You can schedule Windows to launch OBS with a scene that contains a YouTube playlist player. YouTube supplies the playlist and playback settings, OBS opens the scene, and Task Scheduler starts the OBS application; that scheduled launch does not, by itself, start a YouTube broadcast.
The documented pieces are the YouTube embed parameters and OBS launch options. Windows trigger and logon choices depend on your setup, and the sources available for this guide do not establish that any particular combination guarantees an unattended launch. Test the complete path on the computer you intend to use.
Prepare the OBS scene and playlist player
Start by deciding what the scheduled event should do. If your aim is to open the playlist on the computer for someone to monitor or play locally, you need a scene with the player. If you intend to send that scene to YouTube Live, you also need a configured OBS streaming profile and a separate decision about when streaming begins. Those are different tasks, even if they happen close together.
In OBS, create a scene for the rotation and give it a simple, memorable name, such as Morning Playlist. The name matters later because OBS can be told to open a named scene at launch. Avoid changing it after you have entered it in a scheduled task unless you also update the task arguments.
Add a Browser source to the scene and set its URL to the YouTube player embed for your playlist. A browser source is a practical way to display a web player inside the OBS canvas. Fit it to the scene’s intended layout, and check that the playlist is visible at the size viewers should see. You may add overlays or other sources, but first test the player on its own so that an unrelated scene element does not obscure a playback or looping problem.
The playlist must be available to the account and audience you have in mind. Check the playlist’s visibility and confirm that each item is playable in the browser. A playlist can contain a video that is private, unavailable in a region, or otherwise not playable to the intended audience; a successful load of the first item does not prove that every later item will work.
This workflow plays items through YouTube’s player, rather than importing a folder of video files into OBS. If your goal is to rotate files held elsewhere, the choices and failure points differ; see the guide to streaming a cloud-storage video folder to YouTube Live nonstop. For sermons with consecutive recordings, the practical question of transitions is covered in making church sermon videos play without gaps in a YouTube Live loop.
Set the playlist embed parameters
YouTube documents playlist selection in an embedded player using listType=playlist and list=PLAYLIST_ID. The value for PLAYLIST_ID should be the ID of the playlist itself, not the ID of one video in it. These are URL parameters: they are appended to the player embed URL after a question mark, with additional parameters separated by ampersands.
A simplified pattern is:
https://www.youtube.com/embed?listType=playlist&list=PLAYLIST_ID&autoplay=1
Replace PLAYLIST_ID with the ID from your YouTube playlist. Treat this as a pattern, not a URL to paste unchanged. YouTube’s player parameter documentation defines the supported player parameters and their meanings; check that page if you are adapting the URL or need to confirm current behaviour.
The autoplay=1 parameter asks the player to begin playback when it loads. It does not mean Windows has logged in, OBS is open, the source has loaded successfully, or a live broadcast has begun. Browser playback can also depend on the environment and the player’s ability to load the requested content. Confirm it in the actual OBS Browser source rather than relying only on how the URL appears in a normal browser.
YouTube notes that when autoplay is enabled, playback data collection and sharing occur on page load. Consider that behaviour in relation to your channel and use case, and consult the documentation rather than treating autoplay as a purely local setting. For a shared, public-facing setup, test with the account and playlist conditions you expect to use during the scheduled run.
If “rotation” means replaying the entire playlist after the last item, add loop=1. YouTube describes looping a playlist, but its documentation also cautions that loop support in IFrame embeds is limited. Since an OBS Browser source uses an embedded player, do not assume the playlist will return to its first item until you have tested it in that exact scene configuration. Let the final item finish and observe what the player does.
There are two distinct choices here: play the playlist once, or ask it to loop. A one-pass playlist may be appropriate for a scheduled programme that should end. A repeated rotation may suit an always-on channel, but needs an end-to-start test. If a loop is essential, compare it with the continuity concerns discussed in whether prerecorded YouTube streams show more ads when they loop; that article addresses a separate viewer-facing question, not a guarantee about this embed setup.
Select the scene with OBS launch options
OBS documents launch parameters for opening the programme in a particular state. Its --scene "name" option selects a named scene at launch. For the example above, the argument is:
--scene "Morning Playlist"
Use the scene’s exact name, including spaces and punctuation. The quotation marks keep a multi-word name together as one argument. If the scene name changes, the saved argument can point to a scene that no longer exists under that name, so include this in your maintenance checks.
