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To rotate several prerecorded gaming videos on a YouTube Live stream, use OBS Studio’s VLC Video source: add the files to its built-in playlist and enable Loop Playlist. OBS’s official documentation describes that source playlist, but does not confirm that it can import a separate plain-text or M3U playlist file. If you have one video, use a Media Source and enable its Loop option.
Can OBS use a text-file playlist?
OBS documents a playlist built inside its VLC Video source; it does not document importing an external text or M3U file for this purpose. Its Text source, which can read a text file for display as an on-screen overlay, is a different feature. Do not assume that a text file will control video playback, that a particular playlist syntax works, or that edits to a file will reload while OBS is running.
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This distinction matters because a text-file overlay and a media playlist solve different problems. The documented workflow below uses the VLC Video source’s own playlist. OBS’s media-source documentation is dated January 11, 2022, and controls may vary by OBS version.
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- Check the files and rebroadcast rights. Prepare the local video files you intend to play, and make sure you have permission to rebroadcast them. Gameplay footage, music, overlays, and other included material can each raise rights issues.
- Install VLC with the matching architecture. OBS requires VLC for its VLC Video source to be available. If you use 64-bit OBS, install 64-bit VLC.
- Add the source to the scene. In OBS, select the scene for the stream, add a VLC Video source, and add your video files to the source’s playlist in the order you want them played.
- Set the order and repeat behavior. Leave Shuffle Playlist off to play items in the entered order; enable it to randomize playback. Enable Loop Playlist to restart the playlist after its last item ends.
- Choose what happens when the source is hidden. Set the VLC source’s Visibility Behaviour to suit the scene. This setting determines whether playback continues, pauses, or stops when the source is hidden.
- Preview the scene. Confirm the videos play and the playlist behaves as intended before starting the YouTube broadcast. OBS playback settings choose the media; configure YouTube’s stream event and metadata separately.
Choose the right OBS source for one file or several
| Use case | OBS source | Repeat control | Order and hidden-source behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
| One video file | Media Source | Loop repeats the file. | There is no multi-file ordering to set. |
| Several video files | VLC Video | Loop Playlist restarts the list after the last item. | Keep Shuffle Playlist off for entered order or turn it on for random order. Its Visibility Behaviour setting controls playback when hidden. |
OBS describes VLC Video as supporting a playlist of items, unlike Media Source. The documented controls do not establish that either source can be driven by an external text file.
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Keep YouTube rights and monetization separate from playback
YouTube says that “All live streams are scanned for matches to third-party content, including copyrighted content in the form of another live broadcast.” If it detects protected material, it may replace the stream with a placeholder, interrupt it, or terminate it. A licence may not be enough on its own: YouTube says the rights owner may need to allowlist your channel through Content ID.
Gameplay monetization is a separate question from whether OBS can play the files. YouTube says video-game content may be monetized depending on commercial-use rights granted by publishers. Its guidance says simple gameplay may not qualify without appropriate rights; commentary must be tied to the action and provide instructional or educational value to meet the relevant standard. A looping playlist does not grant rebroadcast rights or make a channel eligible for monetization.
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Troubleshooting OBS playlist playback
- VLC Video is missing: Install VLC. Match the architecture; 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
- The list stops after the final video: Enable Loop Playlist on the VLC Video source.
- Videos play in an unexpected order: Disable Shuffle Playlist to use the order in which you added the files.
- Playback changes when you switch scenes or hide the source: Review the source’s Visibility Behaviour setting.
- A text or M3U file does not populate the source: The official OBS documentation referenced here does not confirm external playlist-file import. Add media through the VLC Video source’s documented playlist controls rather than relying on unverified syntax or file-watcher behavior.
- YouTube interrupts the stream: Check for third-party material in the VODs and address rights or Content ID allowlisting with the rights owner where applicable. Playlist settings cannot prevent copyright enforcement.
Or let it run in the cloud
If you do not want a computer and home connection to keep the broadcast running, StreamNeo is a cloud service for keeping a YouTube channel live from uploaded videos. Upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops the videos from the cloud; it does not stream from a camera.
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