To create a custom live-stream layout, arrange scenes and sources in your streaming software. In OBS Studio, a scene is the composition viewers see; sources are the pieces inside it, such as gameplay, a webcam, text, images, or a browser overlay. If you mean changing the panels in Streamlabs Desktop itself, its Layout Editor changes your workspace—not the broadcast viewers see.
What “layout” means in streaming software
The word can describe two different things:
- Broadcast layout: the viewer-facing arrangement of video, graphics, text, and other sources. OBS builds this with scenes and sources.
- Workspace layout: the arrangement of controls and panels in the streaming application. Streamlabs Desktop’s Layout Editor changes this operator workspace.
Choose the workflow that matches your goal. Rearranging application panels does not, by itself, change the stream output.
Build a viewer-facing layout in OBS Studio
1. Create a scene for each distinct segment
In the Scenes dock, add a scene and give it a name you can recognize quickly. Make separate scenes for distinct moments or compositions—for example, a welcome screen, a documentary discussion, a break, or an end screen. Each scene can have a different set and arrangement of sources.
2. Add the sources that belong in the scene
Select the scene, then click the + button in the Sources dock. OBS’s documented source types include audio, browser, display, game, image, media, text, video capture, and window capture. The right choice depends on what you want viewers to see or hear:
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- Use a game, window, or display capture for on-screen content. Capture-source availability can depend on your operating system.
- Use video capture for a webcam or capture card.
- Use image for still artwork, such as a logo or background.
- Use text for labels or other text elements.
- Use browser for a web-based overlay, and media for a media file.
Add only what the selected scene needs. For instance, a break scene may use artwork and text rather than the gameplay and camera used in the main scene.
3. Position and resize items in the preview
Select a source and drag it in the preview to reposition it. Use the source’s bounding box to resize it. For a camera inset over gameplay, place the camera where it will not cover important content. To crop a source in the workflow described by the OBS overview, hold Alt while dragging a bounding-box edge. Shortcuts can change between versions; if Alt-drag behaves differently in your installation, check the current OBS interface or documentation.
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4. Set the layer order
The order of sources controls which source appears in front. A source higher in the Sources list appears above sources lower in the list, so it can obscure them. For example, put a webcam above gameplay if you want the camera visible as an inset. If an item should not appear in the composition for now, use its visibility control rather than deleting it.
5. Prepare a scene change with Studio Mode
Studio Mode separates the scene you are preparing from the current live scene. Make changes in Preview, then transition that prepared scene to the live output when it is ready. This is useful when you need to set up the next composition without immediately changing what viewers see.
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6. Test before the broadcast
Switch through each scene and check that the intended sources are visible, correctly layered, and positioned as expected. Test the stream operation as well as the scenes before the first live broadcast. OBS’s overview guide puts it plainly: “It’s strongly recommended that you test everything as best as you can before starting your first live stream.”
Use Streamlabs Desktop for overlays or workspace layouts
Make a viewer-facing overlay
For an overlay in Streamlabs Desktop, create a scene collection, add the scenes you need—Streamlabs gives examples such as Starting Soon, Live, and BRB—and add image files under Sources as overlay elements. Streamlabs documentation also describes installing overlays with the Streamlabs OBS plugin or importing a Streamlabs scene collection into OBS. Plugin and interface behavior can change, so check the current Streamlabs support instructions for your installed version before relying on a particular import path.
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Rearrange the Streamlabs application workspace
- Open Editor > Layout Editor.
- Add or select a layout, then choose a style.
- Drag components into position and resize sections to suit your workspace.
- Save the layout.
These steps rearrange the Streamlabs software workspace. Use scenes and sources when you want to change the composition sent to viewers.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose the workflow for the job
| What you want to change | Use | What to consider |
|---|---|---|
| The broadcast viewers see | Scenes and sources in OBS, or scenes and overlay elements in Streamlabs Desktop | Choose sources that match the content; capture support varies by operating system. |
| The arrangement of controls in Streamlabs Desktop | Editor > Layout Editor | This changes your application workspace, not the stream composition. |
| A scene change that should not reach viewers until it is ready | OBS Studio Mode | Prepare it in Preview, then transition it to the live view. |
The official documentation reviewed does not establish a general performance, quality, or ease-of-use winner between OBS Studio and Streamlabs Desktop. Pick the workflow based on whether you need a broadcast composition, overlay, or operator workspace arrangement.
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