For rotating recorded gameplay on YouTube Live, use OBS Studio’s VLC Video source to play local VOD files in a playlist. Set the stream title and gaming category separately in YouTube Studio, because moving to the next playlist item does not automatically change the metadata viewers see.
You can keep the playlist in a fixed order, shuffle it, or loop it when it reaches the end. The important part is to treat playback and YouTube metadata as two different jobs, especially when one channel carries recordings from several games.
Install VLC before setting up OBS
OBS’s VLC Video source depends on VLC being installed on the same computer. If VLC is not installed, the source may not appear in OBS, so installing OBS alone is not enough for this workflow.
Download VLC from the official VideoLAN page and install the edition that matches your OBS architecture. OBS documents the VLC Video source and notes that a 64-bit VLC installation is needed when you are using 64-bit OBS. Most current Windows installations of OBS are 64-bit, but check rather than assuming.
After installing VLC, restart OBS if it was already open. Then click the plus button in the Sources panel and look for VLC Video. If it is missing, first confirm that VLC is installed, then check whether OBS and VLC use matching 32-bit or 64-bit architecture. Reinstalling one application without checking the other can leave the source unavailable.
The OBS media sources guide is the primary reference for the source’s available controls. It also covers other media sources, but for a playlist of existing VOD recordings, VLC Video is the relevant option.
Do this test before preparing a long overnight broadcast. Add one short file, confirm that it plays in the OBS preview, and listen for its audio. A simple test isolates installation problems from playlist or YouTube connection problems.
Add your local VOD files to a VLC playlist
Create a folder for the recordings you intend to rebroadcast. Use clear filenames that include the game and, if useful, the recording title. For example:
Gaming VODs/
├── minecraft-village-build.mp4
├── stardew-valley-autumn-day.mp4
└── euro-truck-simulator-night-drive.mp4
The files should be recordings you have permission to use on the live channel. Ownership of a file does not automatically give you permission to rebroadcast someone else’s gameplay, commentary, music, overlays, or other material. Check the rights for each recording before adding it to a public stream.
In OBS, add a scene for the gaming stream, or open the scene where the videos should appear. In the Sources panel, choose VLC Video and give the source a useful name such as Gaming VOD playlist. A descriptive source name helps later if the scene contains a chat box, logo, alert layer, or separate audio source.
The VLC Video source presents a playlist area where you can add multiple media files. Add the local recordings and review their order. If the list is empty, the source has nothing to play even if VLC is correctly installed.
Use the preview to check the practical details that are easy to miss:
- Does each file display at the intended aspect ratio?
- Is the gameplay visible inside the canvas rather than cropped unexpectedly?
- Is the commentary audible without clipping?
- Does the next file start when the previous one ends?
- Do files with different resolutions leave unwanted borders?
- Does the source remain visible in the scene you will actually stream?
A playlist is not a video editor. If one recording has a different layout, colour, or audio level, OBS will still move to it when its turn arrives. Decide whether that variation is acceptable, or prepare the files so that the viewing experience is consistent before you build the live schedule.
If your wider plan is an always-on channel made from recordings, the guide on creating an always-on YouTube channel with pre-recorded videos gives useful context for organising a larger library. For this setup, however, the immediate task is simply to make the VLC source play every intended file locally.
Choose loop and shuffle deliberately
Loop Playlist and Shuffle Playlist control how VLC moves through the local list. They are separate settings, so decide what each one should do rather than enabling both by habit.
With Loop Playlist enabled, VLC starts the playlist again after the final item. This is the setting for a channel that should continue playing the same library rather than stop when the last VOD finishes.
With Shuffle Playlist enabled, VLC chooses the playback order randomly rather than following the list from top to bottom. This can prevent viewers from seeing the same sequence each time the playlist restarts, but it also makes the next game less predictable.
| Playback plan | Loop Playlist | Shuffle Playlist | Useful when | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed sequence that stops | Off | Off | You want a one-run test or a finite programme | Playback ends after the final file |
| Fixed sequence that repeats | On | Off | You want a planned rotation of games or episodes | Viewers may notice the same order repeating |
| Random order that repeats | On | On | You have a mixed library and want less predictable repetition | You cannot reliably predict which game comes next |
| Random order that stops | Off | On | You want one varied pass through the library | The stream needs another source or action after the final item |
For a channel with different games, fixed order is easier to describe accurately. You can know that a particular recording follows another one, which helps if you plan to update the YouTube title or monitor the stream manually. Shuffle is simpler operationally once configured, but it makes metadata planning harder because the next item is not known in advance.
