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If a YouTube Live stream briefly goes black between locally played videos in OBS, first check the source: OBS’s VLC Video source is the built-in option that supports a multi-file playlist. Confirm VLC is installed and matches OBS’s architecture, inspect the playlist and scene layers, then test a file boundary in a short stream. OBS does not promise gap-free transitions for every playlist or setup, so no single setting can be treated as a universal fix.
Choose the right OBS source for multiple videos
In the scene that is actually being streamed, identify the source that plays the videos. For a sequence of local files, use VLC Video: OBS describes it as a playlist-capable source. It requires VLC to be installed before it appears among the available source types. OBS’s documentation says 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. See the OBS Project’s Media Sources documentation.
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The built-in Media Source is intended for a selected media file and documents that file’s playback-end behavior; OBS does not present it as the multi-item playlist option. It can still suit a single video or a separately designed scene arrangement. The same documentation lists supported media extensions, including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF and WebM for video, and MP3, AAC, OGG and WAV for audio. An extension alone does not guarantee that every codec or damaged file will decode correctly, so test the actual files in your setup.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstall| Source | Playlist handling | Dependency and trade-off | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media Source | Documentation covers a selected file and its end-of-playback behavior; it does not identify it as the multi-item playlist option. | Built into OBS; includes “Show nothing when playback ends.” | One file or a separately designed scene/source arrangement. |
| VLC Video | Plays a list of media items as a playlist. | Requires VLC; 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. Offers loop, shuffle, visibility and caching controls. | A local multi-file playlist. |
Check playlist order and playback options
- In the live scene, open the VLC Video source’s properties and confirm every intended file is present and in the right order.
- Turn Shuffle Playlist off if videos should play in a fixed sequence.
- Choose whether Loop Playlist should restart the list after its last item. Looping and shuffle control repetition and order; OBS does not describe either option as a frame-perfect transition control.
- Review the source’s behavior when it is not visible. OBS documents options to continue, pause or stop playback while hidden. For a playlist that should keep playing, make sure the selected behavior matches that goal.
VLC Video also exposes network caching; OBS documents a default of 400 ms. For local files, first check whether the source remains active and visible. The documentation does not establish that increasing network caching fixes a gap between local playlist items.
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Find out whether the source is hiding or being covered
Distinguish a Media Source ending from a VLC playlist boundary
For Media Source, OBS documents a Show nothing when playback ends option. When enabled, that source hides after its file finishes rather than holding its final frame. A blank-looking scene can result if there is nothing visible behind it; another layer may appear if one exists. This setting is documented for Media Source, not as a fix for gaps between VLC playlist items. Check what your source actually does before changing it.
Inspect the Sources list
In OBS, sources higher in the Sources list render above sources lower down and can obscure them. Check whether a color source, image, browser source or other visible layer is covering the video when the screen goes black. The OBS Sources Guide explains source stacking; it cannot identify which layer, if any, is responsible in your scene.
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Test playback and reduce avoidable load
If the symptom includes stuttering or playback failure, simplify the scene as a diagnostic step. OBS says complex scenes and resource-heavy sources consume resources; its performance guide recommends limiting costly sources and using appropriately sized media when the output does not need higher-resolution files. It also recommends Media Source or VLC Source for video and audio files. These are troubleshooting checks, not proof that system load caused a particular black frame. See OBS Encoding Performance Troubleshooting.
- Run a short test stream and wait for at least one video-to-video boundary. OBS’s Quick Start Guide recommends testing for a few minutes before a first stream or recording.
- Compare the OBS preview or output with the YouTube viewer at the same moment.
- Note whether the video source itself goes blank in OBS, or whether only the YouTube viewer appears to change quality or rendition. That comparison helps narrow down where to investigate; it does not establish how YouTube handled a particular moment.
Do not mistake a quality change for a playlist gap
OBS says YouTube transcodes streams, including the source feed. Its Transcodes / Transcoding article says consistent keyframe intervals help make transitions between viewer quality options smoother. That guidance concerns changes between quality options; it does not say that changing keyframe intervals fixes a local VLC playlist boundary. A codec, encoder, keyframe setting or hardware purchase should not be treated as a universal remedy for this symptom.
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