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To play different prerecorded videos at planned times in an OBS YouTube stream, make a separate OBS scene for each video and use a scene-automation plugin to switch scenes on schedule. For clips that should simply play one after another, use OBS’s VLC Video source and build a playlist instead. You must schedule or start the YouTube live event separately: an OBS scene change controls what the stream shows, not when the YouTube event begins.
Choose the playback method that matches your schedule
| What you want | OBS method | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Play clips one after another in a list | VLC Video source with a playlist | Playlist order, shuffle and looping are suitable for sequence playback, not selecting a clip at a particular clock time. VLC must be installed. |
| Show particular clips at planned times or after set durations | One scene per video, with scene changes automated by a plugin such as Advanced Scene Switcher | This requires more setup and scene management. Confirm the plugin’s controls in your installed version and rehearse the schedule. |
| Make an uploaded video public at a later time | Schedule its publication in YouTube | This publishes an uploaded video; it does not change media inside an ongoing OBS live event. See YouTube’s scheduled video publishing instructions. |
If your requirement is “Video A at 10:00, Video B at 10:30,” use scenes and automation, then schedule the live event independently. If it is “play these files in order,” a VLC playlist is simpler.
Prepare your video files
- Put each video in a stable local folder on the computer running OBS. Avoid moving or renaming files after you configure the sources, because OBS needs to find each file at playback time.
- Open each file and check that its video and audio play as expected. Note the runtime of each clip if your scene automation will switch after durations.
- Choose a playback source. OBS’s Media Sources documentation lists local formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF and WebM.
Set up one scene per scheduled video
- In OBS, create a scene for each item in the schedule. Give each scene a clear name that identifies the clip and, if useful, its planned start time.
- In each scene, add a Media Source and select the corresponding local video file. Set the source options to match the desired behavior: enable looping if that clip should repeat, restart playback when the source becomes active if it should begin from the start on scene entry, and hide the source when playback ends if it should disappear at the end.
- Check audio routing and levels for every scene. Confirm that the correct source is visible and audible when you select the scene in OBS.
- Configure scene automation using a scene-switching plugin. Advanced Scene Switcher is suggested in an OBS community discussion as a way to transition after a duration matching a video’s runtime. The discussion is community advice, not a guarantee of exact controls or behavior in every plugin version; check the documentation and settings for the version you install.
- Test the full sequence locally and through the stream output before relying on it. Check that the next scene begins at the intended point, the transition looks acceptable, and audio continues correctly.
OBS notes that an inactive Media Source may close its file; when it becomes active again, reloading can create a short period without display. Test transitions with your actual files and chosen scene settings.
Use VLC for a simple ordered playlist
- Install VLC on the computer running OBS. For 64-bit OBS, OBS says to install 64-bit VLC.
- Add a VLC Video source in OBS and add the files in the order you want them played.
- Choose whether the playlist should loop or shuffle, and set the source’s visibility behavior to suit your stream.
- Play through the playlist in a rehearsal and confirm the order, transitions and audio before going live.
OBS documents VLC Video playlist support, including loop and shuffle options, in its Media Sources guide. A playlist is a sequence, not a clock-time scheduler. Do not assume that editing a playlist during a live stream will reliably update the output: an OBS forum thread records mixed results, including cases where a restart was needed. Treat those reports as anecdotes and make playlist changes before the event where possible.
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Schedule the YouTube live event separately
OBS sends audio and video into a YouTube live event, but its scenes do not create or schedule that event. Google’s YouTube Live Streaming API guide distinguishes a broadcast—the event or video viewers watch—from a stream, the audio-video transmission settings and resource. It also explains that a channel can reuse a stream for different broadcasts at different times.
- Create or schedule the YouTube live event using YouTube’s live-streaming controls.
- Connect OBS to the event using the stream details provided by YouTube, and verify that OBS is sending the intended output.
- Start the event according to YouTube’s controls and your planned start time. Use OBS scene automation to choose the video shown during the event.
Do not confuse this process with scheduling an uploaded video to become public. YouTube’s scheduled publishing feature applies to an uploaded video, not to switching scenes within a live stream.
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Rehearse, then check the stream output
- Run through every scene and playlist item in the intended order.
- Confirm that each clip starts at the correct point, and that its audio is audible at an appropriate level.
- Check how scene transitions appear in the output viewers will see, not only in the OBS preview.
- Test the full planned duration if timing is important. The cited OBS documentation and community examples do not establish guaranteed wall-clock precision during dropped frames, computer sleep, crashes or network interruptions.
- Make playlist edits before going live when possible. Forum reports about edits during a live playlist are inconsistent and do not establish how current versions will behave in every setup.
Troubleshooting common problems
The wrong video plays, or a scene stays on screen
Check that each scene contains the intended file and that the automation points to the correct scene. Verify its trigger or duration against the clip runtime, then replay the sequence in a rehearsal.
A video does not load in Media Source
Confirm that the file still exists at the configured local path and plays on the OBS computer. OBS documents support for several common local formats; use a documented format if the current file will not load.
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VLC Video is unavailable or its playlist does not play
Confirm that VLC is installed on the machine running OBS. If you use 64-bit OBS, OBS specifies 64-bit VLC. Recheck the playlist entries and test playback before the stream.
The screen goes blank briefly when a scene changes
A Media Source that closes while inactive may need a moment to reload when it becomes active. Rehearse the transition and adjust source behavior or scene timing to account for the reload.
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Playlist changes do not appear on the live output
Do not rely on live edits without testing them first. The forum thread reports mixed outcomes, including a case that required restarting OBS and YouTube; this is anecdotal, not a universal rule. Make changes in advance and verify the resulting output.
The YouTube event is not live even though OBS changes scenes
Scene changes only alter the content OBS sends. Check the event’s status and YouTube’s live controls separately from OBS’s scene schedule.
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