change rehearsal and a separate playlist-boundary rehearsal. Listen with headphones as well as watching the preview. This helps identify whether a dip or abrupt change comes from the scene transition, from the media files, or from an audio action configured on the source.
Use Advanced Scene Switcher for audio actions
Advanced Scene Switcher is an optional OBS plugin that supports macro conditions and actions, including audio actions. One possible use is to change a source’s volume over a specified fade duration when a macro condition becomes true. This is more configurable than simply repeating a playlist, but it also adds a plugin, a trigger to design and another part of the setup to maintain.
A community forum example describes fading a selected source to 0% on a transition-from condition and to 100% on a transition-to condition. That example is tied to scene-transition conditions; it does not establish a universal, reliable trigger recipe for the end of every VLC playlist item. Attribute the example to the community discussion, not to an official OBS recommendation, and do not assume that a scene trigger will automatically identify a playlist boundary.
If you try automation, define what event should start the fade and which source’s volume should change. A fade at scene exit may be suitable when the audio belongs to the scene being left. A fade at the end of a playlist item needs a dependable item-boundary trigger in your particular setup; verify that the plugin and OBS expose a condition that actually matches that event. If you cannot establish such a trigger, do not describe the result as an automated per-track fade.
Build a small test macro before adding it to a 24/7 scene. Start with one source, one condition and a clear target volume. Confirm that the volume change begins when expected, reaches the intended level, and does not leave the source muted on the next cycle. Then run a complete playlist loop, including a scene change if one is part of your real schedule. A short preview is not enough to establish what happens on a later repeat.
For some channels, editing the audio ahead of time is the more predictable route: fades are part of the media and do not depend on a trigger firing during the stream. If you prefer automation because the playlist changes often, keep notes of the OBS version, plugin version, source name and condition used. StreamNeo can remove the need to keep your own computer running for a file-based YouTube loop, but it does not replace the OBS-specific work of designing and testing playlist fades.
Verify plugin compatibility and test the whole loop
The Advanced Scene Switcher resource listing currently identifies version 1.36.1, a minimum OBS Studio version of 31.1.1, and support for Windows, macOS and Linux. Those are details from the plugin listing, not timeless guarantees. Check the Advanced Scene Switcher resource page for the current listing and requirements before installing, and compare them with the OBS version and operating system on the machine that will run the stream.
If your OBS version is older than the stated minimum, do not assume that the plugin will work because it appears in a tutorial. You can update OBS if that is appropriate for your setup, or use another approach such as editing the files in advance. Updating a working machine just before a long broadcast is risky; test the update, scenes, audio routing and plugin on a copy or during a planned maintenance window first.
A sensible test has three parts. First, confirm the VLC source loads every file and repeats the list. Second, listen to each item boundary and decide whether the file content itself needs editing. Third, if using automation, test the chosen trigger through a complete loop and any scene changes. Keep the OBS preview and an actual recording or private test stream available, because a visible meter moving does not prove the sound will be smooth to a listener.
For an always-on channel, also plan what happens after an interruption. If OBS or the computer restarts, verify that the correct scene and source return, the playlist is still available, and no macro leaves volume at zero. A stream that has been configured once is not the same as a stream that has been tested after a restart. If the computer itself is a concern, the guide to running a continuous YouTube stream from the cloud offers a different operating model to consider.
The practical choice is straightforward: use Loop Playlist when you need the list to repeat; use scene transitions when your scenes change; use source-volume automation only when you have a compatible plugin and a trigger you have tested for the event you actually need. Keep those jobs separate in your notes and in the OBS scene design. It makes troubleshooting much quicker than trying to diagnose a single vague “fade” setting.
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FAQ
Does Loop Playlist fade between tracks?
No. It repeats the playlist when playback reaches the end, but the VLC source’s loop control is not a documented crossfade setting. Prepare fades in the audio files or test an automation method separately if you need volume changes at item boundaries.
Will an OBS scene Fade fade the audio between playlist items?
No, not by itself. OBS documents Fade as a scene transition, while a VLC playlist can advance within a scene that has not changed. Use a scene transition for scene changes, not as a substitute for a playlist-item audio fade.
Can Advanced Scene Switcher fade a source’s audio?
The plugin supports audio actions that can change source volume over a fade duration. The trigger is just as important as the action: a community example ties fades to scene transitions, and that does not prove an end-of-item trigger works for every playlist. Check compatibility and test the exact condition you intend to use.
Why can’t I add VLC Video in OBS?
OBS requires VLC for the VLC Video source, and OBS says 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. Install the matching VLC version, restart OBS, then check the Sources dock again. If the source remains unavailable, consult the current OBS documentation for your platform.