When you rerun a VOD on YouTube Live, the game name can appear in two different places: in the stream’s YouTube metadata and as text drawn over the video. They are separate controls, so change each one that needs to show the current game.
The on-screen label is part of the broadcast image and will be visible in the replay. The YouTube title and category are platform details; after the stream ends, edit the archived video separately if its title or category needs to change.
Two places viewers can see a game name
A title in YouTube’s live metadata identifies the event on YouTube. It is shown with the live page and is changed through the stream’s settings in YouTube Studio. An OBS label, by contrast, is text rendered into the video picture. It can sit over the gameplay or VOD, but changing it does not change the live page’s metadata.
That distinction matters when a long channel changes games or moves between VODs. If you update only the metadata, viewers watching the video may not see a game name over the content. If you update only the overlay, the stream page can still carry the previous game’s title. Decide which location you need, then update both when both should be current.
| Display location | What viewers see | Where you change it | Included in the replay image? |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube live title and settings | The stream’s platform title and selected details | YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room or the selected stream’s edit controls | No; it is metadata, not video pixels |
| OBS text overlay | A label over the broadcast picture | The text source in the OBS scene | Yes; it is rendered into the broadcast image |
| Archived video details | The title and category on the finished replay’s video page | YouTube Studio, under the replay’s video details | No; these details are separate from the picture |
You can use the live metadata and overlay together. The first helps identify the live event on YouTube; the second gives context to someone looking at the image, including someone who later watches the replay. For a related example of keeping labels visible in a long-running music broadcast, see how to keep song titles visible in a 24/7 Hindi music YouTube Live stream.
Set the live stream title and gaming type
For an encoder stream, open YouTube Studio, go to the Live Control Room, and select the active or scheduled stream. Use the visible edit or stream-settings controls to change its title and other metadata. YouTube’s live stream settings guidance describes metadata controls for encoder and mobile workflows. The webcam workflow has a separate help path, so do not assume every menu is identical across streaming methods.
Use a concise title that identifies the current game and, if useful, the kind of session. Keep it readable rather than trying to fit every detail into it. When the game changes, revise the title so it no longer identifies the prior game. Select the Gaming stream type where appropriate; the relevant choice depends on what you are broadcasting and the options available for your stream.
Tags are not a substitute for a clear title or the correct stream type. YouTube says tags generally play a minimal role in discovery, except where they help with commonly misspelled terms. If you add tags, use them for a genuine spelling variant or useful identification rather than treating them as a way to compensate for outdated metadata.
Check the settings in the stream you actually intend to run. A scheduled stream, an active encoder stream and a webcam stream may expose different controls. If you do not see the same path described in a help page, use the selected stream’s visible Edit controls and consult the guidance for your streaming method instead of assuming an OBS change will affect YouTube’s listing.
Add a game-name text source in OBS
In OBS, add a Text source to the scene that contains the VOD playback. OBS documents separate text-source options for Windows and for macOS or Linux in its Text Sources guide. Enter the game name directly in the source, or configure it to read from a text file if you prefer to change the label outside OBS.
Place the text source above the video source in the scene’s source order so it appears over the picture. Choose a position where it remains legible without covering important gameplay or interface details. A corner or a clear band in the layout may work, but check the actual footage: an overlay that is readable on a dark menu can disappear over a bright scene. Use a size and contrast that remain clear at the viewing scale you expect.
If you are using a local VOD file, OBS’s Media Source can play a video and offers a loop option. The OBS Media Sources documentation explains the available source behaviour. A VLC Video source can support a playlist, but it requires VLC to be installed. Those are playback choices, not title controls: neither one changes YouTube metadata. If your workflow uses a playlist or another broadcaster, the same principle applies: keep the visual label in the video layout and platform title in YouTube’s controls.
The VOD also needs to be appropriate for rebroadcast. The fact that OBS can play a local file, loop it or place text over it does not establish that you have permission to broadcast its contents. Check the rights and permissions relevant to your material before setting a rerun live.
A simple first test is to create one scene with the VOD and one text source, then play a short section locally and confirm the label sits above the video. If you are new to the encoder path, whether you need streaming software for YouTube Live explains the role software such as OBS plays in a broadcast. Keep this setup question separate from YouTube’s metadata settings.
Change the overlay when the game changes
When you switch to a VOD of a different game, treat the change as two edits, not one. First update the live stream’s metadata in YouTube Studio. Then update the OBS text source, or the text file it reads, if the image should display the new name. There is no automatic synchronization established between those controls.
A useful handover is to make the two changes together before the new VOD begins. For example, if the live title identifies one game and the overlay names another, pause the transition if practical, edit both labels, and confirm the new content is on air only after they match. If you change the overlay first, the stream page may continue to show the old title; if you change metadata first, the image may still carry the old text until OBS updates.
