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To resume a YouTube radio playlist after OBS restarts, you need to restore the local playlist in OBS and reconnect the broadcast separately. OBS’s built-in VLC Video source supports playlists and looping, but its documentation does not promise to remember the current playlist item across a full OBS restart. The community Media Playlist Source plugin says it can save the current file for playback after OBS restarts; it does not promise to restore the exact timestamp within that file. YouTube’s stream key and auto-start settings handle the YouTube broadcast side, not OBS’s local playlist position.
First identify what restarted
There are several different events that can look like a stream restart, and they do not all affect playback the same way:
- A source or scene became visible again: OBS has a visibility behavior that can restart media when the source becomes visible.
- OBS closed and reopened: This is an application restart. The built-in VLC source documentation does not say that it restores the current playlist item after this event.
- The computer rebooted: This also requires the computer to start, OBS to launch, and the encoder to reconnect. The cited playlist documentation does not establish unattended startup and recovery across a reboot.
- YouTube dropped the encoder feed: Reconnecting the encoder does not by itself prove that OBS restored the intended file or playback position.
Work out which event occurred before changing settings. Playlist recovery, launching OBS, and getting the broadcast live again are separate jobs.
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Choose how OBS should remember the playlist
Built-in VLC Video source
OBS’s built-in VLC Video source uses VLC to play a playlist. VLC must be installed. OBS documents controls for looping and shuffling the playlist, plus the visibility behavior “Stop when not visible, restart when visible.” The documented defaults are Loop Playlist on and Shuffle Playlist off. These controls govern playlist playback and source visibility; they are not a documented guarantee that OBS will remember the current item after the application closes.
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For the source’s documented properties and behavior, see the OBS Project Media Sources documentation.
Community Media Playlist Source plugin
The community Media Playlist Source resource says it saves the currently playing file so it can play when OBS restarts. It also describes an option to play either the first file or the current file when the source restarts. Its resource listing gives OBS 30.0.0 as the minimum version and notes limitations. Because it is a community plugin, check its current compatibility with your OBS version and operating system before depending on it.
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The plugin description supports remembering the current file, not restoring the exact point within that file. Test it with a noncritical broadcast before making it part of an unattended setup.
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How the options differ
| Option | What it supports | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| OBS VLC Video source | VLC-backed playlists, loop and shuffle controls, and source visibility behavior. | Restoring the current item after a full OBS restart. |
| Media Playlist Source plugin | Its resource description says it saves the current file for playback after OBS restarts and can choose the current or first file on source restart. | Exact timestamp recovery or compatibility with every current OBS version and operating system. |
| YouTube Live Control Room | Encoder connection settings and broadcast lifecycle settings such as auto-start and auto-stop. | Persistence of OBS’s local playlist item or playback position. |
Set up playlist recovery and reconnect the broadcast
- Confirm the source and restart type. Check whether only the scene/source became visible, OBS restarted, the computer rebooted, or the encoder connection dropped. These require different recovery steps.
- For a VLC playlist, check VLC and source properties. Make sure VLC is installed and the source’s playlist is present. Review Loop Playlist, Shuffle Playlist, and the visibility behavior. If the source should keep advancing while its scene is hidden, check whether “Stop when not visible, restart when visible” fits your setup.
- If you need current-file recovery after an OBS restart, evaluate the plugin. Check the Media Playlist Source resource for current compatibility with your OBS version and operating system. Configure its current-file behavior as appropriate, then test by restarting OBS with a noncritical stream. Do not treat a successful test of file selection as proof of exact timestamp restoration.
- Handle host startup separately. After a computer reboot, the host must start OBS and its source before an encoder feed can resume. The playlist feature description does not say that it launches OBS after a reboot or provides end-to-end unattended recovery.
- Check YouTube’s encoder connection. In YouTube’s encoder setup, use the YouTube server URL and stream key in the encoder. YouTube documents creating or scheduling a stream and managing stream settings in its encoder setup guide and live stream settings guide.
- Check the broadcast controls separately. YouTube’s auto-start and auto-stop settings affect broadcast startup and shutdown; reusing settings copies those selections. They do not restore a local OBS playlist item. Depending on the stream workflow, sending the encoder feed and taking a scheduled stream live may be distinct actions.
- Verify both sides. In OBS, confirm that the intended media file is playing. In YouTube Live Control Room, confirm the expected stream and broadcast state. An encoder reconnect alone does not verify the playlist item or its timestamp.
When the stream comes back but the playlist is wrong
- The list starts at its first file: The source may not persist the current item after an OBS restart. Consider testing the community plugin’s current-file feature.
- The file is right but starts from the beginning: The cited plugin description does not promise precise in-file timestamp recovery. Do not assume the timestamp is saved.
- Playback restarts when switching scenes: Check the VLC source’s visibility behavior. Its documented default is to stop when not visible and restart when visible.
- The playlist plays but YouTube is not live: Check the encoder’s server URL and stream key, then inspect the broadcast state in Live Control Room. A local playlist can play without proving that YouTube has started the broadcast.
- OBS does not return after a reboot: Playlist persistence is not host startup automation. The available source descriptions do not establish a complete unattended reboot workflow.
- The plugin does not behave as expected: Recheck the installed OBS version, operating system compatibility, and plugin limitations. Test before relying on it for a critical stream.
Or let it run in the cloud
For a YouTube radio stream made from uploaded videos, StreamNeo runs the playlist from the cloud rather than relying on OBS and a home computer staying on. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. StreamNeo loops uploaded videos, not a live camera feed.
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- Nothing has to stay on at home for the cloud stream to continue.
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- Monthly billing is $9.99 per month. Daily, weekly, six-month, and yearly billing are also available; cancel any time. UPI and cards are accepted in India, and card checkout is available worldwide.
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