If you want your YouTube gaming rerun to move from one prerecorded VOD to the next, make the sequence in OBS Studio with a VLC Video source. If you mean that a viewer paused the live stream and wants to continue watching, that is YouTube DVR: it resumes that viewer’s playback position, not the next file in your broadcast.
The distinction matters because the outgoing video is controlled by the source sending media to YouTube. Viewer playback controls act on what an individual viewer sees. Choose the OBS source for the playback you want, then connect it to a separately configured YouTube Live event.
Does “resume” mean the next VOD or viewer playback?
There are two different meanings hiding in “resume from the next video”. As the creator, you may want a playlist of gaming VODs to play in order, so that the broadcast continues with VOD two when VOD one finishes. Or, as a viewer, you may pause the live stream and later want to carry on watching. The first is a source and playlist setting in OBS. The second is YouTube’s viewer-side DVR behaviour.
For sequential playback, add the files to an OBS VLC Video source and put them in the order you want. Leave Shuffle Playlist off if a particular order matters. Turn on Loop Playlist only if you want OBS to return to the first file after the last one. For a single VOD that should replay indefinitely, use Media Source and enable Loop instead. These choices set what OBS sends; they do not tell YouTube how to resume a viewer’s playback.
A useful way to diagnose the problem is to ask where the desired change should happen. If the live broadcast needs to switch to the next file, inspect OBS and its playback source. If one person needs to recover their place after pausing, inspect that viewer’s YouTube playback controls and the stream’s DVR availability. Changing the wrong side will not solve the problem: a YouTube pause cannot reorder a creator’s source, and a playlist setting in OBS cannot determine where every viewer resumes.
If your rerun is part of a larger always-on setup, how to monitor an automated YouTube live stream and get outage alerts covers the separate question of noticing when a broadcast drops. Playlist progression and stream monitoring are related operational concerns, but they are not the same control.
Queue VODs in OBS VLC Video
For a run of different gaming VODs, OBS’s VLC Video source is the relevant source type. The OBS documentation describes it as a playlist source, while Media Source is intended for a media file. VLC needs to be installed for the VLC Video source to be available. Check the OBS Media Sources guide for the current source options and interface details.
Start by deciding the intended order before building the source. For example, you might want a stream to show a campaign playthrough in episode order, followed by a separate highlights video. Keep the files available to OBS as local media, add them to the VLC Video playlist, and arrange the list in that order. The source’s playlist order is the creator-side sequence. It is not the same as putting videos in a YouTube playlist for viewers to browse.
When sequence matters, confirm that Shuffle Playlist is off. Shuffle is useful if variety matters more than a known progression, but it is the wrong choice when a viewer expects episode two after episode one. Enable Loop Playlist only if you want playback to cycle back to the beginning after the final listed VOD. With looping off, the playlist is not being told to start again from the first item after it reaches the end.
Be precise about what “next” means. The next item in an OBS playlist is whatever appears next in its list, not necessarily the next upload by date, the next item in a YouTube playlist, or the next VOD a viewer last watched. If you change the order, remove an item, or replace a file, review the list again before starting the broadcast. A source cannot infer the intended episode sequence from filenames or channel history unless you set that order yourself.
Keep your original VODs and the playlist organised. If OBS can no longer find a file, the planned sequence may not play as expected. File paths and names that remain stable make it easier to check the source later. This is particularly useful if you maintain several themed runs, such as a weekend tournament archive and a weekday campaign series. Keep a simple note of the intended order rather than relying on memory when revisiting a long playlist.
The playlist approach suits a fixed series or a collection you have prepared in advance. It does mean that you need to manage the sequence in OBS. If you have only one VOD, a VLC playlist is unnecessary; use Media Source instead. If your goal is simply a viewer being able to choose another video after the live stream, that is a YouTube playback or playlist question, not a reason to change the encoder source.
Loop a single VOD with Media Source
If the broadcast should keep showing one gaming VOD, add it as a Media Source and enable its Loop property. When that file reaches its end, the source repeats that file. It does not build a multi-video queue and move to a different local file. That distinction is why the source setting should match the job rather than using the words “loop” and “playlist” interchangeably.
A single-file loop can suit a short gameplay showcase, a tournament recap, or a channel waiting screen that is meant to repeat. Before going live, confirm that you have selected the intended file and that its audio and video appear in the OBS preview. If you instead want a sequence of matches or episodes, create a VLC Video playlist and order the files there. Changing a single source’s Loop setting will not turn it into an ordered list.
Think through the end of the file, too. Looping one video means viewers may see its opening again each time it completes; it does not mean the next different VOD starts. If the ending includes a long pause, an end card, or material that makes the restart obvious, account for that in the content or choose a playlist that better fits the channel. Do not assume the transition will be seamless. The source controls what follows, but the visible or audible change at a file boundary depends on the media and playback behaviour.
This distinction is also relevant to channels using long-form recordings. A guide to creating a 24/7 Indian music stream with a spectrum visualizer may involve a different kind of repeated content, but the practical question remains whether you want one file to repeat or several files to play in a chosen order. Pick the OBS source to match that choice.
Connect the source to a YouTube Live event
OBS media playback and the YouTube event are separate parts of the setup. Configure or schedule the live event in YouTube Studio or the Live Control Room, then connect OBS using the stream URL and key for that event. The source decides what media OBS sends; YouTube’s event controls govern the live broadcast side. YouTube’s live streaming settings help describes event settings, including options that may be available for starting or ending a stream.
