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To loop several videos in OBS, add them to a VLC Video Source, keep Loop Playlist enabled, and send OBS’s output to YouTube Live using the stream URL and key from YouTube Studio. VLC must be installed, and its architecture must match OBS—64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. Start the stream in OBS, check YouTube’s preview, then click Go live in the Live Control Room for a scheduled stream.
Prepare OBS, VLC, and your video files
Install OBS Studio and VLC, and make sure their architectures match. OBS’s documentation specifies that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC for the VLC Video Source. Store the media files somewhere the computer can access throughout the stream, and check that each file plays before adding it.
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OBS’s built-in Media Source supports common video formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF, and WebM, and audio formats including MP3, AAC, OGG, and WAV. VLC Video Source relies on VLC libraries for its media support. Consult the current OBS and VLC documentation if a particular file does not load.
Add and configure the playlist
- In OBS, select the scene that should carry the video. In the Sources dock, click + and choose VLC Video Source.
- Open the source properties and add the media files to its playlist.
- Confirm Loop Playlist is checked. OBS documents it as enabled by default; checking it explicitly helps avoid an unexpected stop at the end.
- Leave Shuffle Playlist off to play items in their listed order, or enable it to randomize playback.
- Keep the source visible in the active scene. OBS documents VLC source playback as stopping when the source is not visible and restarting when it becomes visible by default. If you need different behavior, check whether the source’s visibility options in your version provide it.
For a single video rather than a playlist, use Media Source and enable its Loop option. That repeats one selected file; it does not provide the VLC Video Source playlist workflow. Media Source’s Restart playback when source becomes active and Show nothing when playback ends options are on by default, which matters if looping is off.
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Connect OBS to YouTube Live
- In YouTube Studio, open Create → Go Live to reach the Live Control Room, then create or select the stream you want to use.
- Copy that stream’s server URL and stream key. In OBS, open Settings → Stream and select YouTube if it is offered, or enter the server URL and key from YouTube.
- Start streaming in OBS. For a scheduled stream, wait until the Live Control Room preview appears and check the image and sound, then click Go live.
Keep the stream key private: it is the credential YouTube uses to identify where the encoder should send the feed and to accept it. If it may have been exposed, reset it in the Live Control Room and replace the saved key in OBS. YouTube says streams shorter than 12 hours are automatically archived.
Choose settings and test before a long stream
There is no single bitrate that suits every stream. YouTube’s recommended ranges depend on codec, resolution, and frame rate; match the relevant row in its current encoder-settings table to your intended output. For H.264, YouTube lists 5 Mbps minimum and 14 Mbps recommended for 1080p at 30 fps, and 6 Mbps minimum and 17 Mbps recommended for 1080p at 60 fps. These are YouTube’s published recommendations, not a guarantee that a given internet connection can sustain the stream. The source page does not state a publication year, so verify its current table before relying on a particular value. YouTube’s encoder settings and bitrate recommendations.
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Before making the stream public or leaving it unattended, run a test—unlisted or private if appropriate—and check that the files advance, playback returns to the beginning, audio is present, and YouTube’s preview and stream-health indicators are clean. YouTube recommends testing with audio and movement similar to the intended stream, selecting quality that the upload connection can sustain, and monitoring stream health. Watch OBS’s audio mixer meters while checking sound.
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Troubleshoot common playlist and streaming problems
- VLC Video Source is missing: Install VLC and check that its architecture matches OBS. For 64-bit OBS, install 64-bit VLC.
- Only one video repeats: Check that you added a VLC Video Source and populated its playlist. Media Source is the right choice only when you intend to loop one file.
- Playback stops when you switch scenes: The VLC source may have become hidden. Keep it visible in the active scene, or adjust its visibility behavior if the options in your OBS version allow it.
- Video appears but there is no audio: Check that the source audio reaches the OBS mixer, that the channel is not muted, and that the mixer meters move during playback.
- YouTube receives no stream: Confirm the URL and key belong to the selected Live Control Room stream. If the key is stale or incorrect, replace it with the current key in OBS.
- The stream is unstable or drops frames: Test a lower resolution, frame rate, or bitrate that the available upload connection can sustain, then monitor YouTube’s stream health.
Or let it run in the cloud
If you want a YouTube channel to keep playing uploaded videos without leaving OBS and a computer running at home, StreamNeo is a cloud alternative: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. It plays uploaded videos—not a camera feed—and automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. Any uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps streams as made, at one flat price per slot; the first day is free with no card. Monthly is $9.99 per month. Start your free StreamNeo day.
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