If your bhajan recordings are local video files, OBS’s VLC Video source is its documented way to play them as a playlist. You can preserve their order and choose whether to repeat the list, but OBS does not promise gapless transitions between separate files.
For a sequence where even a brief pause would be unacceptable, test the actual recordings and consider joining them into one file before adding it to OBS. The join-and-loop approach is a practical workaround, not a guarantee: check the resulting file before you rely on it in a public broadcast.
Prepare your local bhajan recordings
Start with video files stored on the computer running OBS. The playlist workflow described here is for local recordings, not a YouTube playlist URL. OBS’s Media Sources guide lists common video formats such as MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF and WebM. It also describes audio formats, including MP3, AAC, OGG and WAV. Check the files you have against the current documentation if a recording uses an unusual format.
Make sure you have permission to use each recording in a live broadcast. This guide does not establish the rights status of any particular bhajan, performance, video or recording, and using a local file does not settle that question. Check the relevant rights and YouTube guidance for your circumstances before streaming.
Give the files clear names and decide the playing order before loading them. For example, names such as 01-morning-bhajan.mp4, 02-aarti.mp4 and 03-evening-prayer.mp4 make your intended sequence easier to see. The names do not configure OBS by themselves; they are an aid when you add and arrange the items in the source’s playlist.
Check that the audio is present and at a sensible level in each file. Different recordings may have been made or edited at different levels, so listen through them rather than assuming the volume will match at transitions. Also check that the opening and ending portions are what you expect: a long silent tail at the end of a file can feel like a playback gap even when the next item starts normally.
Keep a note of the intended order and the files you have included. If you later need to rebuild the source or troubleshoot a missing item, that record makes it easier to tell whether the problem is in the playlist or in a file. If your programme combines several kinds of devotional material, the planning principles in a continuous Gurbani stream setup may also help you think through sequence and continuity, though the workflow here uses OBS.
Add the files to OBS VLC Video
VLC Video is the OBS source intended for a list of media items. It requires VLC to be installed on the same computer as OBS. OBS documents that a 64-bit OBS installation needs 64-bit VLC. If VLC Video does not appear when you try to add a source, check that VLC is installed and that its architecture matches OBS before looking for a different playlist feature.
In your scene, use the Sources dock to add a VLC Video source, then add the local recordings to its playlist. The exact appearance of dialogs can change between software versions, so use the labels shown in your installed OBS rather than relying on a screenshot from another release. The OBS sources guide explains how to add and arrange scene sources.
After loading the files, inspect the playlist in the VLC Video properties. Confirm each intended recording is present, and arrange the entries in the desired order. If the source has a visibility setting that stops playback while it is not visible and restarts when visible, decide deliberately whether that behaviour suits your scene. The documented default is to stop when not visible and restart when visible. During the broadcast, keep the source visible in the active scene if you expect it to play continuously.
A source can be present in a scene but covered by another source. OBS displays sources higher in the Sources list above lower ones, so check both visibility and stacking order if the picture is missing. This is separate from playlist order: the Sources list controls how scene elements layer, while the VLC Video list controls which media item plays next.
Before opening the properties, save the project or note your source settings if you have a complicated scene. That gives you a clear reference while testing. It is also useful to name the source something recognisable, such as Bhajan playlist, so you can identify it when checking the active scene.
Keep the intended sequence
Turn Shuffle Playlist off when the recordings need to play in a fixed order. With shuffle enabled, the order can change, which is a poor fit for a planned sequence of opening prayer, bhajan, aarti and closing. Read back the list from top to bottom and compare it with your written order after you have added the files.
Do not confuse Shuffle Playlist with the order of scene sources. Reordering the VLC Video playlist changes playback sequence; moving the VLC Video source up or down in the Sources dock changes its visual layer relative to other sources. If a title card or logo sits above the video, moving the media source higher may affect what you see, but it will not change which bhajan is next.
If you edit the playlist later, test from the start again. A deleted or moved entry can leave the order different from the one you originally checked. For a long programme, a simple run sheet with file names and sequence is more dependable than trying to remember what you dragged where.
A planned sequence matters for more than devotional programmes. The same care applies when you need to arrange a music programme, a language lesson or a series of recorded talks. For context on a different continuous music use case, see streaming Indian classical music videos continuously; the media and quality choices there do not change the playlist controls described here.
Decide whether the playlist should repeat
Use Loop Playlist only if you want the whole list to start again after its final item. Leave it off if the sequence should finish and stop instead. This setting applies to the playlist as a list, rather than acting like the single-file Loop option in an ordinary Media Source.
Consider what viewers will see at the end of the list. If you turn looping on, the transition from the final item back to the first is another playlist boundary and should be tested just like the other transitions. If you turn it off, plan what should happen after the final recording: a still image, a separate closing scene or an intentional end to the broadcast may be more appropriate than leaving an unexpected blank scene.
Looping a playlist is not the same as making its boundaries invisible. OBS documents the playlist controls, but it does not state that toggling Loop Playlist removes pauses between files. If you are building an overnight or all-day channel, do not treat the loop setting as evidence that the programme will behave exactly like one continuous recording.
For a broader look at choices around repeating recorded material, the OBS and FFmpeg looping comparison can help frame which workflow fits your skills. For the setup in this article, the relevant distinction is simpler: VLC Video handles multiple separate items, while Media Source’s documented Loop control repeats one file.
