To put a channel logo on a continuous YouTube gaming stream, add it to the OBS scene as an Image source and place it above the gameplay or recorded-video source. The logo becomes part of the image OBS sends to YouTube; it does not change your channel avatar or edit a video that has already been uploaded.
This workflow covers both live gameplay captured in OBS and prerecorded gaming footage played as a live broadcast. Here, “VOD” means source footage being played on the live stream. If you mean the replay YouTube makes after a live broadcast, that is an archive, and its completeness is a separate question.
Which kind of VOD are you streaming?
People use “VOD” for two different things. It can mean a video-on-demand file you play as the content of a live broadcast, or it can mean the replay of a broadcast after it ends. The OBS logo steps below address the first case: a logo is layered over the image going out during the broadcast.
If you have a local recording of a game and want to play it continuously, add that file to OBS as a Media Source. You can enable its Loop setting so it repeats. If you have several files, OBS’s VLC Video source can play a playlist and loop it; VLC must be installed for that source. The logo is added separately as an Image source above the footage, whatever of those playback approaches you use.
If the game is running while you stream, the underlying source may instead be Game Capture or another capture source. The same image-overlay principle applies. OBS documents Game Capture as Windows-only, so on another operating system you need a capture method supported there. If you are still choosing your overall broadcast setup, the beginner’s guide to going live on YouTube provides broader context; this article stays with the scene composition.
An archive is different. It is the replay associated with a YouTube live broadcast, not the original video file you fed to OBS. If your goal is to have a lasting replay, do not assume that a continuous broadcast will automatically become one complete archive. YouTube’s archive guidance is covered below.
Choose the video source underneath the logo
Before placing the logo, decide what OBS should show beneath it. The choice is about where the video comes from, not about the logo itself.
| Underlying OBS source | Use it for | Useful behaviour or limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Game Capture or another live capture source | A game currently running and being captured | The image source can sit above the capture in the scene. Game Capture is Windows-only according to OBS. |
| Media Source | A local gameplay recording | OBS supports local video files and offers a Loop option for repeating a file. |
| VLC Video | A sequence of local recordings | It can play a playlist and loop it, provided VLC is installed. |
For a single recorded match that should repeat, Media Source is a direct choice. For a set of recordings you want to cycle through, make a playlist and use VLC Video. Check the playback behaviour before you go live: looping a single recording can make a visible jump at the end, while a playlist can make transitions easier to manage if its clips are prepared accordingly.
OBS lists supported Media Source file types including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF and WebM. A file extension alone does not prove that a particular file will play correctly on your machine, so preview it in OBS before relying on it overnight. For the documented source options and their settings, see the OBS Media Sources guide.
Keep the distinction in mind when testing: if the source is a local recording, OBS plays that recording as live content. It does not turn the uploaded original into a new edited video. The logo appears in the outgoing composition while the scene is active.
Add the gaming video or playlist to the scene
Open OBS and select the scene that will be sent to YouTube. If you do not have one for this broadcast, create a scene and give it a name you can recognise, such as “Gaming loop”. This matters because it is possible to prepare an overlay in one scene and then accidentally stream a different one.
In the Sources dock, add the video source you chose. For current gameplay, add the suitable game or capture source and confirm that the game appears in the preview. For a local file, select +, choose Media Source, create or select a source, and browse to the recording. If you want the recording to repeat, enable Loop in that source’s properties. For a playlist, add VLC Video, select the playlist and enable its loop behaviour if you want it to cycle.
Once the footage is visible, play enough of it to check the actual image rather than just the source name. Look for black borders, an unexpected crop, letterboxing, or a playback window that does not fill the intended area. You can address the video source’s fit in the scene before adding the logo; otherwise, it may be hard to tell whether the logo or the footage is responsible for a framing problem.
Use only sources you have the right to broadcast. This guide does not establish permission for a game, recording, music track, or other material. If a stream is interrupted or needs restarting during a long run, the 3AM failure checklist covers a separate operational problem; it is not a substitute for checking your sources and scene before going live.
Add the logo as an OBS Image source
A channel logo for this purpose is an image file on the computer running OBS. A transparent PNG is often useful because it can place the mark over gameplay without a solid rectangle behind it. That is a practical asset choice, not a requirement: OBS’s Image source can display an image, and the appearance depends on the file you provide.
In the Sources dock, select + and choose Image. Give the source a recognisable name, such as “Channel logo”, then browse to the image file. Confirm the selection and look at the preview. If you see an opaque background that obscures part of the game, check whether the logo file itself includes that background; moving or resizing the source will not make an opaque part transparent.
Keep a stable copy of the image where OBS can find it. If you move or rename the file after setting up the source, OBS may no longer find it. This is especially worth checking before an unattended session: a logo that displays during setup but disappears after a file is moved is an avoidable scene issue.
The Image source adds the logo to the OBS scene. It is not a setting on the YouTube channel profile, so viewers will still see whatever channel avatar YouTube currently associates with your channel. Nor does adding this source alter an existing uploaded video; that would require editing and uploading a separate video. The task here is only to compose the live output.
Put the logo above the gaming source
In the Sources list, arrange the logo above the video source. OBS draws sources higher in the list on top of sources below them. If the logo is underneath the gameplay source, the game may cover it even though the Image source exists and its file is loaded.
Drag the logo entry above the Media Source, VLC Video, Game Capture or other video source. Check the preview after moving it. If the logo is now visible but covers an important part of the image, source order is working; the remaining job is to position it more thoughtfully.
