To show the song playing on a YouTube radio stream, use an overlay or metadata tool that reads the playback app and displays its title in your OBS scene. The right setup depends on whether the audio comes from YouTube in a browser, YouTube Music in a browser, or the YouTube Music desktop app; these are not interchangeable inputs.
Choose the method for your playback source
| Where the music plays | Possible approach | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube or YouTube Music in a browser | Music on stream browser-source overlay | The OBS Forums resource listing reports support for YouTube and YouTube Music, with YouTube chapters or video-description playlists available as title inputs. It also describes a theme editor and CSS customization. Confirm your specific source and test the overlay in your scene. OBS Forums resource |
| Browser audio registered with Windows Media Control | TUNA-based OBS overlay | NowPlaying-Universal uses Windows Media Control through the OBS TUNA plugin. It requires Windows, OBS, TUNA and a local web server. Its documentation notes that multiple browser audio sources can cause the latest active source to be shown. NowPlaying-Universal project |
| YouTube Music desktop app | Local metadata bridge to OBS text and image sources, or a separate local-API browser overlay | The file-based bridge targets the YouTube Music desktop app’s plugin and writes title and artist data for OBS to read. YTMDesktop2 documents a distinct local-API overlay with an optional client token. Do not treat these separate projects as one tool. File-based bridge · YTMDesktop2 overlay documentation |
| YouTube Live broadcast settings | Not a documented per-track overlay method | The YouTube Live Streaming API describes broadcast resources and broadcast-level metadata, such as a broadcast title; it does not establish an automatic, changing song-title overlay. YouTube LiveBroadcasts API |
The linked community projects and documentation describe their own workflows; they have not been independently tested here. Check each project’s current instructions and compatibility before relying on it for a live broadcast.
Set up a now-playing overlay in OBS
- Identify the playback app and source. Note whether the music is playing on the YouTube website, YouTube Music in a browser, or the YouTube Music desktop app. Also identify your operating system and whether more than one app or tab might play audio.
- Choose a compatible metadata method. For browser playback, consider a browser-source overlay designed to read that service, or a Windows Media Control method if you use Windows. For the YouTube Music desktop app, use a bridge or overlay made for that app. Follow the tool’s current setup instructions; the exact controls and dependencies differ.
- Add the overlay to the scene. A browser-source overlay is a page that renders track metadata. Add that overlay as a browser source in OBS. Do not assume that adding the YouTube playback page itself as a source will isolate or correctly display its title: the documented overlay tools render metadata rather than promising that behavior.
- For a file-based desktop-app bridge, connect its output to OBS. The bridge’s README describes enabling its Tuna OBS plugin, running the receiver, then adding OBS text and image sources that point to the generated files. Use the paths and source settings specified by the project. When the YouTube Music app is fully closed, the bridge documentation says the last title remains, so check for stale text and decide how you will handle it.
- Place and style the information. Position the title where it stays readable without covering important video content. Include the artist if your selected tool exposes it. Use the overlay’s theme controls or CSS where available, and choose a text area wide enough for the titles in your playlist.
- Test before going live. Play several tracks, including a long title; change tracks; pause and stop playback; close and reopen the app if relevant; and verify what happens when another browser tab or app plays audio. Check the actual scene at the size viewers will see.
Handle long titles and competing audio
Titles ending in an ellipsis
A title may be cropped when its display area is too narrow. Widen the text area, reduce the font size, or adjust the overlay’s layout. If you want scrolling text, verify that the current version of your chosen overlay supports it: a May 2024 OBS forum discussion describes a then-missing scrolling-title feature, which does not establish current behavior.
More than one tab or app is playing
The documented TUNA/Windows Media Control workflow may show the most recently active source when multiple browser audio sources are present. Its documentation also notes that after that source stops, the earlier source may not repopulate until a track-change event. Avoid simultaneous playback where possible, and test this transition in your own setup.
#1 Best Overall
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Playback stops or the app closes
Check whether your chosen tool clears the overlay, leaves the previous title visible, or updates only after playback resumes. The file-based YouTube Music desktop bridge specifically documents that the last title remains if the app is fully closed. Treat a title left on screen as potentially stale, not proof that the track is still playing.
Keep track display separate from music permission
Showing a title and artist is a metadata display feature; it does not establish permission to use the recording in a livestream. The overlay documentation does not determine whether you have the rights needed for a particular track or use. Verify the permissions that apply to your music and broadcast. YouTube’s API documentation concerns broadcast resources and metadata, not licensing or a per-track title display.
Rank #2
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Or let it run in the cloud
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Quick Recap
Best Value
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Rank #4
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