If you want OBS to move from one video or scene to the next without manual clicks, you can use an event- or timer-based Lua or Python script. OBS includes a Scripts workflow, but automatic switching when a video ends is not a default OBS control.
A community example called Media Switch Scene is designed to change the active scene after a selected media file finishes. It can be useful for sequential clips, but its last listed update was in 2021, so you should check compatibility with your installed OBS version and test the complete setup before relying on it during a live broadcast.
What OBS scripts can automate
OBS scripts extend the actions that OBS can perform when something happens. Depending on the script, that may mean changing the active scene, selecting a source, starting or stopping media, changing a property, or responding to a timer. OBS describes scripting as a way to extend or automate the programme without building a native plugin module. Its scripting guide covers both LuaJIT 2 and Python 3.
The important distinction is between a media source and a scene. A media source is the video or audio file that OBS plays. A scene is the layout that OBS sends to the output. If you have three videos, you might create three scenes, each containing one Media Source, then have a script select the next scene when the current file ends.
That scene change is a separate operation from the end of playback. The media file reaching its final frame does not, by itself, tell OBS to choose another scene. A script or another control must receive or check the playback state and then call the scene change. OBS transitions determine how the programme moves from the current scene to the next one.
This is why a script can appear to do nothing even when the video plays correctly. The file may finish, but the script may be watching a different source name, changing a scene that is not in the live output, or expecting a playback signal that the source does not provide in the expected form.
Before writing or installing anything, make a small map of your setup:
| Item | Example | What the script needs to know |
|---|---|---|
| Media source | Morning Loop |
The exact source name and playback state |
| Current scene | Video 01 |
The scene containing the playing source |
| Next scene | Video 02 |
The scene to select after the trigger |
| Trigger | File reaches its end | The event or timer condition |
| Transition | Cut or fade | How the scene change appears on output |
Use simple, unique names. A script that expects Video 01 will not necessarily find a source called video 01, Video01, or Morning Clip. Names, scene membership and source types are part of the configuration, not merely labels for your own convenience.
If your objective is simply to keep a collection of nature, devotional or study videos playing, first consider whether scene scripting is necessary. The workflow in how to loop a playlist of nature videos on YouTube Live may be closer to what you need if a playlist can handle the sequence without custom event logic.
Choose an event or timer trigger
The right trigger depends on what “automatically switch” means in your channel. For a sequence of separate clips, the natural trigger is the end of the current media file. For a programme that changes at fixed times, a timer may be more suitable. A hotkey, schedule or external signal is another design, but each needs different script logic.
Playback-ended triggers
A playback-ended trigger is tied to the media source reaching the end. It suits a sequence such as an opening announcement, a recorded lesson and a closing slide. The script needs to identify the correct source and then select the scene or source that should follow it.
This method is sensitive to playback settings. If the media source is set to loop, it may never produce the end condition that you expect. If it is configured to restart when the scene becomes active, returning to that scene can start the file again. A blank or very short file can also make a transition appear to happen immediately.
Timer triggers
A timer trigger changes scenes after a duration rather than after the file reports that it has ended. This is useful when every segment has a known running time, or when you want a fixed rotation regardless of whether a clip ends early.
The trade-off is that the timer and the media can drift apart. A video that runs longer than expected may be cut off. A video that ends early may leave a gap before the timer fires. Timers also become awkward when you edit the files or insert a new item into the sequence, because the durations need to be updated separately.
Other event sources
A script can also respond to a hotkey, an OBS timer callback or another event exposed by the scripting interface. These options are useful when you are building a more involved production, but they are not interchangeable with a ready-made media-end script. Do not assume that a script written for one trigger can be changed to another by renaming a setting.
For a long-running channel, decide whether a missed event should stop the programme, repeat the current item, show a holding scene or move to a fallback. That decision belongs in the test plan. A script that changes scenes correctly in the normal case may still leave an empty output if the source is missing or the next scene name is wrong.
Understand the media-end scene-switch example
Media Switch Scene is a community example for changing the active scene when a selected media file has ended. It is not part of the standard OBS controls, and installing OBS alone does not add this behaviour. Treat it as an example that may fit your configuration, not as a guaranteed current solution.
The basic arrangement is straightforward. Put a video in a Media Source, place that source in a scene, and create another scene containing the next video or visual. The script watches the selected media source. When the source reaches the relevant end state, the script changes the active scene to the scene you have configured.
