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Freedom251 › Blog › 24/7 streaming

How to Rotate Artwork in a 24/7 YouTube Music Radio Stream

By Freedom251 Team · · 4 min read

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To rotate artwork while your YouTube music radio stream keeps playing, add an Image Slide Show source in OBS Studio, set it to change images automatically, and leave Loop enabled. The slideshow is part of OBS’s outgoing video, so YouTube shows the changing images while receiving the continuous stream.

Set up an automatic image slideshow in OBS

  1. Prepare your artwork. Put the images you want to use in one folder if that makes them easier to manage. OBS’s Image Slide Show source supports BMP, TGA, PNG, JPEG, JPG, and GIF files. You can also add files individually. See OBS’s Image Slide Show Source guide for supported formats and options.
  2. Add the source to your scene. In OBS, select the scene for your radio stream. In the Sources dock, select the plus button and choose Image Slide Show. Add the image files or directory to the source.
  3. Choose automatic timing. Set Slide Mode to automatic, then set Time Between Slides to the amount of time you want each image displayed before the transition begins. Choose a transition and adjust its speed.
  4. Set the order and loop behavior. Leave Loop on to restart the slideshow after the last image. With Randomize Playback off, images play in the listed order; turn it on if you prefer a shuffled rotation.
  5. Position and size the artwork. Check the scene preview and adjust the source so the image fits the video canvas and important details are visible. OBS’s Sources Guide documents source positioning and fit-to-screen controls.
  6. Test before the long run. Preview the complete output, including the music and image changes. YouTube recommends testing with audio and video movement similar to the planned broadcast, then checking stream health and messages while live. Its live encoder settings guide covers delivery settings and monitoring.

Choose an interval and transition

OBS documents defaults of 8,000 milliseconds between slides, a 700-millisecond transition speed, a Fade transition, Loop on, and Randomize Playback off. These are software defaults, not recommendations for every station. Choose an interval that suits the artwork and listening experience; for example, album covers may benefit from changing less often than a fast visual playlist.

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Time Between Slides and transition speed are separate controls. The interval is the time an image is shown before the transition starts; transition speed does not simply add extra time after that interval.

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Fixed image or rotating artwork?

Option Use it when What to consider
Image source You want one static image for the whole stream. It is the simpler choice, but it does not change artwork automatically.
Image Slide Show source You want multiple images to change on a timer. You can set the interval, transition, loop behavior, and playback order.

Check the YouTube stream separately

The slideshow controls only determine what OBS places in the video. YouTube’s encoder requirements govern how that finished audio/video feed reaches the platform. YouTube recommends RTMPS and lists RTMP/RTMPS as protocols; its live encoder guidance lists H.264, H.265, or AV1 video and AAC or MP3 audio options. It recommends a two-second keyframe interval that should not exceed four seconds. These delivery settings are separate from artwork timing and may change, so consult the current YouTube encoder settings and bitrate table when configuring OBS.

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For one stated configuration, YouTube’s guidance gives H.264 at 1080p and 30 fps a minimum bitrate of 5 Mbps and a recommended bitrate of 14 Mbps. This is a configuration recommendation, not a guarantee of stream quality or an artwork setting.

If the broadcast stutters or YouTube reports a problem, check the Live Control Room’s stream health and messages rather than assuming the slideshow caused it. YouTube’s live-stream health documentation describes issues such as missing audio or video and insufficient video delivery.

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Keep rights and continuity in mind

Using an image file in OBS does not establish permission to broadcast that artwork, and the same is true of the music. Make sure you have the necessary rights or licenses for both. A slideshow can rotate automatically, but it does not itself guarantee an uninterrupted 24/7 broadcast; encoder, computer, network, or platform interruptions can still occur.

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Or let it run in the cloud

If you would rather not keep OBS and a home computer running, StreamNeo is a YouTube-only cloud service for looping uploaded videos or playlists as a 24/7 stream. Upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It plays uploaded videos rather than broadcasting a live camera feed. StreamNeo does not rotate a separate OBS slideshow source; prepare the artwork changes in the video you upload.

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24/7 streamingmusic radioOBS Studiostreaming artworkYouTube Live

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