To loop several children’s videos in OBS, add them to a VLC Video source playlist and leave Loop Playlist enabled. VLC must be installed separately, and its architecture must match OBS; for one video rather than a playlist, use Media Source → Loop instead.
The important distinction is that OBS’s VLC Video source plays a playlist, not a folder that it continually watches for new files. You select the videos you want in rotation, check that they appear in the playlist, and add later videos yourself.
Install VLC and match its architecture to OBS
OBS provides a source called VLC Video for playlist playback. It depends on VLC, so installing OBS alone is not enough to make that source available. The OBS Media Sources guide documents VLC as a requirement for this source on Windows, macOS and Linux. It also says that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
First check which OBS build you have, then install the corresponding VLC build. If you are unsure, use the download choices and installation guidance from the official VLC site. Avoid assuming that two applications will work together just because they are both installed: a 32-bit/64-bit mismatch can be the reason VLC Video is missing or unavailable.
Once VLC is installed, restart OBS if it was open during installation. Look in the Sources add menu for VLC Video. If it still does not appear, confirm that VLC installed successfully and that its architecture matches OBS before rebuilding your scene or changing unrelated settings. OBS’s Sources Guide explains how source types are added to a scene.
There is a practical reason to resolve this before preparing a long playlist. If you have already arranged the scene around a different source, you may have to redo sizing and audio checks later. Confirm that VLC Video is available first, then use it for multiple videos. The built-in Media Source remains suitable for a single file, but it does not turn a folder into a playlist.
Add a VLC Video source in OBS
Open the scene that will carry the stream. In Sources, click +, choose VLC Video, and give the source a name that will still make sense when you return to the project later, such as “Children’s video rotation”. Source names matter when a scene contains logos, backgrounds, captions or other media, because they help you select the right item without guessing.
When prompted, create a new source or choose an existing one if you intentionally want to reuse its settings. For a fresh setup, create a new source. Its properties include a playlist area and controls for adding media. The OBS documentation describes this source as using VLC libraries for extended media support over the built-in Media Source; the key point for this task is that it can hold a list of files rather than just one file.
After adding it, make sure the source is visible in the scene. If the preview remains black, check that the source is enabled and not hidden behind an opaque source above it. Resize or fit the video to the canvas as needed, taking care not to stretch it into the wrong shape. A black preview can have a simple scene-order cause, so inspect visibility and layering before concluding that playback has failed.
Keep the scene simple while testing. If you are using a logo or a background, add it deliberately and confirm which source is on top. The video should occupy the intended area of the canvas, and any audio should be audible in OBS’s mixer. OBS’s Quick Start Guide recommends checking audio in the mixer and testing the setup before the first stream.
Add the children’s videos to the playlist
In the VLC Video source properties, use the playlist controls to add the files you want to rotate. Select the intended video files and confirm that each one appears in the list. Do not assume that choosing a directory means OBS will monitor it for new arrivals: the documented workflow is a playlist, and the file list should be checked directly.
That distinction affects how you maintain the channel. If you add a new episode, replace a clip or remove something from the rotation, update the playlist in OBS and verify the result. A file copied into the same computer folder after setup is not necessarily added to the source’s existing list. Treat the playlist as the actual rotation, rather than the folder on disk, and keep the two in sync yourself.
Before adding a large batch, organise the files in a way that makes their order easy to inspect. Clear filenames can help you recognise an opening, a story, a song or a closing clip at a glance. If you need an exact sequence, check the displayed order after selection instead of relying on the order in which a file browser happens to show items.
The playlist order is useful when the channel is meant to feel predictable. A devotional channel might put a welcome clip before a set of songs; a learning channel might arrange short lessons in a deliberate progression. If you prefer variety without a fixed sequence, OBS also provides a Shuffle Playlist control. Its documented default is off, so the initial behaviour is ordered playback unless you change it.
For more involved scheduling across different blocks of the day, a local OBS playlist may not be the whole answer. StreamNeo’s guide to scheduling YouTube live playlists around Indian Standard Time discusses the separate problem of arranging playlists by time. That is different from asking one OBS source to repeat its own list.
Enable Loop Playlist for continuous rotation
In the VLC Video source properties, keep Loop Playlist enabled. OBS describes this setting as restarting the source after it runs out of media files, so the playlist starts again rather than stopping at the end. It is the control for repeating a set of videos.
Do not confuse it with Loop in Media Source. That setting repeats one file. The difference is small in the interface but decisive for the setup: choose VLC Video plus Loop Playlist for a rotation of multiple clips; choose Media Source plus Loop for one clip that should repeat. The source comparison below summarises the choice.
| What you want to play | OBS source | Setting to check | What repeats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Several selected video files | VLC Video | Loop Playlist | The playlist restarts after its last item |
| One video file | Media Source | Loop | That same file repeats |
| Still images as a sequence | Image Slideshow | Slideshow controls | Images, not video files |
If you want a fixed order, leave Shuffle Playlist off. If you enable shuffle, the rotation is no longer the same ordered sequence each time. Neither setting adds files that are not in the playlist, and neither makes the source watch the folder for future changes.
Test the end of a short playlist rather than only watching its first item. Confirm that one clip gives way to the next and that the final clip returns to the beginning. This catches common setup mistakes: a file omitted from the list, an unintended order, a missing audio track or a loop control that is not enabled. For a long set, it is still worth testing a representative transition and checking the source properties before going live.
