To loop several local videos in OBS for YouTube Live, add the individual files to an OBS VLC Video Source playlist and enable Loop Playlist. The documented source supports a playlist, but its documentation does not establish automatic folder scanning or importing a whole folder at once.
The playlist controls what OBS plays; YouTube ingestion controls how OBS sends the scene to your live stream. Set up and test those parts separately so that a working local loop is not mistaken for a working broadcast.
Create or select an OBS scene
Open OBS and select the scene that should contain the video loop. A scene is the composition sent to the output: it can contain video, graphics, text and other sources. If you already have a scene for this channel, you can use it; otherwise, create one and give it a recognisable name such as “Night playlist”.
Before adding files, decide what else belongs in the scene. A devotional channel might place a title or channel graphic over the video; an ambience station might use a simple background and leave the footage unobstructed. Add the VLC source to the scene that should actually go live, not to a test scene you later forget to select.
OBS stacks sources in the Sources dock. A source higher in the list appears above one lower down and may cover it. If your title graphic disappears behind the video, move the graphic above the VLC source. The OBS guide to sources and scene layout explains the relationship between source order, visibility and positioning in the preview.
You can resize and position the video in the preview. For a full-screen loop, fit it to the canvas and check the edges. For a layout with a ticker or logo, leave the intended space rather than stretching the video over those elements. Watch for black bars or cropping, and decide whether they are acceptable before you configure YouTube.
A scene is also a useful boundary for testing. Keep a separate scene for setup if you want to check playback without disturbing an existing broadcast layout. When you are ready, select the final scene and confirm that its Sources dock contains the video and any overlays in the intended order.
Add a VLC Video Source
In the Sources dock, use the add control and choose VLC Video. Give the source a clear name if OBS prompts you. The VLC Video Source is the playlist-oriented choice: OBS says it uses VLC libraries for extended media support over the built-in Media Source and allows a playlist of items.
If you do not see VLC Video in the add-source menu, do not assume that your OBS installation is broken. This source depends on VLC being installed, and its availability can also depend on matching the application architecture. Check installation requirements in the next section before continuing.
The VLC playlist is not the same as selecting a folder and asking OBS to discover every video in it. The OBS Media Sources documentation describes a playlist of items but does not document an automatic folder-scanning control. To follow the documented workflow, add the video files you want as playlist entries, one by one. A folder chooser or folder-selection behaviour should not be assumed from this source documentation.
If your goal is one file repeating rather than a sequence, OBS’s built-in Media Source may be simpler: it has a per-file Loop setting. For several files that should advance in order, VLC Video gives you playlist and shuffle controls. Those are different jobs, so choose the source based on the playback you need rather than on the word “loop” alone.
Add individual video files
Open the VLC Video Source properties and use the playlist controls to add the video files you intend to play. The exact labels can change between software versions, so look for the control that adds media items to the source’s playlist rather than a control that appears to choose a folder. Add the files you want in the sequence you want to test.
For example, if a local news loop should begin with the current bulletin, add that bulletin first, then the weather segment, then the community notice. If a bhajan channel has an opening visual followed by several recordings, order those entries deliberately. The point is that the playlist consists of chosen files; it is not a live view of every file later placed in the containing directory.
Use files stored somewhere that remains available to OBS. If you move or rename a file after adding it, the playlist may no longer point to the same path. For a long-running channel, keep a stable library location and avoid reorganising it while a stream is running. That is a practical file-management precaution, not a promise that OBS will repair changed paths for you.
The OBS documentation confirms playlist capability, but the research for this guide does not establish a complete codec or container compatibility matrix for VLC Video Source. Test each important file before relying on it overnight. Open it in VLC locally as an initial check; then test playback in OBS, because a file opening in a separate player does not prove that the source will behave the same in your scene.
