OBS WebSocket can restart or navigate a supported media input in OBS while your YouTube live broadcast continues. It does not restart, end or transition that YouTube broadcast; those are separate actions with separate controls.
The practical workflow is to secure WebSocket access, identify the correct OBS source, send a media action and check the resulting state. Before relying on it overnight, test the whole recovery path while you can see both OBS and YouTube Live Control Room.
What OBS WebSocket can control
WebSocket is an interface for sending remote commands to OBS and reading information back. For a supported media input, its controls include play, pause, stop, restart, next and previous. A status request can report states such as opening, playing, buffering, paused, stopped, ended or error, along with timing information.
That means you can ask OBS to restart the media currently assigned to an input, or move to another item in a playlist managed by that input. The command targets the media source, not the scene as a whole and not YouTube’s live event. Your stream can continue sending output while OBS changes what that source is playing.
The distinction matters in routine operations. If a devotional video has ended but the OBS source is still part of the live programme, a restart action may make that source play again. It does not establish that the broadcast has gone offline and come back, nor does it change the state shown for the YouTube event.
WebSocket is not a universal way to control any playlist visible in a browser or any URL placed in OBS. The source must expose the relevant media-input actions, and the playlist must be configured in a source that handles it. For example, OBS documentation describes VLC as a media source when VLC is installed, and documents playlist settings for that source. Do not assume an arbitrary YouTube playlist URL becomes a controllable VLC playlist merely because it is visible in a browser.
If the underlying problem is how OBS handles playlist order or repeats, first check how the OBS playlist repeat behaviour works. That is a different question from sending a remote restart command.
Check OBS version and enable WebSocket
OBS Studio 28.0.0 and later include obs-websocket by default, according to the OBS WebSocket project documentation. If you are on an older release, check the project’s documentation for the applicable legacy version rather than assuming the current settings screens or protocol behave the same way.
Open OBS settings and locate the WebSocket server section. Enable the server, then note the port and connection details shown there. The documented default port is 4455, but settings can be changed, so verify the actual value on your machine instead of copying a port from someone else’s setup. OBS’s remote control guide explains how WebSocket fits into controlling scenes and sources.
Choose a client only after confirming what you need it to do. It should support the OBS protocol version in use, expose media-input actions such as restart or next, and handle authentication. The OBS guide names examples of external tools, but it does not provide a current compatibility ranking. Check the chosen client’s own documentation for operating-system support and the specific requests it can send.
There are two common operating arrangements. A control client on the same computer or local network may be enough if you are nearby and only need a manual recovery button. If you need to operate while away, remote connectivity becomes another part of the system: you need a deliberate, secured route to the OBS host, not merely a checkbox enabled in OBS.
Write down the OBS version, port and client configuration in a private operations note. Avoid putting the password in a public runbook or a shared screenshot. This small record makes it easier to distinguish a failed connection from a failed media action when you are troubleshooting later.
Protect access with authentication
Enable WebSocket authentication and set a strong password. OBS and the project documentation recommend protecting the connection with authentication; do not expose an unauthenticated endpoint as a convenient shortcut. Anyone who can control OBS may be able to change scenes or sources, interrupt the programme, or alter settings depending on the client and permissions available.
Treat the password like a control credential. Store it in the client’s protected credential facility if one is available, restrict access to the device and account that need it, and do not paste it into a public chat, shared document or support screenshot. If multiple people operate the channel, agree who can change the WebSocket configuration and how the credential is transferred securely.
Local access and remote access are not the same. A client that connects within your home or studio network is not automatically reachable safely from outside it. For off-site control, use a remote-access method you understand and have secured; do not publish the OBS host directly to the open internet simply to make a button work. If you cannot confidently explain how the connection is protected, keep the control local until you can.
Test authentication before building the restart workflow. Connect with the password, then make one harmless check, such as reading OBS or media status. Confirm that a client with missing or incorrect credentials cannot control the instance. This verifies the access boundary without risking the live playlist.
Find the playlist media input
The most important setup step is targeting the right input. OBS projects can have multiple scenes and sources with similar names: a main programme playlist, an intro clip, a standby slate or a short announcement. A restart sent to the wrong media input may do nothing useful or restart content that viewers are currently seeing.
In OBS, inspect the scene used by the live programme and identify the exact media source that contains the intended file or playlist. Give it a distinct, understandable name, such as Main devotional playlist, rather than leaving several sources named Media Source. If the playlist is within a VLC source, confirm the source is the one actually active in the scene and that the expected files are listed there.
Then use your WebSocket client to enumerate or select the available media inputs, depending on how that client presents OBS sources. Match the name carefully. Do not rely on an item’s position in a list if the order could change; use a stable source name and verify it before saving a one-click action.
The OBS media sources guide describes the available source types and relevant settings. For a VLC playlist, its Loop Playlist setting is an automatic behaviour: it restarts the source after its media files run out. A WebSocket restart, by contrast, is an explicit command you issue when you choose. Looping can cover the normal end of a playlist, while remote restart is useful for a deliberate recovery or reset.
If your actual workflow is a collection of recorded programmes rather than a single playlist, verify the source behaviour using a short test before making it part of a long-running broadcast. The guide to building a live stream from a video archive may help you think through how the material is arranged, but the specific WebSocket target still depends on your OBS source configuration.
