To rotate several local video or audio files on a YouTube live stream, add OBS’s VLC Video Source to the scene you are broadcasting and load the files into its playlist. You can keep their listed order or turn on shuffle, and enable Loop Playlist if you want the sequence to start again after its last item.
The playlist is configured in OBS, not on YouTube: OBS sends its scene output to your live event. This guide covers preparing files, configuring the source, connecting the event, and checking the preview before the public broadcast. Interface placement can change between versions, so use the control names as your guide.
Prepare local video files for the playlist
Start with the files you actually intend to play. Put them in a folder on the computer running OBS, and make sure the files are available to that computer for the full broadcast. A VLC Video Source plays a playlist of media files; it is not a way to point OBS at a hosted playlist or a YouTube watch-page playlist.
Before adding anything to OBS, play each file locally. Check that it opens, has the intended picture or audio, and does not begin with a long blank section or end in a way that will surprise viewers. If you are mixing video and audio-only tracks, listen to both kinds on the same speakers or headphones you will use during your checks. A file that plays correctly in one application is not proof that its sound level suits a live mix, but it is a useful first check.
Keep filenames recognisable and the source folder stable. For example, names such as morning-aarti.mp4 and evening-bhajan.mp4 are easier to identify than a folder of exports called final-1 and final-2. If you move or rename files after building the playlist, OBS may no longer find the location it was given. The same applies if a drive is disconnected or a folder is renamed while the channel is running.
File selection is also a content decision, not only a technical one. Check that you have permission to stream each recording, image, and soundtrack in the way you plan to use it. The OBS playback controls do not establish that you have rights to rebroadcast a file, and a successful preview does not settle questions about YouTube policies or rights claims. If a claim does occur, the practical response is different from changing a playlist; see this guide to disputing a Content ID claim on a YouTube live stream.
For an audio-led channel, decide whether the files themselves provide the visuals or whether the scene needs another source, such as a still image. Keep any additional source in the same scene and arrange it so it does not cover the video you mean to show. The guide to a YouTube live radio stream with a static image discusses that separate visual setup; here, the rotation controls remain the local media playlist in OBS.
Add a VLC Video Source in OBS
The VLC Video Source is the OBS source intended for multiple media items. It depends on VLC being installed. OBS’s Media Sources documentation notes that the source may not appear in the add-source menu if VLC is missing; for 64-bit OBS, the matching 64-bit VLC installation is required. If you cannot see the source, check this dependency before rebuilding scenes or reinstalling OBS.
Open the OBS scene that will be sent to YouTube. In the Sources dock, choose the add control and select VLC Video Source. Give the source a name that tells you what it contains, such as “Local bhajan rotation” or “News clips”. This helps later if the scene has several media, image, or audio sources.
The source belongs to a scene, and a scene is the arrangement OBS sends as its composed output. OBS explains the scene-and-source model in its Sources Guide. If you add the playlist to a scene that is not active during the broadcast, it will not be the content viewers see. Conversely, adding it to the intended broadcast scene makes it part of that scene’s output, subject to the source’s visibility and layering.
Open the VLC Video Source properties. The controls and their placement may vary by OBS version, but look for the playlist area and its add or remove controls. Add the files from your local folder, then confirm the list contains the items you expect. If a file is missing, verify its path and that it is readable on this computer rather than assuming the playlist will fetch it from elsewhere.
A single file repeated is a slightly different job. OBS’s Media Source has its own Loop option for repeating one file; it does not require the multi-item playlist workflow described here. Use VLC Video Source when you want several files to rotate. The distinction matters because a playlist’s loop setting and a single media file’s loop setting are separate controls.
After adding the source, check its size and position in the preview canvas. A video may have a different shape from the canvas, leaving unused space or cropping if it is fitted poorly. Choose a fitting option that preserves the content you mean to show. This is a visual check, not a promise of seamless transitions: OBS’s playlist controls do not guarantee a crossfade between items.
