A Windows scheduled task can open OBS Studio at a chosen time and use OBS’s --startstreaming launch parameter to begin sending an encoder feed. That does not create a YouTube event or guarantee a public broadcast: YouTube’s scheduled encoder workflow includes a preview and a separate Go live step.
Treat this as two linked jobs: configure the YouTube event and OBS ahead of time, then arrange for Windows to launch OBS. Test the whole chain before relying on it. Your PC, user session, network, scene and sources must be ready, and you must know whether YouTube will require someone to confirm the preview.
What a Scheduled OBS Launch Can Do
Task Scheduler can start a program in response to a time trigger. If the action points to OBS and includes --startstreaming, OBS can start sending a feed using its saved configuration. The setting does not tell OBS which YouTube event to create, supply a missing stream key, repair an inactive video source or click Go live in YouTube Studio.
The distinction matters because a YouTube event and an encoder feed are separate things. Scheduling an event creates the event and its viewing destination; it does not make your Windows PC transmit video at the event time. OBS must connect to YouTube using the appropriate stream URL and key, and YouTube must handle the incoming feed according to the event’s settings and workflow.
This method is useful when your channel already runs from OBS and the computer can remain on and ready. A devotional channel with a prepared video source, for example, might use a Windows trigger to open its existing OBS profile shortly before a scheduled event. It is not a general unattended-broadcast guarantee. If the PC sleeps, a source is missing, OBS opens the wrong profile or YouTube is waiting for confirmation, the scheduled task alone cannot correct that.
For a channel that needs to continue while your own PC is off, this approach is not a fit: the PC is the encoder in this setup. The distinction is explained further in whether a 24/7 streaming service keeps running when your PC is off. If you are still checking whether your channel can go live, review live-stream access while advanced features are under review before building a schedule around it.
OBS’s official Launch Parameters documentation documents --startstreaming and calls out the working directory requirement for scheduled or automated launches. YouTube’s encoder workflow describes the event, connection, preview and publication steps that remain separate from Windows scheduling.
Create the YouTube Live Event
First confirm that live streaming is enabled for the channel. YouTube says first-time activation may take up to 24 hours, so do not leave activation until just before the first planned broadcast. This is an activation allowance stated by YouTube, not a prediction that every channel will wait that long. If you encounter an eligibility or access message, resolve it through YouTube’s current channel guidance before troubleshooting OBS.
In YouTube Studio, open Create → Go Live → Manage, then schedule a stream. The exact screen labels can change, so use the current Studio interface if the wording differs. You can reuse settings from an earlier stream or make a new event, then set the event details, time and privacy to match your intended broadcast. Check the channel and event carefully if you manage more than one channel or run more than one recurring programme.
A scheduled event gives viewers an upcoming destination, but it is not itself an encoder. Keep the event’s start time aligned with the time you want OBS to connect, leaving room for a preview check if your process requires one. Do not assume that making an event public starts video, or that starting video automatically makes the event publicly live.
Privacy is a decision to make deliberately. YouTube notes that default privacy differs for users aged 13–17 and users 18 or older, and that streamers can change it. Inspect the event’s actual setting rather than relying on a remembered default. If you intend to test privately or unlisted, verify that you are editing the test event and not the public event you mean to use later.
If your channel is based on a long playlist, the event setup is only one part of the job: the source must also play continuously and predictably. An article on combining episodes into one 24/7 YouTube stream can help you think through that content-preparation side, but it does not replace the event and encoder configuration here.
Copy the Matching Stream URL and Key
Open the scheduled event’s encoder settings and copy the stream URL and stream key that belong to that event or its configured stream. Enter them in OBS’s streaming settings. Use the values from the event you intend to run, not an old note or a key copied from a different channel. A mismatch can leave OBS sending to the wrong destination or fail to connect as expected.
A stream key is a credential for sending a feed. Treat it like a password: do not include it in screenshots, shared documents or public troubleshooting posts. If you believe it has been exposed, use YouTube Studio’s current controls to replace or reset it, then update OBS. The practical difference between a key and the destination is covered in how to use a YouTube stream key for a prerecorded channel.
Before scheduling the task, start OBS manually once. Confirm it opens the intended profile and scene, the source produces the picture and sound you expect, and the streaming settings are saved. If the content is a video file or loop, watch enough of it to catch a black screen, missing audio or a source that stops unexpectedly. An OBS launch parameter cannot make a broken scene usable.
Then connect manually to the event when practical and follow YouTube’s preview process. That rehearsal tells you whether the intended event receives the feed and whether YouTube presents Go live as a required action. Keep the result as an operational note for that channel and event type; do not generalise it to every channel’s settings without checking them.
Find OBS’s Executable Folder
Task Scheduler needs the actual path to the installed OBS executable. On a typical 64-bit Windows installation, the executable is named obs64.exe, but do not assume the location from a guide written for another machine. Find the OBS shortcut you actually use, inspect its target if you know how, or locate the installed executable through Windows. The path you put in the task must match the installation in use.
Make a note of two separate values: the full path to obs64.exe, and the folder that contains it. For example, the program path might end in obs64.exe, while the folder path is the same location without the filename. Use your computer’s real path rather than copying an example path verbatim.
The folder is not a cosmetic detail. OBS’s launch-parameter guidance says that when OBS is launched by a scheduled task or other automated means, its working directory (“Start in”) should point to the folder containing obs64.exe. Leaving it blank or setting it to an unrelated folder can cause OBS to fail to find installation files such as locale data. If OBS opens normally from its shortcut but not from a task, check this value early.