The OBS Project’s launch parameters guide lists the supported options and Windows guidance. In the Windows section, OBS says the scheduled task’s working directory should point to the folder containing obs64.exe. This is distinct from the executable path: the executable tells Windows what to run, while the working directory gives the application its starting folder.
OBS also documents --startstreaming. That option asks OBS to begin streaming automatically; it is not a playback option. Add it only if the scheduled event is meant to start an actual live broadcast and your OBS stream profile is configured for the correct YouTube channel and stream key. Otherwise, opening OBS with the named playlist scene is not the same as going live. Starting a broadcast should be an explicit choice, with a person checking the intended channel and programme where that is part of your process.
The OBS documentation establishes the launch flags, but a flag cannot resolve an incorrectly configured scene or a missing player. First open OBS normally, select the intended scene and confirm the player works. Then test the launch arguments separately. The article on restarting an OBS kids’ stream after a computer reboot considers a related recovery problem, but a restart workflow should not be read as proof that every Windows scheduled launch will succeed.
Choose a Windows Task Scheduler trigger
Task Scheduler’s role in this arrangement is to launch an application at a chosen time or in response to a chosen trigger. It does not understand the playlist and does not instruct YouTube to start a live event. Think of it as the timing layer: when its configured conditions are met, it attempts to run the action you provide.
Choose a trigger that fits the actual routine. For example, you may want a task to run at a particular time, or to be associated with a Windows event relevant to your machine. The available sources for this guide do not verify Windows-specific trigger creation, the precise names of current interface fields, or every interaction between a trigger and a task’s logon settings. Do not treat any one trigger or logon choice as universally correct or guaranteed to work unattended.
Your Windows version, account arrangement, permissions, and whether the computer is already in a usable session can affect what is appropriate. Review the current Microsoft documentation and the Task Scheduler interface on the machine that will run the task. If the computer is used by more than one person, consider who owns the account and whether the task should run only in that user’s session. Those are choices to validate locally, not settings established by the OBS and YouTube references cited here.
A scheduled task is also not the same as a dependable 24/7 service. The computer must be available and configured to allow the task to run under the conditions you chose. Sleep, shutdown, updates, account prompts, and other local conditions may prevent the expected sequence; check Windows settings and test instead of assuming the schedule overrides them. If you are designing around a reboot, review the distinction between recovery and a time-based start in the reboot guide linked above.
Configure the action to launch OBS
In Task Scheduler, create a task action that points to the OBS executable on your own computer. The installed folder can vary, so locate obs64.exe rather than copying a path from someone else’s machine. OBS’s Windows guidance is to set the task’s working directory to the folder where that executable is located.
Use the action’s program or executable field for the full path to obs64.exe. Put --scene "Morning Playlist" in the arguments field, replacing the example name with the exact scene name you prepared. Set the working directory, sometimes labelled “Start in”, to the containing folder. Follow the current Windows interface labels and documentation for the version you are using; the important point from the OBS guidance is that the working directory should be the folder containing the executable.
Only include --startstreaming if you consciously intend the task to start a live broadcast. The arguments would then include both the scene selection and streaming flag, but verify the syntax against OBS’s current launch-parameter documentation and test with care. A task that opens OBS with a playlist scene can be useful for a person to review before going live; a task that starts streaming removes that pause and can send the wrong scene or content if the configuration is not ready.
Do not use a stream-starting flag as a workaround for a player that will not autoplay. Playback and broadcast are separate layers: the embed parameter asks the YouTube player to begin playback, while the OBS launch flag requests that OBS stream. If you are unsure which behaviour you need, leave automatic streaming out until the playback and scene are verified. For another view of OBS setup considerations on constrained hardware, see lightweight streaming software for older PCs, while remembering that a scheduled playlist is still dependent on the machine and Windows configuration you choose.
Before saving, check the executable path, working directory, scene argument, and trigger as separate fields. Then make a note of what the task should do and what it should not do. This small record helps if someone later changes the scene name, moves OBS, changes the Windows account, or decides the scheduled launch should no longer start streaming.