That design gives you a chain of scene changes, but it does not automatically create the chain for you. You still need to build the scenes, assign the correct source, choose the destination, and decide how each scene behaves when it becomes active. If you want four clips in order, verify the link from the first scene to the second, the second to the third, and the third to the fourth.
The example also has a maintenance concern. Its forum listing was last updated in 2021. OBS scripting APIs, operating systems and source behaviour can change, so a script that worked for its author may need checking against your current release. The age of the example is not proof that it is broken, but it is a reason not to make it the untested foundation of an overnight broadcast.
Keep the script’s job narrow. A scene-switch script should not also be responsible for changing encoder settings, repairing missing files, managing your YouTube account and rebuilding the whole programme. Smaller responsibilities make it easier to identify whether a fault is in the media source, the scene map, the dependency or the script itself.
If your channel needs manual replacement of a clip while the broadcast continues, compare this approach with how to change videos in a YouTube Live stream without ending it. A manual workflow may be preferable when the sequence changes often and a person is already monitoring the channel.
Install and check its Audio Status Monitor dependency
The Media Switch Scene forum page says that it requires Audio Status Monitor. That dependency is easy to overlook because the main script may load into OBS while its required monitor is missing or incorrectly configured.
Treat the dependency as part of the installation, not an optional extra. Check the script’s own instructions for the supported file, installation location and configuration steps. Then restart OBS if the instructions require it and return to Tools > Scripts to confirm that both the main script and the dependency are visible.
The monitor’s purpose is relevant to the trigger. A media source can have several states, and a script may use audio or playback status to decide whether the file has really finished. If the dependency cannot observe the source correctly, the scene change may not occur even though the video is visible in the preview.
Check these points before you test the live output:
- The dependency is installed in the location expected by the script.
- OBS can load the dependency without an error message.
- The script can see the source you selected.
- The source is the type the script expects.
- The destination scene exists and has the exact configured name.
- The media file is not looping when you expect an end event.
- The audio and video files are available from the same paths after a restart.
Do not download a similarly named dependency from an unrelated site simply because it appears in a search result. Use the project’s instructions and inspect what the script requires. If you cannot establish which dependency version matches the example, pause the installation rather than experimenting on the public channel.
A dependency can also make troubleshooting less obvious. If the main script loads but the monitor does not, you may see no useful scene change. Look at the Scripts panel and OBS logs for errors, and test with one short file and two simple scenes before adding your full playlist.
Verify script and OBS compatibility
OBS’s official scripting guide documents LuaJIT 2 support and Python 3 support. LuaJIT is embedded in OBS, while Python on Windows or macOS requires a compatible Python installation and a configured path in OBS. This makes Lua the simpler runtime choice for a script that is already written in Lua, but it does not make every Lua script compatible with every OBS release.
Use the language the script was written for unless you have a clear reason to port it. Rewriting a Lua script in Python is not a settings change. It means translating the logic and testing the calls against the Python interface. Similarly, installing Python will not repair a Lua script that uses an outdated API assumption.
For Python, check the architecture requirement carefully. OBS and Python need to match in the way described by the OBS documentation. If OBS is using one architecture and Python is installed in another, the script may fail to load or may behave unpredictably. Configure the Python path in OBS rather than assuming the system path is sufficient.
For Lua or Python, inspect the script’s expected OBS version, source types and settings. A script may refer to functions, signals or object properties that differ from those available in your installation. The Media Switch Scene example’s 2021 update date makes this check particularly important.
OBS warns that badly written scripts can leak memory or crash the programme. If you are modifying a script, pay attention to object references and release references to objects that the API says you have acquired or created. For a non-technical operator, the practical advice is simpler: avoid changing code during a live broadcast, and keep a known working copy of the original script.
Compatibility also includes the operating system and the media itself. Test the exact video format, audio track, file path and OBS build that you plan to use. A script may appear compatible with OBS while the media source fails because the file is unavailable, unsupported or stored on a drive that is not mounted after a restart.
Test source changes before going live
Build a small test project before touching your main channel collection. Use two scenes and two short local files. Name the scenes clearly, disable looping for the test media, and set a visible transition so you can tell when the change occurs.
Start by confirming ordinary OBS behaviour without the script. Open the first scene, play the first file, switch manually to the second scene and confirm that the second file appears and plays as intended. This separates media and scene problems from scripting problems.
Then load the script and configure only the first transition. Watch the OBS preview and the programme output while the file reaches its end. Confirm all of the following:
- The correct source is being monitored.
