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To show the current story title in an OBS scene, add a Text source, turn on Read from file, and point it to a text file containing the title. The text appears in the scene, but OBS does not decide which story is current: a person or a separate process must update the file (or update the OBS source through scripting or WebSocket).
Set up a file-backed title overlay in OBS
- Select or create the scene. Choose the scene that will show the story. If needed, add one in the Scenes dock. OBS scenes are made from sources, and sources higher in the Sources dock appear above sources lower in the list. See the OBS scenes and sources guide.
- Add a Text source. In the Sources dock, select the add button and choose a Text source. The available source variant depends on your operating system and installed OBS version: OBS documents Text (GDI+) for Windows and Text (Freetype 2) for macOS and Linux, and marks Freetype 2 as deprecated on Windows. See OBS Text Sources.
- Point it to the title file. In the Text source properties, enable Read from file and select the text file that will contain the current story title. OBS describes this option as reading text from a file instead of the source’s Text property.
- Style and place the overlay. Choose readable text styling in the source properties. In the preview, drag the source into position and resize it; use Edit Transform when you need precise placement. Keep the Text source above any source that could cover it. More on scene layout is in the OBS scenes and sources guide.
- Test an update. Change the title file and check that the scene displays the new text. Test the full scene and stream settings before going live, as OBS recommends for an initial stream. See OBS Quick Start Guide.
Make the title follow the current story
The file-backed source handles display, not story selection. The title stays current only when something updates the file or the OBS source.
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Manual updates
For a manually operated stream, assign an operator to replace the file’s title whenever the story changes. Confirm the update is visible in OBS before relying on it; a missed file update leaves the previous title on screen.
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Automated updates
If another system already knows which story is current, configure it to write that title to the selected file whenever the story changes. The OBS Text source documentation does not define a story feed, file format, or update schedule, so those parts depend on the system supplying the title.
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OBS also supports Python and Lua scripts and a built-in WebSocket endpoint for external applications and scripts to interact with OBS. These can be used in a custom integration, but the OBS documentation cited here does not provide a ready-made story-feed connector. WebSocket is included by default in OBS Studio 28 and later; protect it with a password. See the OBS Scripting Guide and OBS Remote Control Guide. Choose this route when you have a process or developer able to configure and maintain the integration, and verify that the displayed title changes as intended.
Choose the update method that fits your workflow
| Method | Best fit | What to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| File-backed Text source | A person or an existing process can write the current title to a text file. | The file is simple to display, but a person or external process must update it reliably. |
| OBS script or WebSocket integration | Your workflow already has automation support and can interact with OBS. | It requires configuration and secure connection settings; OBS’s cited documentation does not provide a ready-made story-feed connection. |
Connect OBS to YouTube and account for long streams
- In YouTube Live Control Room, get the stream URL and stream key for the broadcast, then enter them in OBS’s stream settings as the encoder destination and key. Follow YouTube’s encoder setup instructions.
- Do not put the stream key in the overlay, title file, or other public material. Treat it as a credential.
- Start the encoder. For YouTube’s scheduled-stream workflow, wait for the preview in Live Control Room and select Go live.
- Check the text overlay and its update process during the run. Neither the OBS documentation nor YouTube’s cited instructions guarantee that OBS, the encoder, or the title-update process will stay uninterrupted.
For archiving, YouTube Help says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. The cited page does not establish what happens to a single uninterrupted stream lasting 12 hours or more, so do not assume that a continuous 24/7 broadcast will be automatically archived. See YouTube Help: archive live streams.
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