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To play videos in random order in OBS, add them to a VLC Video source and turn on Shuffle Playlist. Install VLC first; for 64-bit OBS, use 64-bit VLC. Enable Loop Playlist separately if you want playback to restart after the playlist ends.
Use VLC Video for a multi-video playlist
OBS’s ordinary Media Source is documented for an individual media file. The playlist and shuffle controls are part of VLC Video, which relies on VLC libraries for media support. OBS’s guide, Media Sources (January 11, 2022), specifies that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
Set up and shuffle the playlist
- Install VLC with the matching architecture. If your OBS installation is 64-bit, install 64-bit VLC.
- Add the source to your broadcast scene. In OBS, select the scene you plan to send live, use the Sources add button, and choose VLC Video.
- Add your video files. Open the VLC Video source’s properties and add the files you want in its playlist.
- Enable shuffle. Select Shuffle Playlist. OBS describes this setting as randomizing the media files rather than keeping the file-list order.
- Choose whether to loop. Enable Loop Playlist if the source should restart after it runs out of files. This is separate from shuffle: shuffle changes file order, while loop controls what happens when playback reaches the end.
- Check the scene. Make sure the VLC Video source is visible in the scene that will be sent to the broadcast, then preview playback in OBS.
What shuffle does—and what it does not guarantee
OBS’s VLC source implementation creates a shuffled file array when shuffle is enabled and the playlist has more than one file. That supports describing the feature as randomizing the playlist order; it does not establish that OBS independently selects a random clip after every video.
The consulted OBS documentation and implementation do not specify a guaranteed reshuffle schedule for every loop cycle or scene activation. If a particular sequence or repeat-cycle behavior matters, verify playback in your own scene rather than assuming shuffle will produce a fresh order at a particular time. In OBS’s implementation, shuffle is off by default and loop is on by default; confirm both settings in the source properties.
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If VLC Video is missing
- Check that VLC is installed. VLC Video depends on VLC; without it, the source may not appear in OBS’s add-source menu.
- Match the architecture. For 64-bit OBS, install 64-bit VLC.
- Reopen OBS after installing VLC. Then check the add-source menu again.
- Check the selected source type. For multiple files and shuffle, use VLC Video rather than the ordinary Media Source workflow.
Plugin alternative: Media Playlist Source
The OBS forum resource listing includes Media Playlist Source, an alternative plugin whose listed features include shuffling. The listing gives OBS Studio 30.0.0 as its minimum version and describes editing without restarting playback and saving the current file for an OBS restart as plugin features. Those are claims from the plugin listing, not independent test results; check its current compatibility and feature details before installing it. Consider whether you need its playlist editing or playback-resume features, and whether its supported OBS version and operating system suit your setup.
Before sending the playlist to YouTube Live
This guide covers configuring the OBS source, not YouTube Live eligibility or broadcast setup. YouTube account eligibility and stream settings depend on your account and current platform requirements, so check YouTube’s current live-streaming guidance before relying on a particular setup. Also confirm you have the rights needed to broadcast every video and its audio; adding a file to an OBS playlist does not grant permission to stream it.
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Quick Recap
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