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To hear a playlist locally while keeping its audio in your YouTube stream, set its OBS monitoring mode to Monitoring Enabled (or the equivalent “Monitor and Output” label in your version), then choose the playback device in OBS audio settings. Do not choose “Monitor Only (mute output)” if viewers still need to hear the source. Monitoring lets you listen to audio; it does not make a playlist loop or keep a stream live by itself.
Set up local monitoring without muting the stream
- Open Advanced Audio Properties. In OBS’s audio mixer, open Advanced Audio Properties for the playlist’s audio source.
- Choose the mode that sends audio both places. Select Monitoring Enabled or the equivalent Monitor and Output option. OBS labels can differ by version; its current English locale includes Monitor Off, Monitor Only (mute output), and Monitoring Enabled. Check the current English OBS labels.
- Select the monitoring device. In OBS audio settings, choose the device through which you want to hear the source. The mixer’s monitor control plays source audio through this configured device. OBS Audio Mixer Guide.
- Listen and check the meter. Start the playlist, confirm that the source meter moves, and listen to the signal in OBS. OBS says the meter shows source level; the red zone is near clipping. Its guide recommends listening early, checking again in OBS, and recording a normal session to listen back before going live.
Wired headphones are an optional way to hear the configured monitoring output. You do not need a particular headphone model for OBS monitoring.
What each monitoring mode does
| Mode | Local playback | Audio sent to stream output | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monitor Off | No monitor playback requested | Yes, according to an OBS forum explanation | You do not need to hear the source locally |
| Monitor Only (mute output) | Yes | No; the OBS label explicitly says output is muted | You need local listening but do not want this source in output |
| Monitoring Enabled / Monitor and Output | Yes | Yes | You need to hear the playlist while viewers also hear it |
OBS’s wording varies by version, so rely on the installed interface’s label and test the result rather than assuming every release uses identical text. The OBS community forum describes the monitor-and-output behavior and common routing issues in a discussion about hearing capture-card audio.
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If the selected monitoring output is also captured by OBS as desktop or application audio, the same sound can enter the mix again. This may cause echo or a hollow-sounding duplicate. Check which sources capture your playback device, and consider monitoring through a separate device or a carefully configured virtual audio route if the default output must remain captured. OBS forum users mention virtual devices such as Voicemeeter or Loopback as possible routing options; their setup is optional and depends on your system.
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Also listen to the actual stream or a test recording before relying on the setup. Stereo sources have separate left and right meters, and viewers hear audio according to its assigned channels. OBS defaults to stereo, though the channel configuration can be changed in application settings.
Monitoring is not playlist automation or stream continuity
Local monitoring can help you hear when a video is nearing its end, but it does not trigger the next source, loop a playlist, reconnect after an interruption, or guarantee an uninterrupted 24/7 stream. A viewer on the OBS forum described using local listening because YouTube playback was delayed and was not a useful cue for changing sources; that discussion does not establish a complete nonstop-playlist workflow. Read the OBS forum discussion.
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YouTube’s HLS ingestion guidance covers a different subject: delivering segmented HLS streams. It says HLS has higher latency than RTMP because it sends video segments rather than a continuous stream. Its technical values—including segment duration and audio bitrate—apply to HLS ingestion, not OBS local monitoring or a general RTMP playlist stream. YouTube: Set up an HLS stream.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is for uploaded videos to keep a YouTube channel live without leaving a computer running, StreamNeo is a cloud option: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops uploaded videos; it does not stream from a camera. Your home computer and connection do not need to stay on, it supports uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, and it automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly service is $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo for details, then start your free day.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