Build an ordered or shuffled file list
The playlist’s order is the simplest form of rotation. Add files in the sequence you want them to play, then leave Shuffle Playlist off. For instance, a devotional channel might arrange a morning sequence followed by a quieter set for later in the day. For a local news loop, you might put a short opening card first, followed by the clips in the order they should be encountered.
If the selected items are not in the right order, use the source’s playlist controls to move or remove entries and add them again in the intended sequence. Check the visible list rather than relying on filenames or the order in which files happen to appear in a folder. That gives you a simple record of what OBS has been asked to play.
Turn on Shuffle Playlist if you prefer randomized item order instead. This changes the selection behaviour from following the displayed sequence to shuffling the playlist. It is useful when a fixed order is unnecessary, such as a collection of ambience videos. It is less suitable when one clip must introduce the programme or when a sequence depends on context. The control lets you request shuffle; do not treat it as a guarantee of a particular sequence or of a specific randomisation pattern.
The playlist list, shuffle setting, and looping setting answer different questions: which files are included, in what order they are selected, and whether playback should begin again after the list runs out. Set each according to the channel’s purpose rather than assuming that one control covers the others. OBS’s documentation describes the available source controls and their defaults; inspect your own properties because a prior configuration may have changed them.
This local-file workflow differs from switching scenes on a timer or switching to another playlist when a clip ends. The controls described here rotate items within one VLC Video Source; they do not define an automatic scene-switching schedule. If your goal is to switch between separate OBS scenes, plan that as a distinct setup and verify the method for your OBS version rather than expecting the playlist to make that decision.
For another example of planning a channel around clips, the Hindi news playlist rotation guide may help with the editorial side. Keep the OBS source setup here grounded in files you have locally and controls you can see in its properties.
Set playback to repeat if desired
Enable Loop Playlist if you want OBS to start the list again after the final item. With shuffle off, that means the listed sequence is intended to repeat in order. With shuffle on, the source is also set to shuffle; the documented controls do not promise the exact order in which items will recur. If you do not want the list to restart, leave looping off and decide what the audience should see or hear when playback reaches its end.
Do not confuse Loop Playlist with Shuffle Playlist. Looping controls whether playback repeats after the list finishes; shuffle controls whether items play in their listed order. For a fixed sequence that repeats, leave shuffle off and turn looping on. For several files where order is not important, turn shuffle on and choose separately whether to loop the playlist.
There is another setting to consider when the source is hidden. VLC Video Source offers behaviour for stopping and restarting, pausing and resuming, or continuing to play while hidden. Pick the one that matches how you use scenes. If you choose stop and restart, returning to the scene can restart the list rather than resume the item where it had been. Pause and resume is more appropriate if you expect the playback position to be held while another scene is shown; continuing while hidden may mean the playlist advances out of view.
These choices matter even if you usually show one scene. A source can be hidden accidentally or temporarily during a scene change, and its visibility behaviour affects what happens when it returns. Review the source properties and test a hide-and-show cycle before relying on a particular result. Do not infer that a playlist will retain its position simply because another source in OBS behaves that way.
A loop is not a substitute for checking whether the content is suitable to repeat. A short sequence can become noticeable to a regular viewer, and a final clip may lead abruptly back to the first. Listen and watch across the boundary in a private test. If the join is awkward, change the file order or edit the media itself; the playlist control does not promise transitions between clips.
Connect OBS to a YouTube live event
Configure the playlist before connecting the public event, so the source settings and YouTube connection remain two distinct jobs. In YouTube Studio, open Live Control Room and create or schedule a live stream. YouTube’s instructions for creating a live stream with an encoder explain how to obtain the stream URL and stream key for an encoder connection.
In OBS, open the stream settings and enter the connection details for YouTube: the stream URL and the stream key supplied for the event. Treat the key as confidential. YouTube Help describes a stream key as like the stream’s “password and address” in its live stream settings guidance. Do not include it in screenshots or send it in a public message. If you believe it has been exposed, reset it in Live Control Room and update OBS with the replacement.
