The Tool Desk
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Choose the playback method that fits your program
| Approach | Use it when | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| OBS VLC Video source with a playlist | You have separate files and want to keep, change, or reorder them as individual tracks. | VLC must be installed; use 64-bit VLC with 64-bit OBS. Test each transition and the playlist restart. |
| OBS Media Source with one prepared file | Your program is already assembled into a single audio or video file and simple repetition is sufficient. | Enable the source’s single-file Loop option and audition the end-to-start point. OBS does not promise an inaudible restart. |
OBS documents VLC Video as the playlist source and Media Source as a way to play and loop one file. The VLC source requires VLC to be installed. OBS: Media Sources
Set up and loop a playlist in OBS
- Install VLC with the right architecture. If your OBS installation is 64-bit, install 64-bit VLC. Restart OBS after installation if the source does not appear.
- Add the source. In the OBS scene where the program should play, select Sources → + → VLC Video. Name the source and confirm.
- Load the playlist. In the source properties, add the local audio or video files in the order you want them to play. Confirm that the list and order are correct.
- Set repeat behavior. Turn on Loop Playlist. Leave shuffle off if the station needs a fixed sequence.
- Keep playback active. Make sure the source is active in the scene during the broadcast. If you switch scenes, check the source’s visibility behavior: OBS documents options to continue, pause, or stop playback while a source is not visible.
- Test before going live. Play the program locally, listen at every track boundary, and check the final-to-first transition. Confirm that the source continues playing as expected when you change scenes.
OBS’s Loop Playlist setting restarts the playlist after it runs out of media files. It is a repeat control, not a documented crossfade or sample-accurate gapless-playback guarantee. OBS: Media Sources
What “without gaps” can mean in practice
There are two separate listening points to verify: transitions between tracks and the end-to-start loop point. With separate files, OBS’s playlist loop setting alone does not establish that either will be silent or seamless. If gaps at internal track boundaries are unacceptable, assemble the show as one continuous audio or video file using suitable editing or playout software, then loop that file with Media Source. This is practical guidance, not a guarantee that OBS will make the file’s restart inaudible. Listen through the entire program and its loop point before broadcasting.
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- Pro performance with great pre-amps - Achieve a brighter recording thanks to the high performing mic pre-amps of the Scarlett 3rd Gen. A switchable Air mode will add extra clarity to your acoustic instruments when recording with your Solo 3rd Gen
- Get the perfect guitar and vocal take with - With two high-headroom instrument inputs to plug in your guitar or bass so that they shine through. Capture your voice and instruments without any unwanted clipping or distortion thanks to our Gain Halos
- Studio quality recording for your music & podcasts - Achieve pro sounding recordings with Scarlett 3rd Gen’s high-performance converters enabling you to record and mix at up to 24-bit/192kHz. Your recordings will retain all of their sonic qualities
- Low-noise for crystal clear listening - 2 low-noise balanced outputs provide clean audio playback with 3rd Gen. Hear all the nuances of your tracks or music from Spotify, Apple & Amazon Music. Plug-in headphones for private listening in high-fidelity
- Everything in the box: Includes Pro Tools Intro+, Ableton Live Lite, Cubase LE, and Hitmaker Expansion: a suite of essential effects, powerful software instruments, and easy-to-use mastering tools
Do not use HLS settings to fix song gaps
HLS is an encoder-to-YouTube ingestion method, not a track-editing or crossfade feature. YouTube describes HLS as higher latency than RTMP because it sends media segments rather than a continuous stream. For HLS output, YouTube specifies a 1–4 second segment duration, TS segment format, and a rolling playlist with no more than five outstanding segments. Those are ingestion requirements; they do not remove pauses between songs. YouTube lists OBS among encoders that support HLS output. YouTube Help: Use HLS to live stream · Google for Developers: HLS ingestion guide
Clear music rights before broadcasting
- Use only music you are entitled to broadcast. YouTube’s livestream terms say the provider must have the necessary rights, including music rights from artists, record labels, publishers, and other royalty participants. YouTube Terms of Service
- YouTube scans live streams for third-party content. A stream may be interrupted or terminated if identified material remains; a music rights owner may need to allowlist your channel through Content ID to avoid interruptions. YouTube Help: Copyright issues with live streams
- A track being online, labelled “free,” or available through Creator Music does not automatically clear it for a live radio stream. YouTube says Creator Music does not support licensing for live content. Its safe-music guidance points to public-domain music or music used with permission and advises checking the terms for your intended use. YouTube Help: Creator Music · YouTube Help: Copyright-safe music