- The transition happens once rather than repeatedly.
- The next scene is selected.
- The next media source starts according to its settings.
- Audio follows the intended scene.
- The source does not remain frozen on its final frame.
- OBS remains responsive after the transition.
Repeat the test from a clean OBS restart. A script may work after manual configuration but fail when the programme opens the project from its saved state. Restarting also tests whether file paths, dependency loading and Python configuration survive the same process your overnight stream will use.
Test an error case as well. Temporarily rename the next file, remove the destination scene from a copy of the project, or use a source with looping enabled. You are not trying to make the error happen on the public channel. You are learning what the script does when its assumptions are false. If it crashes OBS, stop using it until you understand the cause.
For YouTube, configure the encoder separately from the scene automation. YouTube’s encoder setup guidance explains how to obtain the stream URL and stream key. Treat the key like a password and do not paste it into a public tutorial, screenshot or script repository.
Use a private or unlisted test and watch the preview in YouTube Live Control Room. YouTube advises creators to test before starting a live stream and to monitor stream health and messages during the event. Its live encoder settings guidance covers video, audio, bitrate and keyframe settings. Those encoder settings are separate from the script’s scene-change logic.
Plan the test early enough to correct a fault. YouTube’s live-stream tips recommend setting up an encoder at least two hours ahead and starting it at least 15 minutes before a scheduled event. These are platform recommendations, not guarantees that a script or connection will remain healthy. If live streaming has not been enabled on the channel before, YouTube says first-time enablement can take up to 24 hours.
For an overnight channel, the test should include the point where you expect to stop watching. Observe several transitions, then check the stream again after the computer has been idle. If leaving OBS running through the night is the specific problem, StreamNeo removes the need to keep your own computer running for the uploaded video and channel broadcast, but it does not turn an OBS script into a YouTube feature.
Use built-in playback controls where sufficient
A custom script is not always the best answer. OBS Media Source already provides playback controls for local supported files, including options related to restarting and looping. Read the OBS media sources documentation and check whether one source can meet your requirement before adding code.
VLC Video can use playlists, which may suit a set of clips that should play in order. VLC Video requires VLC to be installed, and OBS’s guidance specifies the appropriate VLC installation for the OBS architecture. That dependency is another thing to test after installation and after updates.
The choice is usually between a simpler playback arrangement and more precise scene control. A playlist can be easier to maintain when every item belongs in the same layout. Separate scenes and a script are more useful when each item needs different overlays, audio sources or transitions.
| Requirement | Built-in or simpler approach | Scripted approach |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat one file | Media Source loop | Usually unnecessary |
| Play several files in order | VLC playlist or another playlist arrangement | Useful when each item needs a distinct scene |
| Change overlays with each video | Separate scenes | Often appropriate |
| Move on when a file ends | Check built-in source behaviour first | Use a media-end script if the tested setup supports it |
| Change at a fixed time | Timer or scheduled workflow | Script may be appropriate |
| Recover from a missing file | Manual fallback or alternate source | Requires explicit error handling and testing |
If you need different overlays for every devotional clip, a scripted scene sequence may justify the extra maintenance. If you only need a continuous loop of one visual, adding Lua, Python and Audio Status Monitor creates more points of failure than it removes.
For channels that want to avoid managing a desktop encoder entirely, how to run a 24/7 gaming video stream on YouTube without OBS explains a different operating model. It is relevant when the main requirement is continuous delivery rather than OBS-specific scene automation.
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
Can OBS automatically switch scenes when a video ends?
OBS can be extended with a Lua or Python script that watches a media event and selects another scene. Automatic media-end switching is not a default OBS control, so you need a suitable script, correctly named sources and scenes, and a tested configuration.
Is Media Switch Scene guaranteed to work with current OBS?
No. The community example was last updated in 2021, and its compatibility with your current OBS release, operating system and media setup must be checked. It also requires Audio Status Monitor according to its forum instructions.
Should I use Lua or Python for OBS automation?
Use the language supported by the script you intend to run and the one you can maintain. LuaJIT is embedded in OBS, while Python on Windows or macOS needs a compatible installation and configured path, so Python usually involves additional runtime setup.
Do scene scripts configure the YouTube broadcast as well?
No. The script controls OBS sources or scenes; YouTube delivery is configured separately with the stream URL, key and encoder settings. Test the complete path privately or unlisted, protect the stream key and monitor YouTube’s stream health before making the broadcast public.