If you specifically need to select folder items or edit folder-based playlists more conveniently, a third-party OBS resource called Media Playlist Source advertises file or folder items. It is not the built-in VLC Video Source, and its listing notes that folder contents do not automatically refresh. Check the plugin’s current compatibility and limitations before installing it; do not treat it as an automatic, always-current folder scanner.
Set playlist order and loop behaviour
Check the playlist order before changing other settings. OBS documents Shuffle Playlist as Off by default, so the listed order is retained unless you turn shuffle on. For a sequence that needs to make sense—for example, an introduction before a lesson, or a bulletin before its recap—leave shuffle off and confirm the entries appear in the intended order.
Enable Loop Playlist. OBS defines this setting as restarting the source after it runs out of media files, and documents it as On by default. A saved source or a setting changed during earlier work may differ, so inspect the actual source rather than relying on the default. If the final item plays and the source stops, this is the first setting to check.
Looping the playlist means OBS returns to the beginning after the last playlist item. It does not mean that OBS scans a folder for new files or automatically adds new videos to the list. If you update a collection, check the playlist and add or remove entries yourself using the source’s controls.
Visibility Behaviour matters if your scene is not continuously visible. OBS documents the default as stopping playback when the source is not visible and restarting it when visible. If you switch scenes during the broadcast and return later, that behaviour can affect where playback resumes. Review the source’s visibility setting and test an actual scene change before you depend on it.
For a 24/7 channel, the order is also an editorial choice. Repeating a short sequence can make transitions obvious to regular viewers, while a longer sequence may make the return to the opening less noticeable; the right choice depends on the material. The guide to playlist order for a 24/7 stream discusses how to think about sequence as programming rather than merely a technical setting.
| Playback need | OBS source setting to check | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat one file | Built-in Media Source: per-file Loop | Repeats that media file |
| Play several files in order, then start again | VLC Video: Loop Playlist on; Shuffle Playlist off | Returns to the start after the playlist ends |
| Vary the order of several files | VLC Video: Shuffle Playlist | Changes the order rather than preserving the listed sequence |
| Add a new file to an existing sequence | Edit the VLC playlist | Adds a chosen item; it is not folder scanning |
Check VLC installation requirements
VLC Video Source uses VLC libraries and requires VLC to be installed. If the source is missing from OBS’s Add Source menu, install VLC and check that its architecture matches OBS. In particular, OBS says that if OBS is 64-bit, you should install 64-bit VLC.
After installation, restart OBS and check the source menu again. If VLC Video still does not appear, verify which OBS build you installed and whether VLC is the matching architecture. This is more useful than repeatedly adding a different source, because a missing VLC Video entry usually means the dependency is not available to OBS.
Do not confuse VLC Video with the built-in Media Source. Media Source can be suitable when you need to play a single supported file, and OBS lists formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF and WebM for that source. That list is not a guarantee that every file encoded in one of those containers will play in every setup. Test the specific file and source you plan to use.
If your VLC installation is already present, but a particular playlist entry fails, test that file by itself in VLC and then in OBS. Check that its path is still valid and that it plays through to the end. The reviewed OBS documentation does not provide a complete compatibility matrix for VLC Video, so avoid assuming that every local video will work simply because its filename ends in a familiar extension.
Configure YouTube ingestion separately
Once the scene plays correctly in OBS, configure the broadcast connection to YouTube Live. This is a separate task from setting Loop Playlist: the playlist determines what OBS displays, while the ingestion choice determines how the encoder sends the live video to YouTube. Use the stream setup and connection details shown for your channel in YouTube Studio, and check the current official instructions before going live.
For the usual OBS workflow, follow YouTube’s setup for the encoder connection you have selected. Do not apply HLS requirements to a standard playlist-loop setup unless you deliberately choose HLS ingestion. YouTube’s HLS ingestion guide describes HLS as a distinct option and notes that it has higher latency than continuous RTMP. It specifies transport-stream segments of 1–4 seconds, a rolling playlist with no more than five outstanding segments, HTTPS POST/PUT and no byte ranges. Those are HLS requirements, not settings for the local VLC playlist.