Troubleshoot common playback problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| VLC Video is missing from the Sources menu | VLC is not installed, or its architecture does not match OBS. | Install VLC; for 64-bit OBS, use 64-bit VLC, then restart OBS and check again. |
| The playlist ends instead of repeating | Loop Playlist is not enabled or the wrong source is active. | Open the VLC Video source properties, enable Loop Playlist, and verify the correct source is in the live scene. |
| Tracks play in the wrong order | Playlist order is incorrect or shuffle is on. | Reorder the files in the source properties and turn shuffle off for a fixed sequence. |
| Playback pauses or stops after a scene change | The source’s visibility behavior is set to pause or stop while hidden. | Check the VLC source’s behavior when not visible; choose a setting that matches your scene workflow and test the change locally. |
| There is a gap between songs or at the loop point | The playlist repeat control does not guarantee gapless transitions; the source files or their endings may contain silence. | Audition the program. If internal continuity is essential, prepare a continuous file and test both its internal boundaries and its restart. |
| The stream is interrupted after music is detected | The channel may not have the necessary live-broadcast rights, or the rights owner may need to allowlist it through Content ID. | Verify that your license covers live streaming on YouTube and contact the rights owner about channel allowlisting where needed. |
Or let it run in the cloud
If you want a YouTube channel to keep looping uploaded recordings without leaving a computer or home connection running, StreamNeo runs the stream from the cloud. Upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; uploaded video streams as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot, with automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly: $9.99 per month. Start the free day with StreamNeo.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- The new generation of the artist's interface: Connect your mic to Scarlett's 4th Gen mic pres. Plug in your guitar. Fire up the included software. Start making your first big hit
- Studio-quality sound: With a huge 120dB dynamic range, the newest generation of Scarlett uses the same converters as Focusrite’s flagship interfaces, found in the world's biggest studios
- Never lose a great take: Scarlett 4th Gen's Auto Gain sets the perfect level for your mic or guitar, and Clip Safe prevents clipping, so you can focus on the music
- Find your signature sound: Air mode lifts vocals and guitars to the front of the mix, adding musical presence and rich harmonic drive to your recordings
- With Scarlett 4th Gen, you have all you need to record, mix and master your music: Includes industry-leading recording software and a full collection of record-making plugins
Rank #4
- Podcast, Record, Live Stream, This Portable Audio Interface Covers it All - USB sound card for Mac or PC delivers 48kHz audio resolution for pristine recording every time
- Be ready for anything with this versatile M-AUDIO interface - Record guitar, vocals or line input signals with two combo XLR / Line / Instrument Inputs with phantom power
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Rank #3
- PLUG IN AND HEAR SOUND IN SECONDS - USB Type-A connector with a 3.5mm stereo headphone output and a separate 3.5mm mono microphone input. No drivers, no software, no external power - the adapter is USB bus-powered and is recognized as a standard USB audio device.
- WORKS ON WINDOWS, MAC AND LINUX - Driverless on Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP/Server 2003/Vista/7/8, Linux and Mac OSX, and compliant with the USB Audio Device Class 1.0 specification, so any system that supports class-compliant USB audio will see it. Select it as the sound output and input device after plugging it in.
- TWO JACKS, TWO JOBS - The green jack is stereo OUT for headphones or powered speakers; the pink jack is mono microphone IN for a 3.5mm mic. It does NOT support 4-pole headsets on a single combo plug, it does NOT power passive speakers, and it does NOT add surround sound - it is a stereo 2-channel adapter.
- FOR LAPTOPS AND DESKTOPS THAT NEED AN AUDIO PORT BACK - Adds a headphone and mic port to a laptop, desktop, or mini PC whose onboard jack has failed or was never there. Managed and work-issued computers can block new USB audio devices by policy - check with your IT department before ordering for a company machine.
- SABRENT SUPPORT AND WARRANTY - What is in the box: one USB audio sound adapter. Backed by a 1-year limited warranty, extended to 2 years when you register within 90 days on the manufacturer's website.
Rank #2
- The new generation of the songwriter's interface: Plug in your mic and guitar and let Scarlett Solo 4th Gen bring big studio sound to wherever you make music
- Studio-quality sound: With a huge 120dB dynamic range, the newest generation of Scarlett uses the same converters as Focusrite’s flagship interfaces, found in the world's biggest studios
- Find your signature sound: Scarlett 4th Gen's improved Air mode lifts vocals and guitars to the front of the mix, adding musical presence and rich harmonic drive to your recordings
- All you need to record, mix and master your music: Includes industry-leading recording software and a full collection of record-making plugins
- Everything in the box: Includes Pro Tools Intro+, Ableton Live Lite, Cubase LE, and Hitmaker Expansion: a suite of essential effects, powerful software instruments, and easy-to-use mastering tools
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