For a local-file playlist in OBS, use a VLC Video source to play the files and place a Text source above it to display the current title. The text source can read a plain text file, but OBS does not automatically fill that file with the title of each playlist item.
That distinction matters: playing the playlist, identifying the current item and displaying its title are separate jobs. You can make the overlay look right with OBS alone; keeping its text in step with changing videos requires you to update the file or test a separate metadata process.
Build the playlist with the right source
For files stored on your computer, start with OBS’s VLC Video source. It lets you make a playlist of media items within the scene. VLC must be installed, and OBS’s guidance specifies that 64-bit OBS needs 64-bit VLC. Check the OBS Media Sources guide for the source’s current options and requirements; labels can differ as OBS changes.
Add the VLC Video source to the scene and add the files in the order you want them played. Decide whether the list should loop or shuffle, and check what should happen when the source becomes hidden—for example, when you switch scenes. A devotional loop may need to return to the first track in a fixed order, while a study or ambience channel may prefer a different sequence. These are playback choices, not title-overlay settings.
If you are setting up a channel around a fixed sequence of songs, the workflow in how to loop Hindi songs on a 24/7 YouTube stream from a VPS in India may help with the broader playlist arrangement. The important point here is to settle the playback order first: the title display can only match the current item if the process supplying the title knows what the playlist is playing.
This route is specifically for media files in VLC Video. If your “playlist” is actually a YouTube page open in a browser, the VLC playlist instructions do not apply to that playback. Do not assume that OBS can read the title from a browser tab and display it automatically; you will need a tested way to provide that title to the overlay.
Put a text label over the video
Once the playlist plays, add an OBS Text source to the same scene and place it above the VLC Video source in the Sources list. OBS renders sources in layers, so a text source underneath the video can be hidden by it. The OBS Sources Guide covers adding and arranging sources, including text from a text file.
In the Text source’s properties, choose its text-file option and select a plain text file containing the title you want shown. Keep the file somewhere stable rather than in a temporary folder. Enter a short test title, then check the preview to confirm that the text is legible against the video and sits within the canvas. If the label needs a background, outline or different position, adjust the text source’s styling and transform in OBS.
The file is the source of the words, not a playlist detector. If it says “Morning Bhajan” while the next item is playing, the overlay will still show “Morning Bhajan” until something changes the file. OBS documents how to display text from a file; the documentation does not describe a universal connection that writes the VLC playlist’s active filename or title to that file.
For a small playlist that changes only occasionally, updating the file by hand may be the simplest approach. For a channel that runs unattended through many items, manual edits are a weak fit: a person must know when the item changes and update the text. You can use an external process or a script, but verify that it identifies the right item and updates the file reliably with your actual playlist and OBS version. Do not treat an untested automation as a built-in OBS feature.
Choose a text file or a browser overlay
A text source is usually enough for a title card or a simple line of text. A Browser Source is worth considering if the label needs a more designed layout—for example, a title panel with additional visual elements. It can load a URL or local HTML file, and OBS describes it as “one of the most versatile sources available in OBS” in its Browser Source documentation.
| Approach | Useful when | What supplies the current title | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text source reading a file | You need a simple label | A person or separate process changes the file | Fewer presentation components, with less layout flexibility |
| Browser Source loading HTML | You need custom layout or richer styling | The page or a separate process receives the title | More control over presentation, but the title still needs a reliable source |
A browser overlay does not solve title detection by itself. A local HTML page can draw a polished label, but it needs the current title to be passed into the page somehow. If the source of the title is stale or wrong, better styling will only make the wrong title more prominent.
Similarly, the existence of OBS’s browser support does not mean every overlay, plugin or script works with every version and operating system. The obs-browser project describes the official browser component and its distribution, but that is not a guarantee about third-party tools. Check the tool’s own compatibility notes and test it in the same environment you use for the live scene.
Keep display separate from title detection
It helps to divide the task into three questions. First, what is playing the media? For local files, that may be VLC Video. Second, how does your setup know which item is currently playing? That might be a person following the playlist or a tested metadata process. Third, how does the title appear in the scene? That is the job of the Text source or Browser Source.
OBS’s source API documents playback events such as media_started, media_ended and media_next in its Source API Reference. A developer can use playback events as triggers for custom work. Those event names alone do not establish that OBS has access to a YouTube video’s human-readable title, or that a ready-made mechanism will update your text file. Confirm what data the particular integration receives and how it maps that data to your item names.
If you need an automated title change, test the full sequence rather than only checking that a script runs. Use a short playlist with distinct, unmistakable titles, then observe whether the text changes at the right transition and remains correct after looping, skipping and restarting playback. If you also change scenes, test whether the source continues playing while hidden, according to the visibility behaviour you selected. A title that updates only in one scene is not a complete solution for a channel that uses several scenes.
