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How to Remove Black Gaps Between Videos in an OBS YouTube Playlist

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To play separate clips as a playlist in OBS, add a VLC Video source and load the files in order. OBS documents playlist controls such as looping and shuffling, but its cited documentation does not list a gapless-playback or crossfade setting. If a brief black interval appears between clips, try combining them into one continuous video file and playing it through a Media Source. That is a practical workaround, not a guaranteed or OBS-certified fix.

Why black gaps can appear between playlist videos

An OBS playlist switches from one media file to the next. The official OBS materials describe how to create and control a VLC playlist, but do not promise that transitions between separate files will be gapless. They also do not identify a YouTube playlist setting that controls these transitions. If the OBS preview itself goes black between clips, start by checking the source and playback setup in OBS rather than changing YouTube settings.

If the OBS preview remains correct but the YouTube stream shows black, treat that as a separate output problem: the documented playlist controls do not establish why the stream differs from the preview.

Set up and check an OBS VLC Video playlist

  1. Install VLC. OBS requires VLC for the VLC Video source. Match its architecture to OBS: for example, 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. See the OBS Media Sources guide.
  2. Add the playlist source. In OBS, use the Sources dock to add a VLC Video source, then load the video files in the order you want. The OBS Sources Guide describes VLC as the option for a playlist.
  3. Check playlist behavior. In the source properties, review Loop Playlist and Shuffle Playlist. Loop restarts the list after it ends; shuffle changes the order. Turn shuffle off if the sequence must remain predictable.
  4. Check visibility behavior. Review Visibility Behaviour to see how playback responds when the source is hidden or becomes visible again. If a source is hidden and then shown, its visibility setting can affect whether playback continues or restarts.
  5. Test the sequence in context. Play through the end of one clip and the start of the next in the actual OBS scene. If the scene is being streamed, check the stream output as well as the local preview.

The VLC source also has a Network caching (ms) property, documented with a default of 400 ms. OBS does not say that raising this value removes gaps between local playlist files, so it is not a proven fix for this particular problem.

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Choose between a playlist and one prepared video

Option Useful when Trade-offs
VLC Video playlist You need to manage several separate files in one OBS source. Requires VLC; provides playlist, loop, shuffle and visibility controls. OBS does not document a gapless or crossfade guarantee.
Media Source with one prepared file You can join the clips into a single continuous video before streaming. Uses one file rather than a playlist, so you give up playlist-level ordering and shuffle controls. Preparing the file in an editor is a workaround to try, not a verified OBS fix.

Try a single-file workaround

  1. Use a video editor to join the clips into one continuous file in the intended order. Match the export settings to the footage and your stream workflow.
  2. In OBS, add a Media Source and select the prepared file.
  3. Review the playback options. OBS documents Show nothing when playback ends and Close file when inactive. The latter can cause a short delay when a file reloads after the source becomes visible again; it is not an inter-clip gap setting.
  4. Test the complete file in the scene and stream or recording before relying on it. The workaround is an inference from OBS’s documented source types, not a tested result or official gap-removal remedy.

OBS lists supported Media Source formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF and WebM. Check the official format and media-source documentation for details.

Troubleshoot the symptom

  • There is a black interval at every file boundary: OBS does not document a gapless or crossfade control for VLC playlists. Check that the files are ordered as intended; if transitions must appear continuous, try preparing one combined file and testing it as a Media Source.
  • The playlist order changes: Check whether Shuffle Playlist is enabled.
  • The playlist stops after the last file: Check Loop Playlist if you want it to restart.
  • Playback behaves differently after hiding and showing the source: Review Visibility Behaviour, and consider whether Close file when inactive is causing a reload delay for a Media Source.
  • VLC Video is unavailable or does not work: Confirm VLC is installed and its architecture matches OBS.
  • The preview looks right, but the YouTube stream goes black: This is distinct from a playlist gap visible in OBS. Check the stream output separately; OBS’s cited source documentation does not establish a YouTube-side cause or fix.
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