Test the end of the playlist rather than assuming it works. Use short sample clips, place them in the chosen order, and watch what happens after the final clip. Confirm that Loop Playlist actually returns to the first item, and confirm that Shuffle Playlist produces the behaviour you intend.
OBS also documents behaviour for media sources when they are hidden. Depending on the source settings and scene arrangement, playback may stop, pause, or continue while the source is not visible. If you use multiple scenes, check this explicitly. A source that pauses whenever another scene is selected may not behave as expected during an overnight broadcast.
Match OBS and VLC architecture
The architecture check is small but important. A 64-bit OBS installation should use the matching 64-bit VLC installation for the VLC Video source. If you are running 32-bit OBS, use the corresponding VLC architecture instead.
On a Windows computer, check the OBS installation and VLC installation details through their normal application or system information. The exact menu wording can vary by operating system and release. The practical test is whether VLC Video appears as a source and can open a local file.
If it does not appear, work through these checks in order:
- Close OBS completely.
- Confirm VLC is installed, rather than only downloaded.
- Confirm the OBS and VLC architectures match.
- Open OBS again and check the Sources menu.
- Add one local file before adding the full playlist.
- Confirm that the file path still exists and that the account running OBS can access it.
Avoid moving the VOD folder after the playlist has been configured. A playlist that points to a local path can fail if the drive letter changes, an external drive is disconnected, or the folder is renamed. For an always-on setup, keep the files on storage that remains available to the computer throughout the broadcast.
This is also where you decide whether the local computer is the right operating model. OBS can play the files, but it still depends on the computer, its power settings, its network connection, and the Windows or macOS session remaining available. The article on setting up an always-on YouTube channel with a spare PC covers the wider operational questions around leaving a machine running.
If you do not want to keep your own computer switched on for the full broadcast, StreamNeo removes that particular playback burden by letting you upload the prepared video, connect the YouTube stream, and leave the channel running without a local OBS machine to supervise. It is still your responsibility to confirm that the content and YouTube metadata accurately describe the broadcast.
Set the YouTube title and category in Live Control Room
YouTube’s stream metadata is configured in YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room, not in the VLC playlist. Create a stream or select an existing stream, then set the title, description, visibility, and stream type or category as appropriate for the broadcast.
YouTube’s guidance says to choose the type of stream, such as Gaming or People & Blogs, to reach the relevant audience. You can review the current controls in YouTube Help’s stream settings guidance, because the names and placement of settings can change.
For a gaming VOD rotation, the category should describe the content viewers are receiving. If every file is from the same game, a title such as Minecraft Building VODs — 24/7 Replay is more informative than a generic title such as Gaming Live. If the playlist contains several games, say so plainly rather than presenting the broadcast as though it covers only one of them.
The title and category are not labels attached to individual files in the OBS playlist. They describe the YouTube live broadcast. Set them before connecting OBS, then open the live preview and check the public-facing details before going live.
To connect OBS, use the YouTube stream URL and stream key provided in the Live Control Room. YouTube’s encoder streaming instructions describe this connection. Treat the stream key as private: anyone who obtains it may be able to send content to that stream.
A useful pre-live sequence is:
- Open or schedule the YouTube stream.
- Set the title, description, visibility, and gaming category.
- Copy the stream URL and stream key into OBS.
- Start the OBS stream.
- Wait for the YouTube preview.
- Watch a section of the video and confirm that the public details are accurate.
- Start the YouTube broadcast when the preview and content are ready.
Do not rely only on the OBS preview. OBS confirms what your computer is sending, while YouTube confirms what the platform has received and is presenting to viewers.
Playlist playback does not update YouTube metadata
The central distinction is simple: the VLC playlist controls the local media source, while YouTube’s Live Control Room controls the stream metadata. When VLC advances from one VOD to the next, the picture and sound change, but the YouTube title and game category do not thereby change.
Nothing in the documented OBS playlist controls establishes an automatic link between a playlist item and YouTube’s displayed game or title. Do not tell viewers that the metadata will follow the next recording unless you have separately tested and verified an integration that performs that job.