Restart, navigate and read media state
The protocol includes a TriggerMediaInputAction request for media actions and a GetMediaInputStatus request for status. In the documented protocol, the action set includes RESTART, NEXT and PREVIOUS, as well as play, pause and stop. These are useful for distinct purposes: restart starts the selected source over, while next and previous navigate the playlist if that input supports playlist navigation.
A cautious operator workflow is straightforward. First select the named media input. Then issue the one action you intend, such as RESTART or NEXT. Finally request the input’s status and check whether the state changes to opening, buffering or playing, and whether the timing information begins to move. If it reports error or remains ended, investigate the source rather than repeatedly issuing commands.
Status is evidence about OBS media playback, not proof of what YouTube viewers are receiving. The source may say it is playing while a different scene is live, it may be hidden under another source, or the stream output could have a separate fault. Check the preview/programme scene and YouTube’s own stream health indicators when diagnosing what viewers see.
Do not use STOP as if it were a gentler form of RESTART. Stop halts that media input; it does not mean the live event has ended. Likewise, NEXT is a playlist navigation action, not a command to start a new YouTube broadcast. Choose the action that matches the media problem and make the command explicit in any saved button label.
A useful control panel label might say “Restart main OBS playlist input” rather than “Restart YouTube live”. That wording is more than tidiness: it tells a sleepy operator which layer the control changes. If you later add navigation actions, name each for its target source and action.
If you are choosing between local OBS control and a hosted approach for a channel that must continue while your own computer is off, compare the operating assumptions before changing the setup. The guide to alternatives to keeping a computer on for a 24/7 stream is relevant to that broader decision. StreamNeo addresses the specific burden of keeping a local computer available by turning an uploaded video into a continuously running YouTube broadcast that you can leave running without your computer on.
Keep OBS media actions separate from YouTube broadcast actions
OBS media control and YouTube broadcast management are different control planes. OBS sends the encoded programme to YouTube. A media-input action changes content playing inside OBS; a YouTube broadcast transition changes the state of the live event itself.
YouTube’s Live Streaming API transition documentation describes transitions such as moving a broadcast to testing or live, subject to the status of its bound stream. The bound stream must be active before the documented testing or live transition. Such API calls require the appropriate YouTube authorisation and are not part of the OBS media-input restart request.
The practical distinction is visible in the operations table:
| Operation | What it controls | Example control | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restart playlist media | A media input in OBS | WebSocket RESTART |
That the YouTube event ended, restarted or changed state |
| Move to another playlist item | A media input in OBS | WebSocket NEXT or PREVIOUS |
That YouTube transitioned to a new broadcast state |
| Change broadcast state | The YouTube live event | An authorised YouTube transition operation | That an OBS playlist source restarted |
YouTube’s broadcast lifecycle guide is useful when you are planning how an event is created, started or completed. Keep those event-management steps separate from a routine playlist recovery. If the broadcast itself needs a state change, use the appropriate YouTube controls and check the current official requirements, including authorisation and stream status.
This separation also improves incident notes. Record “OBS media input restarted; status returned to playing” only if you observed that status. Record YouTube broadcast state separately from the relevant YouTube control page. Avoid writing “stream restarted” when all you know is that the local playlist input was restarted, because that wording hides which system was actually changed.
Test remote recovery safely
Test before depending on the control overnight. Start with a non-critical moment or a private test broadcast if that suits your channel’s workflow. Make sure you can see the OBS preview and the YouTube event status, then verify that the client connects with authentication and that the chosen input is the right one.
Send a restart command and watch the media source. Check that it begins playback again, that the expected content appears in the active scene, and that audio is present. Then request media status and compare it with what you can see. A state field is a useful diagnostic, but it does not substitute for checking the picture and sound.
Test navigation separately from restart. If you use NEXT, confirm which item is expected to follow the current one; if order is unclear, do not test while viewers are relying on the programme. Test a playlist end as well if Loop Playlist is intended to handle normal completion. That reveals whether automatic looping and manual remote restart are both configured as expected.
Finally, verify the two status layers independently. Confirm that OBS still produces the programme and that YouTube continues to show the broadcast in the expected state. If the YouTube output has actually dropped, a media-input restart may not restore the connection; troubleshoot encoder output and YouTube stream health separately. For symptoms such as playlist gaps, use a focused guide to diagnosing gaps in an OBS music playlist rather than treating every interruption as a broadcast-state problem.
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FAQ
Can OBS WebSocket restart a playlist without ending the YouTube live broadcast?
It can restart a supported OBS media input while the live broadcast remains in progress. The command applies to the source in OBS; it does not by itself end, restart or transition the YouTube event. Check OBS media status and YouTube broadcast status separately.
What OBS versions include WebSocket?
The OBS WebSocket project documents it as built into OBS Studio 28.0.0 and later. For an older version, consult the project documentation for the applicable legacy release and check which protocol requests your client supports before configuring the workflow.
Does Loop Playlist do the same thing as a remote restart?
No. Loop Playlist is an automatic source setting that restarts playback when the playlist’s media files run out. A WebSocket restart is an explicit command you send when you want the source to start over.
Can I control OBS WebSocket from outside my local network?
Remote operation depends on both the client and the secured network path you choose; enabling WebSocket alone does not make a safe remote connection. Keep authentication enabled, do not expose an unauthenticated endpoint, and test access and recovery before relying on it.