To make a YouTube Live playlist keep playing through an OBS crash, configure the media to loop and arrange for OBS to relaunch—but treat those as two separate jobs. OBS can start streaming when launched with --startstreaming; that does not guarantee OBS will restart after a crash, reconnect to the same YouTube event, or resume without interrupting viewers. Test the entire failure path before relying on it unattended.
What an OBS crash can—and cannot—recover
A looping source handles playback inside OBS. A restart mechanism handles the OBS process. YouTube Live receives an encoder feed through a server URL and stream key, and the live event has its own state in YouTube Live Control Room. Recovery therefore depends on more than whether OBS opens again.
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After a crash, verify separately that OBS relaunches, the media source loads, the encoder reconnects, the intended YouTube event is still available, and viewers receive the stream. OBS documents a launch option for starting a stream, but its documentation does not promise end-to-end crash recovery or uninterrupted playback at YouTube. YouTube and OBS instructions reviewed here do not establish that reopening OBS will resume the same live event without a viewer interruption.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsSet up a looping video or playlist in OBS
For one video: use Media Source
- In OBS, add a Media Source to the scene.
- Select the video file and enable Loop in the source properties.
- Confirm the file plays and repeats in the OBS preview.
OBS’s built-in Media Source is the simplest option when you need one file to repeat. See the OBS Project’s Media Sources guide.
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For multiple videos: use VLC Video
- Install VLC, making sure its bitness matches OBS. For example, 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
- Add a VLC Video source to the scene and add the files to its playlist.
- Leave Loop Playlist enabled; it is documented as on by default.
- Play the playlist in the preview and confirm it advances and loops as intended.
Use VLC Video when you need a multi-file playlist rather than a single repeating file. Check the current OBS and VLC setup if the source is missing or fails to play.
Keep the media available after a restart
Use files at stable locations that will still be accessible when OBS starts again. Moving, renaming, disconnecting, or changing permissions on a file can leave the source blank after relaunch. OBS portable mode does not automatically make scene-collection media files portable, so verify file paths if you use it.
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Arrange for OBS to launch and start streaming
OBS documents --startstreaming as a launch parameter that starts streaming when OBS opens. It starts the streaming action; it is not itself a crash monitor, retry system, or guarantee that YouTube will accept the feed into the same live event.
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- Set up your operating system or a process-monitoring tool to relaunch OBS after an unexpected exit, if you need automatic relaunch. This is an implementation choice, not an OBS-documented crash-recovery feature. Configure and test its retry behavior rather than assuming it will work.
- Pass
--startstreamingwhen launching OBS if you want it to attempt to start streaming on launch. On Windows, OBS’s launch-parameter guidance says automated or scheduled launches should use the directory containingobs64.exeas the working directory. - Verify whether the YouTube event requires a manual Go live action in Live Control Room. Do not assume the launch parameter bypasses that step.
See the OBS Project’s Launch Parameters documentation for the supported switch and launch guidance. It does not document a process supervisor, retry policy, or guarantee that YouTube retains the same event after OBS exits.
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Check YouTube’s stream settings before the test
YouTube Live Control Room provides the stream URL and key used by the encoder. Confirm OBS is configured with the intended values and preview the incoming feed before going live. Reused stream settings may carry over prior metadata and a key; YouTube also allows stream keys to be reset in Live Control Room. Treat the key like a password: anyone who obtains it may be able to send a feed to your stream.
Use YouTube’s Manage live stream settings guide for settings and key details, and its encoder setup guide for connecting and previewing an encoder feed.
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Test the complete crash-recovery path
Do not use an actual unattended broadcast as the first test. YouTube recommends testing encoder failover, for example by stopping the primary encoder or disconnecting Ethernet and observing backup rollover. That checks failover behavior; it does not certify that OBS will recover from a process crash.
- Set up a controlled event and confirm the playlist is playing in OBS and the feed is visible in YouTube’s preview.
- Test the configured relaunch mechanism by terminating OBS deliberately. Observe whether it reopens, loads the correct scene and media, and attempts to stream.
- Check Live Control Room to see whether the intended event receives the restarted feed, whether another manual action is needed, and whether YouTube reports a stream-health problem.
- Confirm the playlist resumes as expected. Do not assume it will continue from the same position; check the actual behavior.
- Check any local recording or archive for completeness, and monitor YouTube’s stream health and metrics during the test.
YouTube’s live streaming tips cover testing and monitoring. Its live stream metrics guide explains stream-health information and real-time analytics.
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Troubleshoot the failure by layer
OBS opens, but YouTube does not receive a stream
- Confirm the launch included
--startstreamingif automatic start was intended. - Check the selected OBS profile and scene collection, YouTube server URL, and stream key.
- Check Live Control Room to see whether the event needs a manual Go live action.
YouTube reports an encoder or connection error
Check OBS’s encoder health and CPU load, then check outbound internet connectivity. Review the Live Control Room error messages and follow YouTube’s current live stream troubleshooting guidance, which also recommends checking that the encoder software is up to date.
The playlist is blank or stops
- Verify that the files still exist at the paths saved in the OBS source and that the formats play correctly.
- For VLC Video, confirm VLC is installed and its bitness matches OBS.
- For one repeating file, confirm Loop is enabled on the Media Source.
- For a playlist, check that Loop Playlist is enabled on VLC Video.
OBS relaunches, but the event does not recover as expected
Separate the symptoms: did the process restart, did the source play, did OBS attempt to send an encoder feed, and did YouTube accept it into the intended event? The OBS launch option only addresses starting the stream from OBS; it does not certify YouTube event continuity. Recheck the event state and manual controls in Live Control Room, then repeat the controlled test.
Considering a third-party playlist plugin?
The OBS forum listing for Media Playlist Source describes a plugin feature for saving the current file for playback after OBS restarts. That is a community plugin capability claim, not a guarantee of crash recovery or compatibility with every OBS release. Check its current compatibility and test the exact restart behavior before relying on it.
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