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24/7 streaming

How to Display a Live Clock on a 24/7 YouTube Stream

Use an OBS Browser Source to add a local or hosted clock overlay, configure its time display and verify it stays visible in your YouTube stream.

By DocumentaryTube Team 4 min read
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To put a live clock inside a 24/7 YouTube broadcast, add an OBS Browser Source and load a clock overlay from a local HTML file or a webpage. Set its size, time zone and display format, then verify it in OBS and in a test broadcast. The clock becomes part of the video viewers see; it is not just an on-screen note for the person running OBS.

Choose a clock overlay

OBS Browser Sources can load either a webpage URL or a local file. OBS describes the feature this way: “Anything that you can program to run in a normal browser (within reason, of course), can be added directly to OBS.” (OBS Browser Source.)

Option What to consider
Local HTML file The overlay files sit with your OBS setup, so the clock does not depend on an overlay website staying available. You are responsible for managing the files and any settings in them. See the OBS forum example and the OBS time-overlay project.
Hosted webpage Enter the page URL as the Browser Source. A hosted widget may make its settings convenient to manage, but it depends on that page being available. The sources do not establish comparative long-run reliability for either option.

The local examples include clock and date overlays; one example advertises selectable time zones and 12- or 24-hour display. Those controls are specific to that project, not features guaranteed by every widget. Choose an overlay that supports the format and time zone you need.

Add the clock in OBS

  1. Add a Browser Source: In your intended scene, select Sources, choose +, then Browser. Create a new source or select an existing one.
  2. Load the overlay: For a hosted clock, enter its URL. For a local clock, enable the local-file option and select the HTML file. OBS supports both local files and URLs as Browser Sources.
  3. Set the viewport: Enter a width and height that suit the overlay and your scene. OBS documents 800Ă—600 as the default viewport; it is not a recommended clock size. If the clock is clipped or too small, adjust the viewport and source transform.
  4. Configure the clock: In the overlay’s own settings, choose 12- or 24-hour notation, whether to show seconds or a date, and a time zone if available. These choices vary by overlay.
  5. Position and inspect it: Drag the source into an uncluttered area. Check contrast and legibility at the size viewers will see, and ensure the clock does not obscure documentary footage, captions or other essential information.

For a local-file walkthrough, see the OBS forum’s Time and Date Overlay instructions. A public example of clock/date files and display options is the obs-time-overlay project.

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Check the clock before leaving the stream unattended

  • Check the computer’s clock and time zone, then compare the overlay with a trusted clock. The displayed time depends on the overlay’s implementation and time source; the available examples do not establish a universal synchronization guarantee.
  • Watch the OBS preview long enough to confirm that seconds or minutes advance and that the date changes as expected. If time must be authoritative for an operational or legal purpose, independently verify the overlay’s time source and synchronization; a decorative overlay is not certified timekeeping.
  • Confirm that the clock is visible in the active scene. In the Browser Source properties, review Shutdown source when not visible and Refresh browser source when scene becomes active. OBS documents both controls. Choose settings that match how the source should behave when you switch scenes.
  • Run a test broadcast and check the clock in the actual output, not only the OBS preview. YouTube recommends testing before going live and monitoring stream health during a broadcast; this is general encoder guidance, not a clock-specific certification. See YouTube’s encoder setup guidance and live encoder settings and stream health guidance.

Plan for the limits of a 24/7 broadcast

A Browser Source is composed into the video sent by OBS. It is therefore suited to displaying a clock to viewers, but its continued visibility depends on your scene and source behavior. A local file avoids relying on an overlay website; a hosted clock may be easier to configure. Neither option has an established long-run reliability advantage in the sources cited here.

YouTube’s encoder guidance says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. That does not establish indefinite uninterrupted-stream or archival behavior for a 24/7 broadcast. Check YouTube’s current guidance for the operating pattern you plan to use: Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder.

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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Or let it run in the cloud

If your goal is also to keep prerecorded video streaming continuously, StreamNeo keeps a YouTube channel live from uploaded videos, without a computer or home internet connection having to stay on. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops the uploaded video in the cloud; it does not broadcast a camera feed. A clock overlay is a separate OBS setup, and the available product details do not establish that StreamNeo adds one.

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