If you want several MP4 files to play one after another on YouTube Live and then return to the first file, use OBS's VLC Video Source. Add the files in order, enable Loop Playlist, and use that source in the scene you send to YouTube.
The playlist controls playback repetition inside OBS. It does not connect OBS to YouTube, create a live broadcast, or guarantee that the broadcast remains continuous. You must install the correct version of VLC, configure OBS, connect an encoder stream to YouTube, and test the complete path.
Install VLC that matches OBS
The VLC Video Source depends on VLC being installed on the computer running OBS. It is not a self-contained playlist player inside OBS. If VLC is missing, or if its architecture does not match OBS, the source may be unavailable or fail to play files.
First check whether your OBS installation is 64-bit or 32-bit. Most current desktop installations are 64-bit, but do not assume that from the appearance of the programme. Then install VLC with the same architecture. OBS's documentation specifically notes that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC, and describes the VLC source for Windows, macOS and Linux. The OBS media sources documentation is the best place to check the current installation guidance.
Install VLC before building the scene. If OBS was open while VLC was installed, close and reopen OBS so it can detect the installation. This simple restart is worth doing before you begin troubleshooting a blank source.
Keep the video files in a stable folder rather than moving them between drives after you create the playlist. A playlist entry points to a file location. If you rename a file, disconnect the drive, or move the folder, OBS may no longer be able to open that item.
You do not need to install a capture card, a special streaming box, or another media player for this method. The documented workflow is software-based, but the computer still has to decode the files and send the resulting scene to YouTube. A long playlist does not remove that local workload.
If VLC Video Source does not appear when you add a source, check the VLC installation first. Confirm that VLC is installed, that its architecture matches OBS, and that you have restarted OBS after installation. If the source appears but a file does not play, test that file directly in VLC before investigating the OBS scene.
Create the OBS scene
Open OBS and create the scene that will contain the playlist. You can use an existing scene, but a separate scene named something clear such as YouTube Playlist makes the arrangement easier to understand later.
In the Scenes panel, add a new scene and select it. The scene is the collection of visual and audio sources that OBS will send to the encoder. The VLC playlist will be one source inside it. If you later add a logo, border, text, or background, those are separate sources layered around the video.
Do not confuse the scene with the YouTube broadcast. OBS's scene determines what your computer is preparing to send. YouTube receives that encoded output only after you configure the connection and start the broadcast. A correctly looping source can therefore be playing in OBS while no YouTube stream is active.
Before adding the playlist, decide whether the video should fill the entire canvas or sit inside a designed layout. For a devotional channel, for example, you might use the videos as the main image and add a small channel mark. For a study or ambience channel, you may want the video to occupy the full frame with no additional elements.
If you are building a 24/7 channel, save the OBS profile and scene collection after the initial setup. This does not make the stream automatic, but it reduces the chance of rebuilding the source after a restart. It also makes it easier to distinguish the scene you intend to stream from test scenes.
For a wider discussion of the choice between keeping a computer running and using a hosted workflow, see OBS or a cloud service for a 24/7 church YouTube stream in India. The choice depends on how much local maintenance you are prepared to handle, not just on whether OBS can play the files.
Add a VLC Video Source
With the playlist scene selected, go to the Sources panel and choose the add button. Select VLC Video Source. Give the source a descriptive name, such as Main playlist, and open its properties.
This is the important distinction in the workflow. OBS also has a Media Source, which is suitable when you want to play one file and can enable its Loop option. A Media Source with Loop repeats that single file. It does not provide the same ordered multi-file playlist workflow.
For several files that should play one after another, use VLC Video Source. OBS describes it as a source that can play multiple media items like a playlist. It also provides playlist controls, including looping and shuffle behaviour.
If you only see Media Source and not VLC Video Source, do not continue by adding files one at a time to unrelated sources. That creates a different arrangement and does not solve the missing dependency. Return to the VLC installation and architecture checks in the first section.
The VLC source also has visibility behaviour settings. These determine what happens to playback when the source becomes hidden because you switch scenes or disable its visibility. They do not determine whether YouTube's broadcast is live.
