To play videos from a folder in shuffled order on YouTube Live, add the intended files to an OBS VLC Video source playlist, then enable Shuffle Playlist and Loop Playlist in its properties. VLC must be installed, and 64-bit OBS needs 64-bit VLC.
That configures the playlist, not an automatically watched folder, and it does not prove a broadcast will continue when you lock your PC. Test playback in OBS, lock the same Windows session and check the result from another device; treat sleep and switching users as separate cases.
What locking changes
Locking Windows normally protects access to your session while leaving that session running. It is different from signing out: your applications remain open, but the desktop is hidden behind the sign-in screen. That distinction matters because OBS can continue only while the operating system and the application are still running and able to do their work.
Do not turn that general description into a guarantee about playback on every PC. A lock screen is a state of the Windows session, while graphics drivers, power settings, device policies and machine-specific behaviour can affect what you observe. The safe answer is not “OBS always plays behind the lock screen”, but “test the exact machine and configuration you intend to use”.
For a playlist, there are two separate questions to answer. First, does the VLC Video source play and advance through its files in OBS? Second, does the actual YouTube broadcast keep showing and hearing that output after you lock the session? A preview that works before locking only answers the first question.
If you are deciding whether to run a channel from a personal computer, the practical trade-offs are covered in what actually runs a 24/7 stream without a PC. That is a broader operating choice, not a reason to skip testing OBS if you have already chosen it.
Lock, user switch and sleep are different
A lock leaves the current user signed in. Pressing the Windows lock shortcut, choosing Lock from the Start menu, or allowing the screen to lock should leave OBS open in that account. When you unlock, you return to the same session. Whether video playback and output continue during that interval is the behaviour you need to verify locally.
Switching users is not the same test. With Fast User Switching, the original account may remain signed in while another user gets an interactive desktop. The original OBS process may still exist, but the graphics session or device handling can differ from a simple lock. If you plan to switch accounts while streaming, test that exact action separately rather than assuming a lock test covers it.
Sleep is different again: the PC suspends most activity to conserve power. An OBS process can remain open on the desktop and yet cannot keep encoding and sending a live stream while the machine is asleep. Closing a laptop lid may trigger sleep, hibernation or another action depending on its power configuration, so do not assume it merely turns off the display.
| State | What happens to your session | What to test |
|---|---|---|
| Lock | Your account stays signed in; the sign-in screen hides the desktop | Does the playlist advance and does YouTube still receive it? |
| Switch user | Your account may stay signed in while another account becomes active | Does output continue after switching, and when you return? |
| Sleep | The PC suspends activity | Expect the broadcast to stop; confirm the power action rather than relying on a running OBS window later |
If your channel must survive unattended hours, start by proving each relevant condition separately. For context on keeping a local computer running an always-on music channel, see the PC-based YouTube music stream setup. The central question here is narrower: does this Windows session continue to produce the expected output when locked, and does it stay awake?
Set up and confirm media playback
OBS provides a VLC Video source for playlists. The ordinary Media Source is intended for an individual media file, while VLC Video supports a list of files. The OBS Media Sources guide explains the distinction, lists the VLC prerequisite and describes the source properties.
If VLC Video is missing from the source menu, install VLC and match its architecture to OBS. The OBS documentation specifically notes that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. Close and reopen OBS after installation, then check the Sources dock again. If the source still does not appear, verify which OBS and VLC versions you installed before changing the stream configuration.
In the scene you intend to broadcast, use the plus button in the Sources dock and choose VLC Video. The OBS Sources Guide describes adding a source to a scene. Open the new source’s properties and add the local files you want it to play. Although the task is often described as looping a “folder”, the documented workflow is to populate a playlist with files; do not expect OBS to detect later additions to a folder automatically.
Enable Shuffle Playlist and Loop Playlist in the source properties. Shuffle changes the playlist ordering; it should not be described as drawing a fresh, independent random clip at every transition. Loop means the source starts again after it runs out of playlist items. The documentation does not promise gapless transitions, so listen and watch for pauses between files in your own test.
The OBS page lists common video formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF and WebM, and audio formats including MP3, AAC, OGG and WAV. A file extension on that list is a useful first check, not a guarantee that every file with that extension will decode correctly. Test the actual files, especially if they came from different devices or editing applications.
Before you test locking, check the basics in the preview. Confirm that the playlist source is visible in the active scene, that the picture fits the canvas, and that audio is present at an appropriate level. Let at least one file finish so you can observe whether playback advances and whether the playlist restarts. These checks can expose a missing file or a silent clip before a remote viewer has to report it.
Run a same-session lock test
Use a test stream or a low-risk period, not the only copy of an important live event. First start the playlist in OBS while logged into the Windows account that will run it. Confirm that OBS is outputting the intended scene and that the VLC source is playing. Keep notes on which files appear and whether sound is present so you have something concrete to compare after locking.
Then lock Windows without signing out or choosing Switch user. Leave the computer on its normal power supply and wait long enough to observe more than a single still frame. Check the broadcast from a phone or another computer on a separate session. Look for motion or a change of clip, and listen for audio. The preview on the locked PC is not useful if you cannot see it; remote observation is what establishes whether the audience-facing stream continued.
