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You can schedule Windows to launch OBS Studio and begin sending a YouTube stream at a set time. In OBS, use the documented --startstreaming launch parameter and set its working directory to the folder containing obs64.exe. You must also schedule the YouTube event and configure OBS with that event’s stream URL and key. Crucially, YouTube’s documented encoder workflow includes checking the preview and clicking Go live; a scheduled Windows task alone does not guarantee an unattended public broadcast.
What the scheduled task will—and will not—do
Windows Task Scheduler can launch OBS at a chosen time, and OBS can start streaming when launched with --startstreaming. Those steps do not create a YouTube event, choose its stream key, prepare your scene or sources, or bypass any YouTube confirmation step.
A scheduled YouTube event creates an upcoming stream page; your encoder still needs to send video to that event. In YouTube’s documented scheduled-encoder workflow, you start the encoder, wait for the preview in Live Control Room, and click Go live. Do not assume the Windows task alone will make the broadcast public without this confirmation.
Prepare the YouTube event and OBS
1. Make sure live streaming is enabled
If you have never enabled live streaming on your channel, YouTube says activation may take up to 24 hours. Allow for that delay before relying on a scheduled start. After activation, streams can start instantly.
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2. Schedule the event in YouTube Studio
- In YouTube Studio, open Create → Go Live → Manage → Schedule stream.
- Reuse a previous stream’s settings or create a new event. Set the event details and choose its intended privacy setting.
- Confirm the scheduled event appears in Live Control Room. YouTube’s default privacy setting varies by age: it differs for users aged 13–17 and users 18 or older, and streamers can change it. Check the event’s setting rather than assuming it is public.
3. Connect OBS to that event
In the event’s encoder settings, copy the stream URL and stream key into OBS. Use the key for the event you scheduled; a mismatch can send the encoder feed to the wrong destination or prevent the expected event from receiving it. Confirm that OBS has the intended profile, scene, video source, audio source, and a working network connection.
YouTube’s published encoder sequence is to start the encoder, wait for the preview in Live Control Room, then click Go live. Plan for that manual gate unless you have verified that the settings and account behavior for your specific event permit publication without it.
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Schedule OBS in Windows Task Scheduler
1. Find the installed OBS executable
Locate the actual obs64.exe used by your OBS installation. The path depends on where OBS was installed, so do not assume a location copied from another computer. The executable path goes in the task’s program/action field; its containing folder is also needed as the working directory.
2. Create a time-triggered task
Open Windows Task Scheduler and create a task with a time trigger for the broadcast start. Choose the trigger recurrence that matches your schedule. Task Scheduler’s labels and screens can vary between Windows versions, so verify the options shown on your installed version.
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3. Set the OBS action and working directory
Configure the task’s action to start the OBS executable and pass this argument:
--startstreaming
Set the action’s Start in working-directory field to the folder that contains obs64.exe. OBS’s official launch-parameter documentation specifically calls out this directory for scheduled or other automated launches. A blank or incorrect working directory can keep OBS from finding installation files such as its locale files.
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OBS documents the start-streaming parameter; it does not document a corresponding stop-streaming parameter on that launch-parameter page. Treat starting OBS, ending the YouTube broadcast, and closing OBS as separate operations. Do not use a forced process kill as a clean way to end the broadcast.
Test the full chain before relying on it
Run a test well before the real broadcast. Check each link in the sequence rather than treating “task ran” as proof that viewers can see the stream.
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- Confirm the task starts in the intended Windows user session and launches the correct OBS installation.
- Confirm OBS loads the expected profile and scene, and that the required video and audio sources are available.
- Confirm the task passes
--startstreamingand the OBS working directory points to the folder containingobs64.exe. - Confirm the PC is on, the network is available, and YouTube receives the encoder feed for the scheduled event.
- Observe whether Live Control Room shows a preview and whether a person must click Go live before the event becomes public.
The OBS launch argument handles starting the encoder. It does not prove that the Windows session, sources, network, YouTube event, or publication step will all be ready at the scheduled time.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose between a Windows task and API automation
| Approach | Best fit | What to account for |
|---|---|---|
| OBS plus Windows Task Scheduler | A configured OBS setup that needs to start at a time you choose. | Uses OBS’s supported launch argument and normal scene/profile workflow. The PC, user session, network, and sources must be ready; YouTube’s preview and publication behavior still needs checking. |
| YouTube Live Streaming API | A software-development project that needs programmatic management of broadcasts and streams. | Google documents API resources for managing and scheduling broadcasts and streams. It is a development-oriented route, not a plug-and-play replacement; implementation and authorization details are not covered here. |
Or let it run in the cloud
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- Any quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, streamed as uploaded without re-encoding or quality tiers.
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