For example, suppose the playlist contains a Minecraft recording followed by a Stardew Valley recording. VLC can move to the Stardew Valley file without difficulty. The YouTube page may still show the title and category that were set for the overall broadcast. A viewer arriving at that point could therefore see the wrong game information.
There are three practical ways to handle this:
- Keep the playlist focused on one game, so one title and category remain accurate throughout.
- Use a broad but honest title for a mixed-game rotation and explain the format in the description.
- Change the YouTube metadata manually when the content changes, if you are actively monitoring the broadcast.
A separately verified automation method may be possible in a particular setup, but treat it as an additional project. Verify what it changes, when it changes it, how it handles failures, and whether it is still supported before depending on it overnight. Do not confuse a plugin’s claim with a control documented by OBS or YouTube.
Keep the displayed metadata accurate
Accuracy matters most when the playlist mixes games. The easiest reliable rule is to make the playlist and the public title tell the same story. If the stream is only a Minecraft replay channel, name it accordingly. If it rotates Minecraft, Stardew Valley, and Euro Truck Simulator, make the rotation visible in the title or description.
A mixed title might be:
Gaming VOD Rotation — Minecraft, Stardew Valley and Truck Sim Replays
That wording does not claim that one particular game is playing at every moment. It also gives viewers enough information to decide whether the channel matches what they want to watch.
If you change the title or category manually, use a simple log. Record the playlist order, the expected transition, the time you changed the metadata, and the result you observed in the Live Control Room. This is especially useful when recordings have different lengths or when shuffle is enabled.
Do not update metadata based only on an expected time. A VOD may start late because the previous file ended differently from your estimate, or the source may pause when hidden. Check the actual picture in the YouTube preview or public stream before changing the label.
The article on live stream title formulas for 24/7 channels can help you make the wording clear without implying a game is playing when it is not. The goal is not to make the title sound broad or dramatic. It is to make the title a fair description of the broadcast format.
Also think about local viewing habits. If your audience includes viewers in India, use terms they are likely to recognise, and make the schedule or rotation plain when it matters. The guide to choosing a start time for Indian viewers is relevant to scheduling, but it does not remove the need to keep the live metadata accurate.
Test the overnight hand-off before going live
Run a complete local test with at least two files. The first should end naturally, and the second should begin without a blank screen, missing audio, or an unexpected scene change. If Loop Playlist is enabled, test the return to the first file as well.
Check the following before committing to a long broadcast:
- VLC Video appears in OBS and opens every file.
- The playlist order or shuffle setting is correct.
- Loop Playlist matches your intended end behaviour.
- Hidden-source behaviour does not pause or stop the media unexpectedly.
- The scene containing the VLC source is the scene being streamed.
- The local VOD folder will remain available.
- OBS can connect using the current YouTube stream URL and key.
- The YouTube preview shows the correct picture and sound.
- The YouTube title and category describe the full rotation.
- You have a plan for a wrong file, a dropped connection, or an inaccurate title.
Keep a local recording when the broadcast matters. YouTube says streams shorter than 12 hours can be automatically archived and recommends keeping a local backup, while a stream longer than 12 hours may not be captured at all. Read the current YouTube archive guidance before relying on the platform as your only copy.
If a playlist fails overnight, note where it failed. A source problem, an unavailable file, a hidden-scene setting, and a YouTube connection problem require different fixes. Recording the OBS log and keeping the files organised will make the next test more useful than simply restarting everything.
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FAQ
Can OBS show the name of the game that is currently playing?
OBS can show text on the video through a text source or an overlay that you prepare, but the VLC playlist itself does not automatically update YouTube’s displayed title or category. If you need the current game on screen, prepare the overlay or scene changes separately and test them with the playlist.
Does Shuffle Playlist change the YouTube game category?
No. Shuffle changes the order in which VLC plays the local files. YouTube’s title and category remain the metadata configured in Live Control Room unless you change them through a separately verified method.
Why is VLC Video missing from OBS?
VLC needs to be installed before the source becomes available. Also check that VLC and OBS use matching architecture, such as 64-bit VLC with 64-bit OBS, then restart OBS and test with one local file.
Can I rotate VODs from different games under one stream title?
You can, but the title and description should clearly describe the mixed rotation rather than naming only one game. If accurate game-specific metadata is essential, use separate streams or monitor the broadcast and update the metadata when the actual content changes.