You can rotate videos stored in Google Drive in a YouTube Live broadcast by making the files available on the computer running OBS Studio, adding them to an OBS VLC Video playlist, and sending OBS’s encoder output to YouTube Live. Google Drive folders do not connect directly to a rotating YouTube live playlist in this workflow: you manage the local media queue in OBS and refresh it when the folder’s contents change.
How the Drive-to-YouTube workflow works
The pieces have separate jobs: Google Drive for desktop makes video files available on the streaming computer, OBS Studio selects and plays those files, and YouTube Live receives OBS’s encoded program feed.
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- Make the Drive videos available locally. Choose streaming or mirroring in Drive for desktop, considering whether the files need to remain accessible without a connection to Drive.
- Create the playback queue in OBS. Add a VLC Video source, select the video files, and configure looping or shuffle.
- Connect OBS to YouTube Live. Create or schedule an encoder stream, enter its stream URL and key in OBS, then check the preview before starting.
- Test the complete route. Confirm the videos and audio play in OBS and that the YouTube preview or watch page receives them.
This is an encoder-based workflow for rotating multiple videos. YouTube also offers webcam and mobile streaming paths, but those are not the multi-file queue described here. YouTube notes that expensive equipment is not necessary to start: YouTube live streaming tips – Computer.
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Drive for desktop offers streaming and mirroring. With streaming, files are primarily stored in the cloud and can be made available offline when accessed. With mirroring, files are kept both on the computer and in Drive; Google says, “Mirrored files will always be stored on your computer and in the cloud.” See Google Drive’s explanation of streaming and mirroring.
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| Drive mode | Where files are stored | What to consider for a live playlist |
|---|---|---|
| Streaming | Primarily in Drive; files can be made available offline. | Before going live, make sure every queued video is available offline if you need it to play without relying on Drive connectivity. |
| Mirroring | On the computer and in Drive. | Uses local disk space, but leaves a local copy of the source videos. |
For a stream that must keep playing if access to Drive falters, mirroring the source files—or verifying each streamed file is available offline—is a reliability measure, not a guarantee of uninterrupted playback. Make sure there is enough local storage for the files you intend to use.
Build the rotating playlist in OBS Studio
Install VLC and add the source
- Install VLC on the computer running OBS. The OBS guide says VLC must be installed for the VLC Video source to appear.
- In OBS, open the scene that should carry the videos. In the Sources panel, select + and choose VLC Video.
- Add the Drive video files you want in the media playlist. Choose the local or offline-available files on the streaming computer.
- Enable Loop Playlist if playback should restart after the final item.
- Enable Shuffle Playlist only if you want randomized playback rather than a predictable sequence.
OBS describes VLC Video as supporting playlists, “similar to an Image Slideshow”; see OBS Project’s Media Sources guide. Check the source in the OBS preview and verify that both picture and audio work.
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Keep the queue in sync with Drive
A Drive folder and an OBS media playlist are not the same thing. The documented VLC source workflow does not establish that OBS automatically watches a Drive folder and updates its playlist when files are added or removed. After changing the folder, update the files in the OBS source and test the revised sequence before relying on it live.
Send the OBS program to YouTube Live
- Open YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room and create or schedule a stream using the encoder option. YouTube’s instructions are in Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder.
- Copy the stream URL and stream key from the YouTube stream setup into OBS’s streaming settings. Treat the key like a password: anyone with access to it may be able to send a feed to that stream.
- Start OBS’s preview and confirm the intended video, picture and audio are present.
- Start the encoder stream from OBS. Check the YouTube preview or watch page to confirm YouTube is receiving the feed, and monitor the live audio and video.
YouTube recommends preparing encoder streams in advance and checking the live output. Its live stream settings guide covers stream settings and reuse. Reusing settings can reduce repeated setup, but it does not by itself establish that a new broadcast will automatically start whenever a Drive folder changes.
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Understand the difference between an OBS queue and a YouTube playlist
An OBS VLC playlist is the queue of local media files that OBS plays into the live encoder feed. A YouTube playlist is a collection of videos hosted on YouTube. Creating or managing a YouTube playlist does not import Drive files into OBS or make those files rotate in a live stream.
The YouTube Data API can manage YouTube playlists and playlist items, but that is a separate operation: API writes require OAuth authorization and use a YouTube playlist and video ID. See Google’s YouTube Data API playlist guide and YouTube’s guide to managing playlists in Studio.
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Test before relying on the broadcast
- Open each queued video from the streaming computer and confirm that it plays with sound.
- Check the OBS preview for the expected video and audio before starting the encoder.
- Check the YouTube preview or watch page to verify the feed arrives there.
- Let the queue reach its end once in a test stream, and confirm it loops or shuffles as configured.
- After changing the Drive folder, refresh the OBS playlist and test the changed queue.
YouTube’s live tips recommend trying a test stream. This checks the full path—from file access, through OBS, to YouTube—before you depend on it for a broadcast.
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Troubleshoot common problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check or do |
|---|---|---|
| VLC Video is missing from OBS sources | VLC is not installed on the computer running OBS. | Install VLC, then check the available source types again. |
| A video will not open or play reliably | The file may not be available locally, especially if it is streamed from Drive. | Confirm Drive access and make the file available offline, or mirror it before the stream. |
| New Drive files do not appear in the live rotation | The OBS playlist is not established as an automatic folder watcher. | Update the VLC Video playlist in OBS after folder changes and test it. |
| The playlist stops at the last video | Looping may not be enabled. | Check Loop Playlist in the VLC Video source settings. |
| The rotation order changes unexpectedly | Shuffle may be enabled. | Disable Shuffle Playlist if a predictable sequence matters. |
| OBS shows the feed but YouTube does not | The encoder stream may not be started or the URL or key may be wrong. | Compare OBS’s streaming settings with the current YouTube stream setup and check the YouTube preview. |
| YouTube receives video but not the intended sound | The source or OBS audio may not be reaching the program feed. | Check that the video plays with audio locally and monitor the OBS and YouTube previews during a test. |
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