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To keep a prerecorded playlist in a predictable sequence, use OBS’s VLC Video Source, put the files in the order you want, and leave Shuffle Playlist off. Turn on Loop Playlist only if you want the sequence to start over after its last file.
That preserves the list order; it does not necessarily restore the same file and playback timestamp after you close and reopen OBS. For that separate requirement, an OBS community plugin claims to restore the currently playing file, but does not promise to resume at the exact position.
Set up an ordered playlist in OBS
- Add the playlist source. In the scene that carries your prerecorded video, add a VLC Video Source. OBS documents this source for playlists; its ordinary Media Source is for an individual file.
- Add files in the intended sequence. In the VLC Video Source properties, add the media files and check the displayed list order. Arrange the entries in the order you want them to play.
- Keep shuffle off. Leave Shuffle Playlist disabled. OBS describes this setting as the choice between random playback and the file-list order.
- Choose what happens at the end. Enable Loop Playlist if the list should start over after its final item. Leave it off if playback should stop at the end. Looping controls end-of-list behavior; it does not make a playlist resume after an OBS restart.
- Check the VLC installation. VLC Video Source requires VLC to be installed. OBS says 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
These controls establish playback order while the source runs. They do not, by themselves, establish which file or timestamp OBS will use after a full application restart.
Understand what an OBS restart restores
Order and current position are different
With shuffle off, the VLC Video Source follows its file list rather than randomizing it. That is the supported way to make the sequence predictable. It is separate from restoring the currently playing item or its exact playback timestamp after OBS has been closed and opened again.
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Built-in VLC source: exact restart recovery is not established
The official OBS documentation describes playlist order, shuffle, looping, and visibility behavior, but does not establish that the built-in VLC Video Source restores the exact file and playback position after a full OBS restart. Test your own OBS version and scene if that behavior matters; do not assume that an ordered list also means timestamp recovery.
Optional plugin: Media Playlist Source
The OBS community listing for Media Playlist Source says it saves the currently playing file so that file will play when OBS restarts. The listing does not claim that it saves the exact playback timestamp. It lists OBS Studio 30.0.0 as the minimum version and Windows, macOS, and Linux as supported platforms. Because this is a community plugin feature claim, check its listing and test it in your own setup before relying on it.
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Use OBS as the source and YouTube as the destination
In this workflow, OBS plays the local files and sends the live output to YouTube. YouTube is the destination; the cited documentation does not show YouTube controlling or preserving the order of files in an OBS playlist. If you add or rearrange items, verify the VLC Video Source list in OBS rather than expecting YouTube to manage it.
An OBS forum user asking about adding items to a VLC playlist while streaming to YouTube raised the practical question of whether the livestream would be interrupted or either application relaunched. That question illustrates a setup concern, not a guarantee about how every scene or configuration reacts. Check the output in your own stream after making changes.
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Troubleshoot unexpected playback
- Files play in a different order: Open VLC Video Source properties, inspect the displayed list, and arrange the items in the desired sequence. Confirm that Shuffle Playlist is off.
- The list starts over unexpectedly: Check Loop Playlist. When enabled, playback returns to the start after the final item.
- Video does not play from the VLC source: Confirm VLC is installed. If OBS is 64-bit, install 64-bit VLC as OBS specifies.
- OBS restarts on a different file or position: The reviewed official documentation does not establish exact built-in restart recovery. If restoring the current file is necessary, evaluate the Media Playlist Source plugin; test timestamp behavior separately because its listing does not promise it.
- The YouTube output does not reflect the change you made: Check that you edited the VLC Video Source used in the active scene and inspect the OBS output. YouTube is the destination in this arrangement, not the playlist-order control.
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