Create a cartoon scene and a holding-screen scene in OBS, then switch between them by selecting a scene, pressing a hotkey, or preparing the next scene in Studio Mode. This changes the composition OBS sends to an already-running stream; it does not create or configure a YouTube Live event.
The simplest workflow is two clearly named scenes, one video Media Source, and a holding image or text. Choose how the cartoon should behave when you return to it, then check both scenes and the transition before relying on them live.
Create and name the cartoon and holding scenes
In OBS, find the Scenes panel and create two scenes. Name them something unambiguous, such as Cartoons and Holding screen. A scene is the complete layout OBS can send to the stream, while sources are the items arranged within it. OBS describes these scene and source basics in its overview guide and sources guide.
Names matter once you are operating live. A short label is easier to pick out than Scene 1 or Scene 2, especially if you add more layouts later. Keep the pair together in the scene list and avoid creating several nearly identical versions unless you have a reason to distinguish them.
This guide assumes you have already configured OBS to send a stream and have the appropriate YouTube Live setup in place. Scene switching is an OBS control: it does not create a YouTube event, supply a stream key, or determine whether your account can use a particular live feature. For event and channel requirements, check the current YouTube Live control room and official help rather than assuming that a working OBS scene is enough.
Before adding media, decide what each scene should communicate. The cartoon scene will show the video and, if intended, its audio. The holding scene might tell viewers that the programme is paused, show a schedule, or display a simple branded still. Giving each scene one clear purpose makes switching easier to operate and to verify.
Add the cartoon Media Source
Select Cartoons in the Scenes panel. In the Sources panel, add a Media Source, give it a useful name such as Cartoon file, and choose the local video file. OBS documents common media types, including MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI and WebM, in its Media Sources guide. If the file is not listed in the file picker, check its location and format instead of assuming scene switching is at fault.
A Media Source has playback options that affect what viewers see when you change away and return. Turn on Loop if the clip should begin again after it reaches the end. With looping disabled, the source reaches the end rather than repeating indefinitely; that may be appropriate for a single scheduled segment, but not for a continuous cartoon loop.
The Restart playback when source becomes active setting is separate from Loop. It determines whether the clip starts again when its source becomes active. If you want each return to start at the opening, enable it. If you want the clip to continue from where it was when you left the scene, leave it disabled and confirm the observed behaviour in your own setup. Loop answers what happens at the end of the file; restart-on-activation answers what happens when the source becomes active.
Check the audio choice as well as the picture. A file may contain sound even if you intended a quiet visual loop. Watch OBS’s audio meters while the clip plays, and listen to the stream output if you can do so without disrupting the broadcast. If the cartoon should be silent, adjust or mute its audio deliberately and verify that other intended audio sources still behave as expected.
Do not infer that a media file will play correctly just because it appears in the preview. Play it from the beginning, confirm the picture fills the intended area, and listen for audio. A short, locally stored test clip can help you check the workflow, but test with the actual file before going live: file paths, aspect ratio, audio, and playback length can all differ.
Build the holding screen
Select Holding screen and add a suitable source. For a still layout, that could be an image, text, or a colour source with text layered over it. OBS sources can be positioned, resized, cropped and layered; the sources guide explains the basic controls.
Keep the message readable at the size viewers are likely to watch. A brief line such as “Cartoons return shortly” is clearer than a paragraph of instructions. If you display a schedule, use wording that remains accurate when the stream is seen later or in a different time zone. Avoid promising a return time unless someone will keep it current.
Think about what should happen to audio on this scene. If the holding screen is meant to be quiet, check that the cartoon’s sound does not continue through another source or mixer route. If you want background music or a spoken message, add and test that source intentionally. Scene changes alter the composition; they do not automatically decide what every separate audio source should do.
A single static image is usually easier to inspect than a collection of animated elements. If you add more sources, check their order in the Sources panel: a foreground item can cover text or imagery beneath it. Keep the layout focused, and remove sources that do not contribute to the holding message.
Arrange and verify scene sources
In each scene, inspect the canvas and the source list. Select a source to adjust its size and position; use cropping only when it is needed to fit the content. A cartoon with a different aspect ratio from the canvas may leave bars or crop important details. Choose the presentation you want rather than stretching the image out of proportion.
Check visibility controls if an item seems to have disappeared. Confirm that the media source is enabled in the cartoon scene and that the image or text sources are visible in the holding scene. If you duplicate or reuse sources, take care not to mistake a shared source for an independent copy. The result should be two compositions that are visibly distinct and understandable from their names alone.
Now test the sequence you intend to use: open the cartoon scene, play the file, move to the holding scene, and return to cartoons. Check whether the file loops or restarts as intended, whether sound changes as expected, and whether the holding screen is legible. This is a preparation step, not a claim that the setup has been tested on your particular computer or channel.
If OBS becomes sluggish, simplify the scenes before adding more effects. OBS’s encoding performance guidance recommends considering the cost of sources and reducing unnecessary work when performance is poor. A static holding image and one media source are a smaller operational surface than multiple animated overlays and browser elements. The right test is whether your own computer can keep the intended output running reliably.
Switch scenes during the stream
Once a stream is already running, clicking the named scene is the direct method. In the Scenes panel, select Cartoons or Holding screen; OBS changes the scene composition in the stream output. This is the least complicated approach when you can keep OBS visible and have time to confirm your selection.
A scene change is not the same action as starting a YouTube broadcast. It does not make a YouTube Live event, configure its settings, or resolve account-specific requirements. If the stream itself is not connected or the event is not ready, changing scenes in OBS does not fix that separate setup. Keep event preparation in the appropriate YouTube and OBS controls, and check current YouTube live streaming help for platform-side guidance.
