To schedule different playlists in OBS, put each playlist in its own scene and use Advanced Scene Switcher macros to change scenes at a chosen time or when a media condition is met. The switch is only one part of the setup: you also need to check what each source does when its scene becomes inactive, then active again.
This approach gives you control over scheduled blocks and playback-driven handovers, but it is not a guarantee that every playlist source pauses, resumes or reports an ending in the same way. Build a small test, observe the actual source behaviour, and only then rely on it unattended.
Organise each playlist in its own scene
Start by deciding what the channel’s programming blocks are. A devotional channel might have a morning bhajan playlist and a quieter evening selection; a local news loop might use one scene for headlines and another for a recorded bulletin. Create one OBS scene for each block you want to operate independently.
In each scene, add the source that plays that block’s files. VLC Video Source is one possible choice for a playlist, while OBS Media Sources or another compatible source may suit a simpler sequence. Name scenes and sources so their purpose is obvious: Morning Bhajans and VLC - Morning Playlist are easier to identify in a macro than Scene 2 and VLC Video Source.
Separate scenes make the automation easier to reason about. A scene switch can make a whole block active, including its source and any associated overlays, rather than asking you to manage several playlist items in one crowded scene. This is a workflow choice, not a requirement imposed by the plugin. If your layout is shared, you can keep common graphics in a reusable arrangement and test carefully how visibility and source activation behave when changing scenes.
Keep the first version modest. Use a short playlist or a few representative files, and check that every file has the expected audio and picture before building schedule rules. For a long-running station, a sensible media library and compatible files reduce unrelated problems; see this guide to choosing a video format for 24/7 streaming. If your library lives on removable storage, also consider how an external SSD can serve as a video library, including what happens if the drive is disconnected.
Before automating, switch between the scenes manually. Confirm that the correct playlist appears, the audio is routed as intended, and the transition does not leave an unwanted source visible. It is much easier to distinguish a scene-organisation problem from a macro problem before the switcher starts making decisions for you.
Install and open Advanced Scene Switcher
Advanced Scene Switcher is an OBS plugin that uses macros: conditions determine when a set of actions should run. Its OBS resource listing includes date-and-time conditions, media conditions and scene-switch actions. The author’s description and current downloads are on the Advanced Scene Switcher resource page.
Check that the version listed there supports the version of OBS Studio installed on your computer and your operating system. At the time of the research for this article, the listing showed version 1.36.1, OBS Studio 31.1.1 as a minimum, and Windows, macOS and Linux support; the page had an update dated August 7, 2026. These details can change, so use the live listing rather than treating those values as permanent requirements.
Install the release appropriate to your system using the plugin’s published instructions. Close and reopen OBS if required. Then look in the Tools menu for Advanced Scene Switcher and open it. Menu wording and panel arrangement can differ between plugin releases; the important check is that the plugin opens and you can reach its macro controls.
If the entry is missing, do not build the schedule around it yet. Check that the download matches your operating system and OBS installation, restart OBS, and consult the current resource page for compatibility notes. Keep a copy of your scene collection before changing a working broadcast setup. If you are preparing a 24/7 channel, a useful next step is to review the broader considerations in running a podcast playlist from a Chromebook, especially if the machine and workflow are deliberately lightweight.
The plugin’s resource listing establishes the available types of conditions and actions, but it does not document every click in a current screenshot walkthrough for this precise use. Expect labels or field positions to vary. Treat the following as a configuration pattern: select a condition, define the state or time you want, then add the scene-switch action and verify it in your own release.
Create a macro with a date-and-time condition
Use a clock-based macro when a block should begin at a particular time, regardless of whether the previous playlist item has finished. In Advanced Scene Switcher, create a new macro and give it a descriptive name such as Start evening selection. Add a date-and-time condition, then configure the relevant date or time fields supported by the installed version.
The condition answers the question, “When should this macro run?” The action answers, “What should OBS do then?” Keep those parts distinct while configuring and testing. For a schedule that changes scenes at a daily boundary, make sure the selected condition expresses the recurrence you intend. The resource listing confirms a date-and-time condition category, but the exact recurrence options and edge cases should be checked in the current plugin interface and documentation.
