To show your church name and a Bible verse over a Hindi sermon in OBS, add them as two separate Text sources in the sermon scene. Type a verse directly for a fixed service, or have its Text source read a local file when you want to change the wording between services; OBS does not fetch or update scripture automatically.
The steps below cover the visible overlay, from creating the scene to checking the Devanagari text in the actual output. You will also need to confirm that the translation you choose may be displayed on a public livestream.
Open or create the sermon scene
In OBS, open the scene you use for the sermon camera or video. If the current scene also serves other programmes, create a separate sermon scene so you can arrange the identifier and verse without changing those other layouts. In the Sources dock, check that the camera or sermon video is already present and visible.
A source is an element in the scene: a camera, video, image or text. OBS combines the sources in the scene to produce the picture sent to the stream or recording. Its sources guide explains how to add, arrange, position and resize those elements. The same basic arrangement applies whether you are streaming a live camera or a prepared sermon recording.
Before adding text, decide which areas of the picture must remain unobstructed. A speaker's face, a pulpit, printed lyrics, or a translation may already occupy the lower part of the frame. Reserve a consistent area for the church name and another for the verse, rather than placing both wherever the preview happens to look empty during a single camera shot.
If you are building a wider streaming workflow as well as an overlay, this guide to starting an always-on YouTube channel with prerecorded videos in India covers the broader channel setup. Here, keep the task narrow: the text sources are part of the picture in your OBS scene, not a scripture service or an automatic feed.
Add a church-name Text source
In the Sources dock, select +, choose Text (the exact label can vary slightly by operating system), and create a source named Church name. A descriptive name makes it easier for another volunteer to find and edit it later. If OBS asks whether to add a new source or reuse one, choose a new source when this identifier should be independent of text in another scene.
Enter the church's name in the source properties. Check spelling, capitalisation and any local-language wording with the person responsible for the service. Keep this source to the identifier itself; a short name is easier to keep legible than a line that also tries to carry an address, programme title and contact details.
OBS's Text Sources guide describes text rendered into a stream or recording layout, including direct text entry and reading text from a file. For a church name that stays the same, direct entry is usually the straightforward choice. Confirm the source is enabled and visible, then select it in the preview to place it later.
Keep the church name separate from the verse. The name generally remains unchanged from service to service, while the scripture text and reference may change. Separate sources let you adjust one without accidentally replacing or moving the other, and make a last-minute correction easier to check.
Choose a font and appearance
Choose a typeface and size in the Text source properties, then set a colour that can be distinguished from the sermon picture. There is no single size or colour that works for every camera, output resolution and viewing device. A pale wall behind the speaker may make white text disappear; a dark robe or curtain can swallow black text. Judge the result against the picture, not just against the OBS properties panel.
For the church name, use a simple style that remains recognisable without competing with the speaker. The verse can use the same typeface for a consistent look, but Hindi requires a font with Devanagari glyphs. Google Fonts metadata lists Noto Sans Devanagari UI with Devanagari coverage and Hindi as a supported language, so it is one reasonable font to test, not a guarantee that it is installed or renders correctly on your machine. See the font metadata.
If the desired font is not present in the OBS font picker, check that it is available to the operating system and reopen OBS before troubleshooting further. This is practical troubleshooting, not a promise that every system or OBS build will handle a font identically. Even when the name appears in the picker, test the actual passage: script support in font metadata does not verify your particular OBS renderer or final stream output.
Use contrast to help viewers read text over changing camera images. You can place text over a relatively quiet area, or use a restrained backing panel if the background changes too much. Keep the panel and lettering visually modest; the purpose is to identify the church and make the passage readable, not to cover the sermon picture. Check that any outline, shadow or background does not create cramped edges around Devanagari marks.
Add a separate Bible-verse source
Create another Text source and name it Bible verse. For a fixed passage, enter both the reference and the text in its properties. Keeping the reference with the verse helps viewers identify what they are seeing; confirm that the verse wording and punctuation match the translation selected by the church.
If a passage is lengthy, decide where to break the lines and check that the complete text fits in the area you have reserved. Devanagari combining marks and conjuncts can make a line look different from a Latin-script label, so do not assume that a line break which works for the church name will also suit a verse. The source can be resized and repositioned in the preview after you inspect it.
A separate text source is the simplest way to show a static verse. It will display the wording you entered, but it does not know which sermon is playing and will not advance to a new passage by itself. If the service changes, an operator must edit the source or update the file used by it.
Before broadcasting, check the terms for the exact Hindi Bible translation you intend to display. Rights differ between translations and editions. For example, the Bible Society of India's end-user licence sets terms for its content; do not assume those terms apply to another publisher's translation. Likewise, the permission statement in the Indian Revised Version Hindi PDF applies to that version and includes conditions to review. Ask the rights holder or church leadership if the terms are unclear, especially for public or commercial use.
Use Read from file for updates
If the verse will change between services, use the Text source's Read from file option rather than retyping a long passage in OBS each time. Create a plain text file on the computer running OBS, enter the reference and verse as you want them displayed, then point the Bible verse source to that file. The source reads the file's text for display; the operator is still responsible for choosing and updating the content.
