To add a Hindi ticker in OBS, place a Text source above your prerecorded video, check that its font displays Devanagari correctly, then apply a Scroll filter. Preview the full scene and test the signal in YouTube Studio before starting the broadcast.
The source label and some controls vary by operating system, and no font is guaranteed to render every Hindi combination correctly. The reliable approach is to check the actual text in your OBS preview, adjust it there, and make a short private or unlisted test if that option is available to your channel.
Create or open the prerecorded-video scene
Open OBS and select the scene you intend to use for the broadcast, or create a separate scene for it. Keeping the prerecorded programme in its own scene makes it easier to check the ticker without disturbing other sources you use for titles, logos, or transitions.
In the Sources panel, choose + → Media Source, create a source, and select the local video file. OBS documents common local formats such as MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, and WebM in its Media Sources guide. Your result still depends on the file and the playback environment, so confirm that the video appears and plays in the OBS preview rather than assuming that a supported extension guarantees a successful decode.
Decide whether the footage should play once or repeat. In the Media Source properties, Loop controls whether playback repeats after it reaches the end. Leave it off if the broadcast should stop showing this clip when it finishes; turn it on if the clip is intended to repeat. Restart playback when source becomes active affects whether the media starts again from the beginning when the source becomes active. Check both options against the way you will operate the scene.
If the video is part of a longer programme, test the transition into the scene and the point where the clip ends. A ticker can look correct over a still frame while the video is black during a transition, or the footage can end while the stream continues. For a continuously repeating channel, think through whether one file looping is suitable or whether you need a playlist or scheduled segments. The OBS-specific setup in this guide to playing different videos at set times can help if a single looping file is not the right programme structure.
Add an OBS Text source
With the video in the scene, select + in Sources and choose the Text source option. The exact name differs by system: OBS documentation identifies Text (GDI+) for Windows and Text (Freetype 2) for macOS and Linux. Do not worry if the label in your version differs slightly; select the built-in text source available in your system's OBS installation. The OBS Text Sources reference describes these variants and their properties.
You can enter the ticker directly in the source properties or use the option to read text from a file. Direct entry is straightforward for a short announcement that rarely changes. File input is useful when someone needs to update the copy without editing the scene, but it adds another thing to verify: the right file must be selected and the saved content must appear as intended.
After adding the source, look at the Sources order. A source higher in the list appears in front of sources below it, so move the ticker above the Media Source. If it is underneath the video, the text may exist but remain invisible in the preview. The OBS Sources guide explains source ordering, positioning, and resizing.
Drag the text into the lower-third area where you want viewers to see it. Leave some breathing room from the edges; text at the extreme edge can be cropped or hidden by the player interface on some screens. You can resize and reposition the source in the canvas, then refine the placement while previewing the complete scene. Avoid placing it across faces, subtitles, or essential details in the footage.
Choose and verify a Devanagari font
Open the Text source properties and use its font control to choose a font installed on the computer that appears to include the Hindi characters you need. OBS provides font selection, but that does not certify that every font, operating system, or text combination will render Hindi correctly. A font that displays basic letters may still fail to show a particular conjunct, vowel sign, punctuation mark, or mixed Hindi-English phrase as you expect.
Use a representative sample rather than checking only one simple word. Include the kinds of conjuncts and matras present in your real ticker, plus any numerals or English terms you plan to use. Inspect the OBS preview at the intended output size. Look for empty boxes, missing marks, disconnected or oddly spaced forms, clipped tops or bottoms, and characters that overlap. These are things to check, not failures that must occur.
If the preview is wrong, try another installed font and inspect again. Make sure the text source box has enough room vertically as well as horizontally; a glyph can be present but clipped by a short box. If you change the font after tuning position or size, recheck the whole line because a different font may occupy a different width or height.
Do this on the computer and operating system that will run the broadcast. A ticker designed on one machine may not look the same if you move the OBS scene collection to another computer without the same font installed. If the source will read from a file, save it and verify the displayed result after reloading or reopening the source. OBS documents file input, but you should not treat any particular file encoding or font setup as automatically correct without seeing the rendered text.
Enter or load the Hindi ticker text
Write the ticker as something a viewer can understand in one pass. A concise line is easier to read while it moves than a paragraph of announcements. For example, a devotional channel might show a programme name and the next scheduled segment; a local business might display its opening hours or a short contact instruction. Keep the content accurate and avoid putting a long message on screen simply because the source accepts it.
For direct entry, paste or type the Hindi copy into the text field, then confirm the preview updates. For a file-based source, save the file in a location that will remain available to OBS, select it using the read-from-file option, and check that the updated copy appears. If the display is garbled or differs from what you saved, inspect the file and font before changing the scroll settings. Movement cannot fix a text-rendering problem.
Keep a backup of the final copy somewhere easy to find. This is particularly useful if the ticker contains names, timings, or an announcement that changes during a long broadcast. If you edit the file while OBS is open, confirm that OBS reflects the new text before going live; do not assume that a save elsewhere means the scene has updated.
For a basic ticker, the native Text source and Scroll filter are usually the simplest route because the copy and movement are controlled in OBS. A Browser Source can instead render a local HTML page, which gives more room for custom layouts but means maintaining the page and relying on browser rendering. Community examples, such as OBS_Ticker_v2, are optional projects rather than required OBS features; inspect their instructions and suitability before using them. Choose the native source unless you have a specific design or data-display requirement that justifies the extra moving parts.
Apply and tune the Scroll filter
Right-click the text source in Sources and choose Filters. Add a Scroll effect filter to animate the source. OBS's Scroll Filter reference describes the horizontal and vertical controls and the loop option.
