How to Create a 24/7 YouTube Radio Stream from a MusicBee Playlist

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You can use MusicBee to organize your local music, OBS Studio to play a media playlist and encode the broadcast, and YouTube Live to deliver it. The chain is MusicBee playlist → media files loaded into OBS’s VLC Video source → YouTube stream key. The exact MusicBee playlist-export format that OBS can use is not established by the official documentation cited here, so test that handoff before relying on it for a continuous broadcast.

What you need—and what each app does

• MusicBee: organizes and plays music files on your Windows computer; its official site lists playlist syncing among its capabilities. It is the library/player, not the YouTube encoder.
• OBS Studio: encodes and sends the broadcast to YouTube. Its VLC Video source can play a media playlist and loop it; VLC must also be installed.
• YouTube Live: provides the server URL and stream key OBS needs to connect the broadcast to your channel.

You will also need music files available to the computer running OBS, a stable internet connection, and the rights to broadcast every track. YouTube’s encoder guide lists OBS as an encoder option: YouTube Help: Live streaming encoder settings. MusicBee’s official site describes its music-library and playlist capabilities: MusicBee.

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Build and prepare the MusicBee playlist

1. In MusicBee, assemble the tracks you intend to broadcast and check that each one plays from the computer that will run OBS. A playlist will not help if its entries point to files that are missing or stored on an unavailable drive.
2. Prepare the playlist for OBS. MusicBee’s cited documentation does not establish a specific export menu, playlist-file format, or direct compatibility with OBS’s VLC Video source. Check MusicBee’s current options, export or save the playlist in a format VLC can read if available, and test whether OBS can load it. Do not assume a MusicBee playlist file will work unchanged.
3. Keep the music files and any playlist file in stable locations. If you move or rename tracks after preparing the playlist, verify that the playlist still resolves to the correct files.

OBS documents playlist playback and looping for its VLC Video source, but the MusicBee-to-OBS handoff is the part you must verify on your own system: OBS Project: Media Sources.

Set up OBS to play and loop the music

1. Install OBS Studio and VLC. OBS’s documentation says that a 64-bit OBS installation requires 64-bit VLC.
2. Create a scene in OBS for the radio stream.
3. Add a VLC Video source to the scene and load the playlist you prepared. Confirm that the source can see and play the tracks. If it cannot, revisit the playlist format and file paths rather than assuming the MusicBee list is compatible.
4. Leave Loop Playlist enabled to repeat the list. OBS documents this setting as on by default; shuffle is off by default. Choose whether to enable shuffle based on the listening experience you want.
5. Add a visual element, such as an image you are permitted to use, and make sure it remains visible while audio plays. Check transitions between tracks and listen for gaps, abrupt level changes, or silence.
6. Make a short test recording or private/unlisted test broadcast before scheduling a long session. Check that the audio is audible, the visual is present, and the playlist continues into the next track.

OBS’s VLC source requires VLC to be installed. For 64-bit OBS, use 64-bit VLC, as specified in the OBS media-source documentation.

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Connect OBS to YouTube Live

1. Enable live streaming for your YouTube channel if you have not already done so. YouTube says first-time live-stream activation can take up to 24 hours, so complete this step ahead of your planned start.
2. In YouTube Studio, create or open the live stream you intend to use and locate its stream URL and stream key.
3. In OBS, open Settings → Stream, select YouTube as the service, and enter the server URL and stream key supplied by YouTube. Treat the stream key like a password: do not share or publish it.
4. Apply the settings, then start streaming from OBS. Follow the preview and go-live flow in YouTube Studio, and confirm that the stream is playing on the correct channel before relying on it.

YouTube’s encoder setup requires the encoder to send the server URL and stream key. Its live-streaming guidance also notes that first-time activation can take up to 24 hours: YouTube Help: Live streaming encoder settings.

Check rights before broadcasting music

Having a track in your personal library—or access to it through a consumer music subscription—does not by itself establish the right to broadcast it live. Confirm that your permissions cover public live streaming on YouTube for every track in the playlist.

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YouTube says all live streams are scanned for matches to third-party content. A match can result in a warning placeholder, interruption, or termination; a copyright strike can also terminate a stream. Even if you have licensed the music, YouTube says the rights owner must add your channel to its Content ID allowlist to avoid interruption on that basis, including when the stream is restricted to territories where you hold rights. Review YouTube’s current guidance: YouTube Help: Copyright issues with live streams.

Plan for interruptions and archives

Continuous playback is not the same as guaranteed uptime

With the local setup, MusicBee’s files and OBS playback run on the computer you configure. That computer, its power, and its internet connection must remain available for the stream to continue. Test what happens if the playlist ends, a file is unavailable, or the connection drops, and check OBS and YouTube Studio during the broadcast.

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A 24/7 broadcast may not produce a complete YouTube archive

YouTube says a stream shorter than 12 hours can be automatically archived, but a stream over 12 hours may not be captured at all. If you need a complete recording, plan a local recording backup and consider separate shorter broadcasts; verify the current archive options in YouTube Studio. YouTube’s guidance recommends a local backup: YouTube Help: Archive live streams.

Common problems and fixes

• OBS cannot load the playlist: MusicBee-to-VLC playlist compatibility is not established by the cited documentation. Try an export format OBS’s VLC source can read, check that the media paths resolve, and test with a small playlist first.
• The playlist source does not play: Confirm VLC is installed and that its architecture matches OBS; OBS specifies 64-bit VLC for 64-bit OBS. Check that the media files are accessible.
• The stream does not connect: Recheck the YouTube server URL and stream key in OBS, and confirm the channel’s live-streaming activation is complete. First-time activation can take up to 24 hours.
• Music is interrupted or the stream is terminated: Check YouTube Studio for copyright notices. Confirm that you have live-broadcast rights; for licensed third-party music, ask the rights owner about adding your channel to its Content ID allowlist.
• The YouTube archive is incomplete or missing: A continuous stream over 12 hours may not be captured. Use a local recording backup if the archive matters, and do not rely on one 24-hour event for a complete VOD.

Or let it run in the cloud

If you would rather not keep a home computer and connection running, StreamNeo is a cloud service for keeping a YouTube channel live from uploaded videos. Upload your recording, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. It loops uploaded video from the cloud; it does not stream directly from a MusicBee playlist or go live from a camera.

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