For fixed episode details such as a title, guest name or short introduction, place both Hindi and English text in an OBS Text Source or a page added as an OBS Browser Source. The text becomes part of the picture, so everyone sees it and nobody can switch it off with YouTube’s CC control.
If you mean captions for words spoken during the programme, that is a separate workflow. You need a supported way to send caption data to YouTube; a prepared overlay does not transcribe speech, and YouTube’s documented built-in live automatic captions are English-only.
Decide whether you need episode text or speech captions
Start by deciding what information you want viewers to receive. Prepared episode text is information you already know before going live: the episode title, a guest’s name, a short topic description, or a note that the programme is in Hindi and English. It can sit visibly over the video for as long as it is useful.
Speech captions represent what someone is saying as the programme happens. They are intended to follow the audio, which means that someone or something must produce caption data and deliver it through a supported route. Putting a transcript or a line of context on screen does not turn it into live captions, even if the words are in the same language as the conversation.
The difference matters for viewers. An OBS overlay is part of the video image: everyone receives the same text, in the same position and style, and it takes up some of the picture. A YouTube caption track is separate from the image and can be selected by viewers using YouTube’s caption controls, subject to the platform’s current support and the way the creator sends it.
| What you need | Suitable route | What viewers see | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode title, guest name or prepared notes in Hindi and English | OBS Text Source or Browser Source | Text is visible over the video to everyone | Viewers cannot hide or restyle it with YouTube CC |
| Viewer-selectable text following live speech | Supported live caption workflow sent to YouTube | Captions are delivered separately from the video image | Requires a supported caption source or software delivery method |
| Automatic live captions for Hindi speech | Do not rely on YouTube’s documented built-in live route | YouTube documents built-in live automatic captions as English-only | That route does not provide Hindi live captions |
This article focuses on prepared episode details. If your programme also needs live speech captions, plan that as a separate accessibility and production task rather than expecting an on-screen episode card to do both jobs. You can also use the guide to creating a YouTube live study room with recorded lessons as a reference for thinking about what information belongs in the programme itself and what belongs on screen.
Prepare readable Hindi and English text
Write the information before opening the scene editor. For a podcast episode, a useful first pass might contain the episode title in Hindi, its English counterpart, and the guest’s name in both scripts if the spelling is known. Add only the details a viewer needs at that point in the broadcast; a paragraph of show notes is more difficult to read on a moving picture than a title and a name.
Use an editorially approved Hindi spelling rather than retyping a name from memory during the stream. Confirm punctuation, matras, diacritics where relevant, and the English spelling of names with the person or source responsible for the episode information. If the two languages do not translate word for word, make sure the English line conveys the intended meaning rather than simply looking similar in length.
Think about how the text will wrap. Two short lines, one per language, are usually easier to scan than one long bilingual sentence. Test the line breaks at the actual scene size: a line that fits in the OBS text editor may wrap differently once it is placed in a narrow box on top of the video. Avoid making the Hindi line smaller just to force both languages into an overlong card; shortening the wording is often the clearer fix.
Keep a clean source copy of the final text. If the episode title is corrected later, update the source from that approved copy rather than editing the live field from memory. For a recurring programme, a simple file or design template can reduce repeated typing, but check that the file encoding and chosen font preserve Devanagari characters on the computer that will run OBS.
Before deciding how large the text can be, consider the video underneath it. A close camera shot leaves less clear space than a static background or a wide studio view. If you are also preparing the stream image, the discussion of resolution choices for a nature ambience stream is useful context for treating the picture as a whole rather than judging the overlay only inside OBS’s editor.
Add an OBS Text Source or Browser Source
For a simple title card, a Text Source is the direct route. In OBS, use the Sources dock to add a Text source and enter the Hindi and English lines. OBS also documents an option to read text from a file, which is helpful when the episode information is maintained separately. Its Text Sources documentation describes text input and styling controls, including font, colour, alignment, outline, opacity and wrapping. Controls can differ between the Windows GDI+ and macOS/Linux FreeType 2 implementations, so follow the options shown in your version rather than assuming every platform has identical menus.
A Text Source suits information that changes occasionally and has a straightforward layout. You can place two lines in the source, set a font and colour, then position the source over the video. If the next episode has different text, update the file or field and inspect the result before going live. For changing information during a live show, arrange a safe way to update it without losing the current scene or leaving a partially edited line on screen.
Choose a Browser Source when the text needs a designed card, a more structured bilingual layout, or a page you can maintain separately. OBS describes this source as a web page loaded into a scene; its Browser Source guide covers the page URL or local file and viewport dimensions. The default page background is transparent, which lets the video show through around the content, but inspect the result rather than assuming your page styles will behave as intended at every size.
A local page avoids depending on a remote page being reachable at the moment you go live, while a hosted page can be convenient if you need to update it from elsewhere. Either way, preview it on the same machine and in the same OBS scene that will carry the stream. A page can look correct in a browser tab yet render differently in the source viewport because the dimensions, font availability or background styling differ.
The Text Source has fewer moving parts for a title and guest line; the Browser Source gives you more control over layout but asks you to maintain a page. Neither one produces viewer-selectable captions. For an always-on or long-running broadcast where preparing the video and scene is only one part of keeping the channel running, the overview of 24/7 YouTube streaming can help put this configuration step in the context of the wider broadcast plan.
Position and preview the overlay
Place the text source above the camera or video source in the Sources list. OBS source order determines what appears on top: sources higher in the list cover lower sources where they overlap. The OBS sources guide explains ordering and how to position and resize sources in the scene preview.
