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To put a scrolling episode schedule on a YouTube podcast livestream, schedule the event in YouTube Studio, send your show through OBS Studio, and add an OBS Text or Browser source with the schedule. Apply OBS’s Scroll filter to that source, check it in the preview, then start the encoder and go live from YouTube Studio. A pinned chat message is an alternative for a schedule viewers can consult in chat, but it does not appear over the video.
What you need before you start
- A YouTube channel eligible to livestream. YouTube says a first live stream may take up to 24 hours to become enabled. Check YouTube’s current encoder streaming instructions for eligibility and any restrictions that apply to your account.
- OBS Studio, with the podcast’s audio source and any optional camera, artwork, or other visuals you want in the scene. A microphone is typical for spoken audio, but you do not need to buy one if you already have suitable audio equipment.
- A short, verified schedule: the episode title, current segment, and a few upcoming segments or timestamps. Use consistent separators and confirm names and times before the show.
YouTube Studio and OBS do different jobs: Studio creates the live event, while OBS sends the audio and video feed to it. YouTube also documents an API workflow for live broadcasts, but the steps below use Studio and OBS.
Schedule the YouTube event
- Open YouTube Studio, select Create, then Go Live.
- Open Manage and schedule a stream. Enter the event details and choose the intended privacy setting.
- Save the event. Scheduling creates a watch page you can share ahead of time; keep it available while you set up OBS.
Use YouTube’s encoder streaming instructions to confirm current account eligibility and live-stream restrictions. YouTube notes that enabling a first live stream can take up to 24 hours.
Build the podcast scene in OBS
- Create or select a scene for the show.
- In Sources, add the audio source for the microphone or other equipment carrying the podcast audio. Add a camera, artwork, or other visuals if needed. OBS explains its available audio, text, browser, image, and video capture sources in the Sources Guide.
- Arrange and size the visual sources in the scene. Leave clear space for the schedule so it does not obscure faces, titles, or captions.
Add the episode schedule and make it scroll
Choose a text or browser source
For a straightforward text ticker, add an OBS Text source and type the schedule, or configure it to read from a text file. See OBS’s Text Sources guide. A text file can be useful if you need to update the wording without rebuilding the scene.
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For more control over typography or a designed schedule page, add a Browser source. OBS can load a local file or web page and render its layout in the scene; see the Browser Source guide.
Apply the Scroll filter
- Select the schedule source in OBS and open its Filters.
- Add the Scroll filter.
- Set the horizontal or vertical direction and speed. Choose whether the text loops and whether to limit its width or height.
- Preview the movement and adjust it until each item can be read. There is no universal ideal speed: it depends on the schedule length, display size, and how long viewers need to read each item.
OBS describes the filter as making a source image scroll in any direction, and identifies marquee text as one use. See the Scroll Filter documentation.
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Check the overlay before the broadcast
- Preview the entire scene at the intended output size. Check that the ticker is legible and does not cover faces, titles, or captions.
- Confirm the schedule wording, segment order, names, and times.
- Watch the text long enough to see whether it loops or ends as intended. Shorten the copy or change the speed if it is difficult to follow.
- Check that the podcast audio source is the one you intend to send. OBS recommends testing scenes and settings before a first stream in its overview and quick-start guide.
Connect OBS to YouTube and go live
- In OBS, open the stream settings and select YouTube if that option is offered, or enter the stream URL and key from YouTube Studio.
- Use the URL and key associated with the scheduled event. Treat the stream key as private; anyone who obtains it could send a feed to your broadcast.
- Start streaming in OBS. In YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room, wait for the incoming stream preview.
- When the preview is ready, select Go live in the Live Control Room for the scheduled stream.
- When the show is over, end the broadcast through the Live Control Room and encoder workflow.
YouTube’s encoder streaming instructions describe connecting an encoder and using the Live Control Room. YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived; check the current help page for the applicable behavior, since platform policies can change.
Choose between a scrolling overlay, static panel, and pinned chat schedule
| Option | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| OBS scrolling text or browser overlay | A schedule that stays visible in the video and its playback. | Requires choices about layout, speed, and legibility; long copy can be hard to read while moving. |
| Static OBS text panel | A short current segment or a few upcoming items. | Can be easier to read, but occupies scene space. |
| Pinned YouTube live-chat message | A low-effort schedule viewers can consult in chat. | It appears in chat, not over the video. YouTube allows only one pinned message at a time, and only the creator—not moderators or viewers—can pin it. |
For a chat schedule, post the message in live chat and pin it as the creator. For text visible within the actual video, use an OBS source and the Scroll filter instead. YouTube documents the pinning limits in its live chat moderation help.
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Troubleshoot common problems
The event will not go live
Check that livestreaming is enabled for the channel and review any account restrictions in YouTube’s current encoder streaming instructions. If this is the first stream, YouTube says activation may take up to 24 hours.
YouTube Studio does not receive the OBS feed
Confirm OBS is using the stream URL and key for the scheduled event, then start streaming in OBS and wait for the preview in Live Control Room. If the feed still does not appear, recheck the selected YouTube connection or the URL and key in the encoder settings.
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The schedule does not move
Verify that the Scroll filter is attached to the schedule source, then check its direction and speed. Make sure the source itself is visible in the scene and that its width or height limits are not preventing the intended movement.
Viewers cannot read the ticker
Reduce the amount of copy, adjust the speed, or replace the ticker with a static OBS text panel. Recheck the full scene at the intended output size so the text remains legible without covering other important visuals.
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The schedule is visible only in chat
A pinned message is a chat feature, not a video overlay. Add a Text or Browser source to the OBS scene and apply the Scroll filter if the schedule needs to appear on the broadcast itself.
Or let it run in the cloud
If you want a YouTube channel to keep playing uploaded episodes without leaving a computer on, StreamNeo runs the loop from the cloud. Upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. It plays uploaded videos rather than broadcasting from a camera.
Quick Recap
- Nothing has to stay running at home; the stream continues from the cloud.
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