For a local playlist, naming files consistently can make a manual process or custom mapping easier to inspect. It does not make OBS automatically understand the title. If filenames contain internal notes or encoding labels, use a separate display name rather than exposing the raw filename to viewers.
Account for scenes and playlist behaviour
A title overlay belongs to a scene, so check that the scene used for the live output contains both the playlist and its label. If the playlist source is reused in another scene, confirm whether the text source is also present there. Previewing one scene in the editor does not prove that the scene currently sent to YouTube has the same arrangement.
Check the VLC Video source’s loop, shuffle and visibility behaviour against the schedule you intend to run. A fixed-order list and a shuffled list create different demands on title tracking. If the sequence can jump or restart, a manual title change based only on a clock or expected duration may drift. The text should be driven by what is actually playing, or checked by an operator when the sequence changes.
If you are still deciding how to arrange a playlist rather than overlay its title, setting OBS to loop a video folder in random order for YouTube Live covers a related playback choice. Keep that choice separate from the overlay design: changing a folder’s order does not update a text file unless your chosen update method accounts for the changed order.
The same separation applies to visual layout. If you change the canvas or output dimensions, recheck the title’s position and size in the stream preview. The guidance on OBS canvas and output resolution for a 24/7 YouTube loop is relevant when the overlay is clipped or scaled unexpectedly. A title can be present in the scene yet difficult to read if it sits outside the visible canvas or is too small at the delivered resolution.
Test a changing source before relying on it
A single still title in the preview proves only that the overlay can render text. It does not prove that the title will stay current as a playlist advances. Make a short test list with distinct titles, and watch more than one transition. Confirm that the displayed words match the item that has actually begun, not merely the next item in the planned sequence.
If you update the text manually, rehearse the exact handover: note when the file needs changing, make the edit and confirm the preview reflects it. For an unattended broadcast, decide honestly whether someone will be available to do this. If not, the manual workflow may still be useful for a static label, but it is not a reliable way to show every changing track title overnight.
If a separate tool or script supplies titles, test edge cases that can make the display stale: a skipped item, a playback restart, an item with punctuation or non-Latin text, and a scene change. Those tests are not a guarantee that an integration will always work; they help expose basic mismatches before a long broadcast. Record the OBS version, operating system and tool version you tested, then repeat the checks after changing any of them.
When the title is late or remains unchanged, troubleshoot the update mechanism before rebuilding the visual overlay. If the file contents are correct but the display is not, inspect the selected file path and the Text source properties. If the display renders exactly what is in the file but the file is old, the overlay is doing its job and the missing piece is title detection or the update process.
Verify what viewers will see
Check the composed scene in OBS, then make a short private or otherwise controlled test according to YouTube’s current options. Confirm that the title is readable on the outgoing picture and that it changes in step with the video. Do not infer that viewers will see a title merely because the text appears in an editor panel; verify the scene that is actually being sent.
If the source is YouTube in a browser rather than local media, test that exact arrangement. The VLC Video route does not identify a browser’s current YouTube title. A browser overlay or custom integration may be possible, but the OBS references cited here do not establish one universally supported method. Avoid relying on a plugin simply because its name suggests that it reads titles; establish that it works with your browser playback, OBS build, operating system and playlist behaviour.
If the title appears correctly during a local preview but not in the live output, check that the correct scene is active and that the overlay is included in that scene. Also confirm that any local HTML or text file remains available to OBS after a restart, and that the page or process feeding it has not stopped. For broader playback continuity rather than title display, see how to set OBS reconnect delay for a YouTube 24/7 video playlist; reconnect behaviour and title updates are separate things to test.
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FAQ
Can OBS automatically show the current title from a VLC playlist?
OBS can play a VLC playlist and can display text from a file, but its documented workflow does not automatically connect the active playlist item to that text. You need to change the file yourself or use a separate, tested process to supply the title.
Does the VLC Video setup work for a YouTube playlist open in a browser?
No. VLC Video is the documented route for a playlist of media items, not a drop-in method for reading the title of browser playback. For browser playback, investigate a title integration only after confirming it works with your specific setup.
Should I use a Text source or Browser Source?
Use a Text source when a plain label meets your needs and a file can provide its contents. Choose Browser Source if you need a more customised layout, while remembering that it still needs a reliable way to receive the current title.
Why is the title visible in OBS but wrong for the video playing?
The overlay displays the text it has been given; it does not necessarily know which playlist item is active. Check whether the text file or separate title process updated at the transition, then test skips, loops and scene changes.