Think through what happens if OBS starts after the target time, the computer sleeps, or the current scene is already the requested scene. A schedule that works when OBS stays open may behave differently after a restart or missed time window. Do not assume a condition will catch up or repeat exactly as you expect; test it by using a near-future time and watching the macro status and scene output.
Clock-based switching is useful when the programme has firm slots: for example, a local bulletin at a set hour. Its trade-off is that the switch may interrupt a song or video already in progress. If you prefer the current item to finish first, a media-driven condition may be a better fit, though it depends on the source reporting the event correctly.
Write down the intended sequence in plain language before adding several macros. For instance: “At the scheduled evening time, make the evening scene active; after a selected item ends, make the overnight scene active.” This exposes overlaps and conflicts early. If two enabled macros can switch scenes at the same time, decide which one should take precedence and test that condition rather than assuming OBS will choose the one you meant.
Switch scenes using a macro action
After defining a condition, add the action that changes the active scene. Select the scene you created for the target playlist, such as Evening Selection. Then check the macro’s enabled state and any run or repeat settings in the version you have installed. The action should name the destination scene explicitly; avoid relying on whichever scene happens to be next in a list.
Test the action manually or with a temporary condition that will occur soon. Watch both the OBS preview and the programme output if you have a separate output view available. A successful macro should produce the intended scene change, not merely show that its condition became true. Also check overlays, audio sources and transitions, because a correct scene name does not prove the entire composition is correct.
If your channel has a start-up scene or an emergency holding scene, decide whether a scheduled macro is allowed to replace it. A test at a quiet time can reveal whether multiple rules compete or whether a scene switch happens immediately after OBS opens. Keep a simple fallback scene available, and know how to disable the macro if the broadcast enters the wrong block.
For a channel with long recorded segments, distinguish a time boundary from an item boundary. A clock trigger makes the change at its scheduled point. A media condition waits for a playback state. Those are different editorial choices: a news loop may need a bulletin at a precise time, while a music channel may prefer not to cut a track in half. If you schedule recorded news blocks, this guide on timing English and Hindi news videos for YouTube Live can help you think about the programme sequence, though the OBS macro still needs its own testing.
Use media conditions for playback-driven changes
A media condition is useful when you want the next scene to activate in response to playback rather than the wall clock. For example, you might let the current playlist item finish before moving from a short announcement scene into a music scene. Select the media source and state that correspond to the event you want, then add a scene-switch action as the response.
Do not assume every OBS source exposes the same states or playlist events. The source type matters. Advanced Scene Switcher’s author has described using the VLC source entering an Ended state when a playlist item finishes; that guidance is specifically about VLC playlist behaviour, not proof that every Media Source or third-party source behaves identically. The author’s forum discussion is available in this OBS forum thread about Advanced Scene Switcher.
Test with the actual source and files you intend to use. A short test clip can establish whether the condition becomes true at the item boundary, whether it remains true long enough for the macro to act, and whether a scene switch causes a new item to begin. Check what happens at the end of the final item as well as between two ordinary items; the last item may not behave like an intermediate playlist transition.
A media-driven rule can be more natural when cutting at the end of a song or clip matters. It may be less suitable when a slot must begin at a fixed time, and it depends on the source reporting a state that the plugin can read. If you only need to play a list without changing scenes, a playlist source may be relevant instead. The Media Playlist Source project describes itself as an alternative to VLC Video Source, with its own listed features and limitations. It is not required for Advanced Scene Switcher, and its behaviour should be evaluated separately.
Check VLC playlist Ended-state behaviour
For VLC playlists, the plugin author has explained that the source can enter Ended each time an item finishes. That makes the state a possible trigger for a macro, such as switching to a different scene after an announcement clip. It does not mean that every configuration will produce the same state at the point you expect, or that the next action is guaranteed to run once and only once.
Check the source in your own OBS setup. Start with two short items so you can observe the transition more than once. Note whether the macro fires at each item ending, whether it fires at the end of the whole list, and whether a new scene becomes active before or after VLC begins another item. If the condition stays true or reappears quickly, confirm whether the macro’s repeat or reset behaviour could cause another scene switch.
