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How to Show the Current Video Title in an OBS YouTube Playlist Stream

OBS can play a local VLC playlist and display a title from a text file, but playlist playback does not automatically update that title. Here’s how to set it up and what automation requires.
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For a playlist of local video files, the simplest documented setup is an OBS VLC Video source for playback and an OBS Text source above it for the title. The Text source can read a plain-text file, but OBS does not automatically connect playlist changes to that file: update it yourself or use a separate metadata process you have tested.

What the setup does—and what it does not do

Showing a title involves three separate jobs: playing the playlist, identifying which item is currently playing, and displaying that title in the stream scene. OBS provides sources for playlist playback and for displaying text or web content. Its documentation does not describe a built-in feature that detects a YouTube playlist’s current title and automatically writes it into an overlay.

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The steps below cover a playlist of local files played through OBS’s VLC Video source. If your video is playing in a YouTube page inside a browser, this VLC workflow is not a drop-in solution for that playback. You would need a browser-based or external metadata integration, and should verify it with your installed OBS version, operating system, and actual playlist before relying on automatic title changes.

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Set up a local playlist and a title overlay

  1. Install VLC and add the playlist

    Install VLC in the architecture that matches OBS. In particular, OBS’s Media Sources documentation says 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. In your OBS scene, add a VLC Video source and configure its media playlist and order. See the OBS Media Sources guide.

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  2. Choose playback and visibility behavior

    Set the VLC source’s loop and shuffle options to suit the playlist. Review its visibility behavior as well: decide whether playback should continue when the source is hidden or when another scene is active. Preview scene changes to make sure playback behaves as intended.

  3. Add a text source above the video

    Add an OBS Text source to the same scene and place it above the VLC Video source in the Sources list. Choose the option to read text from a file, then select a plain-text file containing the title you want displayed. OBS’s Sources Guide explains text sources and layering sources in a scene.

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  4. Keep the file in sync with playback

    Change the text file when the playlist advances, either manually or through a separate metadata process you have tested. The text source can display the file’s contents; it does not, by itself, determine which playlist item is playing. Check the title after transitions and scene changes. A stale title points to the update mechanism, not to the text overlay’s ability to show text.

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Choose between a text file and a Browser Source

Approach Best for How the title updates Trade-off
OBS Text source reading a file A simple title label A person or separate process changes the file Fewer moving parts; less styling flexibility than HTML
OBS Browser Source with local HTML or a URL A custom layout, animation, or richer styling The page or a separate process must receive the current title More presentation flexibility; requires an overlay page and a way to supply title data

A Browser Source can load a local HTML file or a URL and supports custom CSS and width and height settings. OBS describes it as “one of the most versatile sources available in OBS.” It can render a title design, but it still needs a reliable way to receive the right title. See the OBS Browser Source guide.

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What automation requires

OBS’s source API documents playback events including media_started, media_ended, and media_next. A developer can use these events as triggers for custom automation, but the events alone do not establish access to a YouTube video’s title. You still need a tested method to map the playing item to its title and supply that title to the text file or overlay.

The official OBS Source API Reference identifies OBS Studio 33.0.0. The obs-browser project describes Browser Source as a CEF-based plugin with OBS JavaScript bindings and says it ships by default with official packages on Windows, macOS, Ubuntu PPA, and official Flatpak. That does not establish compatibility for every third-party overlay or automation script.

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Common problems and fixes

  • OBS does not show VLC as an available source or playback fails: confirm VLC is installed and its architecture matches OBS; 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
  • The title is visible but does not change: the text overlay displays the file’s contents, not playlist metadata. Update the file or troubleshoot the separate process responsible for updating it.
  • The title disappears when switching scenes: check whether the text source is present in the active scene and layered above the video source.
  • Playback stops or behaves differently when changing scenes: review the VLC source’s visibility behavior and test whether playback should continue while the source is hidden.
  • A browser-playback title is not detected: the documented VLC playlist route applies to local media in VLC, not a YouTube page playing in a browser. Verify any browser or metadata integration separately rather than assuming OBS detects the page title.
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Or let it run in the cloud

If the goal is to keep uploaded videos playing on a YouTube channel around the clock, StreamNeo is a cloud alternative: upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; it streams your uploaded video as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot, and automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. The monthly price is $9.99 per month. StreamNeo plays uploaded videos to YouTube; it does not go live from a camera. Learn more at StreamNeo, or start your free day.

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Sources and version notes

The OBS Media Sources, Sources Guide, and Browser Source pages cited above are dated 2022-01-11. OBS interface labels and third-party plugin compatibility can vary by version, so confirm the labels and behavior in your installed build. A community question phrased this as “Is there a way to show the name of the song that’s playing from YouTube on my YouTube streams?”; see the Reddit question.

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