In OBS Studio, the Sources list works like a stack of picture layers: a source higher in the list appears above sources below it. Put the overlay above the video or background it should cover, then check the preview to confirm its position, size and visibility.
That order controls what you see in the scene, not whether the broadcast keeps running. A correctly layered overlay cannot prevent a computer, encoder, network connection or YouTube stream from stopping.
Understand the OBS Sources layer stack
Think of the Sources list as a set of transparent sheets. OBS draws a source higher in the list in front of the sources below it. If an upper source is an opaque image or video covering the same area as a lower browser overlay, the overlay may be present in the scene but hidden behind it.
The OBS Project puts the rule plainly in its Sources Guide: a source listed above another is on top and might hide what is beneath it. This is about drawing order, not importance. The top item is not automatically the main content; it is simply the layer shown in front when sources overlap.
For a typical scene with a full-screen video and a small logo or information panel, start with the video lower in the stack and the overlay above it. In the preview, you should see the video across the canvas and the overlay in front of it. If the overlay is below the video, the video can cover it wherever both occupy the same part of the picture.
To change the stack, select a source in the Sources list and drag it up or down, or use the ordering controls. Reordering does not move the source to a different part of the canvas; it changes which source is drawn in front where their areas overlap. Position and size are separate adjustments.
A practical way to read the list is to ask, from top to bottom: what should remain visible in front, what belongs behind it, and what fills the remaining picture? For example, a label might sit above a browser-rendered lower-third, while both sit above the video. You do not need to add sources in a particular sequence if you can later arrange the stack correctly.
Place the background or video source
First identify the source that provides the main moving or static picture. It may be a local video file, a background image, or a browser page. Add or select that source in the scene, then confirm it appears in the preview and occupies the intended area. For a full-screen video, it will usually need to cover the canvas, with any overlay placed in front of it.
OBS's Media Sources guide describes Media Source for supported local media, including a loop option. That is a useful fit when you are playing one local file and want playback to repeat. If your content is a sequence of files, VLC Video can handle a playlist and offers loop or shuffle behaviour, but it requires VLC to be installed. Choose according to the content you need, not because one source type is inherently more reliable for a continuous broadcast.
For a web-rendered graphic, alert or custom panel, Browser Source loads a local page or URL into the scene. OBS explains the options in its Browser Source guide. Once added, verify that the intended page actually renders in the preview; having the source name in the list does not prove the content loaded correctly.
If your channel uses a rotating set of local videos, the choice between a single Media Source and a VLC playlist affects how you organise playback. It does not change the layering principle. In either case, put the visual content below the overlay it should sit behind, then test playback and the overlay together. For a deeper look at playback choices, see ways to loop a video on YouTube Live.
A loop setting addresses what happens when media reaches the end. It is not a substitute for checking whether OBS is still encoding and YouTube is still receiving the broadcast. Keep those two jobs distinct as you configure the scene.
Move the overlay above the content it covers
Select the overlay source in the Sources list and move it above the source it should cover. If it should appear above the video, it needs to be higher than that video. When the preview shows the overlay, you have confirmed both that its content is rendering and that it is not being hidden by a source in front of it.
A common layout might be a video as the bottom layer, a browser-based information strip above it, and a small logo above both. If the browser panel should cover the video but the logo should remain visible over the panel, arrange them in that order. The list reads from front to back, not from the order in which a viewer should read the information.
If the overlay is completely missing, do not immediately rebuild it. Look for another visible source above it that may be opaque and covering the same area. Try moving the overlay up temporarily. If it then appears, you have found a stacking issue; you can decide whether to keep it there or move the obstructing source lower.
If moving it does not make it appear, inspect the source itself. For Browser Source, check that the URL or local-file selection is the one you intended and allow the page to load. Confirm its visibility is enabled. A browser page that is blank or failing to render will not become visible just because it is at the top of the stack.
Use the same method when the overlay is a local image or another source type: verify visibility, check the source's size and position in the preview, and check whether a higher source overlaps it. If your concern is a black gap during changes between video files rather than a hidden overlay, the separate guide to fixing OBS black screens between videos addresses that playback problem.
Check visibility and unwanted obstruction
Visibility and order are different checks. A source can be enabled but hidden behind another source, or it can be in the right place in the stack but switched off. Inspect both before changing the scene further. Then look at the preview and ask whether the overlay appears where expected and whether any other source blocks it.
An overlay can also appear and still obscure too much. A large panel may cover a lyric line, a product detail, a news ticker or a face in the underlying video. In that case, raising or lowering the source may not be the right fix: it is already visible, but its position or dimensions are wrong for the picture beneath it.
Check the preview at the size and crop you plan to send to YouTube. Text near the edge may be clipped, and a panel that seems small in the editing interface may occupy a substantial portion of the final image. Consider the intended viewing context, especially for viewers on a phone. Keep essential text legible and avoid covering the part of the video that carries the main information.
A simple verification is to compare the preview with each source briefly hidden and then restored. Hiding the video should leave the overlay visible if it is independent of the video. Hiding the overlay should reveal the unobstructed video. Restore both before testing the final composition. This makes it easier to tell which source contributes each visible element without guessing from names in the list.
