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How to Stop OBS From Showing a Media Source Filename on Stream

OBS has no documented Media Source filename toggle. Trace the text to its source, then change the player overlay, OBS scene, or video file as needed.
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OBS has no documented Media Source switch for hiding a filename overlay. First find out where the text comes from: the media player, a separate OBS source, the video itself, or only the app used to play a finished recording. Then change the setting or source at that point.

First check whether the filename is actually in the stream

Look at the OBS preview while the video is playing. If the text is visible there, it is part of the scene being sent to the stream. If it is absent from the preview but appears when you open a finished recording, check the playback application before changing OBS.

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In one OBS forum discussion started in 2019, a helper said OBS does not add a filename to the recording itself; the original poster later confirmed a VLC setting was responsible for their case. This is a community troubleshooting report, not an official OBS specification, and the exact cause can differ from one setup to another.

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Identify where the filename is coming from

What you see Likely source Where to fix it
Text appears over the video in the OBS preview when a player is open The player may be drawing its title or filename, and OBS may be capturing the player window or display. Turn off the relevant player overlay, or use an OBS Media Source instead of capturing the player interface.
Text appears in the OBS preview even when no player interface is involved A separate text or graphics source may be in the scene. Hide or adjust that OBS source.
Text remains in the same place in the video file itself The filename may be part of the image pixels. Use a clean file or edit, crop, or cover the affected area.
Text appears only when opening the finished recording in a playback app The playback app may be showing the file title or filename. Change the playback app’s on-screen display or title settings.

Fix a filename drawn by the media player

  1. Confirm the capture method. In OBS, look at the Sources list and determine whether the video comes from Display Capture, a captured player window, or a Media Source. The OBS Sources Guide treats Display Capture and Media Sources as different source types.
  2. Check the player’s on-screen display settings. If the filename appears in the player itself, open that player’s settings and disable the title or filename overlay. The VLC forum report confirms that a VLC setting fixed one user’s case, but it does not establish a current menu path or exact setting label; check the settings for your installed player version.
  3. Use a direct Media Source where practical. Add the video file to OBS as a Media Source rather than capturing the player’s window or full display. That avoids including player controls and overlays in the captured picture. This is a practical inference from OBS’s documented source types and the forum report, so verify the result in the OBS preview and with a short test recording or stream.

The OBS Media Sources guide, published January 11, 2022, explains that Media Sources add supported media files to a scene and documents playback options such as restarting when active, hiding when playback ends, and closing a file while inactive. It does not document a dedicated filename-overlay control.

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Hide or reposition a separate OBS text source

  1. In OBS, select the scene that shows the filename.
  2. In the Sources list, look for a Text source or other overlay source that contains the filename.
  3. Click its eye icon to hide it. OBS’s Sources Guide describes the eye icon as the control for temporarily hiding or showing a source.
  4. If the text should remain but appear behind another visual, change the source order. Sources higher in the list appear above lower sources.
  5. Check the preview again to confirm that the intended text is gone and other scene elements remain visible.

If it appears only in the finished recording

Open the recording in a different playback application or inspect the OBS preview while recording. If the filename is missing from the preview and appears only in one playback app, change that app’s title or on-screen display setting rather than altering the OBS scene. The OBS forum thread about removing an MP4 filename on playback, started in 2020, is another community troubleshooting example; its report does not establish one universal setting for every player.

OBS’s Standard Recording Output Guide covers how OBS names generated recording files in output settings. That output filename is separate from text visibly rendered into the stream canvas.

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If the filename is part of the video image

A filename baked into the video pixels is not a separate OBS overlay, so hiding an OBS source or changing a player setting will not remove it. Start with a clean version of the video. If none is available, edit the image, crop the affected area, or cover it with a suitable visual element, then test the revised file in the scene.

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Browser Source is not a filename-removal switch

OBS Browser Source can load a local HTML file or a URL and supports custom CSS, as described in the OBS Browser Source guide. It can be used to build a custom presentation, but OBS does not describe it as a feature for removing a filename from a Media Source. It is unnecessary for the basic checks above.

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Common symptoms and fixes

  • The name is over the video only while a player is open: turn off that player’s title or on-screen display, or avoid capturing its interface by adding the file directly as a Media Source.
  • The name remains after the player is closed: inspect the OBS Sources list for a separate text or graphic overlay; hide it with the eye icon or adjust its position in the stack.
  • The name is absent from OBS but appears in a recording app: check the app used to play the recording. Do not confuse that display with OBS’s recording-file naming setting.
  • The name moves with the video or is visible in the source file: replace or edit the video; OBS cannot remove text that is already part of its pixels.
  • You changed a setting but are unsure whether the stream is clean: verify the OBS preview and make a short test recording or stream before relying on the scene.
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