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For a fixed lineup of prerecorded videos, add them to OBS’s VLC Video source and enable looping; you do not need WebSocket code just to repeat a playlist. Use OBS WebSocket when an external tool needs to trigger or control changes in OBS. OBS still plays and encodes the video, while YouTube receives the live stream. A WebSocket connection does not create a schedule or guarantee uninterrupted playback.
Choose the right way to change videos
| Approach | Best for | What it does | Limits to plan for |
|---|---|---|---|
| OBS VLC Video playlist | A fixed ordered or shuffled lineup that repeats | The VLC Video source plays files in a playlist and supports looping and optional shuffle. | Requires VLC installed on the OBS computer. Playlist playback alone does not establish how to update an individual item through WebSocket. |
| WebSocket-controlled OBS | Changes triggered or scheduled by an external automation client | Lets an external client control OBS scenes and sources using supported requests. | You must implement the trigger and select requests supported by your installed OBS/WebSocket version and source type. A universal playlist-item update recipe is not established. |
Use the playlist for a continuous, predetermined sequence. Choose WebSocket when something outside OBS—such as a scheduler or your own application—must decide when OBS changes a scene or source. For different transitions, metadata, or per-video rules, validate the behavior with the specific source type in a test scene.
Set up a looping playlist in OBS
- Install VLC. Install the VLC version matching your OBS architecture. If you use 64-bit OBS, install 64-bit VLC. Restart OBS after installing VLC if the source is not available.
- Add a VLC Video source. In the desired scene’s Sources panel, select + and choose VLC Video. Create a new source or select an existing one.
- Add the video files. In the source properties, add the files in the order you want them to play. Check that the files are accessible from the computer running OBS.
- Set playback behavior. Enable looping to repeat the lineup. Enable shuffle only if you want a different playback order rather than a fixed sequence.
- Test the lineup. Play through transitions between representative files and listen for audio gaps, mismatched levels, or missing audio. Verify the source remains visible in the scene throughout playback.
This gives you a fixed playlist, not a WebSocket API for changing individual items. If the lineup needs to respond to a schedule or external event, use the next workflow and confirm the request and source-property details against the documentation for your installed versions.
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Use OBS WebSocket for externally triggered changes
OBS WebSocket is included by default in OBS Studio 28 and later. Older OBS releases may require the separate WebSocket plugin. OBS describes the feature as a way to “help automate and/or control your scenes and sources with external tools” in its Remote Control Guide (2023-04-18).
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- Check your versions and source. Record your OBS Studio version, obs-websocket version, and the kind of source you intend to control. Request names, fields, and source-property behavior can differ by version and source type.
- Enable and secure the server. Open OBS Tools > WebSocket Server Settings, enable the WebSocket server, and keep authentication enabled with a strong password. Do not expose the WebSocket port to untrusted networks.
- Connect an automation client. The client connects to the OBS WebSocket server and follows the protocol’s Hello/Identify handshake. If the server requests authentication, the client must provide it; only after identification should it send requests.
- Choose a supported OBS action. Use a request supported by the protocol version installed on your system for the desired scene or source action. Consult the protocol documentation matching that version, including the generated request definitions and relevant source-kind details. Do not assume a request or payload from another version—or a scene-switching example—will update a specific VLC playlist item.
- Build and validate the trigger. Your external client must supply the schedule or event logic; WebSocket does not do that automatically. Test the action in a non-live scene, confirm the right content and transition, and verify behavior after reconnects before relying on it unattended.
The protocol’s handshake, authentication, and request model are described in the obs-websocket protocol documentation. Match the document to your installed version rather than treating the current branch as a guarantee for an older installation.
Send the OBS output to YouTube
- Prepare the YouTube stream. In YouTube Studio, open Live Control Room and create or select a stream. YouTube provides a server URL and stream key for encoder setup.
- Configure OBS. In OBS, open Settings > Stream, choose the YouTube service, and enter the stream key. Keep the key private: anyone who obtains it may be able to broadcast to your channel.
- Choose encoder settings. YouTube recommends RTMPS, a secure extension to RTMP. Its encoder guidance lists H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1; up to 60 fps; constant bitrate (CBR); and a two-second keyframe interval, not exceeding four seconds. At 1080p30, YouTube’s H.264 table lists 5 Mbps as the minimum and 14 Mbps as the recommended bitrate. These are YouTube’s settings guidance, not a universal requirement for every resolution, codec, or connection. Check the current YouTube encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions and choose a bitrate your upload connection can sustain steadily.
- Test before going live unattended. Test representative motion and audio, transitions between videos, and the stream’s appearance in YouTube Live Control Room. Monitor stream health rather than assuming that a successful connection guarantees an uninterrupted broadcast.
YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. That does not establish that a 24/7 broadcast will be archived as one uninterrupted video. Plan how viewers will access the content if the stream is interrupted or the archive is split.
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Plan for 24/7 operation and common failures
In a do-it-yourself setup, OBS runs on a local computer, so continuous playback depends on that computer and its network staying available. The setup guidance does not establish automatic recovery if OBS, the operating system, the power supply, or the internet connection fails. Test the full chain—including your trigger client—and arrange monitoring and a recovery plan appropriate to your setup.
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| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| VLC Video is missing from the Sources menu | VLC is not installed, or its architecture does not match OBS. | Install VLC matching OBS (64-bit VLC for 64-bit OBS), restart OBS, and check Sources again. |
| The playlist does not repeat or plays in an unexpected order | Looping or shuffle is set differently than intended. | Open the VLC Video source properties and verify the playlist, loop, and shuffle options. |
| The WebSocket client connects but requests fail | The client has not completed identification, authentication is missing or incorrect, or the request does not match the installed protocol version. | Complete Hello/Identify, respond to authentication when requested, and check request names and fields in the matching protocol documentation. |
| A command works for a scene but not for a video item | Scene control and media-source or playlist-item control are different actions; support depends on source kind and protocol version. | Check the generated protocol definitions and the source’s supported behavior. Validate in a test scene instead of assuming a universal playlist-update payload. |
| YouTube reports stream health problems or playback drops | Encoder settings, upload stability, or local machine availability may be at fault. | Review Live Control Room health, compare bitrate and keyframe settings with YouTube’s current guidance, and test the connection and representative content again. |
| The stream stops when nobody is at the computer | The local OBS process, computer, power, or network stopped functioning. | Check the machine, OBS process, power, and internet connection; use monitoring and a tested restart or recovery plan. |
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