Start sending from OBS when you are ready for the event preview. That is not always the same action as making the broadcast public. For a scheduled stream, use Live Control Room to inspect the incoming preview and, when your checks are complete, start the broadcast there. Follow the current instructions shown for your event; YouTube’s interface and workflow can change.
A stream key connects OBS to the event, but it does not configure the VLC playlist. Likewise, adding files to OBS does not create or schedule a YouTube event. Keeping the jobs separate makes troubleshooting easier: if the preview is absent, investigate the connection and event; if the preview appears but shows the wrong file or no sound, inspect the OBS scene, source, or audio path.
If you are reconnecting after a key problem, follow the key-reset process instead of repeatedly pasting an old value. The stream key reconnection guide covers the separate issue of reconnecting an encoder service to a YouTube channel. The playlist itself still needs to be configured and checked in OBS.
Check playback and audio before going public
Set aside a private check before inviting an audience. YouTube recommends setting up in advance, checking the Live Control Room preview, and monitoring video and audio. Its live streaming tips for computer are a useful reminder that the preview is where you confirm what is reaching YouTube, rather than relying only on what the OBS canvas shows.
Check the preview picture first. Confirm the intended scene is active, the VLC source is visible, the file begins correctly, and any other overlays or image sources are in the right place. Then leave the source running long enough to see it advance to another playlist item. This verifies that more than the first file is playable; it does not establish that every file or future session will behave identically.
Check audio separately. Watch OBS’s audio meters while the file plays, then listen to the incoming preview if the Live Control Room offers that monitoring for your event. Confirm that the intended music or clip audio is present and that it is not masked by an unintended microphone or another source. A meter moving in OBS only shows activity in the mix; listening to the stream preview checks what is actually being sent.
Test the playlist ending if looping is important to the channel. To observe a complete cycle, use a short test list or a private/unlisted test event suitable for your circumstances, and wait for the final item to finish. Confirm whether playback starts again as expected. Do not assume that a loop is active because it was the default in another configuration; check the actual Loop Playlist setting.
Also test what happens when the source is hidden if you use more than one scene. Switch away and back, then observe whether playback restarted, resumed, or continued while hidden. That result should match your chosen visibility behaviour. If a scene change is not part of the broadcast plan, keep the test focused on the active scene and avoid adding scene automation to a playlist problem.
Only after the preview looks and sounds right should you make a scheduled broadcast public using the Live Control Room’s controls. Keep monitoring after it begins. A file can end, a sound source can be muted, or the connection can change after the initial check, so an unattended preview check is not a substitute for ongoing observation. For creators who need a computer switched off once a file and channel are ready, StreamNeo can remove the specific burden of leaving OBS running locally by taking an uploaded video and broadcasting it as a YouTube live stream; it does not replace your responsibility to choose and check the media.
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
How do I loop a playlist in OBS?
Add the multiple files to a VLC Video Source and enable Loop Playlist in that source’s properties. Check the setting in your own scene, then test that playback reaches the last item and starts again. For one repeating file rather than a list, use Media Source and its separate Loop option.
How do I play multiple videos on my OBS stream?
Add a VLC Video Source to the scene being sent to YouTube, then add the local video files to its playlist. VLC must be installed for the source to be available, with the matching 64-bit installation for 64-bit OBS. Confirm that the source appears in the stream preview and that the videos advance.
Can OBS play a hosted playlist with this source?
The VLC Video Source workflow described here is for media files added to its playlist, not a YouTube watch-page playlist or a hosted playlist. YouTube receives the composed output OBS sends from its scene. Use the documented local-file controls and do not assume they fetch or rotate hosted content.
Will shuffled playback always give a different order, or crossfade between files?
The source provides shuffle and loop controls, but those controls do not promise a particular sequence or seamless transition. Check the behaviour with your files and version before going public. If a transition matters, edit the media or use a separate production method that you have tested.