Add the logo and scrolling text to the outgoing picture in OBS Studio, then send that composed picture to YouTube Live. YouTube Studio is where you connect and monitor the broadcast; it is not where you build these visual overlays.
The basic order is straightforward: add your prerecorded video as a Media Source, place an Image Source for the logo above it, then add a Text Source or Browser Source for the ticker. Apply OBS’s Scroll Filter to the ticker source, inspect the incoming YouTube preview, and only then start the broadcast.
Prepare the video and overlay assets
Before opening OBS, gather the video file, logo image and final ticker wording. Knowing what should appear on screen makes it easier to build the scene once and catch problems before viewers see it. If this is a devotional stream, for example, decide whether the ticker will carry the channel name, a short schedule, or a message about the current programme. Avoid putting so much copy on screen that viewers cannot follow the video underneath.
OBS’s Media Source documentation lists formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF and WebM. Use a file OBS can open and play, and check its audio as well as its picture. A short test in the scene can reveal a silent track, an unexpected crop, or a video that does not begin where you expect.
For the logo, OBS’s Image Source guide lists PNG, JPG, GIF, BMP and TGA. A transparent PNG is often practical when you want the logo to sit over the video without a rectangular background; transparency depends on the image file itself. Check the image against both dark and bright parts of your video. A logo that disappears against a pale wall or a bright sky may need a different position or a background treatment in the image asset.
Prepare ticker copy at the size and length you intend to use. A concise line such as “Morning bhajans · Requests: channel email” is easier to check than a long announcement with several clauses. This is not a guaranteed readability formula: preview the ticker at the actual output dimensions and watch it move at the speed you plan to use. Leave important faces, lyrics, captions or product details unobstructed.
If the video will repeat, confirm that it is suitable to loop. A clip that ends on a title card and restarts on a sharply different scene can make the transition conspicuous. Think through whether the ticker should remain identical throughout the loop or whether its message needs updating by someone during the broadcast.
Create an OBS scene and add the video
Open OBS and select or create a scene for this broadcast. A scene is the composition sent to the encoder; its sources are the layers that make up that picture. The OBS sources guide explains how those sources appear in the preview and how their order affects what you can see.
In the Sources panel, add a Media Source and choose the prerecorded file. Give the source a useful name, such as “Main video”, if you expect to manage more than one clip or overlay. Play it in the preview and check that the picture fits the canvas and that its sound is present at a sensible level. If the file has audio, listen to it rather than assuming the video preview tells you enough.
Media Source’s Loop option is off by default. Turn it on only if the video should begin again when playback finishes. For a single scheduled programme, you may want playback to stop instead; for a repeated ambience scene, looping may be what you intend. Decide based on the programme rather than enabling it automatically.
Keep the video at the bottom of the source stack. OBS draws sources that are higher in the list over those below them, so an image placed below the video can be hidden entirely. You can drag sources to change their order later, but starting with the video as the base layer makes the finished scene easier to reason about.
For continuous broadcasts, the rest of the workflow still depends on the playback and encoder arrangement you choose. The cooking-video stream guide covers another prerecorded-video use case, while the resolution checklist for a continuous showcase is useful when you need to think through output dimensions. Neither changes the overlay method: the logo and ticker still belong in the scene composition.
Add and position the logo
Add an Image Source above the Media Source and select the prepared logo file. Resize it in the OBS preview by dragging its handles, then move it to a corner or another clear area. The exact position depends on the content: a lower corner may cover subtitles, while a top corner may sit over a face or a sign. Watch several moments of the video before settling on a position.
Keep the logo within the canvas rather than placing it against the edge where it may appear clipped in the final output. If the source has a transparent background, the video will show through the transparent parts. If the logo image has a solid background, that background will remain visible; OBS does not turn it transparent simply because it is an Image Source.
After positioning, play the video and observe the logo against changes in scene brightness and colour. A location that looks clear over one shot may blend into another. There is no placement that guarantees a polished result across every video, so judge the composition over the full material you plan to transmit. If the logo obscures essential content, try a different corner or use a version of the artwork designed to sit more clearly over moving pictures.
Add ticker text or a browser source
Choose the source type based on what the ticker needs to display. A Text Source is suitable for a line of text that you want to maintain directly in OBS. A Browser Source displays a local or web page, which can contain a more designed ticker with formatting or other page elements. OBS documents Browser Source as a way to render web content; it is not a separate built-in ticker feature.
For a simple text ticker, add a Text source, enter the copy and select a readable font and colour. Place the source above the video and logo in the list if it should appear over both. If the ticker should sit on a coloured strip, create that strip as another source and place it below the text but above the video. Check source ordering in the preview: the strip can conceal the video where it sits, and the text can be hidden if it is lower in the list.
A Browser Source makes sense when you need a custom-designed graphic or page rather than one plain line. You can point it at a local page or a web page, but the page itself must be prepared and available to OBS. Check that fonts, colours, and any content the page depends on load as expected. A web-based ticker may need access to its page or data during the broadcast; a simple Text Source has fewer moving parts when all you need is fixed wording.