Choose the behaviour deliberately:
| Visibility behaviour | What happens when the source is hidden | Useful when |
|---|---|---|
| Stop when not visible, restart when visible | Playback stops and starts again when the source returns | You want each appearance of the scene to begin from the start |
| Pause when not visible, resume when visible | Playback pauses while hidden and continues from that point | You may switch scenes briefly and want to keep the position |
| Keep playing when not visible | Playback continues even while another scene is shown | The playlist should follow its own timeline across scene changes |
The exact labels can vary with the OBS version, so read the setting shown in your installation. For a single, permanent playlist scene, the choice may have little practical effect. It matters when you use starting screens, adverts, emergency scenes, or other scene changes.
Add the files in the right order
In the VLC Video Source properties, use the playlist area to add the intended media files. Add every file you want OBS to play, then arrange them in the required order. If the sequence matters, do not rely on filename sorting unless you have checked the resulting list yourself.
A useful naming pattern is to place an order number at the beginning of each filename, such as 01-opening.mp4, 02-main-programme.mp4, and 03-closing.mp4. The names are for your own control. The important result is the order displayed in the OBS playlist.
After adding the files, click through the list and check that each entry points to the correct item. A file with a similar name or an old version in another folder can be difficult to notice once the stream is live. Open each file in VLC if you are unsure whether it contains the expected video and audio.
Use the playlist controls to move items up or down until the sequence is correct. The source follows the order in its list. If the first video should be an opening card and the final video should be a closing segment, place those intentionally rather than treating the playlist as a random collection.
The source plays the media supplied to OBS. This setup does not establish that you have permission to rebroadcast every file, nor does it determine whether a particular upload complies with YouTube's policies. Check the rights for music, sermons, films, news footage, stock material, and other content before broadcasting it.
Changing a playlist while a stream is running deserves caution. It may affect what plays next or alter the current source state, and you should not promise that playback position will be preserved through every edit. Make the playlist complete before going live whenever possible. If you must change it, watch the OBS preview and confirm the next transition rather than assuming the edit was harmless.
For a channel based on recorded religious content, the 24/7 Kirtan and Gurbani channel setup playbook covers operational considerations beyond the basic OBS controls. The same principle applies to any long-running channel: prepare the material and the running order before the overnight test.
Enable Loop Playlist and leave shuffle off
In the VLC Video Source properties, enable Loop Playlist. This tells the source to start the playlist again after the final item finishes. It is the setting that takes you from the last file back to the first file.
Leave shuffle disabled when you need a predictable sequence. With shuffle off, the playlist follows the order you arranged. With shuffle enabled, the files may play in a changing order rather than following your planned opening, main content, and closing sequence.
Looping the source does not loop the YouTube broadcast itself. The source controls the media inside the OBS scene. OBS separately encodes the scene and sends it to YouTube through the configured stream connection. If OBS stops, the computer sleeps, the network drops, or the YouTube broadcast ends, Loop Playlist does not restart that broadcast by itself.
This distinction explains many confusing tests. You may see the first file begin again in the OBS preview and conclude that YouTube is protected from interruption. In reality, you have only confirmed that the local source reached the end of its list and restarted. You still need to monitor the encoder connection and the live status in YouTube.
If only one file keeps repeating, inspect the source type. You may have added a Media Source and enabled its Loop option. That is correct for a single repeating file, but for an ordered set use VLC Video Source, add the files to its playlist, and enable Loop Playlist there.
The OBS source reference describes both the single-file Media Source and the VLC playlist source. Use the source that matches the job rather than trying to make a single-file setting behave like a playlist.
Size and position the source
Close or apply the VLC source properties and look at the OBS preview. The video may not initially fit the canvas. Select the source and use the transform controls to fit it to the canvas, or set its position and size deliberately in the transform properties.
A common first check is the aspect ratio. If your video is wide and your canvas is vertical, fitting it to the canvas may create empty areas or crop part of the picture. If the video is vertical and the canvas is wide, the reverse can happen. Decide whether you prefer letterboxing, a background layer, or cropping before you go live.
Use the preview to check the edges of captions, subtitles, logos, and faces. A source that looks acceptable in a small OBS window may cut off important text when displayed at full size. Avoid stretching the picture simply to remove empty space if that makes people or symbols look distorted.
Put the VLC source in the intended layer order. A background colour or image should normally sit behind the video. Text, logos, and alerts that should remain visible should sit above it. If a source appears to have vanished, check the eye icon and the ordering in the Sources panel before assuming the playlist has stopped.