Do not treat creating the event as a substitute for configuring the playlist. A scheduled event does not make OBS choose a next VOD, and an OBS playlist does not create or schedule the YouTube event. Check the current controls in Studio because labels and available settings can change. Make sure you are connecting to the intended event and using its matching stream details rather than assuming a previous event’s connection is still the one you want.
Before relying on the rerun, check the full path in a controlled way. In OBS, preview the selected scene and source, confirm the file or playlist is present, and listen for audio. Then verify that the intended YouTube event is receiving the encoder stream. These checks are practical steps based on the separate source and event configuration; they are not a guarantee of uninterrupted broadcasting.
If you operate from a home computer, also consider what happens when you close the software or switch off the machine: a local OBS source needs the computer and OBS to keep running to send the media. The Assamese radio livestream setup from a home computer discusses the broader trade-off of running a stream locally. If the computer is the source, leave it powered and connected for the planned broadcast, and monitor it rather than assuming the YouTube event will keep generating content on its own.
What YouTube DVR pause and resume does
YouTube DVR is a viewer-side feature for live streams. It can let a viewer pause, rewind, and continue watching from the position where that viewer paused. That position is not an instruction to OBS to advance, rewind, or select a different VOD. YouTube’s DVR help page explains the feature and its limits.
For example, suppose OBS has moved from the first VOD to the second while a viewer was away from the live edge. That viewer’s playback position and the creator’s current source position are not identical controls. The viewer can continue from their own paused point where DVR is available; the creator’s playlist continues to determine the media being sent to the live broadcast. Do not promise that a viewer who pauses will resume at the next file boundary or at the live edge.
YouTube notes that DVR capabilities may be limited or unavailable on very long live streams beyond 12 hours. The actual experience can also depend on the stream configuration and viewing device. Treat the limit as a reason to test the intended viewing experience and check the current official guidance, not as a promise that DVR will behave identically for every viewer or every stream.
YouTube has other viewer-side behaviours that are easy to confuse with creator sequencing. Looping a YouTube playlist is for a viewer watching that playlist, and Autoplay may offer or start another related video when one ends. Neither feature queues your chosen local VOD files into the OBS live source. The OBS playlist remains the creator-side mechanism for sending those files in a selected order.
This also means a report such as “it resumed on the wrong video” needs a clarifying question. Did the viewer pause and resume their player, or did the channel’s broadcast fail to advance to the next OBS playlist item? Ask which screen and which action they saw before changing settings. That small distinction avoids trying to fix an OBS playlist when the issue is a viewer’s playback position, or vice versa.
Test the playlist sequence before relying on it
Treat the playlist as a sequence to verify, not a setting to assume. In OBS, check that each intended file is listed and ordered correctly, Shuffle Playlist is off when the order matters, and Loop Playlist reflects whether the series should repeat after the last item. Confirm the selected scene is the scene that contains the intended source. A correctly configured source in a scene that is not being sent will not produce the desired rerun.
Preview each item transition that you can reasonably inspect before the long broadcast. Confirm that the next listed VOD is the one you expect, and check that both picture and sound are present. Look at the beginning and end of files for black frames, silent stretches, or an ending that would be confusing when the next item starts. This is content review, not a promise that OBS or YouTube will make file boundaries invisible.
If the playlist should repeat, verify the last-to-first order too. If it should stop after one pass, leave Loop Playlist off and decide what viewers should see once the final item ends. Do not rely on YouTube Autoplay to fill that gap: that is a viewer playback behaviour, not a continuation instruction for the live encoder. A separate standby scene or another planned source is a different creator-side choice and should be tested as such.
Check the YouTube event while OBS is sending. Confirm that the event you created is receiving the stream and that the content shown there corresponds to the intended source. If possible, view the event as a viewer as well, but remember that a viewer’s DVR position can differ from the live edge. Use the OBS preview to diagnose outgoing source order and the YouTube player to inspect the viewer experience; do not use one as proof of the other.
For a channel that runs regularly, keep a short operating note: source type, VOD order, whether shuffle is off, whether the playlist repeats, event details to verify, and who checks the stream. If a file is replaced or the programme order changes, update the note and test again. The point is not extra paperwork; it is to make the next setup check repeatable when you return to it after a week or hand the job to someone else.
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FAQ
Does YouTube DVR move the live stream to the next VOD?
No. DVR concerns an individual viewer’s playback position during a live stream. The creator’s OBS source determines which media is sent, so use a VLC Video playlist for ordered multiple VODs or Media Source Loop for one repeating file.
Which OBS setting makes the next gaming VOD play?
Add the files to a VLC Video source and arrange them in the intended order. Keep Shuffle Playlist off if order matters, and enable Loop Playlist only if you want the list to begin again after its final item.
Can I make one VOD repeat instead of moving to another?
Yes. Use OBS Media Source for the file and enable Loop. That repeats the same file; it is not a multi-file queue.
Will every viewer resume at the same point after pausing?
No. DVR is viewer-side playback, so one viewer’s paused position is not the creator’s playlist position or another viewer’s position. YouTube says DVR capabilities may be limited or unavailable for very long streams, so check its current guidance and the intended device experience.