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OBS Playlist Source vs. VLC Video for a YouTube Gaming VOD Stream

Use Media Source for one local VOD file and VLC Video for a playlist. Learn the VLC prerequisite, playlist defaults, and why direct YouTube URL support is not established by OBS documentation.
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For a single local gaming VOD file, use OBS’s built-in Media Source. For a playlist of local VOD files, use VLC Video: OBS documents playlist controls there, including looping and shuffle. “YouTube VOD” can also mean a video or playlist URL hosted on YouTube; OBS’s source documentation does not establish that pasting such a URL into VLC Video will work.

Which OBS source fits your VOD workflow?

Need Media Source VLC Video
Play one local video OBS documents this source for individual media files. Can play items using VLC libraries; its playlist controls are the clearer fit when you have a sequence.
Play a playlist OBS distinguishes this from VLC Video’s playlist capability. Supports a playlist of items, similar to an image slideshow.
Loop or shuffle Has a loop setting for an individual file. Loop Playlist defaults on; Shuffle Playlist defaults off.
Control playback while hidden Can restart when activated and close the file when inactive. Visibility Behavior controls whether playback continues, pauses, or stops when hidden.
Prerequisite OBS does not list VLC as a requirement. Requires VLC installed; 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.

OBS says VLC Video uses VLC libraries “for extended media support over the built-in Media Source.” The source page also lists network caching, audio-track, and subtitle controls for VLC Video; its documented network-caching default is 400 ms. See the OBS Project Media Sources documentation.

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Set up a playlist of local gaming VOD files

1. Install VLC with the matching architecture

Install VLC before adding VLC Video in OBS. If your OBS installation is 64-bit, OBS specifies that VLC must also be 64-bit. After installation, reopen OBS if the source is not available in the source list.

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2. Add VLC Video to your scene

  1. In the OBS scene where the VOD should appear, use the Sources panel and select +.
  2. Choose VLC Video, name the source if desired, and confirm.
  3. In its properties, add the local video files to the playlist. Arrange them in the order you want played.
  4. Keep Loop Playlist enabled if you want the sequence to restart after the final item. Turn on Shuffle Playlist only if you want randomized order; OBS documents it as off by default.
  5. Choose the appropriate Visibility Behavior for your scene. This determines what playback does when the source is hidden: it can continue, pause, or stop.
  6. Confirm the source properties and check the scene preview to make sure the playlist appears as intended.

OBS’s Sources Guide covers adding and arranging sources in scenes. The precise controls available can depend on the source and OBS version; consult the source properties shown in your installation.

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Local VOD files are different from YouTube URLs

If you have downloaded or otherwise have local gaming VOD files, adding them to a VLC Video playlist matches the documented playlist use case. If you mean a YouTube watch-page URL or YouTube playlist URL, OBS’s official source documentation does not say that either Media Source or VLC Video supports direct YouTube URL playback. Do not assume that entering a YouTube URL in VLC Video will work.

The yt-dlp project documents a separate workflow that pipes a YouTube video through yt-dlp to VLC, but that is not evidence of direct URL compatibility in OBS’s VLC Video source. The project also notes that site URL schemes can change; see its FAQ. That separate workflow is not the same as creating a local playlist in OBS.

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Choose the source by what you need to play

  • Choose Media Source for one local video file and its individual-file playback controls.
  • Choose VLC Video for a sequence of local files when you need playlist looping, shuffle, or its visibility controls, and install VLC first.
  • For a YouTube-hosted URL, treat direct playback through either OBS source as unverified by the cited OBS documentation.
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Or let it run in the cloud

If your goal is to keep a pre-recorded gaming video live on YouTube around the clock, StreamNeo is a separate cloud option: upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Your computer and home connection do not need to stay on. It streams uploaded video to YouTube, not from a live camera. Any quality up to 4K 60fps streams as uploaded at one flat price per slot; if YouTube drops the stream, StreamNeo automatically recovers. The first day is free with no card, and the monthly option is $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo or start your free first day.

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