A Windows mini PC can play a local playlist through OBS and send it to YouTube Live, but looping the files is only one part of an unattended broadcast. You also need to arrange the YouTube event, configure OBS, and separately work out how Windows will start and recover the encoder; the sources reviewed here do not establish a reliable, automatic Windows workflow.
The practical route is to build and test the playlist first, confirm that YouTube accepts the feed, and rehearse the entire sequence on the mini PC. Treat “unattended” as a goal to validate, not a property guaranteed by enabling a loop.
Confirm YouTube and Windows prerequisites
Before installing software, make sure the channel can go live. YouTube says a channel must be verified and must not have had live-streaming restrictions in the previous 90 days. First-time live-streaming enablement may take up to 24 hours, so do not leave activation until the day you plan to broadcast. Check the current YouTube live-streaming eligibility guidance and the channel’s status in YouTube Studio.
The mini PC needs to run a supported Windows version and have enough capacity for the video settings you intend to use. The reviewed sources establish no minimum processor, memory, graphics hardware, or tested mini-PC model. A small chassis is not evidence that a particular machine can encode a chosen resolution and frame rate; test the actual computer, files, audio, and OBS settings together.
Plan for a stable internet connection, sufficient upload capacity, and a way to observe or reach the computer if something goes wrong. YouTube recommends choosing encoder resolution, frame rate, and bitrate appropriate to the connection. If the channel matters during the night, consider who will notice a failed feed and who can intervene. Neither a scheduled event nor a repeating playlist answers that operational question.
Also check that you have the rights needed for every video and audio track you intend to broadcast. A playlist of files that plays locally is not proof that it is suitable for public streaming or that YouTube will accept it without a claim. Keep original project files and a record of sources and permissions where relevant.
Create or schedule the YouTube Live event
In YouTube Studio, create a live stream or schedule one for the intended date and time. Choose visibility deliberately: public is discoverable, unlisted is available to people with the link, and private restricts access. A scheduled event can appear as upcoming to subscribers, who may choose “Notify me”, but scheduling does not cause the mini PC or OBS to start sending video.
For an encoder stream, YouTube provides a stream URL and stream key. The URL is the destination and the key identifies the stream to YouTube; enter both in OBS later. Treat the key like a password. Do not show it in screenshots, share it in public instructions, or leave it visible in a recording of your setup. YouTube’s encoder setup instructions describe where the key is used.
Review YouTube’s Auto-start and Auto-stop options when creating or editing the event. Those settings concern whether YouTube can start or stop the live stream in response to the encoder; they do not make Windows boot, sign in, open OBS, or restore OBS after a crash. Reusing stream settings may also carry those selections into another event, so verify them rather than assuming a copied event behaves differently.
Write down the event time zone, visibility, selected stream, and where the key is stored securely. This small checklist helps prevent a common setup error: a correctly configured OBS instance sending to the wrong scheduled event or an event that is not visible to the intended audience. If you want to compare a different always-on architecture, the Indian music stream setup guide covers another approach; its steps should not be assumed to apply to this Windows playlist workflow.
Install matching 64-bit VLC for 64-bit OBS
OBS Studio is the encoder in this setup. To make its VLC Video source available, install VLC on the same computer. OBS documents that VLC must be installed for the source to appear and that a 64-bit OBS installation needs 64-bit VLC. Check which OBS build you installed and use the matching VLC architecture rather than troubleshooting an absent source after building the scene.
Download OBS from the OBS Project website and VLC from the VideoLAN download page. Keep the installers and software up to date using their official sources. This guide does not establish particular version combinations or test individual Windows mini PCs, so validate compatibility on the machine you plan to leave running.
Open OBS after installation and check that the VLC Video source type is present when adding a source. If it is missing, close OBS, confirm VLC is installed in the matching architecture, and reopen OBS. Do not assume that installing a different media player supplies the VLC dependency.
A useful initial test uses short sample files rather than the final programme. Confirm that each file opens, that its sound is audible, and that the picture is framed as expected. A local file that works in a normal media player may still have an encoding, audio, or format issue in the actual OBS scene, so use the intended files for the final rehearsal.