If the source contains changing content, such as a web page with alerts or a rotating message, one snapshot is not enough to confirm that every state will fit. Check the states you expect to show and consider whether a longer message, image or animation could overlap important content. Source order cannot guarantee good visibility across content that changes later.
Adjust layout in the preview
Once the stack is right, adjust where the overlay appears. Select it and use the preview to move or resize it. The list determines which layer is in front; the preview determines where that layer sits and how much space it uses. Treat those as two separate questions: should this source be on top, and is it in the right place?
For an overlay with text, leave enough room for the longest message you expect rather than positioning it based only on a short sample. Check that its background, if any, does not turn a small caption into a large opaque block. If the overlay is transparent, inspect the result over both light and dark parts of the video so the text remains readable.
If the overlay has a defined position in a browser page, its layout inside that page and its placement in the OBS canvas are also distinct. OBS can position the Browser Source as a whole; the page controls where elements sit within that source. A page can render correctly but still have its important content outside the visible source area. Check the page and the canvas together.
Make one adjustment at a time. If you change source order, size and position in one go, it becomes harder to tell which change solved the problem. After each adjustment, look at the whole composition rather than only the selected source's border. The actual picture should remain balanced and useful when the video moves or when the overlay's text changes.
For a devotional stream, for example, an overlay showing the current bhajan title might sit in a clear corner rather than across the lyrics. For a local news loop, a ticker might need to remain visible without covering the footage that explains the story. The right layout depends on what viewers need to see, so verify it against representative content, not a blank scene.
Compare source types by what they need to display
Source order applies regardless of source type, but choosing the source that suits the content makes setup easier. The table below compares common choices without treating them as uptime solutions.
| Need | OBS source choice | What it does | Decision to make |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web-based alert, chat or custom overlay | Browser Source | Loads a local page or URL into the scene | Use it when the graphic is rendered by a web page; confirm the page appears correctly in the preview. |
| One local video or audio item | Media Source | Plays supported local media and includes a loop option | Use it for a single local file; decide whether playback should repeat. |
| Ordered or shuffled media playlist | VLC Video | Supports a playlist, looping and shuffle behaviour | Use it when you need playlist behaviour and VLC is installed. |
These sources describe ways to bring content into a scene. They do not offer interchangeable guarantees about stream reliability. A Browser Source that loads an overlay, a Media Source set to loop, and a VLC playlist each solve a different content problem. Choose the one that matches what you need to display, then test it in the same scene as the overlay.
If you are deciding between OBS on a local computer and a cloud-based approach for an always-on prerecorded channel, that is a broader operating choice than source order. The comparison of OBS and cloud streaming on a low-cost PC in India discusses that distinction. It does not change the basic OBS layer stack: when you use OBS, the overlay still needs to be positioned and verified in the composition.
Test the broadcast separately from the composition
A well-arranged preview is evidence that the scene layers are arranged as intended. It is not evidence that the broadcast will continue unattended. Media looping only concerns playback behaviour; it does not guarantee that OBS, the computer, the network or the YouTube connection stays available.
Before relying on a scene, run a representative test. Include the audio and motion you expect viewers to receive, and confirm that the overlay remains legible over the actual material. OBS recommends testing before a first stream, while YouTube advises monitoring stream health during a broadcast. YouTube's guidance on encoder settings, bitrates and resolutions also ties output choices to resolution, frame rate and connection conditions rather than one setting that suits every setup.
Watch the output, not only the OBS preview. Check that audio is present, motion looks acceptable, and the overlay appears in the broadcast as intended. A preview can show a local composition while issues elsewhere in the encoding or connection affect what reaches YouTube. Keep YouTube's stream health messages in view during the test and address any warnings before treating the configuration as ready.
Do not copy a bitrate or computer specification from an unrelated channel as if it were universal. The appropriate output depends on the target resolution and frame rate, the available upload connection and the encoding workload. OBS notes that system capability varies with encoder choice, resolution, frame rate and scene complexity. Use the current official guidance for your chosen output and test it under representative conditions.
For a 24/7 channel, continuity needs its own operating plan: consider what happens if the computer loses power, the internet drops or the application stops. The source stack cannot solve those events. This article does not prescribe a failover design; the practical point is to test and monitor the broadcast separately from checking the scene's visual order.
When the recurring job is keeping a prerecorded channel live without leaving your own computer running, StreamNeo can remove that specific need to keep a local machine on: you upload the video and provide the YouTube stream key, then the broadcast runs with your computer switched off. It does not change OBS source ordering, and it is YouTube-only; make the operating choice based on the content and control you need.
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
Which OBS source should be on top?
Put the source that should appear in front higher in the Sources list. For a video with an overlay, the overlay normally sits above the video, but check the preview to confirm the result.
Why is my overlay hidden in OBS?
Check whether a visible source above it covers the same part of the canvas, and make sure the overlay itself is enabled. If its order and visibility are correct, verify that the browser page or media content is actually rendering and that its position and size are within the preview.
Does putting an overlay on top keep a 24/7 stream running?
No. Source order controls the scene's composition, not the continuity of OBS, your computer, the network or YouTube. Test the broadcast and monitor stream health separately.
Does a looping video guarantee continuous playback on YouTube Live?
No. A loop setting controls what happens when a media item reaches its end; it does not guarantee the encoder or broadcast connection will remain active. Test playback and the actual stream, and plan separately for interruptions.