HLS may suit workflows with requirements such as HDR or codecs that RTMP does not support, according to YouTube’s guidance. If you do not need those capabilities, do not switch ingestion types just because you are using a playlist in OBS. A VLC playlist can be the local source for a scene; it does not dictate whether the stream is sent via RTMP or HLS.
Before starting the broadcast, make sure the channel’s stream setup is ready, OBS is connected to the intended YouTube destination, and the correct scene is selected. The guide to keeping the same YouTube Live URL for a prerecorded loop covers a related planning question about the destination viewers return to. If the connection drops, local playlist looping by itself does not restore the YouTube broadcast; recovery depends on the encoder and connection setup.
For a channel whose main difficulty is keeping a computer running all night, a local OBS setup also means the computer and its connection remain part of the broadcast chain. StreamNeo is relevant when the specific pain is leaving that computer on: it takes an uploaded video and runs the YouTube broadcast after you provide your stream key, so the local machine can be switched off. It is YouTube-only, and it does not turn an OBS folder into a playlist; prepare the video and channel workflow you actually intend to use.
Verify playback before streaming
Test the complete playlist in OBS before sending it to viewers. Start with the first entry, watch a transition to the next, and then confirm that the final item returns to the start. A preview showing one playing file is not enough to establish that the playlist order and repeat behaviour work as intended.
Check the scene preview for sizing, layering and hidden elements. If a graphic covers the video unexpectedly, adjust source order. If the video is cropped, reposition or resize it in the preview. Look at the result at the same canvas shape you intend to broadcast rather than judging only from a small properties window.
Test scene visibility if you expect to change scenes. Hide the source or switch to another scene and return, then observe whether it stopped or restarted. The documented default is to stop when not visible and restart when visible, but source settings can vary. If that behaviour would interrupt the programme, adjust it and repeat the test.
Also test the broadcast path privately or using YouTube’s available preview controls before promoting a live event. Confirm that YouTube receives video and audio as expected, and that the stream is going to the intended channel. Keep the playlist test and ingestion test distinct: a correct local loop cannot confirm that YouTube is receiving the encoder output, and a successful connection cannot confirm that the last playlist item will loop.
If playback fails, work from the closest cause outward. A missing VLC Video entry points first to VLC installation and architecture. A sequence that ends points to Loop Playlist. A file that does not play calls for checking its path and testing the file in VLC and OBS. A source that changes during scene switching calls for reviewing Visibility Behaviour. This order keeps you from changing YouTube settings to solve a local source problem.
For a local 24/7 setup, consider what happens if the computer, OBS or internet connection is interrupted while you are away. A loop setting only governs normal end-of-playlist behaviour; it is not a promise of unattended recovery. The recovery options for a 24/7 stream interrupted by an internet drop in India are a useful next step if that is the risk you are planning around.
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FAQ
Can OBS automatically play every video in a selected folder?
The documented built-in VLC Video Source accepts playlist items, but the cited OBS documentation does not establish automatic folder scanning or importing. Add the individual files you want to play and check the playlist when you change the collection. A third-party plugin may offer folder-item controls, but check its current behaviour and compatibility first.
Why is VLC Video missing from the OBS source menu?
VLC Video uses VLC libraries and requires VLC to be installed. OBS also advises matching architecture: if your OBS is 64-bit, install 64-bit VLC, then restart OBS and check again.
Why does the playlist stop after one run?
Inspect Loop Playlist in the VLC Video Source properties and make sure it is enabled. OBS documents it as On by default, but the saved source setting may have been changed.
Does looping the OBS playlist configure YouTube Live?
No. Loop Playlist controls the local media sequence; YouTube ingestion is configured separately in the stream setup. Follow YouTube’s current encoder instructions and use HLS-specific requirements only if you have selected HLS ingestion.