To rotate several prerecorded gaming VODs in an OBS scene, add them to OBS’s VLC Video source playlist and enable Loop Playlist. OBS’s official documentation describes a playlist managed inside the source; it does not confirm importing a separate plain-text or M3U playlist file. If you need a text-file playlist specifically, do not assume that OBS supports it without checking the instructions for your OBS version.
What OBS can do with a playlist
OBS documents VLC Video as the source for playing a playlist of media items. You add files to the source, set their order, and choose whether to loop or shuffle them. It is distinct from a Text source that displays the contents of a text file: the official OBS documentation reviewed here does not say that VLC Video imports a plain-text or M3U playlist file, explain a syntax for one, or state that it watches and reloads changes to such a file. See OBS’s Media Sources and Sources Guide.
That means you can rotate multiple local VODs in OBS using its built-in source playlist, but a separate text-file workflow remains unverified. Do not confuse this with HLS playlist files, which are part of a streaming transport format rather than OBS’s documented local media playlist. OBS explains HLS in its streaming guide.
Prepare your VODs and check your rights
Use files you are authorized to rebroadcast
Before putting a VOD on a live stream, confirm that you have the necessary rights to rebroadcast its game footage, music, overlays, and other included material. YouTube says all live streams are scanned for matches to third-party content. If it detects protected content, it may replace the stream with a placeholder, interrupt it, or terminate it. Even when you have a license, YouTube says the rights owner may need to allowlist your channel through Content ID. Read YouTube’s guidance on copyright issues with live streams.
The Tool Desk
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Do not assume gameplay is monetizable
YouTube’s video-game and software-content guidance says monetization depends on the commercial-use rights granted by game publishers. Simple gameplay may not qualify without appropriate rights; commentary needs to be tied to the action and provide instructional or educational value to meet the guidance described by YouTube. A playlist setting does not grant rights or make a stream eligible for monetization. See YouTube’s video game and software content policy.
Set up a multi-file playlist in OBS
- Install VLC. OBS requires VLC for the VLC Video source to be available. Match the architecture: OBS specifically notes that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
- Open the scene that will carry the VODs. In OBS, select the target scene in the Scenes panel.
- Add the playlist source. In the Sources panel, select +, choose VLC Video, and create or select the source.
- Add your files. In the VLC Video source properties, add the local VOD files to its playlist. Arrange them in the order you want them to play. The OBS documentation describes adding media items to the source playlist, not importing a separate text file.
- Set repeat and order. Enable Loop Playlist to start again at the beginning after the final item. Leave Shuffle Playlist off to retain the listed order; enable it if you want randomized playback.
- Choose hidden-source behavior. Set Visibility Behaviour according to what should happen when the source is hidden: playback can continue, pause, or stop. This matters if you switch scenes or hide the source during a broadcast.
- Test the scene. Start playback in OBS and confirm that the expected file appears, the order is right, and the playlist returns to the first item after the last one. Test any scene changes that hide the source before relying on them during a live broadcast.
Use Media Source for one VOD
If you only need to repeat a single file, add an OBS Media Source instead of a VLC Video playlist and enable its Loop option. The two controls serve different cases: Media Source’s Loop repeats one file; VLC Video’s Loop Playlist repeats a list of files.
Rank #2
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| Use case | OBS source | Repeat control | Ordering | When hidden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One VOD | Media Source | Loop | Not applicable to a single file | Not established in the cited Media Sources documentation for this comparison |
| Several VODs | VLC Video | Loop Playlist | Listed order, or randomized with Shuffle Playlist | Visibility Behaviour can continue, pause, or stop playback |
Keep OBS playback separate from YouTube Live setup
The source controls determine what OBS plays in the scene; they do not themselves set YouTube stream metadata. The reviewed documentation does not establish that changing to the next VOD updates a YouTube stream title, game category, or other event details. Configure the YouTube live event separately and do not expect the media playlist to change its metadata. Likewise, a working loop says nothing about copyright clearance or monetization eligibility.
Troubleshoot common problems
- VLC Video is missing: Install VLC, then check that its architecture matches OBS. For 64-bit OBS, OBS specifies 64-bit VLC.
- The playlist stops at the last VOD: Check that Loop Playlist is enabled on the VLC Video source. For a single-file Media Source, check its separate Loop setting.
- Files play in an unexpected order: Turn off Shuffle Playlist if you want the listed order, and review the order of the items in the source playlist.
- Playback pauses or stops after a scene change: Review the VLC Video source’s Visibility Behaviour setting and choose whether playback should continue, pause, or stop while hidden.
- You expected OBS to read or watch a text file: The official OBS documentation cited here confirms an in-source media playlist, not plain-text/M3U import or automatic reload behavior. Use the documented source playlist workflow unless you have version-specific confirmation for a text-file method.
- YouTube interrupts the broadcast: Check the live stream for third-party material and review YouTube’s copyright guidance. A local file playing correctly in OBS does not prevent a Content ID match or establish that a license is sufficient.
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Quick Recap
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