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How to Schedule Video Playback in OBS for a Continuous YouTube Stream

Set OBS to loop one video or a VLC playlist, then schedule and test the YouTube event separately. Learn the settings and common fixes.
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To loop a video during a scheduled YouTube stream, enable Loop on an OBS Media Source. For a repeating sequence, use a VLC Video source and enable Loop Playlist. Then schedule the event in YouTube Studio, connect OBS using that event’s stream URL and key, and start and check the encoder feed at the scheduled time. Scheduling the YouTube event does not start OBS or play the video for you.

Choose how OBS should repeat your video

What you want to play OBS source Repeat setting Dependency or behavior
One video file, repeated Media Source Loop Uses the local file. OBS documents that the source repeats the file when playback completes.
Several files, in sequence VLC Video Loop Playlist Requires VLC installed; 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. OBS’s VLC visibility setting can stop playback when the source is not visible, then restart it when visible.

Use a single Media Source for a simple repeated clip. Choose VLC Video when you need an ordered playlist. If you use VLC Video, check its visibility behavior in your scene: a source that is hidden may stop and restart according to that setting rather than continue playing in the background. See the OBS Media Sources documentation (dated January 11, 2022) for source details.

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Set up looping playback in OBS

Repeat one local video

  1. Open OBS and select the scene that will carry the stream.
  2. In Sources, select + and add a Media Source.
  3. Choose the local video file in the source properties.
  4. Enable Loop, then confirm the source settings.
  5. Check the OBS preview and audio meters to make sure the video and its sound are present.

Repeat a playlist

  1. Install VLC before configuring the source. The VLC Video source will not appear without VLC; match the architecture, since 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
  2. In OBS, select the scene, choose + under Sources, and add VLC Video.
  3. Add the files in the order you want them played.
  4. Enable Loop Playlist if the sequence should start again after its final item.
  5. Review the VLC source’s visibility behavior. OBS documents a default behavior that stops playback when the source is not visible and restarts it when visible; adjust the behavior if that does not suit your scene.
  6. Check the preview and audio meters, and confirm the playlist advances and repeats as intended.

Schedule the YouTube event and connect OBS

  1. In YouTube Studio, open Live Control Room and use Manage to schedule the live event. This creates an upcoming event; it does not launch the OBS encoder.
  2. Open the scheduled event’s stream settings and retrieve its stream URL and stream key.
  3. In OBS, open Settings > Stream, choose the YouTube connection method available for your setup, and enter or connect the event’s stream URL and key as required.
  4. Keep the stream key private: YouTube describes it as the credential that lets an encoder send a feed.
  5. Before the event, start OBS and send a test feed. In Live Control Room, check the preview and stream health, then confirm the watch page is accessible and the audio and video are correct.
  6. At the scheduled time, follow YouTube Studio’s Go live flow. Starting OBS sends the encoder feed; the YouTube event still needs the appropriate live action in Studio.

YouTube recommends preparing the encoder in advance, testing before streaming, reviewing stream health, checking watch-page access, and monitoring audio and video. Its encoder setup guide, live stream settings help, live streaming tips, and encoder settings guidance cover preparation and stream configuration. Choose encoder quality settings appropriate to the available connection and test them before the broadcast.

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What “continuous” does—and does not—mean in OBS

Looping controls what a media source does when a file or playlist reaches its end. YouTube scheduling controls the event, while OBS sends the encoder feed. These are separate parts of the workflow, and a successful loop setting alone does not establish that a broadcast will run unattended or recover from a dropped connection.

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For a long-running stream, monitor the encoder feed and YouTube stream health. YouTube’s guidance also calls for checking audio and video, watch-page access, and archive growth; test failover if your setup uses it. The official instructions describe preparation and monitoring, not a guarantee of uninterrupted operation.

Troubleshooting common playback and scheduling problems

  • The VLC Video source is missing: Install VLC, then reopen or reconfigure OBS. If OBS is 64-bit, install 64-bit VLC.
  • The video stops after one play: For a Media Source, check Loop. For a VLC playlist, check Loop Playlist.
  • A VLC playlist pauses when you switch scenes or hide the source: Review the source’s visibility behavior. OBS documents a default that stops playback when the source is not visible and restarts it when visible.
  • The event is scheduled but no live feed appears: Scheduling does not start OBS. Start the encoder, verify the event’s stream URL and key in OBS, inspect the Live Control Room preview, and follow the Studio live flow.
  • The preview has no sound or picture: Check the selected source and local file, then verify the OBS preview and audio meters before going live.
  • YouTube reports a weak or unhealthy feed: Review OBS’s stream output and YouTube’s stream health, select encoder settings that fit your available connection, and test again before the event.
  • The stream drops during a long session: A loop setting is not a recovery mechanism. Monitor the feed and use YouTube’s preparation and failover guidance where applicable.
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Or let it run in the cloud

If you want a YouTube channel to keep playing uploaded videos without leaving OBS or a computer running at home, StreamNeo runs the stream in the cloud. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It plays uploaded video, not a live camera feed.

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