To loop a folder of radio shows into a YouTube livestream, add the shows as a playlist in OBS Studio’s VLC Video Source and enable Loop Playlist. That repeats the playlist from its first item after the last one; OBS Media Source’s Loop setting is for repeating a single file, not a folder.
This guide takes you from arranging the files to checking the YouTube preview before you make the stream public. A playlist that loops correctly is only one part of a dependable broadcast: you still need to verify playback, audio, the encoder connection and your rights to rebroadcast every show.
Prepare the show files and install VLC
Start with the source material, not the stream settings. Put the shows in a dedicated folder and decide their order before adding them to OBS. A simple naming pattern such as 01-morning-show.mp4, 02-interview.mp4 and 03-evening-show.mp4 makes the intended sequence visible when you review the playlist. Keep a separate copy of the originals if you plan to change or replace files later.
Play each file locally in VLC before building the scene. Check that it opens, that the sound is present, and that it starts and ends where you expect. This catches a missing audio track, a silent recording, a damaged export or a show that begins with several minutes of dead air. Do not assume that because one file plays, all files in the folder will play in the same way.
OBS lists common video formats such as MP4, MOV, MKV and WebM, and audio formats such as MP3, AAC, OGG and WAV, but format names alone do not confirm that every codec, track arrangement or file will work in your setup. If an item fails a local test or appears without sound in OBS, investigate that file rather than relying on the playlist to fix it. The OBS media sources guide explains the available media source types and their controls.
Install VLC on the computer running OBS. The VLC Video Source is available only when VLC is installed, so install it before you start configuring the playlist. Open OBS after installation and confirm that VLC Video Source appears among the source choices. If it does not, restart OBS and check that VLC was installed correctly.
Think through the sequence as a listener would. If a station is meant to feel like a scheduled radio service, fixed order is usually easier to understand than a shuffled one. You might place a station identification clip between programmes, but include it as a file in the sequence and test its level and duration. For more on handling a channel’s recorded programme rotation, see this guide to streaming multiple recorded sermons in a loop.
Before streaming, check that you have the necessary rights for the recordings and compositions in every show. A radio programme may include music, interviews, clips or material licensed for a different use; possession of the file does not establish permission to rebroadcast it live. YouTube’s Livestream terms and conditions put responsibility on the creator to have the rights needed for the live content, including applicable music rights. Confirm the position for your catalogue and territory rather than treating a successful technical test as rights clearance.
Create an OBS scene
In OBS, create a scene for the broadcast and give it a clear name, such as “Radio shows”. A scene is the layout OBS sends to the encoder. For a simple audio-led station, it can contain the VLC playlist source and a visual element such as a station card or programme artwork. Decide what viewers should see while a show is playing; a blank canvas may be technically valid but is rarely a useful presentation.
Add the visual as a separate source if you want it to remain on screen throughout the playlist. Arrange the sources so the artwork or station graphic is visible, and check that the VLC source is not hidden or covered. A scene with a single video playlist can also carry the show’s picture, so you do not need to add another visual if the files already provide the intended image.
Keep the first version plain. A logo, show title and a readable schedule are easier to test than a scene with multiple overlays, transitions and animated elements. Once the playlist is stable, add only what improves the listener’s experience. The OBS Sources Guide covers how sources are added and positioned within a scene.
It is also worth keeping the test setup distinct from your final public event. You can use a private or unlisted test event in YouTube’s Live Control Room to check the broadcast without presenting it as a public launch. Be deliberate about which event you select in OBS and YouTube; a test sent to a public event is not private simply because you intended to test.
If your main objective is a visual ambience channel rather than a sequence of radio programmes, the choices differ: this example of a 24/7 sleep ambience stream with Hindi nature sounds may help you think through the on-screen presentation separately from the playlist mechanics.
Add the shows with VLC Video Source
In the scene’s Sources panel, add a VLC Video Source. Give it a descriptive name, then open its properties. Use the playlist controls to add the individual show files from your folder. The important distinction is that you are building a playlist from the files; selecting a folder in a file browser does not by itself prove that OBS has imported every item in the desired sequence.
Review the list in the source properties after adding the files. Confirm that every intended show appears, remove any unwanted item, and arrange the sequence. If you expect one show to follow another in a fixed schedule, leave shuffle off. Shuffle is useful only when an unpredictable order is acceptable; it makes it harder to plan a sequence or diagnose which item should be playing next.
The folder is a convenient place to organise the media, but the playlist is what determines what OBS plays. If you later move or rename a file, revisit the source and test it again: an entry that still points to an old location may fail when reached. Keeping the playlist and its source files in a stable location reduces this kind of avoidable change between a test and a live run.
Click through the items in the playlist and check their properties if your source includes a mixture of audio-only and video shows. The source should produce the picture and sound you intend, but file behaviour can differ. Do not claim in advance that every item will play simply because it is present in the list. Test the actual files in OBS, including any unusual export or format, and replace or convert a problem file only after you have a known-good version to test.
The ordinary OBS Media Source is a separate option. Use it when you want to play one file repeatedly: its Loop control repeats that single item. It is not the folder-to-playlist workflow. For a run of multiple shows, keep the items in VLC Video Source and use its playlist controls. This difference matters if a station has accidentally been repeating one programme all night instead of moving through its catalogue.
Enable Loop Playlist
In the VLC Video Source properties, enable Loop Playlist. OBS documents that this setting restarts playback after the source runs out of media, so the final show should be followed by the first item when the playlist completes. The OBS documentation for media sources describes this playlist behaviour.
Loop Playlist is not the same as shuffle. Looping determines what happens after the last item; shuffle determines the order in which items are selected. With shuffle off and Loop Playlist on, a playlist such as three programmes will play in the listed order, then begin again at the top. With shuffle on, the playlist can move through a different order, which may be unsuitable for a station with a planned schedule or introductions tied to particular shows.
