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OBS can play a playlist, but its documented VLC Video source does not include a built-in daily calendar for switching playlists. To rotate media automatically, keep a playlist for each day and use an OBS script or an external controller through OBS WebSocket, triggered by your computer’s operating-system scheduler. Schedule the YouTube broadcast separately: choosing what OBS plays and deciding when a YouTube live event starts are different tasks.
What you can schedule—and what you cannot
- OBS playlist playback: The VLC Video source plays media in a playlist, with options to loop or shuffle. OBS’s guide does not document a calendar-based daily playlist scheduler. OBS Media Sources
- Daily playlist switching: This requires a separate automation layer, such as an OBS script or an external controller that communicates with OBS WebSocket. OBS documents those extension and control mechanisms, but not a ready-made daily scheduling workflow. OBS Developer Guide
- YouTube live-event scheduling: YouTube can have an upcoming broadcast with a scheduled start. This does not select or rotate the media inside OBS.
- Scheduled video publishing: YouTube’s upload flow can schedule a private uploaded video to become public at a chosen date, time, and timezone. That is not an OBS live playlist change. YouTube Help: Schedule video publish time
Set up an OBS playlist for daily rotation
1. Add a VLC Video source
- Install VLC on the computer running OBS.
- In OBS, open the scene where the playlist should appear. In the Sources panel, select + and choose VLC Video Source.
- Name the source clearly, such as Daily playlist, and configure its playlist using the media files you want OBS to play.
- Choose whether that playlist should loop or shuffle. For a predictable daily sequence, use a fixed list and leave shuffle off. The VLC Video source requires VLC to be installed; OBS documentation specifies that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. OBS Media Sources
2. Keep daily media lists explicit
Prepare one list per day or maintain a clear date-to-list mapping—for example, Monday to monday.m3u and Tuesday to tuesday.m3u. Keep source names and media paths stable, and make sure files are available to the computer when the switch runs. Decide in advance whether each day’s playlist loops and whether its order is fixed.
A scene collection can hold your scenes, while an OBS profile holds most output-related settings. Profiles do not store scenes, and neither profiles nor scene collections are a daily playlist scheduler. OBS Profiles
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Automate the daily switch
OBS’s supported automation points are scripts (Python or Lua) and WebSocket control. A script can interact with scenes and sources; an external scheduler or controller can communicate with OBS through WebSocket. The OBS documentation establishes these mechanisms, not a particular script, command, or ready-to-run daily timer. OBS Developer Guide
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- Choose the switching method. Use an OBS script or an external controller that can select or replace the media list for the VLC Video source.
- Define the daily mapping and local time. Decide which list applies on each day and the exact local time the switch should occur. For a channel in India, set and verify the computer scheduler’s timezone as India Standard Time if that is the intended schedule. Do not assume YouTube’s scheduled-video timezone setting controls the computer or OBS.
- Schedule the automation in the operating system. Configure the computer’s scheduler to run the script or controller at the chosen time. The exact UI path and task syntax depend on your operating system and chosen automation; the OBS guide does not prescribe them.
- Test the complete handoff. Confirm that the intended playlist is active, files open, and playback follows the expected order. Then test after restarting OBS and the computer, and check what happens if a scheduled run is missed or a media file is unavailable.
- Check compatibility after changes. Revalidate the automation after OBS upgrades. If using a plugin, check that it supports your installed OBS version, operating system, and architecture before installing it. OBS Plugins Guide
These are implementation steps based on OBS’s documented script and WebSocket interfaces, not a tested recipe for a specific script or operating-system scheduler. The exact configuration depends on the automation you choose.
Schedule the YouTube live event separately
A scheduled playlist change does not itself create or start a YouTube broadcast. YouTube’s Live Streaming API represents the event as a liveBroadcast and the encoder’s incoming feed as a liveStream. The event can be bound to a stream; its status can be transitioned to live when the bound stream is active, or it can be configured to auto-start. Google for Developers: Implementation: Broadcasts and Streams · Google for Developers: Life of a Broadcast
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You can manage a broadcast through YouTube’s Live Control Room, or build an API workflow using the Live Streaming API. For API-driven scheduling, the broadcast resource includes a scheduled start time, and the broadcast must be bound to the stream that carries the encoder feed. A transition to live is a separate action when auto-start is not being used. Google for Developers: LiveBroadcasts: transition
Before relying on an unattended public start, test the whole workflow with a private or unlisted event. Verify both that OBS changes the playlist when expected and that YouTube’s event starts as intended. YouTube’s live-stream settings guidance covers stream setup and related controls: Manage live stream settings.
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Common failures and what to check
- VLC Video Source is missing: Install VLC and check the OBS/VLC architecture pairing. OBS says 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. OBS Media Sources
- The playlist does not change at the expected time: Check the operating-system scheduler’s timezone, the scheduled task’s enabled state, and whether the computer was awake and OBS was running. Also verify the day-to-playlist mapping and script or controller logs.
- The list changes but video does not play: Check that the playlist file and each referenced media file still exist at the configured paths and can be opened by VLC. Keep paths stable when moving or renaming files.
- The sequence differs from the intended order: Check the source’s shuffle setting and confirm that the automation selected the intended daily list rather than another list.
- The computer or OBS restarted: Test whether OBS and the automation start again in the required order. Confirm that the scheduler runs missed tasks according to your intended policy; do not assume a missed playlist switch will be caught up automatically.
- The plugin or script stops working after an update: Check compatibility with the installed OBS version, operating system, and architecture, then retest the switch before relying on it.
- The playlist changes but YouTube does not go live: Treat this as a broadcast scheduling or stream-binding issue, not a playlist issue. Check the event’s status, bound stream, encoder feed, and whether the workflow requires an explicit transition to live. Life of a Broadcast
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