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To schedule a YouTube playlist rotation with OBS, put a YouTube playlist player in an OBS scene, then use Windows Task Scheduler to launch OBS at the time you choose. Add YouTube’s playlist and autoplay parameters to the player URL; use its loop parameter if you want the playlist to repeat. Scheduling OBS to open or play a scene is different from scheduling a live stream: OBS’s --startstreaming flag starts streaming, so use it only when you intend to broadcast and have configured the stream profile.
How the scheduled rotation works
The setup has three parts: YouTube provides the playlist player, OBS opens the scene containing that player, and Windows Task Scheduler launches OBS on a schedule. The player controls which playlist loads and whether it repeats; OBS controls which scene opens and whether streaming starts. Task Scheduler controls when OBS launches.
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This method schedules OBS on a Windows computer. That computer must be available for the scheduled launch, and OBS must be able to load the player and connect to YouTube. It is not a cloud schedule.
Build the playlist player in OBS
1. Create or identify the YouTube playlist
Use the ID of the YouTube playlist you want to play, not an individual video ID. YouTube’s documented embed parameters select a playlist with listType=playlist and list=PLAYLIST_ID. Replace PLAYLIST_ID with the actual playlist ID.
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2. Add a browser source to a scene
In OBS, create or select a scene for the rotation and add a Browser source configured to show the YouTube playlist player. Include the playlist parameters in the player’s URL, for example: https://www.youtube.com/embed?listType=playlist&list=PLAYLIST_ID&autoplay=1. YouTube documents autoplay=1 as starting playback without user interaction. The exact source dimensions and scene layout depend on how you want the player to appear in the stream.
Autoplay has a privacy implication: YouTube says playback data collection and sharing occur when the page loads if autoplay is enabled. See YouTube’s Embedded Players and Player Parameters documentation.
3. Choose whether the playlist repeats
If rotation means playing the entire playlist again after its last item, add loop=1 to the player URL. YouTube describes playlist looping, but also warns that loop support in IFrame embeds is limited. A Browser source using an embedded player should therefore be tested in the actual OBS scene through the end of the playlist; do not assume unattended looping works just because playback starts.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesIf you want the playlist to play only once, omit the loop parameter. That changes playback behavior, not the Task Scheduler trigger.
4. Save the scene under a clear name
Give the scene a distinctive name, such as Playlist Rotation. OBS can be launched with --scene "name" to select a named scene. Use the scene name exactly as it appears in OBS.
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Schedule OBS to launch
Create a scheduled task in Windows Task Scheduler with OBS as the program to launch and the desired time as its trigger. Windows trigger, logon, and run-condition choices depend on the Windows setup and how OBS is expected to run; the available official OBS directions do not establish universal settings for those options. Confirm the task’s trigger and logon behavior against your own Windows installation rather than assuming one configuration works for every PC.
Set the OBS program and working directory
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Set the program or script to the OBS executable, typically
obs64.exeon 64-bit Windows. Use the path where OBS is installed on your computer.The Tool Desk
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Set the task’s Start in or working-directory field to the folder containing
obs64.exe. OBS’s Windows launch guidance specifically calls for this working directory when using scheduled tasks. -
Add the launch arguments you need. For example,
--scene "Playlist Rotation"requests that OBS open that scene. OBS documents launch parameters at OBS Launch Parameters.
Decide whether the task should start a live stream
Opening OBS and playing a Browser source does not, by itself, mean that OBS should start a live broadcast. If the scheduled task is meant to go live automatically, add --startstreaming to the OBS arguments and make sure the OBS stream profile and YouTube stream key are configured. OBS defines this flag as automatically starting streaming; it is not a playback-only option.
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For a task meant only to open OBS or start local playback, do not add --startstreaming. A mistaken streaming flag can start a broadcast when you intended only to open the scene.
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Test the whole rotation before relying on it
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Run OBS manually with the intended scene and verify that the playlist loads in the Browser source.
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Confirm that autoplay begins as expected in the OBS source, not just in a separate browser tab.
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If you enabled looping, let the playlist reach its final item and verify that it starts again in the same OBS configuration.
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Run the scheduled task at a time when you can observe the computer. Confirm that OBS launches, the correct scene is selected, and any intended stream starts.
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If streaming, verify the broadcast from YouTube’s side and check that the correct stream profile and key are in use.
Testing only the scheduled launch is not enough to establish that an embedded playlist will loop reliably: the player transition at the end of the playlist is a separate behavior.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common problems and fixes
OBS does not launch from the scheduled task
Check that the program path points to the installed OBS executable and that the working directory points to the folder containing obs64.exe. Review the task’s trigger, logon choice, and run conditions for your Windows setup; those options are not one-size-fits-all.
The wrong scene opens
Check the spelling and quotation marks in --scene "name", and make sure the named scene exists in the OBS profile used by the task.
The playlist loads but does not start
Confirm that the URL contains autoplay=1 and that the Browser source loads the intended playlist. YouTube notes that autoplay begins without user interaction when enabled, but test it in the actual OBS source.
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The playlist plays through but does not repeat
Verify that loop=1 is present and that the playlist is selected using listType=playlist and list=PLAYLIST_ID. YouTube cautions that IFrame loop support is limited, so the decisive check is whether the player repeats in your OBS setup.
A live broadcast starts unexpectedly—or does not start
Inspect the OBS arguments for --startstreaming. Add it only for a scheduled broadcast, and confirm that the OBS stream profile is configured. Without it, the task may open OBS without beginning a live stream.
Copyright and YouTube channel considerations
Scheduling playback does not grant permission to stream the playlist’s contents. Use videos you own or have permission to broadcast, and review YouTube’s applicable copyright and monetization rules for your channel and content. A playlist that plays correctly in OBS is not, by that fact alone, cleared for a live broadcast.
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