Add local files to an OBS VLC Video playlist
Create a scene for the broadcast, then add a VLC Video source. Add the local video files to its playlist and arrange them in the desired order. Keep the files in a stable folder on the mini PC, not in a temporary download directory or on removable storage that may be disconnected. If a file is renamed or moved after setup, the playlist may no longer point to it.
Check each item, not just the first. Let a file play far enough to verify that the picture, audio, and aspect ratio are correct, then confirm that OBS can advance to the next item. A playlist can appear populated while one item is missing or unreadable. You can start with a small test sequence, then replace it with the full set and test again.
OBS’s VLC Video source provides a playlist for multiple items. For a single video, OBS Media Source is another fit and has a Loop option. The choice is practical: use Media Source when one file should repeat; use VLC Video when you need a sequence of files. The recorded-class streaming guide discusses a related continuous-play use case, but the playback details here depend on the OBS source you configure.
Set the source’s visibility behaviour with care. OBS documents options that determine whether VLC playback stops and restarts, pauses and resumes, or continues when its source is hidden. A source can be in a scene and still behave unexpectedly if the scene becomes inactive. Keep the broadcast scene selected during the test and verify what happens if you switch scenes or hide the source. If you do not plan to use scene changes, avoid adding unnecessary scenes to the live workflow.
Set playlist order and looping
For a fixed programme, arrange files in their intended sequence and leave shuffle off. OBS documents shuffle as a setting and it is off by default. For a station that should vary the order, shuffle may suit the editorial plan, but check the result rather than presuming it produces a meaningful sequence. A devotional programme, for example, may need a deliberate order and transitions rather than random selection.
Enable Loop Playlist so the playlist repeats after its final item. OBS documents Loop Playlist as enabled by default for VLC Video, but inspect the setting in your own source. The loop is about playback order: it does not restart OBS after a Windows reboot, reconnect a failed stream, or resolve a file that cannot be decoded. Those are separate failure cases.
| Requirement | OBS source and setting | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat one video | Media Source with Loop enabled | The file restarts at its end and sound is suitable at the join |
| Play several in sequence | VLC Video with the playlist in order | Every file loads and the next item begins |
| Repeat a multi-file sequence | VLC Video with Loop Playlist enabled | The final item returns to the first item |
| Vary the sequence | VLC Video with shuffle selected | The resulting order suits the channel |
Listen at the joins, particularly where one file’s final audio differs from the next file’s opening. Looping may create an abrupt cut even when the source works exactly as configured. If the programme needs a smooth transition, edit the source files or use a deliberate scene design, then test the resulting sequence in OBS.
Configure OBS output and connect to YouTube
In OBS, open the stream settings and select YouTube or the appropriate custom encoder destination, then enter the stream URL and key supplied by YouTube. Keep the key private. Confirm the correct event is selected in YouTube Studio and that OBS is sending to that event before starting the broadcast.
Set output resolution, frame rate, video encoder, bitrate, and audio configuration based on the actual mini PC and connection. YouTube’s encoder guidance lists supported video codecs for RTMP/RTMPS, including H.264, H.265, and AV1, and audio options including AAC and MP3. That does not mean every mini PC can encode every codec or resolution well. A setting appearing in OBS is not a performance test.
Start conservatively with settings the computer and connection can sustain, and inspect OBS’s indicators and YouTube’s stream health during a rehearsal. A high-resolution output is not useful if the feed drops frames or the upload connection cannot carry it consistently. YouTube recommends RTMPS; check its current streaming encoder settings guidance and match the choices to your upload capacity.
YouTube’s operational advice is to set up the encoder at least two hours before a livestream, start the encoder at least 15 minutes before its scheduled start, and check the Live Control Room preview before starting the stream. It also advises continuously monitoring audio and video quality. Follow the current live-streaming tips for computers, then stop the encoder after the event has stopped on YouTube. These are preparation and monitoring recommendations, not a promise that a long unattended run will remain healthy.