The order can matter in more complex scenes too. For example, a logo above gameplay but below an opaque full-screen graphic may still be hidden by that graphic. Look at the full Sources list, not only the two entries you first added, and ensure no later layer obscures the logo. OBS’s Sources Guide explains image sources, ordering and transform controls.
Do not add capture hardware simply to put a digital image over a scene. A capture card is only relevant if you also need to bring an external console’s video signal into the computer; it does not replace the Image source or perform the logo layering step.
Position and resize it in the preview
Select the logo in the preview. Its bounding box should appear, allowing you to drag the source to a corner or another clear area. Drag the handles to resize it. Watch the image while doing so: a logo can remain legible at setup size but become too small to recognise in the actual stream picture.
Choose a position that stays clear of game information your viewers need. A minimap, subtitles, health bar, score or on-screen prompts can change position between games or even between scenes in the same game. A corner is a common starting point, not a guarantee that the logo will avoid those elements. Preview several representative moments, including any screens where the game displays menus or notifications.
For more exact placement or size, use OBS’s Edit → Transform → Edit Transform controls. This is useful if you want a repeatable position rather than judging only by eye. If you change the canvas or output dimensions later, revisit the composition; a placement that looked right in one frame can appear differently after a layout change.
Resize proportionally where possible so the logo does not look stretched. If the image is too wide or too tall for the available space, fix the asset or choose a better version rather than forcing it into a shape that changes the design. If the logo has a transparent margin, its visible mark may be smaller than the source bounding box, so account for the actual visible artwork when judging its size.
There is no need to make the logo large simply to prove it is present. The purpose is identification without hiding useful content. A modest mark in an uncluttered area is usually more considerate than covering the action or placing it over game text.
Test the outgoing composition before streaming
Check the entire composition in the OBS preview before you send it to YouTube. Confirm that the selected scene is the one you intend to broadcast, that the video source is playing, and that the logo is visible above it. If you switch scenes during your workflow, check each scene that might go live; an overlay in one scene does not automatically appear in every other scene.
A still preview is not enough for a looped source. Watch the recording reach its end and start again, or let the playlist move between entries. Verify that the logo remains in place and that playback continues as expected. Also check whether the source unexpectedly stops after one play; a loop setting that was missed is easy to overlook if you only tested the opening seconds.
If practical, make a short local test recording and play it back. This lets you see the composed output rather than relying on the editor view alone. Check that the logo is not clipped at the edge, does not cover important game details, and remains readable at the scale viewers will see. Check the audio separately as well, since this logo workflow does not test audio routing.
For an always-on broadcast, scene composition is only one part of preparation. A source can be positioned correctly and still fail later because the file is unavailable, playback ends, or the computer or connection stops. If the stream runs from your own PC, the guide to an always-on YouTube music stream from a PC in India discusses the broader practicalities of an ongoing broadcast. The point here is not that its workflow is identical, but that reliable operation requires more than a visible logo.
The overlay changes the outgoing stream image at the point OBS composes the scene. That is why it appears to viewers during the broadcast and, if a replay is made from that broadcast, can also be visible in that replay. It does not change the separate channel avatar, and it does not retrofit a logo onto the source file or an already-uploaded video.
Understand what YouTube may archive
A continuous live broadcast and a complete replay are separate outcomes. YouTube Help says a live stream under 12 hours can be automatically archived, and warns that a stream exceeding 12 hours may not be captured at all. The word “can” matters: it is not a promise that every shorter stream will produce a complete archive. Likewise, “may not” is a warning, not a statement that every longer stream will definitely be lost.
If viewers need a complete replay, record a local archive as a backup and check the channel’s archive after the broadcast. YouTube recommends local recording for this reason. Do not rely on a single long broadcast being saved in full, and do not treat a logo overlay as evidence that the archive has been created. The current official details are on YouTube Help’s Archive live streams page.
The local recording is a separate output from the stream archive. Confirm that your chosen recording destination has enough available space for the planned session and that recording is actually enabled before starting. This article does not prescribe a particular recording quality or guarantee that a local file will be complete; check the recording and your storage situation in your own setup.
A common misunderstanding is to assume that splitting a continuous broadcast at a convenient interval guarantees complete YouTube archives. The cited YouTube guidance does not make that guarantee. If archive completeness is important, use the official guidance, keep a local copy, and inspect the result rather than inferring success from the stream having run normally.
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FAQ
How do I add my logo to an OBS stream?
Add the logo as an Image source in the scene, move it above the gameplay or video source in the Sources list, then drag and resize it in the preview. Confirm that the scene you edited is the one that will be sent to YouTube.
How do I add a logo to a gaming VOD playing on stream?
Add the local gameplay recording as a Media Source, or use VLC Video for a playlist, then add the logo as a separate Image source above it. Enable looping as needed and test the end of the file or playlist before relying on it for a continuous broadcast.
Does the OBS logo overlay change my channel avatar or an uploaded video?
No. It changes the composed image OBS sends during the broadcast. It does not change the channel avatar and does not edit a video that is already uploaded.
Will YouTube save the full VOD from a continuous livestream?
YouTube says streams under 12 hours can be automatically archived, while a stream exceeding 12 hours may not be captured at all. Neither statement guarantees a complete archive, so make a local recording if the full replay matters and check YouTube’s archive afterwards.