If an OBS playlist keeps returning to its first video, first confirm that you are using the VLC Video source for a playlist of local files—not a regular Media Source. Then check the playlist entries, shuffle and loop settings, and what happens when the source is hidden. These checks address the documented VLC playlist behavior; a reset after editing a playlist is a separate symptom and does not have a confirmed universal fix.
First, identify what kind of playlist you are using
OBS has two relevant source types for local video. Media Source adds a supported media file to a scene. VLC Video supports a playlist of media items; OBS describes it as allowing a playlist “similar to an Image Slideshow.” The settings below apply to a local-files playlist in VLC Video. If your “playlist” is a YouTube playlist displayed in a browser source, these VLC-specific steps may not apply.
| Source | What it is for | Playlist behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Media Source | A supported media file added to a scene. | OBS documents it as a media-file source, not the playlist source described for VLC Video. |
| VLC Video | A playlist of media items, using VLC. | Use this for a local-files playlist; it has playlist, shuffle, loop, and visibility controls. |
See the OBS Project’s Media Sources documentation for the source descriptions and requirements.
Fix a local-files playlist that will not advance
- Open the scene’s source list. Select the scene that is meant to play the videos and confirm that the playlist source is VLC Video. If you added files as separate Media Sources, that is not the VLC playlist workflow. Configure the playlist in VLC Video instead.
- Make sure VLC is installed and matches OBS. VLC Video will not appear unless VLC is installed. OBS states that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. Install the matching VLC version, then reopen OBS if the source is still unavailable.
- Inspect the VLC playlist. Open the source’s properties and confirm that every intended file is present and in the expected order. With Shuffle Playlist off, items play in list order; with it on, OBS randomizes the order.
- Set looping for what should happen at the end. Enable Loop Playlist if playback should start over after the source runs out of media files. Looping controls what happens after the final item; it does not itself make one item advance to the next.
- Check source visibility behavior. OBS documents the VLC source default as stopping when it is not visible and restarting when visible. Ensure the source is visible in the active scene, and choose a visibility behavior that fits your scene changes. This concerns whether the source is visible in a scene—not whether the OBS application window is on screen.
If playback resets after you edit the playlist
A user on the OBS Forums reported that adding a media source or editing a VLC playlist while preparing a 24/7 YouTube Live setup reset playback to the first video. That is one report from a thread started on April 20, 2020; it does not establish a universal defect or a confirmed general fix. If the sequence matters, make and test playlist changes before going live when practical.
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Do not confuse that reset with normal end-of-playlist looping: looping restarts playback after the source has run out of files, while the forum report concerns a reset after an edit.
When the settings do not solve it
Reproduce the issue and note the details that distinguish a source problem from a scene or editing trigger:
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- OBS version and operating system.
- Whether the source is VLC Video, Media Source, or a browser source showing a YouTube playlist.
- Whether playback fails to advance at every item or resets only after a playlist edit or scene change.
- An OBS log and the steps that reliably trigger the behavior.
Use the OBS Help Portal to reach official documentation and support channels. A community reply has also mentioned Advanced Scene Switcher for timed scene transitions after a playlist; that is an optional scene-automation idea, not a required fix for a VLC playlist that fails to advance.
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