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How to Use vMix Scripting to Switch Playlists on a YouTube Live Stream

Use vMix PlayList for switching between inputs or a List input for media files, then automate confirmed actions with scripts while YouTube Live remains a separate destination.
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To switch what viewers see on a YouTube live stream, automate the vMix production that feeds YouTube: use a vMix PlayList to move between separate inputs, or a List input to play media files through one input. You can start a script from a shortcut, but the exact playlist-control function names must be confirmed in your installed vMix version. YouTube Live is configured separately as the stream destination.

First, choose what “playlist” means in vMix

A YouTube channel playlist is not what either of these vMix features controls. vMix determines the picture and sound sent in its output; YouTube Live receives that output as a separate destination.

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vMix feature What it sequences Best fit
PlayList Separate vMix inputs, such as a camera input followed by a video input Switching between production inputs with their transitions
List input Multiple video/audio files, or an M3U playlist, within one input Playing a media sequence through one input with auto-next or looping

A List input can also be placed inside a standard PlayList if you need a sequence that combines media playback with other production inputs. vMix notes that a List can avoid loading all videos at once, which may be useful when working with a larger media collection.

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Build the sequence in vMix

For transitions between separate inputs

  1. Add and configure the inputs you want to use in the vMix production.
  2. Open the PlayList controls, add the available inputs to the sequence, and choose the desired order.
  3. Set the relevant options: Loop repeats the sequence; Begin from selected item starts at the selected entry; Clear Overlays clears overlays as items change; and Manual Mode lets you advance manually.
  4. Start the PlayList. Use Previous and Next to move between items; transitions follow the transition configured for each item.

For files inside a single input

  1. Add a List input and load the video/audio files or M3U playlist you want to play.
  2. Set the List’s automatic-next and loop behavior to match whether it should advance on its own and repeat.
  3. Use that List input as the media source in your production, or add it to a PlayList alongside other inputs.

Create a script and a way to launch it

vMix documentation identifies scripting as available in the 4K and Pro editions. The current documentation points to vMix 29, but the controls and callable functions available to you can vary by installed release and license. Check your own edition and version before building an automation around a particular function.

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  1. In vMix, open Settings > Scripting and create a uniquely named script.
  2. Open Settings > Shortcuts, choose Add, and create a shortcut using the ScriptStart function.
  3. Enter the exact script name in the shortcut’s script-name field, then save it. You can trigger the shortcut through the control method you have configured.

For ordered actions that do not require a full script, vMix Web Scripting can run multiple function lines in sequence and insert Sleep delays. Its function syntax matches the Web API syntax without the URL portion.

Confirm playlist function names before automating

Do not assume a function name such as “PlaylistStart” or “PlaylistNext” will work: the official documentation does not establish those exact names, and the available functions depend on the installed vMix version. The vMix API identifies callable functions as those shown in the Shortcuts function dropdown.

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  1. Open Settings > Shortcuts > Add in the installation you will use.
  2. Inspect the function dropdown for the action you need and confirm its available parameters.
  3. Test the function from a shortcut on the actual input or PlayList configuration before putting it in a longer script.
  4. Only then use the confirmed function and parameters in your script or Web Scripting sequence.

This check prevents a plausible-looking but unsupported command from becoming a failure point while you are live.

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Connect the vMix output to YouTube Live

Set up YouTube as the destination independently of the vMix sequence. vMix’s YouTube Live workflow supports logging in, creating a stream or selecting a scheduled event, and then starting the stream in vMix; the Stream Now workflow likewise describes creating or selecting the YouTube stream and using the required credentials or stream-key process.

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  1. In vMix, configure the YouTube Live destination or select the relevant YouTube stream/event in the available workflow.
  2. Complete the required account, credential, or stream-key steps for that destination.
  3. Start the vMix stream and verify the output is live at the intended YouTube destination.
  4. Once it is sending, operate the PlayList or List sequence in vMix. Viewers receive the vMix output as the inputs change.

Know the scheduling limit

vMix’s built-in PlayList is suited to basic sequential switching, including looping several video inputs, but it is not a clock-based broadcast scheduler. vMix says it does not support time-of-day scheduling and is designed primarily for single live events. Its Knowledge Base article describing that limitation was last updated January 17, 2025.

The third-party vMix Scheduler project mentioned in that support article is no longer maintained, and compatibility is uncertain. If you need a program to change at a specific time of day, do not treat a basic PlayList loop or an unmaintained scheduling add-on as a verified scheduling solution.

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Or let it run in the cloud

If your goal is a YouTube channel that keeps uploaded recordings playing around the clock, StreamNeo is an alternative to operating a vMix system continuously: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops the uploaded videos from the cloud, so nothing has to stay on at home. Each slot streams the upload as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot; StreamNeo automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly billing is $9.99 per month. StreamNeo is for uploaded video to YouTube, not camera-originated live production.

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