Reading from a text file can make repeated changes easier, especially when the scene is already running. Prepare the new label in the file, then confirm OBS has loaded it and the visible text is correct. Do not assume that editing a file means the correct file is being read, or that a change has appeared in the outgoing broadcast. Preview the actual scene before relying on the label.
Keep the wording consistent but not needlessly identical. The live title can explain that this is a rerun or identify a channel’s programme, while the overlay can use a short game name. The key is that neither label should claim the wrong current game. For another OBS-focused example involving a long-running broadcast, see how to keep an OBS YouTube stream running after closing Remote Desktop; the practical point here is to make scene checks part of the handover rather than assume a persistent setup is correct.
Preview what viewers will see
Before starting or changing the live segment, inspect the OBS preview with the game footage visible. Look for a label that is clipped, too small, hidden behind another source, or difficult to read over the current background. Check a bright scene and a dark one if the VOD moves between them. Text that looked fine over a title screen may blend into action later.
Then check YouTube Studio separately. Confirm that the stream page shows the intended title and that the selected stream type is appropriate. The preview in OBS confirms the picture; the Live Control Room confirms the platform information. Neither view alone verifies both layers.
If someone else will operate the channel, make the two-part update explicit in the handover: “change the YouTube title and update the OBS game label.” A short checklist next to the scene can prevent a familiar error during a late-night changeover. Include the current game name and the VOD file or playlist being used, so the person checking the scene can compare the label with the content rather than relying on memory.
Finally, watch the outgoing live picture from a viewer-facing page or a separate device when possible. This can reveal a mismatch between what the operator sees in the OBS preview and what is actually being presented. Do not treat a correct-looking preview as proof that the stream title or other YouTube details were changed.
Edit the archived replay separately
YouTube’s live archive and the finished replay are another control surface. YouTube says live streams are archived by default, and a completed replay appears as a video. Once the broadcast has ended and the replay is available, find it in YouTube Studio under Content, open its video details, and change the title or category there if needed. YouTube’s video settings instructions cover editing a video after upload.
This is not the same action as changing live metadata. A live title edit does not automatically rewrite the archived replay’s video details, so check the replay after the broadcast. If the live title was generic, or the stream covered more than one game, give the archive a title that accurately describes the finished video. You can also adjust the category separately where appropriate.
YouTube documents a 100-character limit for a video title in its video settings guidance. Keep the archived title within the platform’s limit and make it descriptive enough to distinguish the replay. The limit applies to the video title; do not assume it describes every live-stream field or every interface. Menu names can shift, so follow the available video details controls for the replay you are editing.
The overlay is different again: because OBS renders it into the broadcast image, the game label that viewers saw in the stream is part of the replay picture. Editing the archived video’s title or category does not remove or replace those pixels. If the overlay was wrong during the broadcast, changing metadata afterward cannot correct the image itself. Decide whether the replay needs a note or other context in its description, and avoid implying that its picture has been altered when it has not.
Check that labels match the current VOD
Before each changeover, compare three things: the VOD that is playing, the text in the OBS scene and the title shown on YouTube. If you keep a queue of files, write the intended game name beside each file or playlist entry. This gives the operator a concrete reference when several recordings have similar names.
The current game should be the one described by the visible footage, not merely the next file in a list. Some VODs contain menus, introductions or transitions that do not make the game immediately obvious. Check a representative point in the recording before using it, especially when a queue advances unattended. A game label can be technically legible and still be misleading if it belongs to the next item rather than the one on screen.
For a single-game rerun, one stable label may be enough. For a mixed programme, consider whether a persistent game name remains accurate throughout. If the VOD changes games, either update the label at the transition or use a broader label that remains true for the whole segment. Avoid an overlay that promises a specific game throughout a section where the content changes.
Make a final check after the stream, too. Confirm that the archived replay is the expected video, then review its separate title and category. If the live stream’s metadata was updated during the broadcast, that still does not remove the need to inspect the replay as a video. A small record of which VOD ran and what title was used can help you identify an incorrect archive later.
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
How do I change the current game title on YouTube Live?
Open the stream’s edit or settings controls in YouTube Studio and change its metadata. Choose the Gaming stream type where appropriate; the controls can differ by streaming method.
How do I put the game name on the video?
Add a Text source to the OBS scene and enter the game name, or configure the source to read it from a text file. The source renders text into the broadcast image; it does not change YouTube metadata.
Will the overlay appear in the VOD replay?
Yes, text rendered into the outgoing broadcast image is part of that image, so it is visible in the replay. The archived replay’s title and category are separate video details that you can edit afterward.
Can I change the replay title after the stream?
Yes. Find the completed replay in YouTube Studio and edit its video details. The live metadata edit and the replay edit are separate steps.