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To broadcast prerecorded videos in order and repeat them as one 4K 60fps YouTube Live stream, build the playlist in OBS Studio with a VLC Video source: put the files in order, turn on Loop Playlist, and leave Shuffle Playlist off. Then connect OBS to YouTube Live Control Room with your stream URL and key. YouTube’s watch-page loop control only repeats playback for a viewer; it does not create or transmit a live broadcast.
Build the loop in OBS, not on YouTube’s watch page
“YouTube Live playlist” can refer to different things. For a live broadcast made from local video files, OBS sends the ordered sequence to YouTube as an encoder output. A YouTube watch-page playlist loop is a viewer playback setting, not a way to make your channel broadcast those files. YouTube’s encoder workflow uses the stream URL and key from Live Control Room (YouTube Live encoder setup; watch-page playlist looping).
This guide uses OBS Studio’s VLC Video source. VLC must be installed for that source to appear in OBS (OBS media sources documentation).
Create an ordered, repeating playlist in OBS
- Install VLC. Install VLC on the computer that will run OBS, then reopen OBS if it was already running.
- Add a VLC Video source. In the scene for your broadcast, use the Sources panel’s add control and choose VLC Video. If it is not listed, confirm VLC is installed.
- Add and order the files. In the source’s playlist controls, add the video files you want to broadcast. Arrange them in the intended sequence; the first item plays first.
- Set the repeat behavior. Enable Loop Playlist so playback returns to the beginning after the last file. Keep Shuffle Playlist disabled so OBS preserves the file-list order.
- Check the scene output. Confirm the video fits the canvas as intended and that the source’s audio is routed into the broadcast mix. Play through representative sections before going live, including transitions between files.
These playlist controls belong to OBS’s VLC Video source. They do not change a playlist on YouTube’s watch page.
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- 【MEDIA FORMAT SUPPORT】 - Video: MP4, MKV, AVI, TS/TP, MOV, VOB, and M2TS files using H.265/HEVC, H.264/AVC, VC1, or MPEG2/4 codecs, up to 4096x2304p@30fps, 10-bit color, and 200mbps. Photos: JPG, JPEG, BMP, GIF (non-animated), PNG. Music: MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, APE, AAC
Connect OBS to YouTube Live and start the event
- Open YouTube Live Control Room and create or select the live event. Copy the event’s stream URL and stream key from the encoder settings (YouTube encoder setup instructions).
- In OBS, open Settings > Stream, select YouTube if available, and enter or select the stream key and server details shown for the event. Use the values displayed in Live Control Room rather than assuming a saved key or URL is the right one.
- Set OBS to output 3840 × 2160 at 60 frames per second if your files, computer, encoder, and upload connection can sustain it. Check the current YouTube guidance for your chosen ingest codec before setting bitrate.
- Start the encoder output in OBS. Wait for the incoming preview in Live Control Room, check the audio and video, and then click Go live there to start the public event.
- While the event is live, watch YouTube’s stream-health indicators and check that OBS continues sending the expected output.
Choose 4K 60fps settings and bitrate carefully
YouTube’s encoder guidance covers 4K/2160p at 60fps and recommends matching settings to the encoder and connection, testing before broadcast, and monitoring stream health. Its published bitrate recommendations differ across the English and localized versions of the guidance retrieved for this article: one rendering lists H.264 at 35 Mbps and AV1/H.265 at 10–40 Mbps; another lists H.264 at a 14 Mbps minimum and 50 Mbps recommended, and AV1/H.265 at a 10 Mbps minimum and 35 Mbps recommended. These are YouTube recommendations, not independent test results, and the conflicting values should not be treated as one universal setting. Check the current Live Control Room guidance for the selected ingest codec and encoder before choosing a bitrate (YouTube live encoder settings).
For 4K/2160p, the English guidance retrieved says low-latency optimization is unavailable and the stream uses normal latency. If a low delay is essential, verify the options available for your resolution before scheduling the broadcast.
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- Match the whole chain: A 4K60 file alone does not guarantee a 4K60 live output. OBS’s output settings, encoder capacity, connection, and YouTube ingest settings all need to support the chosen format.
- Test motion and audio: Use representative footage, including fast movement and quieter passages, to check for dropped frames, encoding strain, clipping, silence, or mismatched audio.
- Test the upload connection: Leave headroom rather than setting the stream bitrate at the connection’s practical limit. A stable, sustained upload matters more than a short speed-test peak.
- Check stream health during transmission: A successful preview is useful, but does not guarantee the stream will remain healthy throughout a long event.
Understand what keeps repeating—and what does not
- OBS playlist loop: Repeats the source’s prerecorded files inside the live program. This is the control needed for an ordered broadcast loop.
- YouTube watch-page loop: Repeats playback of a playlist for an individual viewer; it does not send video from your channel as a live stream (YouTube playlist playback help).
- YouTube HLS Media Playlist: In YouTube’s HLS ingestion documentation, this is a manifest used to describe how stream segments are reassembled in order. It is not an OBS list of prerecorded program videos (YouTube HLS ingestion guide).
- Live Redirect: Hands viewers off to a Premiere or another live stream after the current stream ends. It does not restart the current OBS playlist inside the same broadcast (YouTube Live Redirect help).
The OBS method only sends video while OBS and the computer are running and connected. Looping the source does not make an encoder output continue after the encoder stops.
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Check rights and YouTube policy before looping content
Only stream videos and audio you have the rights and permissions to broadcast. A playlist that repeats does not change copyright obligations, and permission to use a recording in one context does not automatically establish permission to rebroadcast it as a live stream. Review YouTube’s current copyright and monetization rules for your channel and content before scheduling the event. Reused-content and monetization eligibility are separate from whether OBS can technically loop the files; do not assume that a technically valid stream is automatically eligible for monetization.
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Troubleshoot common problems
- VLC Video is missing in OBS: Install VLC, then restart OBS so it can detect the VLC installation.
- Files play in the wrong order: Check the order in the VLC Video source’s file list and make sure Shuffle Playlist is off.
- The playlist stops at the end: Open the VLC Video source settings and enable Loop Playlist.
- YouTube shows no preview: Confirm OBS is streaming to the event’s current stream URL and key, start the encoder output, and allow time for the preview to appear. Check YouTube’s stream-health messages for a specific ingest issue.
- The preview works but the event is not live: After confirming the preview, start the event with Go live in Live Control Room.
- Video stutters or stream health degrades: Check OBS rendering and encoding load, connection stability, and the selected output bitrate. Retest with YouTube’s current codec-specific guidance rather than relying on a bitrate value from a different localized rendering.
- Audio is absent or uneven: Check the source’s audio output and OBS mixer levels, then test transitions and representative sections before restarting the event.
Or let it run in the cloud
If you do not want a computer and home connection to keep sending the broadcast, StreamNeo is a cloud service for keeping a YouTube channel live from uploaded videos. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It plays uploaded videos rather than broadcasting from a camera.
- Nothing has to stay on at home; the stream runs from the cloud.
- Any quality up to 4K 60fps streams as uploaded, at one flat price per slot, without re-encoding or quality tiers.
- StreamNeo automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream.
- The first day is free with no card required.
Monthly service is $9.99 per month. Start your free StreamNeo day.
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- Media Format Support - Video: MP4, MKV, AVI, TS/TP, MOV, VOB, and M2TS files using H.265/HEVC, H.264/AVC, VC1 or MPEG2/4 codecs, up to 4096x2304p@60fps resolution, 10-bit color, and 250mbps. Photos: JPG, JPEG, BMP, GIF (non-animated), PNG. Music: MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, APE, AAC
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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