The control may already be enabled by default, but inspect it rather than relying on the default. Settings can be changed while you are experimenting, and an assumption is not a test. After saving the source, start playback and observe the playlist state. For a full test, allow the final item to finish and confirm that the first one starts again; do not infer the wraparound behaviour from watching only the first few minutes.
A loop does not remove pauses or gaps already present at the beginning or end of individual recordings. If one programme ends with a long silence or another begins with a loud jingle, the playlist will faithfully play that material. Listen across the joins and edit or replace the source files if the transitions do not suit your broadcast.
For a single show, use Media Source and its Loop option instead. For multiple radio programmes, keep VLC Video Source. The choice is not a quality judgement: it is a match between the source control and the material you want repeated. If you are troubleshooting a stream that appears to revisit the same episode, this guide on stopping a podcast stream from repeating the same episode offers another useful way to think about playlist order and repeat behaviour.
Connect OBS to YouTube Live Control Room
Before connecting OBS, make sure your channel can livestream. YouTube says that a channel needs verification and must not have a live-stream restriction from the previous 90 days. First-time activation may take up to 24 hours, so check access well before the day you intend to launch. YouTube’s get started with live streaming guidance covers these requirements and the initial setup.
In YouTube Studio, open the Live Control Room and create or select the stream you want to use. YouTube provides a server URL and stream key for an encoder connection. In OBS, open Settings, go to the stream configuration, select YouTube as the service where available, and enter the key and server information requested by the chosen connection method. YouTube’s guide to creating a live stream with an encoder explains the platform’s encoder workflow.
Treat the stream key like a password. It authorises an encoder to send a feed to the stream, so do not publish it in a screenshot, share it in a public post or leave it visible in a recording. If you think it has been exposed, replace or reset it in the Live Control Room and update OBS with the new value. Check carefully that the event selected in the control room is the same one configured in OBS.
YouTube supports software and hardware encoder paths. OBS is software running on your computer, so the machine and the internet connection both matter while it is sending the broadcast. A playlist can continue playing locally while an encoder or network connection has a problem; playback on the desktop is not proof that YouTube is receiving it. For another perspective on the trade-off between local operation and an always-on channel, see the article on running a 24/7 YouTube stream from a laptop with the lid closed.
For encoder settings, YouTube recommends constant bitrate encoding and a two-second keyframe interval, which should not exceed four seconds. Those are YouTube’s general guidance values, not a promise that a particular computer or connection can sustain a chosen resolution and bitrate. Choose settings in line with the upload capacity you can actually provide, and test them. YouTube recommends RTMPS for encrypted transport; follow its current settings guidance for the encoder configuration you use.
Test playback and stream health before publishing
Do a complete playback test before making the event public. Start with the first show and confirm that OBS displays the intended image and that its audio meter moves. Listen on the computer as well as watching the meter; a moving meter does not tell you whether the level is comfortable, distorted or balanced against other clips. If the material has different recording levels, make a note of the loud or quiet sections and correct them before the public run.
Then test the connection to YouTube. Start the encoder and wait for the Live Control Room preview to show the feed. Confirm the picture and sound there, not only in the OBS preview. Check that the correct stream is receiving the feed and that YouTube reports stream health without a warning that you need to resolve. YouTube’s live streaming tips recommend testing in advance and monitoring audio and video quality.
Use a private or unlisted test where appropriate, and keep the full playlist running until the final item ends and the first begins again. A short connection check cannot confirm playlist wraparound. A full pass also lets you catch missing media, black video, an unexpected blank interval, an incorrect sequence, or a file that opens locally but does not behave as expected in the OBS source.
During the test, look at upload capacity as well as the stream-health status. YouTube recommends checking upload speed and choosing a quality reliable for the connection. A speed test is only a snapshot of available capacity; other devices, fluctuations and the stream’s own encoder settings can affect the result. If the feed struggles, reduce the settings to a level you can sustain and repeat the test rather than assuming that a good result once will hold under all conditions.
Listen for the joins between shows. Confirm that OBS is receiving the intended audio track from each item and that the volume is usable in the YouTube preview. A radio channel can appear visually healthy while being silent, and an audio-only file can behave differently from a video programme. Do not publish until you have checked both picture and sound for the actual playlist you intend to broadcast.
Finally, check what happens when OBS or the computer is interrupted. This setup does not guarantee that a public broadcast will continue through power loss, a software fault, a failed file or a lost connection. OBS can send the feed while the encoder is running, but a local software playlist is not a substitute for monitoring and a recovery plan. If you need a broadcast to continue while your own computer is switched off, StreamNeo can take an uploaded video and run it as a YouTube livestream, removing the need to leave that computer operating for the broadcast.
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FAQ
Can I loop the whole folder in OBS?
Add the show files to a VLC Video Source playlist and enable Loop Playlist. The playlist is the part that defines the sequence; keep shuffle off if you want the files to play in the order you set. Test every item and the transition from the last show back to the first.
Is Media Source the right option for several shows?
Use OBS Media Source when you want to repeat one file with its Loop setting. It is not the multi-file folder playlist workflow. For several shows, add them to VLC Video Source and use Loop Playlist.
Will the stream keep going if my computer loses power?
No software setup on a local computer can promise a public broadcast will continue after that computer or its connection stops working. Test the complete setup, monitor YouTube’s preview and stream health, and decide how you will respond to interruptions. OBS playlist looping controls media playback; it does not guarantee an uninterrupted broadcast.
Can I rebroadcast any radio show if I have the file?
No. You need the rights required for the recordings and compositions in the stream, including music where applicable. Check current YouTube terms and the rights for every programme before broadcasting; a successful test or an existing copy of a show does not grant permission.