OBS can use a Cut or Fade transition. A Cut changes the picture immediately; a Fade softens the change over the configured duration. Pick what fits the programme: a cut can suit a simple pause screen, while a fade may be less abrupt for a relaxed channel. Neither transition decides when to switch, and neither makes scene changes automatic. You still choose the scene or trigger the transition.
For a regular 24/7 channel, think about who is responsible for the change and how they will notice it is due. OBS scene switching is a manual control in the workflows described here. If you need scheduled, unattended programme changes, investigate a separate scheduling or playout workflow rather than assuming that a scene transition will happen by itself. A creator who runs a continuous video loop may also find it useful to compare the different approach in how to make a 24/7 YouTube stream with FFmpeg.
Assign and test scene hotkeys
Hotkeys are useful when you want a keyboard shortcut instead of reaching for the mouse. Open OBS Settings, then Hotkeys, and look for the action to switch to a specific scene. Assign one shortcut to Cartoons and another to Holding screen. OBS documents configurable scene-switching hotkeys in its overview guide and keyboard shortcuts reference.
Choose keys you can remember and are unlikely to press by accident. Before using them during a broadcast, test both while watching the preview or output. Confirm that each key selects the intended scene, then check the picture and audio. If a shortcut does not work, inspect the Hotkeys settings for conflicts and make sure OBS has the expected focus or shortcut behaviour in your current configuration.
A dedicated macro keypad is optional. Ordinary keyboard hotkeys can switch scenes without extra hardware, so add a controller only if it makes your actual workflow clearer or reduces operator errors. If you run the stream alone, label the keys and rehearse the sequence before a live handover. Do not rely on an unfamiliar control the first time viewers are watching.
Hotkeys still trigger an operator action; they do not create a schedule. A button assigned to Holding screen will not press itself when a cartoon ends. If you want a clip to repeat, use the Media Source loop setting; if you want to move between different programme states at a set time, plan that as a distinct automation requirement.
Use Studio Mode to preview transitions
Studio Mode is useful when you want to prepare a scene before sending it to the stream. It separates the live output from a preview area: select a scene for preview, inspect it, and click Transition when you are ready to make it live. That gives you an opportunity to catch a wrong scene, misplaced text, or a blank media source before viewers see it.
For example, keep Cartoons live while preparing Holding screen in preview. Check that the message is current and that the composition looks right, then transition when you intend to pause the cartoon. To resume, prepare the cartoon scene and transition back. You remain in control of both changes; Studio Mode is a preview workflow, not automatic scheduling.
Use a Cut when you want the change to happen at once, or a Fade when a gradual visual change suits the content. OBS’s overview describes the built-in transition controls and configurable duration. Test the chosen transition while monitoring the actual output, because a preview that looks tidy does not by itself confirm what viewers receive.
Studio Mode adds a useful checkpoint, but it also adds another place to look. If you prefer the least complex operation and can see the output, direct scene selection may be enough. If you need a one-key action, use hotkeys. If you want to review the next composition before it replaces the live one, use Studio Mode. The scene-switching workflow for a continuous gaming replay is a separate use case, but the distinction between source playback and scene control is relevant there too.
Keep the two-scene workflow manageable
Before the first live use, write a short operator check: confirm the stream is already running, identify which scene is live, test the cartoon’s picture and audio, and verify the holding screen. If there is a handover, tell the next operator whether returning to cartoons should resume or restart playback. This prevents a common mismatch between what the operator expects and what the source is configured to do.
Keep a copy of the video file where OBS can find it and avoid moving or renaming it between rehearsals and the live session. If the file is unavailable, the media source may not present the expected content. A fallback holding scene gives you a clear manual alternative while you resolve the file issue, but it does not repair the source or start a YouTube event.
A simple two-scene layout also makes troubleshooting easier. If the cartoon is wrong, investigate the media source, its playback controls, or the file. If the holding screen is wrong, inspect its own sources and layout. If neither scene reaches viewers, check the live output and stream connection separately from scene composition. For more operational checks before changing an always-on setup, see how to test a YouTube streaming service before moving an always-on channel.
A 24/7 channel has a different operating burden from a short scheduled broadcast: the computer, OBS session and file need attention beyond the moment of switching. Scene setup alone does not answer how you will monitor a long-running broadcast or recover from a stopped session. If your concern is keeping a stream available through routine interruptions, see how to avoid sleep music stream interruptions during YouTube maintenance for a related planning angle.
If keeping a computer awake and manually recovering a dropped broadcast is the specific burden you want to remove, StreamNeo turns an uploaded video into a YouTube stream that runs with your computer switched off and is monitored and restarted if it drops. That addresses a different operating problem from choosing a scene in OBS; scene control remains something to set up and operate in OBS.
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 switch OBS scenes while YouTube Live is running?
Select the named scene in OBS, use a hotkey you have assigned, or prepare it in Studio Mode and click Transition. These actions change the OBS composition sent to an already-running stream; they do not create or configure a YouTube Live event.
How do I make a cartoon video loop in OBS?
In the cartoon scene’s Media Source properties, enable Loop if you want the file to begin again at the end. Separately choose whether to restart playback when the source becomes active, depending on whether returning to the scene should start from the beginning or resume.
Can I use a hotkey to switch scenes?
Yes. Assign a hotkey to each scene in OBS’s Hotkeys settings, then test the shortcuts before using them live. Hotkeys are an alternative to clicking the scene list, not a way to schedule a change without an operator.
Does Studio Mode switch scenes automatically?
No. Studio Mode lets you prepare and inspect a scene separately from the live output, then transition when you choose. You still decide when to click Transition and which scene to put on air.