For a conventional ticker moving from right to left, use a negative value for Horizontal Speed. A positive value moves it right. Start with a modest speed and watch the text cross the whole video frame. The right setting depends on the length of the message, the size of the text, and how much time your viewers need to read it; there is no single speed that suits every ticker. Change one setting at a time and watch another pass before deciding whether it is easier to follow.
Use the horizontal control for a horizontal ticker. If the line travels vertically, check whether the vertical speed is active and whether you changed the intended field. If it moves in the wrong direction, change the sign of horizontal speed. These checks are more useful than repeatedly changing font size when the problem is movement.
Enable Loop if the ticker should come back after moving off the source area. Without looping, it can travel away and not return. If it disappears after one pass, check this option first. For a message that should appear only once, leaving the loop off may be intentional, but verify what viewers will see once it has left the frame.
The width of the text source and the length of the text affect when it enters and exits the visible area. If the ticker appears to begin mid-word or vanishes abruptly, inspect the source bounds and the full line in the preview. Do not make the text box so narrow that it clips the characters. The filter controls movement; they do not replace checking the text source's dimensions and scene placement.
Check legibility over the video
A clear font preview is only one part of the check. Play the footage and watch the ticker over bright, dark, detailed, and changing portions of the video. A colour that works over a dark scene may disappear over a pale wall or a bright sky. Adjust text colour and, if your source properties allow, use an outline or background treatment that separates letters from the footage without covering important content.
Watch at the output canvas size and, if practical, inspect a recording or test on a smaller screen. Fine strokes and tightly spaced letters can become hard to read when scaled down. Check that the ticker has enough contrast, remains within the canvas, and does not collide with captions or faces. If it is cut off, reposition or resize the source and check the composition again rather than assuming the Scroll filter is at fault.
Also watch long enough to assess the pace. A line that is readable while paused may pass too quickly in motion. If viewers need to read a phone number or a more detailed instruction, consider shortening the message or allowing it to remain still for part of the programme instead of increasing speed. A ticker is not a good place for information that needs careful reading.
Check that the video and ticker serve the same purpose. If the footage has its own embedded subtitles or text, place the ticker where it will not compete. For a continuous ambient or devotional channel, an unobtrusive line may be enough; the broader considerations in our guide to a 24/7 relaxing stream are relevant when deciding what should remain visible through a long programme.
Before settling on the design, toggle the ticker source off and on in OBS. Confirm that the difference is clear, the footage remains visible, and the text is not accidentally obscuring another overlay. If you need a separate version of the scene without a ticker, duplicate the scene or manage the source visibility deliberately so the live setup is easy to identify.
Connect OBS to YouTube and test the output
When the scene is ready, configure OBS to send an encoder stream using the current YouTube Studio workflow. YouTube's encoder live-streaming guide covers the platform-side process. Account eligibility and the available Studio controls can vary, so use the instructions shown for your own channel rather than relying on a remembered menu layout.
In YouTube Studio, prepare the live stream and copy the stream key into OBS's streaming settings as directed by the current workflow. Treat the key as private: anyone who has it may be able to send a signal to your channel. Confirm that OBS is connected to the intended broadcast and that the live control room receives the signal. Receiving an encoder feed is a separate check from choosing to make a scheduled broadcast public; follow the on-screen steps for your stream.
Before the real broadcast, make a short private or unlisted test if the channel and workflow allow it. Check the output in the live control room or on a viewing device: confirm the video plays, the Devanagari characters are shaped as expected, the ticker moves in the chosen direction, and the text stays readable over changing footage. A local OBS preview catches many layout issues, but the transmitted output is the meaningful final check.
If the picture appears fine but the live control room shows a warning, check the stream health information and the signal being sent before changing the ticker. The issue may concern the encoder feed rather than the text. Our explanation of a YouTube Live stream-health warning covers how to separate a visual scene check from a platform health message.
For an always-on stream, decide who will notice if the broadcast stops and what should happen when the prerecorded clip ends. A successful test does not promise that a later stream will remain connected indefinitely. Watch the first real session, keep the project and source files accessible, and know how to reconnect through OBS and Studio if needed. If you do not want a computer to run the broadcast continuously, compare the practical trade-offs in the cost of 24/7 streaming; your choice depends on how much hands-on operation you are prepared to manage.
Once the OBS scene and YouTube test are ready, a hosted route can remove the need to keep OBS running on your own computer for a file-based continuous broadcast: StreamNeo takes an uploaded video and your YouTube stream key, so you do not have to leave the machine on just to keep that stream running. It is YouTube-only, so it is not a fit if you need a different destination or need OBS's live scene controls for this particular ticker.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
Why do the Hindi letters show as boxes or appear broken?
Try another installed font that includes the Devanagari characters in your copy, then inspect the source in the OBS preview again. Check the actual combinations of letters, matras, punctuation, and English text you use; font selection alone does not guarantee correct rendering on every system.
The ticker is behind the video. What should I change?
Move the text source higher than the Media Source in the Sources list. OBS renders sources higher in the list above those below them, so changing the scroll settings will not correct a layer-order problem.
Why did my ticker disappear after one pass?
Open the text source's Scroll filter and check whether Loop is enabled. If the message is intended to repeat, enable it; if it should run only once, disappearing after the pass may be expected.
How do I stop the ticker moving the wrong way?
Check Horizontal Speed in the Scroll filter. A negative value moves it left and a positive value moves it right; also confirm that you adjusted horizontal rather than vertical speed.