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On a 24/7 stream, a black gap between videos is often a playback handoff issue, not necessarily a YouTube connection problem. Start by identifying whether the clips are played through one OBS Media Source, an OBS VLC Video playlist, or multiple sources or scenes. Each setup has different settings to check, and the information in the question alone cannot confirm which one is causing the gap.
First, identify how OBS is playing the videos
In OBS, look at the scene’s Sources list and determine which setup matches your stream:
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- One Media Source: a source plays a video file, then another file or source takes over.
- VLC Video: one source plays a playlist of clips.
- Multiple sources or scenes: separate sources or scenes handle different videos, with OBS switching between them.
A black gap can have different causes in each case, so avoid changing settings until you know which playback path you are using.
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If you use one Media Source
Check “Show nothing when playback ends”
OBS documents that Show nothing when playback ends is enabled by default for Media Source. When the file ends, this setting automatically hides the source. If the next video is a separate source that is not yet visible, that behavior could leave the scene black during the handoff. The setting changes what OBS displays at the end of a file; it is not a confirmed diagnosis for your particular stream. OBS Media Sources documentation
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Test the end-of-file behavior safely
- In a test scene or recording, open the Media Source properties for the clip that ends.
- Inspect Show nothing when playback ends.
- If you want the last frame to remain visible during the handoff, test the setting with a representative clip and verify the result in a local recording.
- Check the full transition, including the end of one clip and the start of the next, before applying a change to the live broadcast.
Leaving the last frame visible may avoid a blank interval, but confirm that it produces the picture you want rather than an unwanted frozen image.
If you use an OBS VLC Video playlist
Check loop and playlist contents
OBS’s VLC Video source supports playlists, and Loop Playlist is enabled by default according to the OBS documentation. Confirm that looping is enabled and that the intended clips are actually in the playlist. A missing, misplaced, or unexpected item can make a handoff look like a playback failure. OBS Media Sources documentation
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Check VLC and visibility behavior
- VLC must be installed for the VLC Video source to work. OBS states that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
- Review the source’s visibility behavior options: continue, pause, or stop playback when the source is not visible. Choose the behavior that fits your scene layout, then test what happens when the source becomes visible again.
The OBS documentation describes these settings and requirements, but it does not establish that any one of them explains the gap in your stream.
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If the gap happens during a scene or source change
Check whether the incoming source is ready and visible when OBS switches to it, and whether playback is set to restart when that source becomes active. A newly activated source that initially displays black can produce a black transition. In one OBS forum discussion about scene transitions, a respondent suggested disabling restart-on-activation for that case; it is a community example, not an official universal fix, and may not apply to gaps between playlist items. OBS forum discussion about black frames during scene transitions
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Test a change in a spare scene or recording first. A setting that helps a scene transition could have different effects when your videos are arranged another way.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Tell a local playback gap from a delivery problem
Check whether the black interval appears in OBS’s preview or a local recording, and look at OBS’s dropped-frames counter. If the preview and recording already show black, investigate sources, playlists, visibility, and scene changes. If local output looks correct but the stream at YouTube does not, investigate delivery and connection conditions separately.
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OBS’s help guidance associates dropped frames with connection and bitrate problems, where frames are dropped to avoid buffering. That is a distinct troubleshooting path from a source being hidden at the end of a file; a dropped-frames count by itself does not prove the cause of a local source handoff gap. OBS Help Portal
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| Playback setup | Check first | What the documentation supports |
|---|---|---|
| One Media Source file | Show nothing when playback ends | OBS documents that this option hides the source when the file ends. It does not identify your configuration. |
| VLC Video playlist | Loop Playlist, clip list, VLC installation, and visibility behavior | OBS documents playlist properties and the VLC dependency. |
| Multiple scenes or sources | Whether the incoming source is visible and ready, and whether activation restarts playback | A forum example describes a black frame when a source activates; it does not establish the cause of a playlist gap. |
| Possible network delivery issue | Dropped-frames counter and connection or bitrate troubleshooting | OBS help covers dropped frames and connection issues, not this exact symptom. |
Make changes without risking the 24/7 broadcast
- Reproduce the sequence in a spare scene or a local recording.
- Include the end of a clip, the transition, and the first moments of the next clip.
- Change one relevant setting at a time so you can tell which change affects the result.
- Review the local output before changing the live scene.
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