Set expectations about transition pauses
A playlist feature means OBS can play a sequence of items; it does not mean every boundary will be gapless. The official OBS Media Sources documentation describes VLC Video playlist controls but makes no frame-perfect or gapless-transition promise. That is the important limit to keep in mind when the title of a setup guide says “without gaps”.
Separate files have separate endings and beginnings. At a boundary, playback must move from one item to the next, and the result can depend on the files and the system running OBS. A quiet tail in the first recording, an introductory silence in the next, or a brief transition pause can all be heard as a gap. You should not assume that a setting will eliminate every such pause for every playlist.
There is also anecdotal community evidence of brief pauses. In an OBS forum discussion about playlist repetition, a user describes a short pause between items, and a respondent notes that VLC loops can briefly freeze and that load times vary. Treat this as an individual report, not an official specification or a prediction about your setup.
If you are also monitoring the YouTube broadcast, distinguish a playback boundary from a stream-health issue. A pause at the same point every time you test may be tied to a file transition; interruptions at unrelated points call for a broader check of OBS and the connection. The guide to reading dropped-frame numbers during a long stream can help you investigate transport symptoms, but it cannot make a playlist transition gapless.
A browser source is not an established shortcut for this task. OBS describes Browser Source as a way to place web content in a scene, but the documentation does not confirm that a YouTube playlist URL will work as a reliable gapless playlist within OBS. For predictable media-source playback, use local recordings you are entitled to broadcast, and verify the actual results.
Test the complete playlist before going live
Test the whole playlist, not just the first transition. A short preview can miss a bad file later in the sequence or the boundary where the final item returns to the first. Let the recordings play through in the order and loop mode you intend to use, while watching the active scene and listening to the audio.
Make a local recording in OBS or run a private test before a public stream. Pay attention to the end of each item and the start of the next: listen for silence, clicks, a change in loudness, clipped beginnings or a visible pause. Confirm that the picture remains visible, the source does not disappear, and any overlay stays where you expect it. No test has been performed for your specific computer or files, so your own test is essential.
Use the same conditions you plan to use live as far as practical. If the source is hidden in one scene and visible in another, check how its visibility behaviour affects playback. If you plan to leave OBS running unattended, test the planned scene and loop behaviour rather than relying on a quick manual preview.
Keep notes as you test. For example, write down the file pair where you hear a pause, whether the issue appears on the local recording, and whether it repeats at the same boundary. That helps you choose a remedy for the actual problem instead of changing unrelated settings. If only one file has a long silent tail, editing that file may be more useful than reworking the entire playlist.
A private YouTube test can show how the broadcast path sounds and looks to a viewer, but it does not establish that you have permission to use the recordings. Check rights separately and consult current official YouTube guidance for applicable platform requirements. This article does not verify current restrictions or licensing for your content.
Join the recordings when a boundary pause is unacceptable
If you need a more controlled continuous programme and a pause at a file boundary is not acceptable, prepare a single combined video file outside this playlist workflow. Then add that one file as an OBS Media Source and enable its Loop option if you want it to repeat. OBS documents Media Source for individual media files and documents looping a single file.
Joining files is a workflow recommendation, not a tested result or a guarantee. The combined file still needs to be checked for audio discontinuities, black frames, mismatched levels or an unintended gap introduced during editing. Review the joins in an editor or by playing the finished file from beginning to end before making it the live source.
This approach changes the trade-off. With VLC Video, you keep recordings as separate items and can rearrange them in OBS, but each separate boundary is a possible transition point. With a combined file, you do more preparation before the broadcast and have fewer playlist controls to manage, but the intended sequence is contained in one media file. If you later want to replace one bhajan, you may need to rebuild and recheck the combined programme.
| Approach | Useful when | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| VLC Video playlist | You need separate local files and may change their order | Shuffle is off, loop choice is deliberate, and each boundary has been tested |
| One combined file in Media Source | You want a pre-joined sequence with a single-file loop | The join points, complete file and loop boundary have been reviewed |
| Browser Source with a web URL | You need web content inside an OBS scene | OBS documents browser content generally, not reliable gapless YouTube playlist playback |
No dedicated playback hardware is established as necessary for this workflow. The basic route is local recordings, OBS, and VLC installed in the matching architecture. If you would rather not keep a computer running to replay an uploaded file continuously, StreamNeo removes that specific always-on-computer burden by turning an uploaded video into a YouTube live stream; it is YouTube-only.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
Does OBS guarantee gapless playback between VLC playlist items?
No. OBS documents VLC Video as a playlist source, but its official media-source documentation does not promise gapless transitions. Test your own files, and use a combined file if a boundary pause is unacceptable.
What do I need to make VLC Video appear in OBS?
Install VLC on the computer running OBS. OBS documents that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC, so check that the two match if the source is missing.
Should I turn Shuffle Playlist or Loop Playlist on?
Leave Shuffle Playlist off when you need a fixed sequence. Turn Loop Playlist on only when you want the complete list to repeat, and test the last-to-first boundary as well as the others.
Can I use a YouTube playlist URL instead of local bhajan files?
OBS Browser Source can display web content, but the official documentation cited here does not establish reliable gapless playback for a YouTube playlist URL. For the documented playlist workflow, use local recordings you are entitled to stream and test them before going live.