Drag the overlay into an area that does not cover a face, a guest’s nameplate, a visual demonstration or another essential part of the picture. If the camera framing changes, revisit the placement. A text card that fits beside a host in one shot may obscure a guest when the scene switches to a tighter camera angle.
Resize with the intended output in mind, not just the size of your monitor preview. Check the scene at the resolution you plan to send, and make sure the source box is large enough for the longer of the Hindi and English lines. Keep a little space around the text so it does not look pressed against the edge of the picture. If the layout uses a background panel, make sure it improves contrast without hiding more of the programme than necessary.
A browser layout can use a card with separate Hindi and English areas, while a Text Source may simply use two stacked lines. In either case, do not rely on colour alone to distinguish the languages; use labels or a clear order if the audience might not know which line is which. Avoid shifting the placement from one episode to another without reason, since viewers learn where recurring programme information appears.
For a long programme, consider whether fixed episode details need to remain visible all the time. A persistent title can be useful for someone arriving midway through the stream, but a large block of text can compete with the conversation. A short identifier in a corner, or a title card shown at a deliberate point in the programme, may be less intrusive. The right choice depends on whether the details are needed continuously or only at the beginning.
Understand YouTube caption options
YouTube’s automatic live captions and a prepared OBS overlay solve different problems. The official YouTube Help page on automatic live captions describes the built-in live route as English-only and notes conditions around its availability and normal latency. Do not tell viewers that enabling automatic captions will provide Hindi live captions; that is not what the documented route promises.
If you need viewers to select captions while a live programme is underway, caption data has to reach YouTube through a supported caption workflow. YouTube’s live caption requirements describe captions embedded in a video signal using 608/708 or sent through supported software over HTTP POST. The same help page says that although the 608/708 standard allows up to four language tracks, YouTube currently supports one caption track. Check that page again when planning a broadcast, as platform support can change.
This is not a setting to infer from the appearance of your OBS scene. A Text Source or Browser Source sends visible picture content; it does not send a caption track to YouTube. Conversely, a caption workflow is not a way to place a persistent episode title in a chosen corner of the video. If you need both, plan and test both paths separately, and make clear to the audience which text is an overlay and which is selectable captioning.
If your show alternates between Hindi and English speech, decide how a supported caption workflow will handle that before the broadcast. The notes on YouTube’s current live caption support do not establish a multi-track Hindi-and-English live setup. Do not promise separate language tracks or automatic translation on the strength of a general standard’s capabilities; verify the current YouTube documentation and the capabilities of the specific caption software or encoder you intend to use.
Check legibility and spelling live
Before the actual broadcast, make a short local recording or preview with the final scene and the prepared text. Look at the recording at the size viewers are likely to watch, including a smaller window, rather than only at full size on the production monitor. Read both language lines without pausing the video. If a viewer has to work out where one line ends or whether a character is shaped correctly, revise the wording, font or layout.
Devanagari rendering deserves its own check. Confirm that conjuncts, vowel marks and punctuation appear as intended, with no missing glyphs or awkward gaps. OBS documents font selection and styling, but it does not certify that every installed font and operating system will shape Devanagari correctly. Use the actual machine and font that will produce the broadcast, and keep a fallback font or a rendered card ready if your chosen setup displays the script incorrectly.
Check contrast against the brightest and darkest parts of the video. A white line may be clear over a dark wall and disappear over a bright shirt; a thin outline or a restrained opaque panel can help. Then check that the overlay does not cover the speaker, subtitles already present in the video, or any visual material that viewers need to follow the discussion.
Spell-check both languages with a person who can read them, especially guest names and episode titles. A live preview can expose a line break or rendering problem, but it will not establish that the translation is accurate. Keep the approved wording nearby and compare it with what OBS actually displays. If the episode text changes after the test, repeat the preview for the changed line.
For a channel that runs for long periods, test any planned change of episode card or scene transition as well as the opening layout. Confirm that the old text disappears when it should and that the next card is fully visible. For guidance on planning a repeatable stream setup, the article on running an Indian music channel on a Mac without OBS offers a different production route; the useful principle here is to choose a workflow you can check on the equipment that will actually run it.
Once the text is readable and the scene is ready, make a clear distinction in your programme notes for viewers: the bilingual episode information is on-screen text, while any speech captions are controlled through YouTube’s caption options if a supported caption workflow is in use. That avoids giving viewers the impression that pressing CC will remove a title card or reveal a transcript.
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
Can viewers turn off the Hindi and English text with YouTube CC?
No. Text placed in an OBS Text Source or Browser Source is part of the video image, so it is visible to viewers as they receive the picture. YouTube’s CC control applies to caption tracks, not to an on-video overlay.
Will YouTube automatically caption Hindi speech in a live podcast?
YouTube’s documented built-in live automatic-caption route is English-only. If you need live Hindi speech captions, check YouTube’s current supported caption requirements and use a compatible caption workflow; do not assume the automatic setting will provide them.
Should I use a Text Source or a Browser Source?
Use a Text Source for a simple title, guest name or short prepared note that you can enter or read from a file. Use a Browser Source when a page-based design or separately maintained layout better suits the programme, then test its viewport and rendering in the actual scene.
How do I know the Hindi text will render correctly?
Preview or record it on the same machine and with the same font you will use for the stream. Check character shaping, line breaks, contrast and spelling at the intended viewing size, because OBS’s styling controls do not guarantee Devanagari rendering for every system.