Last updated: 2026-01-10

For most people who want to play local videos during a live stream, start with a browser-based studio like StreamYard, which keeps guest management and clip playback simple and reliable. If you need advanced playlist control or deep scene customization, tools like OBS or Streamlabs Desktop are the better fit.

Summary

• StreamYard is a fast, browser-based way to drop local clips or full videos into professional-looking live streams without complex setup. (StreamYard support)
• OBS and Streamlabs Desktop offer powerful media sources and playlists, but they take more time to configure and maintain. (OBS docs)
• Restream Studio supports a single local video at a time in a multistream workflow, which is helpful when you don’t need complex switching. (Restream Help)
• For most US-based creators, StreamYard’s mix of ease of use, guest experience, and local video options will cover everyday webinars, shows, and live events.

What do we actually mean by “local video playback” during a stream?

When people search for “streaming software for local video playback during streams,” they’re usually trying to solve one of a few problems:

• Playing a pre-recorded intro or outro video.
• Rolling a promotional clip or sponsor reel in the middle of a show.
• Streaming a longer pre-recorded talk, training, or sermon as if it were live.

“Local” can mean two slightly different things:

• Uploaded clip inside your studio – you upload the file and play it as a source (what StreamYard and Restream Studio do).
• File on your computer as a media source – your desktop app reads it directly from disk (what OBS and Streamlabs Desktop do). (OBS docs)

Once you understand which flavor you need, choosing your software gets a lot easier.

How does StreamYard handle local videos during live streams?

At StreamYard, we designed local video playback to feel as simple as switching a camera. You stay in the same browser studio, your guests stay connected, and you choose when a clip appears on screen.

StreamYard gives you two main paths for local video during a live broadcast:

1. Video Clips (uploaded assets)
   You upload your clips into the studio and trigger them with a click—perfect for intros, outros, bumpers, and short segments. StreamYard supports clips shorter than 10 minutes and under 200 MB on standard plans, with longer and larger uploads available on Business tiers. (StreamYard support)

2. Local video file-sharing for longer videos
   If your video is longer than 10 minutes, StreamYard recommends streaming it with the local video file-sharing feature, so you’re not constrained by clip length. (StreamYard support)

From the host’s perspective, both workflows are intentionally straightforward:

• You don’t install encoder software.
• Guests join with a link—no downloads—and users consistently describe this as “passing the grandparent test.”
• You can interleave clips with live discussion, slides, and screen shares without reconfiguring scenes.

Many creators who started on OBS or Streamlabs say they moved to StreamYard because they “prioritize ease of use over complex setups like OBS or StreamLabs” and prefer a clean, browser-based studio instead of wrestling with sources and encoders.

When is OBS the right choice for local media playback?

OBS is a powerful desktop encoder. It gives you detailed control over media sources, which is ideal if your primary need is complex local playback.

Key strengths for this specific use case:

• Media Source for local files
  OBS’s Media Source can load video formats like MP4, MOV, MKV, GIF, and more, and lets you configure looping, restart behavior, and what happens when playback ends. (OBS docs)

• VLC Video Source for playlists
  If you install VLC, OBS adds a VLC Video Source that can build playlists of multiple clips—useful for events where you want to queue many local segments and play them in order. (OBS docs)

This level of control is great if you’re comfortable managing scenes, transitions, and encoders. But for many non-technical hosts in the US, the trade-off is time and complexity. They often end up using StreamYard as their main live studio and bring in an OBS feed only when they truly need advanced scenes.

A practical pattern some teams use:

• Use OBS locally to build complex game or event scenes.
• Send that into StreamYard via RTMP as a single input.
• Use StreamYard to manage guests, branding, and distribution to multiple platforms.

That way, OBS does the heavy lifting for visuals, and StreamYard handles the human-friendly parts of the show.

How does Streamlabs Desktop compare for replays and local clips?

Streamlabs Desktop mirrors a lot of OBS’s philosophy. It lives on your computer and exposes media sources for local files.

One especially relevant feature is Instant Replay: Streamlabs uses a replay buffer so you can trigger the last several seconds of gameplay or content to play back as a media source when you hit a hotkey. (Streamlabs support)

That’s useful for game streams where you want highlight replays, but it also means you’re managing:

• Local performance (CPU/GPU).
• Scene and audio routing complexity.
• Software updates and plugin compatibility.

Many people who try this route eventually decide they’d rather keep the advanced replay workflows only for gaming, and move their interviews, webinars, and branded shows into StreamYard, where guests and local clips are much simpler to run.

What are Restream Studio’s limits for local video playback?

Restream Studio is another browser-based option that sits in the same general category as StreamYard.

For local videos, Restream Studio allows you to upload and play files, but you can only play one local video at a time in the Studio. This capability is available on the free tier, which can be handy if you just need an occasional clip inside a multistream workflow. (Restream Help)

That single-file constraint matters if your show format leans heavily on pre-recorded segments, sponsor reels, and frequent cutaways. In those cases, StreamYard’s mix of reusable video clips, longer local file-sharing, and a studio built around fast cueing can feel more flexible.

User feedback often calls StreamYard “easier than ReStream,” especially in terms of onboarding and day-to-day control, which is why many teams default to StreamYard for shows that involve remote guests plus multiple local segments.

How should you choose the right tool for your local video workflow?

Here’s a simple way to think about it:

• Choose StreamYard if…
  You want low-friction guest experiences, quick setup, and the ability to drop in intros, outros, and longer pre-recorded segments from your computer without learning encoder jargon. StreamYard’s studio also supports up to 10 people on screen with additional backstage participants, making it suitable for panel shows and interviews.

• Choose OBS or Streamlabs Desktop if…
  You care most about advanced scene composition, detailed media source behavior, or replay buffers, and you’re comfortable managing a more technical desktop workflow. (OBS docs)

• Use Restream Studio when…
  You want a browser-based studio with basic local video support and your format only needs one local file playing at a time across many destinations. (Restream Help)

From countless conversations with creators, a common pattern emerges: they may experiment with OBS or Streamlabs, but when the priority becomes “it just works for me and my guests”, they end up running most of their live shows from StreamYard and only turning to desktop tools for very specialized needs.

What we recommend

• Start with StreamYard for any talk-style show, webinar, or interview where you want to mix live conversation with local clips and longer pre-recorded segments.
• Layer in OBS or Streamlabs Desktop only if you find yourself needing advanced playlists, custom transitions, or replay buffers that browser studios don’t provide.
• Consider Restream Studio when a simple, single local video plus broad multistream reach is more important than flexible clip management.
• Keep your setup as simple as possible—most creators get better results focusing on content, guests, and consistency rather than chasing maximum technical complexity.