Play enough of one file to confirm both the picture and the audio. Check that the volume is not muted in the OBS mixer and that the correct audio source is being monitored. A video can appear to be working while its audio is silent because of a muted source, an incorrect desktop audio setting, or a file with no usable audio track.
Do not add extra filters or scaling steps until the basic source works. A simple scene is easier to troubleshoot during the first overnight test. Once the playlist, audio, dimensions, and scene transitions are reliable, add presentation elements one at a time.
Connect OBS to YouTube Live
The YouTube connection is a separate setup from the VLC playlist. In YouTube Studio, prepare the live broadcast and obtain the stream connection details required by your encoder. In OBS, open Settings, choose Stream, select the appropriate YouTube service or custom connection option, and enter the details YouTube provides.
Use the current YouTube instructions for your account and broadcast type. YouTube's developer documentation distinguishes a live broadcast resource from a stream resource: the broadcast describes the event, while the stream represents the audio-video transmission settings. That separation is another reason not to treat a looping OBS source as a complete YouTube configuration. See YouTube's live broadcasts and streams documentation for the platform model.
You normally do not need to begin with HLS for this basic OBS playlist workflow. YouTube documents HLS as a separate ingestion method and notes that it has higher latency than RTMP. Unless you have a specific reason to use HLS and are prepared to follow its encoder requirements, use the ordinary OBS-to-YouTube connection presented for your account.
Keep the stream key private. Do not paste it into screenshots, public tutorials, or support posts. If you believe it has been exposed, use YouTube's current controls to replace or reset it.
Before starting the public broadcast, confirm the scene selected in OBS is the playlist scene. Check the preview, audio meter, and source visibility. Then start streaming from OBS and watch the YouTube live control room for the incoming signal and any warnings.
YouTube's help material changes as the product changes, so check the official YouTube live streaming help for the current account and broadcast requirements. Do not interpret a successful local preview as proof that YouTube has accepted or published the broadcast.
Test the complete path before leaving it overnight
Start with a controlled test rather than immediately attempting a long unattended stream. Confirm that the first file plays, the transition to the second file occurs, and the final file returns to the first because Loop Playlist is enabled. Watch both the OBS preview and the YouTube playback page.
Test audio at each transition. A playlist can contain files with different loudness, audio channel layouts, or no audio at all. OBS may continue streaming normally while the viewer experiences a sudden change in volume or silence. You can correct the files before the full broadcast rather than discovering the problem in the morning.
Test scene visibility if you expect to use more than one scene. Hide the VLC source or switch scenes, then observe whether it stops, pauses, or continues according to the setting you chose. If the source restarts unexpectedly, revisit Visibility Behaviour. This is a local playback rule, not a YouTube reconnection setting.
Also test the computer's practical limits. Disable sleep and automatic shutdown while the stream is meant to run, keep the media storage available, and check that the network remains connected. These are operating conditions, not guarantees of an uninterrupted stream. If OBS loses its connection or the computer stops, the playlist setting cannot repair the broadcast on its own.
For longer unattended operation, keep a written recovery note beside the computer: which scene to select, where the stream settings are, how to verify VLC, and how to check the YouTube live status. A short procedure is more useful at two in the morning than relying on memory.
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FAQ
Can OBS loop several videos without VLC?
For one file, OBS's Media Source has a Loop option. For an ordered playlist of several files, use VLC Video Source and install VLC with the same architecture as OBS. Without VLC installed and detected, the playlist source is not available as intended.
Why does my playlist repeat one video instead of moving through all of them?
You may be using Media Source with its single-file Loop setting rather than VLC Video Source. Add all files to the VLC source playlist, check their order, leave shuffle off, and enable Loop Playlist.
Does Loop Playlist reconnect YouTube if OBS stops?
No. Loop Playlist only restarts the media sequence after the final item finishes inside the OBS source. OBS still needs a working computer, network connection, encoder settings, and YouTube broadcast; a stopped OBS session or ended YouTube broadcast requires separate recovery.
Will switching scenes preserve the current video position?
That depends on the VLC source's Visibility Behaviour. It can stop and restart, pause and resume, or continue playing while hidden, so test the setting you choose before going live. Playlist edits while running may also affect playback, and should not be assumed to preserve the exact position.