Test playback and scheduled launch
Test in stages while you are present. First open the player URL in a browser and confirm that the playlist loads. Then open the OBS scene and observe whether the first item plays. If you set loop=1, stay with the test until the end of the playlist and check whether it returns to the beginning in the Browser source. A short test of the first item cannot establish that the full rotation works.
Next close or otherwise reset OBS in the way you intend to use it, and test the launch arguments directly. Confirm that OBS opens the named scene and that the player behaves as expected. If you plan to include --startstreaming, test that separately only when you can monitor the intended channel and are prepared for a live broadcast. Do not assume that a successful scene launch proves the stream has started, or that a stream start proves viewers see the correct content.
Finally, test the scheduled task at the time and under the Windows account conditions you plan to use. Observe whether the trigger runs, whether OBS opens, and whether the player loads. Keep the checks distinct: a failed task trigger is a Windows scheduling issue; a task that opens OBS but shows a blank player points elsewhere; a player that works locally but not in a live output requires checking the OBS stream path and channel configuration.
Record what you observed, including the Windows account and whether a user session was active, so you can repeat the test after a change. This is particularly useful if the computer is left overnight: a daytime manual launch does not exercise the same conditions as the scheduled run. No documented OBS launch flag can substitute for testing the operating system’s actual task configuration.
If you later review the resulting broadcast, separate technical checks from audience measures. The guide on analysing YouTube Live streams to improve performance can help frame that review, but analytics cannot prove that every future scheduled launch or playlist transition will work.
Understand what the setup does not automate
This arrangement connects three limited roles. YouTube’s player selects and plays the playlist according to its parameters. OBS opens the scene and, if explicitly requested with the streaming option, can start streaming. Task Scheduler attempts to launch OBS according to the Windows task you configure. None of these roles makes the others redundant.
In particular, scheduling OBS is not scheduling a YouTube Live event in Studio, and it does not by itself create a broadcast, verify a stream key, or guarantee that viewers can watch. If you include --startstreaming, the effect is an OBS request to start streaming; you remain responsible for the stream profile, account, content and monitoring. Check YouTube’s current guidance for your live setup and do not infer approval or compliance from a successful launch.
The playlist is also not a local archive. It depends on the embedded player and the availability of the playlist items. Autoplay and looping parameters should be treated as requests whose behaviour you verify in the target configuration, particularly because YouTube notes a limitation around loop support in IFrame embeds. If one item becomes unavailable, the rotation may not behave as expected.
Nor does Task Scheduler keep OBS or playback healthy after launch. If OBS exits, Windows or the task configuration may not restart it in the way you expect; if the network drops, a scheduled start does not repair the connection. A recovery plan is a separate concern, as discussed in the guide to making a 24/7 YouTube stream reconnect after an internet outage. Choose a workflow that matches how much local monitoring and recovery you can provide.
If your requirement is simply to have a file turned into a continuous YouTube stream while your computer is off, this Windows-and-OBS arrangement is not that: the scheduled launch depends on your own computer and its Windows setup. StreamNeo is relevant when the specific pain is leaving that computer on and checking that OBS remains running: it turns an uploaded video into a YouTube live stream from a file, with your computer switched off.
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 Task Scheduler start my YouTube live stream?
Not by itself. It launches the action you configure, such as OBS; OBS’s --startstreaming option asks OBS to begin streaming, while --scene selects a scene. Only include the streaming flag when you intend to go live and have checked the OBS stream configuration.
How do I make the playlist repeat?
Use the playlist parameters listType=playlist and list=PLAYLIST_ID, and add loop=1 if you want the whole playlist to repeat. YouTube documents playlist looping but warns that support in IFrame embeds is limited, so test through the end of the playlist in the OBS Browser source before relying on it.
Which Windows trigger or logon option should I choose?
That depends on your Windows version, account and intended use. The OBS and YouTube documentation cited here does not establish the right Task Scheduler trigger or logon configuration, so consult current Windows guidance and test the task on the computer that will run it.
What is the purpose of the OBS working directory?
For Windows scheduled tasks, OBS says to set the working directory to the folder containing obs64.exe. The executable path and working directory are separate action details; check both when configuring the task, then test that OBS opens the intended scene.