Unlock the original account and inspect OBS. Did the playlist advance as expected? Did OBS report that it was still streaming? Compare that with what the remote viewer saw. If the remote picture froze, went black or stopped changing while OBS appeared active, record the exact interval and repeat the test after changing only one relevant setting. A controlled repeat is more informative than making several changes at once.
Run the same-session test more than once if the channel depends on unattended playback. Include a period long enough to cover the sort of lock interval you expect in normal use, and test after a reboot if that is part of your routine. A short successful trial establishes only that the machine passed that trial; it does not prove every future lock, update or driver state will behave identically.
If the setup is a devotional or bhajan station, a practical test playlist should include the sort of long and short items you actually intend to broadcast. Verify the picture and sound at a transition, not only during a clip that is already playing. For more on planning that type of channel from a PC, see the Telugu devotional radio channel guide.
Check whether the PC sleeps
A lock-screen test is only meaningful if the PC stays awake. Review Windows power and sleep settings for the power state you will use, and check both when plugged in and on battery if you may run a laptop either way. A display turning off is not necessarily the same as the whole PC sleeping, but lid-close actions and other power policies may put the computer to sleep.
Make a deliberate test with the intended settings. Lock the session and observe the stream remotely while the display is allowed to turn off or the expected idle period passes. Then check Windows’ sleep behaviour separately. Do not treat “the monitor went dark” as proof that the computer slept, or “OBS was still open after I woke it” as proof that it streamed throughout sleep.
For a fixed unattended setup, use the manufacturer’s normal power supply and place the computer where it can stay ventilated. Avoid making a power change you do not understand simply to keep a broadcast alive. If this is a managed work or school machine, an administrator policy may override your choices; confirm what you are permitted to change.
Laptop lid behaviour deserves its own check. Some people stream with a closed lid to save desk space, but the configured lid action may sleep the machine. Test with the lid in the exact position and on the exact power source you expect to use. If you cannot verify sustained playback in that arrangement, keep the lid open or choose another tested operating approach rather than relying on an assumption.
Verify the YouTube stream remotely
A working OBS preview is not the same as a working YouTube Live output. The preview tells you that OBS can render the scene locally. The remote check tells you whether the stream reached the service and whether a viewer can see and hear it. YouTube’s Live streaming Help is the place to check current platform guidance for setting up and monitoring a live broadcast; do not infer account eligibility or acceptance from an OBS playlist test.
Use another device that is not logged into the streaming desktop. Open the live viewing page and check that the image changes, audio is audible, and the stream remains available during the lock test. If the broadcast is private or otherwise restricted for testing, use an account and viewing method that can actually access it. Check the YouTube live control room as well, but do not let a status indicator replace the viewer-side check.
If output fails, isolate where it failed. If the OBS preview itself has stopped, investigate the source or local playback. If OBS still shows the source moving but the YouTube viewer freezes or disconnects, investigate the stream output and network path. If the picture continues but there is no sound, inspect the source audio and OBS mixer separately. These observations narrow the problem without pretending a playlist setting controls the entire broadcast.
OBS’s shuffle and loop controls do not establish rights to use the files or guarantee that YouTube will accept a broadcast. Check current official YouTube guidance for account and live-stream requirements, and make sure you have the appropriate permission for the material. The playlist feature only determines how OBS plays the files you supplied.
Plan a recovery check
An unattended channel needs a way to notice and respond when output changes. Before relying on it, decide how often someone can check the remote stream and what they will do if the picture freezes, OBS stops, the network drops or the PC restarts. Keep the playlist files and the scene configuration in a place you can restore, and record the important settings in plain language.
After a Windows update, graphics-driver change, OBS update, VLC update or major power-setting change, repeat the lock and remote-viewer tests. Those changes can alter the machine’s behaviour even if the playlist properties remain the same. If you run a local always-on setup, the guide to keeping FFmpeg streaming after an SSH session ends illustrates a related principle: distinguish the process continuing from the viewer receiving a healthy stream. Its command-line method is different from OBS, but the monitoring question is shared.
If you find that the computer cannot stay awake, playback does not continue when locked, or you cannot make regular recovery checks, do not label the arrangement reliable based on a single successful test. You can keep the desktop session unlocked in a controlled room, choose a different tested workflow, or use a setup that does not depend on your own PC remaining available. StreamNeo can remove the specific burden of leaving your own computer running by turning an uploaded video into a YouTube-only 24/7 broadcast, but it does not change what OBS does on your Windows machine or grant rights to the video.
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 OBS keep playing when I lock Windows?
It may on a particular machine, but do not assume it will on every Windows PC. Lock the same account you plan to use, then verify playlist motion and audio through the YouTube stream from another device.
Does Shuffle Playlist pick a new random video every time?
OBS describes the control as randomising the media files rather than keeping their file-list order. Do not rely on it as a promise of a fresh independent random selection at every transition; test the playlist behaviour you need.
Why is VLC Video missing from OBS?
The VLC Video source requires VLC to be installed. If you use 64-bit OBS, the OBS documentation says to install 64-bit VLC as well, then reopen OBS and check the source menu.
Does Loop Playlist guarantee seamless playback on YouTube?
No. Loop restarts the source after it has run through the playlist items; it is not a guarantee of gapless transitions or uninterrupted delivery to YouTube. Test the transitions and monitor the viewer-side stream.