This is a manual update workflow, not an automatic scripture feed. Before each service, replace the file contents with the approved reference and passage, save the file, and check the OBS preview. Keep the file in a known location and use a clear name such as service-verse.txt, so a substitute operator can find it. Avoid moving or renaming it after setting up the source, or OBS may no longer be reading the intended file.
A local file can be convenient where the operator wants to prepare the text in advance, or correct it without searching inside source properties. It also introduces a small handover risk: someone must edit the right file, save it, and confirm that the displayed text changed. If the service is unattended, do not assume the verse will follow the sermon automatically. A file-based source displays text from that file, not a schedule or scripture database.
For a more designed overlay, OBS also has a Browser Source. Its official guide says it can load a local file or a specified URL and exposes viewport width and height. That route suits an HTML/CSS layout or a separate control panel, but adds a dependency on that page or software. A local Text source and file are easier to keep self-contained; a URL-based design may be more flexible but needs its own testing and a network connection for online content. Neither option removes the need to verify permissions, verse wording or Hindi rendering.
| Approach | How you update it | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Text entered in OBS | Edit the verse in the source properties | Correct wording, reference and line breaks |
| Text source reading a local file | Edit and save the file before the service | Correct file path, saved changes and visible update |
| Browser Source overlay | Update the local page or online content it displays | Page availability, layout, and any additional software or network dependency |
Position and layer the text
Select a text source in the Sources dock and drag it in the preview to the intended location. Use the preview handles to resize it. Keep the church name in a stable corner or a narrow lower-third area, and put the verse in a separate clear area. A camera view may change during the service, so check that neither element covers a face, a pulpit microphone, or information that viewers need to see.
The Sources dock also controls which element appears in front. OBS composites a source higher in the list over sources beneath it. Put the church name and verse above the camera or video they should overlay. If a text source is hidden behind the sermon picture, move it higher in the list; if it covers another graphic that should remain visible, adjust its order and position rather than repeatedly changing the words.
Think about the two overlays as separate jobs. The church name is an identifier and can stay small and consistent. The verse may need more space because it carries several words in Hindi as well as a reference. If space is limited, preserve the verse's legibility and move the name to a less intrusive corner rather than shrinking both until they are difficult to read.
Text can become hard to read when the camera points at a bright window or a patterned background. Try a less busy part of the frame, a subtle solid backing, or a restrained outline, then inspect the full scene. Avoid relying on a specific pixel measurement as a universal rule: the appropriate size depends on the output canvas, the length of the Hindi passage and how the stream is viewed.
If you are also balancing music or other audio around the sermon, the separate background-music mixing guide may help with that task. It does not change the overlay steps, but it is a reminder to review the whole programme rather than treating the text preview as the only part of a service that needs checking.
Preview the Hindi sermon scene
Before you go live, preview the complete scene using the exact Hindi verse and reference intended for the service. Look closely at the matras, conjuncts, punctuation and line breaks. Check that marks are neither clipped at the top or bottom nor spaced oddly, and that the text remains within the frame after resizing. Font metadata can help you choose a font to test, but only an output check shows how the particular computer and OBS text renderer display it.
If possible, make a short local recording and review it at the size viewers are likely to see. This can reveal a problem that is easy to miss in the larger OBS preview, such as a reference becoming too small or text losing contrast over a camera change. Confirm that the church name stays visible, the verse is readable, and no other source unexpectedly covers either one.
Ask another Hindi reader to check the passage and its line breaks if the operator is not confident in the script. Confirm with the church that the displayed translation is the intended one and that its terms allow the planned public display. This check is separate from the technical preview: a correctly rendered verse is not by itself evidence that you have permission to retransmit it.
If the stream will be a longer or recurring broadcast, decide who checks the scene and who updates the verse file before each service. Stream operators preparing a broader continuous channel can also read the low-end PC encoder settings guide for the separate question of encoding. For this overlay, the essentials remain the two text sources, deliberate placement, and a preview of the actual Hindi content.
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FAQ
How do I put a Bible verse on my OBS stream?
Add a Text source to the scene and enter the verse and reference directly, or select Read from file and point the source to a local text file. OBS displays the text you provide; it does not fetch or update Bible verses automatically.
How can I show our church name on a livestream?
Create a separate Text source, enter the church's name, then place it above the camera or video source in the Sources list. Keeping the identifier separate from the verse makes it easier to position and update each element independently.
How do I display Hindi text in OBS?
Choose a font with Devanagari coverage, then test the exact passage in your scene and, if practical, a short recording. Check matras, conjuncts, punctuation, line breaks and legibility; font metadata alone cannot guarantee how your computer will render the text.
Does OBS automatically change the verse for each sermon?
No. A Text source shows the text entered in OBS or read from the file you specify. An operator must update it, or you would need a separate overlay workflow that you have independently tested; do not treat a text file as an automatic scripture feed.