Create a Windows Scheduled Task
Use Windows Task Scheduler to create a task with a time-based trigger for the intended launch. Windows labels can differ across releases, so check the wording on the machine rather than relying on a button-by-button path from an unverified screenshot. The essential parts are a trigger at the planned time and an action that starts the OBS executable with the needed argument.
Choose the task’s user and session deliberately. OBS needs to run in the Windows environment where its saved profile, scene and sources are available. A task that runs under a different account may not see the same settings, files, mapped drives or permissions. For an ordinary desktop setup, test while signed into the account you expect to use for the broadcast and confirm how the task behaves if the screen is locked or the user signs out.
Also check power and network conditions. A scheduled task cannot wake every machine from every sleep or shutdown state under all configurations. Make sure the PC will be on, connected and not waiting for an update or sign-in prompt at the launch time. For video stored on an external disk or network location, confirm that the location will be mounted and accessible in the intended session.
A recurring trigger can be convenient for a daily station, but it also makes a missed event harder to spot if you do not inspect it. Start with one test time in the near future rather than immediately relying on a repeating schedule. If you need an encoder that runs independently of your desk PC, compare the approaches in OBS and FFmpeg workflows for YouTube streaming; the trade-offs depend on your existing setup and technical comfort.
Set the Working Directory and Launch Parameter
In the task’s action, set the program to the full path of obs64.exe. Put --startstreaming in the arguments field, with the two hyphens and no quotation marks around the argument. Set Start in to the folder containing obs64.exe. In the task action, these are distinct fields: the executable path identifies what to run, the argument asks OBS to start streaming, and the working directory gives OBS its launch context.
Use the OBS launch parameter exactly as documented. Do not put the argument into the program-path field, append it to the Start in folder or add unrelated options copied from an old forum answer. This guide does not assume additional parameters to choose a profile or scene; save and verify the correct OBS configuration in advance. If you need a different scene for a particular event, make that part of a separately tested workflow rather than assuming the scheduled launch selects it.
A conceptual example looks like this, with the paths replaced by the ones on your own PC:
| Task field | What to enter | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Program or script | Full path ending in obs64.exe |
Starts OBS itself |
| Arguments | --startstreaming |
Tells OBS to begin streaming |
| Start in | Folder containing obs64.exe |
Supplies OBS’s working directory |
Do not treat the table’s example as a universal installation path. If your executable is in a different folder, use that location for both the program and Start in values. Once saved, run the task manually as a test and confirm that OBS opens and begins connecting as expected. A task can report that its action started even though the full YouTube publication workflow has not completed.
Starting, stopping and closing OBS are separate operations. The cited OBS launch-parameter guidance documents starting a stream; it does not document a matching stop-streaming parameter. Do not assume a forced process termination is a clean way to end the YouTube broadcast. Plan a person-controlled end step, or research and test a separate, documented stop workflow for your actual setup.
Handle YouTube’s Preview and Go Live Step
When OBS starts streaming, YouTube should receive the encoder feed if the event, URL, key and connection are correct. In YouTube’s documented scheduled encoder workflow, you then wait for the preview to appear in Live Control Room and click Go live. This is the publication gate that a Windows task does not perform merely by launching OBS with --startstreaming.
That means there are two different meanings of “automatically” in this task. Windows can be configured to start OBS on a schedule. Whether the event becomes a public live broadcast without a person’s confirmation is a separate question, and the documented workflow includes a manual confirmation. Do not advertise or plan around unattended publication unless you have verified the current behaviour for the specific channel and event settings you use. The research available for this workflow does not establish that every account or configuration can bypass the step.
For a broadcast that needs to be public at a precise time, assign someone to watch the event, check the preview and click Go live when YouTube requires it. If no person can attend, test the exact setup beforehand and make the limitation explicit in your plan. A feed arriving in Live Control Room is not the same as a public event being live, and a scheduled start time is not evidence that viewers can see the broadcast.
Rehearse the whole chain: let the trigger fire, confirm OBS opens in the intended session, verify the correct picture and sound, check that YouTube receives the feed, and observe what action the event requires next. Keep a fallback that lets an operator open OBS and start the feed manually. For a long-running channel, also make sure someone knows how to check for a frozen source, an interrupted connection or a YouTube warning. OBS can help with encoder startup; it cannot make those operational decisions for you.
If Windows launches the wrong OBS profile or reports a connection problem, stop and correct that before adding more automation. For a picture or audio issue, use an OBS-specific diagnostic path such as troubleshooting encoder overload in OBS. For broader event-management automation, Google documents resources in the YouTube Live Streaming API, but that is a software-development route, not a plug-and-play replacement for Task Scheduler.
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FAQ
Does --startstreaming create a YouTube event?
No. It asks OBS to start streaming from its saved configuration. Create and configure the event in YouTube Studio separately, then use that event’s matching stream URL and key in OBS.
Will Task Scheduler make the broadcast public without anyone present?
Not by itself. YouTube’s documented scheduled encoder flow includes waiting for the preview and clicking Go live, so you should plan for that confirmation unless you have verified the current behaviour for your channel and event. A scheduled OBS launch is not a guarantee of unattended publication.
What should I put in “Start in”?
Set it to the folder containing the installed obs64.exe, not to the executable file itself and not to an unrelated folder. OBS specifically calls for this working directory when launched by a scheduled task or other automated method.
Can this run if my Windows PC is off?
No. In this arrangement, the PC running OBS is the encoder, so it must be available along with the relevant user session, network connection and sources. If you need the stream to continue with your computer switched off, this is not the right operating model.