OBS usually appears to skip a video because the playlist order is randomized, the source stops and restarts when it becomes visible again, or a particular media file cannot play. For several files, use VLC Video in OBS; for one repeating file, use Media Source with Loop enabled. Check those settings before changing YouTube Live configuration: OBS’s media playlist and YouTube’s stream delivery are separate things.
What “playlist” means in this problem
Here, a playlist is the set of videos OBS plays into your broadcast. YouTube documentation also uses “playlist” to describe the rolling list of stream segments used for HLS delivery. That HLS playlist is not the list of video files you arrange in OBS, so changing stream delivery settings will not ordinarily fix an OBS media-source rotation issue. See YouTube’s HLS ingestion guide.
First identify the OBS source that should handle the videos
For one video that should repeat
Add a Media Source and enable its Loop option. Media Source is intended for an individual media file; it is not OBS’s multi-item playlist source.
For several videos
Use VLC Video, which supports a playlist and has separate Loop Playlist and Shuffle Playlist settings. OBS describes it as allowing a playlist of items, similar to an Image Slideshow. VLC must be installed; the OBS guide specifies 64-bit VLC when using 64-bit OBS. See the OBS Media Sources guide.
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Why a video can look skipped
Shuffle is on
With Shuffle Playlist enabled, OBS randomizes the media files instead of playing them in list order. The next item may therefore differ from the one you expected; it can look like a video was skipped even though the source is following its randomized sequence. Turn shuffle off when a fixed order matters.
The source is hidden and then shown again
OBS’s default VLC Video visibility behavior is Stop when not visible, restart when visible. If you switch scenes or toggle the source’s eye icon, the source may stop while hidden and restart from the beginning when it becomes visible again. That restart can be mistaken for a skipped playlist item. Choose a pause/unpause or always-play behavior instead if playback needs to keep its place or continue while hidden. This changes media-source playback, not whether the YouTube broadcast itself is live. The behavior is described in the OBS Media Sources guide and the OBS Sources Guide.
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A file may fail at the same point in the list
If playback repeatedly stops on one entry, check that file’s path and filename and play it directly in VLC. An OBS forum reply in 2019 suggested looking at VLC messages for a file error in one user’s large shuffled playlist; that is a troubleshooting lead from an individual case, not proof of a general OBS defect. Try a smaller playlist of known-good files to isolate the entry. See the forum discussion.
A live playlist edit may reset playback
An OBS forum user reported in 2020 that adding a media item during an active YouTube Live session reset playback to the first video. That report does not establish a universal rule for current OBS versions or configurations. Test playlist edits before relying on them during a public broadcast. See the forum report.
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Set up the rotation you actually want
| Goal | OBS source and setting | Expected behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat one video | Media Source; enable Loop | Repeats that file. |
| Play multiple videos in order | VLC Video; disable Shuffle; enable Loop Playlist if the list should repeat | Plays list order and, with looping enabled, returns to the start after the final item. |
| Randomize multiple videos | VLC Video; enable Shuffle | Randomized order rather than a fixed next item. |
| Keep playback advancing while the source is hidden | VLC Video visibility behavior; choose pause/unpause or always play rather than stop/restart | Avoids the default stop-and-restart behavior when hidden. |
Troubleshoot in this order
- Confirm the source type. For a multi-item rotation, use VLC Video. For one repeating file, use Media Source and enable Loop.
- Check the playlist order controls. Turn off Shuffle for a fixed sequence. Enable Loop Playlist if playback should return to the first item after the last one.
- Check scene and source visibility. If the source is hidden during a scene change, replace stop/restart behavior with pause/unpause or always play when that better matches the intended playback.
- Test each suspect entry. Verify the path and filename, play the file directly in VLC, and test a smaller playlist of known-good files. If the same item repeatedly stops playback, inspect VLC diagnostics rather than assuming every playlist has the same defect.
- Verify VLC installation and architecture. If VLC Video is missing or behaves unexpectedly, install VLC and match its architecture to OBS; the OBS guide calls for 64-bit VLC with 64-bit OBS.
- Test live edits separately. If you add or remove items while live, reproduce the change in a test broadcast first. A 2020 user report describes a reset, but does not show that every current setup behaves that way.
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