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How to Add a Still Image and Audio Playlist to a 24/7 Mantra Stream in OBS

By Freedom251 Team · · 4 min read

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In OBS Studio, add your still artwork as an Image source and your local audio files as a VLC Video source. Add the tracks to its playlist, then enable Loop Playlist. The name “VLC Video” is misleading: OBS can use it to play audio as well as video. This repeats the media, but it does not keep your computer, internet connection, encoder, or YouTube broadcast online by itself.

Before you set up the scene

  • Install OBS Studio and prepare an image file plus audio files you are allowed to use in a livestream. Being able to play a file does not establish permission to broadcast it.
  • Install VLC if you want to use the playlist-capable VLC Video source. OBS’s documentation says a 64-bit OBS installation requires 64-bit VLC. The documented VLC Video source is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Connect OBS to your streaming destination and configure your broadcast separately. This guide covers the scene and media playback, not a guarantee of continuous service or destination eligibility.

OBS’s Media Sources documentation, dated January 11, 2022, describes these controls; labels and behavior may differ in later releases.

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Add the still image and playlist

  1. Create a scene

    In OBS, create or select the scene you intend to use for the mantra stream. Keep the image and audio source in this same scene so they are active together.

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  2. Add the still artwork

    In the Sources panel, select + and choose Image. Name the source, choose the image file, and confirm. Adjust its position and size in the preview so it fills the canvas as intended. OBS’s cited guide establishes Image as the still-visual source but does not specify image-source setup details such as a particular scaling mode.

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  3. Add a VLC playlist source

    In Sources, select + and choose VLC Video. If that source is absent, install VLC and restart OBS; for 64-bit OBS, use 64-bit VLC. Add your audio files to the playlist in the source properties. The source can play audio and other media despite “Video” in its name.

  4. Set playlist behavior

    Enable Loop Playlist so the source restarts after reaching the end of the playlist. Enable Shuffle Playlist only if you want randomized playback rather than a predictable sequence; the cited OBS guide says shuffle is off by default. Confirm the settings and test playback before going live.

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Choose the right source for your audio

Need OBS source Behavior and trade-off
One long audio file Media Source Plays one local file; enable Loop to repeat it. The cited guide lists MP3, AAC, OGG, and WAV among supported audio formats. It does not provide the multi-item playlist behavior described for VLC Video.
Several files in sequence VLC Video Use its playlist and enable Loop Playlist to restart at the end. VLC must be installed separately.
Several files in randomized order VLC Video Enable Shuffle Playlist; playback order becomes less predictable.
Static visual Image Displays a still image as part of the scene; it does not add audio playback.

What “24/7” requires beyond looping

Loop settings repeat local media; they do not ensure continuous broadcasting. The computer must remain powered, OBS must keep running, the network and encoder must continue working, and the destination must accept the stream. Plan how you will monitor and recover from interruptions rather than treating a looping playlist as an uptime guarantee.

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If YouTube is your destination, do not confuse its HLS ingest specifications with OBS playlist settings or a promise that a broadcast can run indefinitely. For HLS specifically, YouTube specifies TS segments of 1–4 seconds, a rolling playlist with no more than five outstanding segments, and says byte range is unsupported; it also notes HLS has higher latency than RTMP. These are HLS ingest requirements, not general rules for a local VLC playlist or proof of 24/7 eligibility. See YouTube’s HLS ingestion guidance.

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  • Equipped with a single mic input (XLR or ¼"), two LINE inputs for guitar and keyboard, and USB-C input for connecting to a computer

Common problems and fixes

  • VLC Video is missing from the source menu: install VLC and restart OBS. Match VLC’s architecture to OBS; the documented requirement for 64-bit OBS is 64-bit VLC.
  • The playlist stops after the last track: reopen the VLC Video source properties and enable Loop Playlist. Looping one Media Source file uses its separate Loop setting.
  • Tracks play in an unexpected order: check whether Shuffle Playlist is enabled. Turn it off for a fixed sequence.
  • The image appears without audio, or audio without the image: confirm both sources are present in the active scene and that the playlist source contains the intended files. Test the scene in OBS before starting the broadcast.
  • The stream goes offline despite looping: the playlist setting only controls media repetition. Check the computer, OBS, network, encoder, and destination connection; the cited source documentation does not establish a universal cause or uninterrupted-stream guarantee.

Use media you have rights to stream

Before broadcasting a mantra recording or artwork, verify that its rights permit livestreaming on your chosen destination. The fact that OBS can play a file does not establish that you have permission to use it, and rules can depend on the asset and destination. YouTube’s player-loop help describes repeating videos for viewers, not constructing an OBS broadcast scene; it is not a substitute for broadcast-rights guidance. See YouTube’s guidance on looping videos and playlists.

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Quick Recap

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Behringer XENYX 802S Premium Analog 8-Input Mixer with USB Streaming Interface
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Analog mixing and equalization for pure sound; Direct mixing of PC/gaming sounds into the streaming output
$98.00
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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