Use Media Source and Loop for a single video
If your plan is to repeat one video indefinitely, add Media Source instead of VLC Video. Select the file in its properties and enable Loop. This is a simpler choice for one file, and it does not require you to build a multi-file playlist.
The Media Source setting does not create a folder playlist. Selecting a file and enabling Loop repeats that selected file; selecting a folder does not convert the source into a list of separate videos that play one after another. If you need multiple clips, switch to VLC Video and add those files to its playlist.
This distinction can save time when diagnosing a setup inherited from another scene. A single source showing one video repeatedly may be working exactly as configured, even if you expected it to move to another file in the same folder. Review the source type first, then choose the relevant setting: Media Source for one repeated file, VLC Video for a playlist.
There are reasons to prefer the single-file method. If the channel is built around a single long ambience video, one file is easier to verify and maintain than a playlist. If the content needs to cycle through different lessons or clips, VLC Video is the better match. Do not choose a more complex playlist source merely because the folder contains other files that are not meant to be part of the stream.
Check the scene and connect it to YouTube Live
Before sending the stream, inspect the OBS preview. Make sure the video is visible, correctly framed and playing, and look at the audio mixer while it runs. If there is no sound, check that the VLC source’s audio is enabled and that the mixer is not muted. A scene can show a good picture while silently sending no audio, so check both separately.
In YouTube Studio, open Create → Go live and use the Live Control Room’s stream URL and stream key in OBS’s stream settings. YouTube’s encoder setup instructions describe the connection process. Keep the stream key private; anyone who has it may be able to send a broadcast to your channel.
Start with a test rather than treating a preview in OBS as proof that viewers will see the right result. YouTube’s live streaming tips recommend testing and monitoring the stream. Wait for the Live Control Room preview, confirm picture and sound there, and check that the right scene is being sent before making the stream public.
If this is your channel’s first live stream, allow for YouTube’s initial live-stream enablement process; YouTube says it may take up to 24 hours. This is a YouTube-side step, not an OBS playlist setting. Check the current Live Control Room status instead of troubleshooting VLC when the channel has not yet been enabled to broadcast.
A local OBS setup also depends on the computer remaining on and the stream continuing to run. For an always-on channel, consider whether you can monitor that computer and recover the broadcast if it stops. The OBS-to-YouTube setup guide for India covers the broader operating burden of running a computer-based stream. For a channel where keeping a computer running and recovering a dropped feed are the specific pain points, StreamNeo removes those tasks by running an uploaded video as a YouTube stream while your computer is off.
While live, keep an eye on YouTube’s preview and OBS’s audio meters. If the picture freezes, audio disappears or the playlist reaches an unexpected item, investigate promptly rather than assuming the loop is healthy because the stream is still marked live. YouTube’s encoder guide says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived; check YouTube’s current guidance if the length or archiving behaviour matters to your plan.
Children’s videos also require decisions beyond playback mechanics. The fact that OBS can loop a file does not establish that you have permission to rebroadcast it, or determine the correct audience designation, child-safety settings or monetisation eligibility. Review the current YouTube rules and the rights and audience context for your own material before streaming. The technical steps here explain how to repeat media, not whether a particular video or channel treatment meets a policy requirement.
If the machine is shared or unattended, make sure other people cannot inadvertently change the scene, stop OBS or expose the stream key. Keep a record of which files are in the playlist and who is responsible for checking it. A simple handover note can identify the scene name, playlist order, loop setting and where the current video files are stored, which makes routine updates less dependent on one person remembering every detail.
When the playlist is not the whole operating plan
A VLC playlist solves a specific playback problem: it rotates selected local files inside an OBS scene. It does not schedule separate playlists for different hours, upload replacements automatically or recover your wider channel plan if the computer or internet connection fails. Those are different requirements and deserve a separate choice of workflow.
If you are deciding between managing playback on a local computer and using a cloud-based approach, consider the trade-off plainly. Local OBS gives you direct control over scenes and makes it easy to test changes on your own machine, but the machine must stay available and the operator must notice failures. A cloud workflow can remove the need to leave that computer running, but it still requires you to prepare the video and configure the YouTube connection correctly.
For a queue of videos that must keep playing while one item is replaced, the operational issue is different again from a simple OBS loop. The guide to replacing a video in a YouTube restream playlist addresses that maintenance case. Use the approach that matches what you actually need: repeat a selected list, schedule distinct blocks, or make a change without interrupting a running rotation.
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
Why is VLC Video missing from OBS?
The source requires VLC to be installed separately. Check that VLC’s architecture matches OBS; the OBS guide specifically says 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. Restart OBS after installing VLC and check the Sources add menu again.
Does Loop Playlist automatically include new videos in a folder?
No. OBS’s documented workflow is a playlist, not automatic folder monitoring. Add new files to the VLC Video playlist and verify they appear there before the broadcast.
Can Media Source loop several videos in a folder?
No. Media Source’s Loop setting repeats the selected file. For multiple videos, use VLC Video, add each intended file to its playlist and enable Loop Playlist.
Should Shuffle Playlist be on?
Leave it off if you want the playlist to follow its displayed order; OBS documents shuffle as off by default. Turn it on only if you want the playback order varied, and test the result before streaming.