OBS’s Browser Source guide describes that source type and its settings. Use the approach that fits the work you are prepared to maintain. For a channel that only needs the same short line across a repeated video, direct text is easier to inspect. For changing information or a carefully styled strip, a browser page can offer more control, but it also means checking that the page renders correctly before sending it to viewers.
Apply and tune the Scroll Filter
To make the ticker move, add OBS’s Scroll Filter to the ticker source. Select that source, open its filters, and add the Scroll filter. OBS documents horizontal and vertical scrolling, speed controls, and a looping option in its Scroll Filter guide. This is the filter that moves the selected source; it does not create ticker wording for you.
For a conventional leftward horizontal crawl, use a negative horizontal speed; a positive value moves the source right. Start with a modest setting, watch it in the preview, and adjust until the words can be followed without racing across the screen. There is no universally correct speed: longer copy, larger lettering and the intended viewing context all affect how the motion feels. Test the entire line rather than judging from its first few words.
The filter can be set to loop the source after it moves off-screen. Enable that if the message should return continuously; leave it off if it should scroll away and stay gone. If your ticker must repeat without a long empty interval, consider how much blank space is included in the source and whether the copy itself should be duplicated or shortened. Check the result over a full cycle, not just while the text is passing through the centre.
OBS also allows the scroll area’s width and height to be limited. That can help confine movement to a ticker band rather than letting a large source occupy more of the frame than intended. The source still needs to be positioned and sized properly in the scene. If the text is cut off, inspect both the source dimensions and the filter’s area settings before changing the speed.
Browser-based tickers can also be moved with a Scroll Filter when the filter is applied to the Browser Source. However, a page may already animate its own ticker, so applying a second movement can produce unexpected motion or clipping. Decide whether the page or OBS should control movement, then test the complete composition. A text ticker is easier to troubleshoot when only the OBS filter controls its movement.
Connect OBS to YouTube Live
In YouTube Studio, create or select the broadcast in Live Control Room and locate the stream connection details. YouTube Help’s encoder setup instructions explain that you enter the YouTube Live server URL and stream key into your encoder. In OBS, open the streaming settings and enter the details for the selected broadcast. Treat the stream key as private: someone with it may be able to connect to your stream.
If you schedule the broadcast in advance, confirm that OBS is connected to the intended event rather than another stream. Start the encoder output when you are ready to send the composition to YouTube, then wait for the incoming preview in Live Control Room. Connecting the encoder sends a feed for YouTube to receive; it does not by itself mean you should skip the preview check or the Live Control Room controls.
OBS is the software-based route for this setup, and the computer running it must remain on and connected while it encodes the broadcast. That requirement matters for an overnight or unattended channel. A standalone encoder may suit a reader who specifically needs an appliance, but check the exact graphics and scheduling features before buying: the availability of logo graphics on a device does not establish that it can make a scrolling ticker.
If you are deciding how the video should run continuously as well as how it should look, the Chromebook podcast playlist guide and the homeschool lessons stream guide cover other operating situations. For a channel where leaving a personal computer running overnight is the specific obstacle, StreamNeo removes that particular need by turning an uploaded video into a YouTube live stream that continues with your computer switched off. The overlay composition still needs to be prepared and checked before the channel runs unattended.
Check the preview and start the broadcast
Before selecting Go live, compare the incoming YouTube preview with the OBS preview. Confirm that the video is moving, the logo is visible and not over essential content, and the ticker is legible at the intended size. Check the audio as well: an attractive composition is not useful if the programme sound is missing, too loud, or unexpectedly silent between clips.
Watch the ticker long enough to confirm its direction, speed and repeat behaviour. Look for clipped letters at the edge of the ticker area, text hidden behind the logo, or a browser page that has failed to load. If you changed a source or filter after sending the feed, check the YouTube preview again rather than relying only on the OBS canvas.
YouTube’s live streaming quality guidance recommends testing before going live and checking stream health. Choose a resolution, frame rate and bitrate your internet connection can sustain, and consider YouTube’s recommendation to use RTMPS. Do not treat a successful preview as a guarantee that a connection will remain stable throughout a long broadcast; keep an eye on stream health once live.
When the preview and checks are satisfactory, select Go live in Live Control Room for the scheduled broadcast. Keep OBS running and watch for interruptions or warnings. If you change the video, logo, or ticker while the stream is active, inspect the outgoing preview again so that the on-air composition matches what you intended.
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FAQ
Does YouTube Studio add the logo and scrolling text?
No. Build the visual composition in OBS with sources, then send that composed feed to YouTube Live. Use YouTube Studio to connect to and manage the broadcast, and inspect its incoming preview before going live.
Should I use a Text Source or Browser Source for the ticker?
Use a Text Source for a straightforward line of copy you maintain in OBS. Use a Browser Source when you need a page-based design or changing content, and make sure the page loads and renders correctly before the broadcast. Either can be moved with the Scroll Filter.
Why is the logo or ticker hidden behind the video?
The order of sources controls which layers appear on top. Move the video lower in the Sources list and place the logo and ticker above it, then check their positions in the preview.
Will the video repeat automatically?
Media Source’s Loop option is off by default. Enable it only when you want the prerecorded clip to restart after it ends, and preview the transition to make sure the restart suits the programme.