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24/7 streaming

How to Set an OBS Scene to Show the Current Story Title During a 24/7 YouTube Stream

Use an OBS Text source that reads from a file to show the current story title. Learn how to update it, automate changes, connect YouTube, and troubleshoot common overlay problems.

By DocumentaryTube Team 5 min read

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To show the story currently playing in an OBS scene, add a Text source and set it to read from a text file. The title will change only when a person or another process updates that file—or updates the OBS source through an integration. OBS displays the text; it does not automatically identify the current story or connect to a story feed.

Build the story-title overlay in OBS

  1. Select the scene. In the Scenes dock, choose the scene that will display the title. If you need a separate layout, add a scene first.
  2. Add a Text source. In the Sources dock, select the add-source control and choose the available Text source. OBS describes text sources as customizable text for a scene or recording layout. The source may be labeled Text (GDI+) on Windows or Text (Freetype 2) on macOS and Linux. OBS marks Freetype 2 as deprecated on Windows, so check the options in your installed OBS version. OBS Text Sources documentation
  3. Point it at the title file. Open the source properties, enable Read from file, and select a text file containing the current story title. With that option enabled, OBS reads the display text from the selected file rather than from the source’s manually entered Text property. OBS Text Sources documentation
  4. Make the title readable and position it. Set the text appearance in the source properties, then drag it into place in the preview and resize as needed. For precise placement, use Edit Transform. In the Sources dock, keep the title source above any source that could cover it; higher sources appear over lower ones. OBS Text Sources documentation OBS Scenes and Sources guide
  5. Test a title change. Change the file’s contents, check that the overlay shows the intended title, and test the full scene before streaming. OBS recommends testing scenes and settings before an initial stream. OBS Quickstart guide

Keep the title synchronized with the story

The text file is only the display end of the workflow. Something must decide which story is current and supply its title to OBS.

Manual updates

For a manually operated broadcast, assign an operator to update the selected file whenever the story changes. Check the resulting overlay after each update, especially if titles vary in length or contain characters that may display differently in your setup.

Updates from an existing process

If another application or process already knows which story is playing, configure it to write the current title to the file OBS reads. The OBS Text source documentation explains how to read a text file; it does not specify a story-feed format, update schedule, or process for deciding when a story becomes current. Those parts of the integration must be supplied and checked separately.

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OBS scripts or WebSocket

For a workflow with automation support, OBS also offers Python and Lua scripting and a WebSocket endpoint through which scripts and external applications can interact with OBS. WebSocket is included by default in OBS Studio 28 and later; protect the connection with a password. The OBS documentation does not provide a ready-made story-feed adapter, so you must build or configure the part that supplies the right title and verify that the displayed text changes when the story changes. OBS Scripting guide OBS Remote Control guide

Approach Fits when What you still need to handle
File-backed Text source A person or an existing process can write the current title to a text file. Keep the file current and check that OBS displays the updated title.
Script or WebSocket integration Your workflow already has automation support and you want it to interact with OBS sources. Set up the integration, secure WebSocket with a password if used, and supply the logic that identifies and sends the current story title. OBS does not document a ready-made story-feed connection.

Connect OBS to YouTube and start the stream

  1. In YouTube’s Live Control Room, obtain the stream URL and stream key, then enter them in OBS’s stream settings. Treat the key as private: do not include it in the overlay or other public material.
  2. Start the encoder from OBS. For YouTube’s scheduled-stream workflow, wait for the preview to appear in Live Control Room, then select Go live.
  3. Check the live picture and confirm that the displayed title matches the story currently being shown. YouTube Help: Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder

What a 24/7 setup does—and does not—guarantee

A text overlay does not keep OBS, the encoder, your computer, or the title-update process running continuously. This method depends on those components continuing to operate; OBS’s scene and text-source documentation does not promise uninterrupted streaming.

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YouTube Help says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. That statement does not establish archive behavior for a stream lasting 12 hours or longer, so do not assume that a continuous 24/7 broadcast will be automatically archived. YouTube Help: Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder

Troubleshoot a missing or outdated title

  • No title appears: Confirm that the Text source is visible, that Read from file is enabled, and that the selected file contains the title you expect. Check that the source is not positioned behind an opaque source.
  • The title is hidden or obscured: Move the Text source higher in the Sources list and reposition it in the preview. Use Edit Transform if you need more precise placement.
  • The old title remains: Check whether the selected file itself has been updated and whether the person or process responsible for the update ran successfully. Adding a Text source does not supply story changes automatically.
  • The wrong story title appears: Check the process that decides which story is current and the value it writes or sends to OBS. OBS’s documentation does not define that selection logic.
  • The title is hard to read: Adjust its appearance and preview placement, then check the complete scene against the video underneath it.
  • You cannot connect to YouTube: Verify that OBS has the stream URL and key from the intended YouTube setup. Keep the key private; if it has been exposed, replace it using YouTube’s stream controls.
  • WebSocket automation is exposed: Configure authentication and use a password, as OBS recommends. Do not leave a remotely accessible control connection unprotected.
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