Automate Windows startup and test the full flow
The local playlist loop is the part OBS documents directly. Windows startup is a separate problem: after a power loss, update, restart, or sign-out, the computer may not be in the state you left it. You need to determine how the target machine will boot, reach the desktop, launch OBS, load the correct scene, and resume or begin the encoder without unsafe exposure of the stream key.
The official sources reviewed for this article do not establish exact Windows steps for automatic sign-in, preventing sleep, launching OBS after reboot, or reopening OBS after a crash. They also do not verify a one-click automation workflow for this use. Windows Task Scheduler, power settings, sign-in behaviour, or a third-party relaunch method may be relevant to a particular machine, but they should not be presented here as a tested prescription. Consult current Windows documentation for your version and test any chosen method on the actual device.
Make a written runbook for the intended operating arrangement. Record what should happen after a normal restart, what requires a person to sign in, how to confirm OBS is streaming, and who can intervene. Consider whether Windows updates might restart the machine during the planned broadcast. Do not disable security or updates blindly to keep a stream running; decide how maintenance will be scheduled and how the stream will be checked afterwards.
Run a complete rehearsal that includes a restart, not just a playback test. From the expected starting state, verify that Windows reaches the required state, OBS opens the intended scene, the playlist plays and loops, audio reaches YouTube, the correct event is live, and a viewer can see and hear it. A second person or device can check the public viewer experience while you inspect the Live Control Room. If OBS or Windows needs manual attention during this rehearsal, record that dependency rather than calling the result unattended.
For the specific pain of keeping a home computer switched off while a file continues as a YouTube live feed, StreamNeo can take the uploaded video and run the broadcast after you provide the stream key; it is YouTube-only, and the Windows startup and playlist procedure described here is not a claim about its workflow.
Limits and unattended-stream checks
A successful test proves only the conditions you tested. It does not establish that every media error, network interruption, power interruption, Windows restart, OBS crash, or YouTube-side issue will recover without intervention. The sources document OBS playlist playback and YouTube encoder streaming, not an end-to-end unattended reliability guarantee for a specific mini PC.
Before leaving a stream running, make a check plan that fits its audience and consequences. Decide how often someone will inspect stream health, whether a viewer can report a silent or frozen picture, and how the person on call will reach the computer. Keep a safe copy of the stream key and avoid putting it in public notes. If a recovery action has not been rehearsed, do not assume it will work at 03:00.
The planned duration matters. YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. The reviewed guidance does not establish that a longer stream will be archived as one uninterrupted video, so do not promise that outcome for a 24/7 broadcast. If an archive is important, check YouTube’s current live-streaming archive guidance and plan around the stated limit rather than relying on an assumption.
Compare the Windows mini PC route with the practical alternatives before investing time in it. Running OBS locally gives you control over source order and the scene, but your computer, power, connection, Windows behaviour, and recovery plan all matter. Other continuous-stream formats may use different tools; the OBS crash recovery article is useful context for thinking about failures, not evidence that a Windows machine will recover automatically. For a broader view of physical equipment choices, see the live-streaming equipment guide.
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 loop a playlist automatically?
OBS documents Loop Playlist for the VLC Video source and says it is enabled by default. Check the source setting yourself, then run the full list long enough to see it return to the first item. That setting repeats media; it does not restart OBS or reconnect YouTube.
Does a scheduled YouTube Live event start my Windows mini PC?
No. Scheduling creates an event and may let subscribers see it as upcoming, but it does not establish that Windows will boot, open OBS, or send a feed. Those startup steps need their own documented, tested arrangement.
Can I leave the stream running without monitoring it?
The reviewed sources do not support that assurance. YouTube recommends checking the preview before going live and continuously monitoring audio and video quality. Build a monitoring and recovery plan that reflects how important the channel is.
Will YouTube archive a 24/7 stream as one video?
The cited YouTube guidance says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived; it does not establish a single uninterrupted archive for streams at or above that duration. Check YouTube’s current archive guidance and plan separately if preserving the full broadcast is important.