Keep the intended outcome precise. If a VLC playlist in one scene should continue through its items, a rule tied to Ended may be unnecessary or may conflict with the source’s own next-item behaviour. If the aim is to switch away when one item ends, verify that the scene action happens at that boundary and not at an unrelated end state. The plugin author’s forum explanation is useful guidance, not a universal guarantee for every VLC version, playlist configuration or plugin release.
When a playlist does not expose the expected state, check that you selected the correct source in the macro and that the source is actually playing. Then consult the current plugin notes and test again with a minimal scene. Avoid adding extra conditions until the basic event is understood; otherwise it becomes difficult to tell whether the problem is the source state, the schedule logic or a competing macro.
Test inactive-scene playback and transitions
A scene switch changes what OBS presents, but it may not mean that every source in the scene stops or resumes in the way you expect. In particular, decide whether a playlist should continue while its scene is inactive, pause where it is, restart when made active, or remain stopped. The answer can depend on source properties and how the scene is composed.
For a VLC source, inspect its inactive behaviour settings and test them deliberately. A community forum user described enabling “pause when inactive - resume when active” and using a switch near the end of an item as a workaround for letting items play one at a time. The same discussion included a report that playback sometimes continued while inactive, so treat this as an unverified workaround rather than a dependable fix. You can read the report in the OBS discussion of scheduling VLC media files.
Run a repeatable test: start playback in scene A, switch to scene B, wait long enough to observe whether A’s audio continues, then return to A. Check whether the item resumes at its previous position, starts again, advances to another item or has stopped. Repeat with the source settings you expect to use in production. Test with headphones or a mixer meter as well as the preview, because audio continuing off-scene can be easy to miss visually.
Also test scene transitions. A fade may briefly overlap picture or audio from both scenes, depending on how sources are arranged. If that is not acceptable for your channel, adjust the transition or audio routing and repeat the test. Keep the rule simple until you know whether the scene switch itself pauses playback; do not combine a time macro, an Ended-state macro and a source restart setting before checking each behaviour independently.
Before trusting an overnight schedule, leave OBS running through a representative sequence while you can monitor it. Test the schedule at a convenient time, then test a missed or delayed start if that is relevant to how you operate. If the computer is part of the workflow, account for power settings, sleep, updates and network interruption separately; a successful macro test only establishes the scene logic under the conditions you tested.
For unattended YouTube output, switching scenes in OBS is not the same as confirming the whole live stream is healthy. Keep an eye on the broadcast preview and stream health, and know the manual recovery steps. OBS playlist scheduling is best suited to an operator who can maintain the computer and verify source behaviour. If the recurring problem is leaving a computer running just to relay a fixed file, StreamNeo removes that specific need by letting you upload the file and run the YouTube broadcast with your own computer switched off; it is YouTube-only, and it is not a replacement for OBS scene scheduling or a guarantee of stream approval.
If you want to use OBS, keep a written run sheet: which scene should be active, what condition triggers each change, whether an item should finish first, and what playback should do when inactive. That small record makes it easier to diagnose a wrong transition after a plugin or OBS update. Re-check compatibility and repeat the short test after updates rather than assuming an old macro behaves unchanged.
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FAQ
Can Advanced Scene Switcher schedule playlists by weekday?
It provides macro conditions, including date-and-time conditions, but do not assume it has a dedicated built-in weekday playlist scheduler. Check the options available in your installed version and test the recurrence you need. Treat each macro as a rule you must verify in the running scene collection.
Can OBS switch scenes when a playlist video ends?
It can be possible when the selected source exposes a media state that Advanced Scene Switcher can use. The plugin author has described VLC entering Ended at playlist-item completion, but you should verify the behaviour with your VLC source and playlist. Do not assume another media source reports the same event.
Will a playlist resume where it left off after I switch away?
It depends on the source and its inactive-scene settings. A community-reported VLC pause-and-resume approach has not been shown to work reliably in every configuration. Test whether playback pauses, continues, restarts or advances before scheduling a long unattended run.
Does Advanced Scene Switcher guarantee the stream stays live overnight?
No. It automates OBS conditions and actions; it does not by itself establish that the computer, connection, media sources and YouTube broadcast will remain healthy. Test the complete setup and check current OBS and plugin compatibility before relying on it.