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To show album art on a YouTube internet radio stream, add your radio audio to an OBS scene, then add an Image source for a fixed cover or a metadata-driven browser overlay for artwork that changes with each track. YouTube does not automatically turn a radio stream’s track metadata into a changing visual.
Choose between fixed artwork and changing track art
| Option | Best for | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Static OBS Image source | A single album cover, station logo, or background | Simple to set up, but the image stays the same until you replace it. Make sure you have permission to use it. |
| Metadata-driven browser overlay | Showing each track’s cover, title, artist, or progress | Requires a compatible playback app or service that supplies track and artwork data. Integrations are not universal. |
| Hosted radio feed into OBS | Stations already delivering audio through a hosted service | The feed and its routing are separate from album-art display; confirm that the audio route and any metadata integration meet your needs. |
If the visual can remain unchanged, use a static image. If it must follow the song, first confirm that your playback source exposes usable now-playing metadata and artwork.
Set up one fixed image in OBS
- Select the stream scene. In OBS, choose the scene used for the YouTube broadcast or create one for the radio stream.
- Add the audio feed. Use the audio source that matches how your station reaches the computer. Depending on the setup, that might be an audio-capture source or a hosted station feed routed into OBS. Radio.co documents, for example, using a VLC Video Source for a hosted station feed and Audio Input Capture for direct broadcasting; those are examples, not requirements for every station.
- Add the cover image. In the Sources panel, select +, choose Image, give the source a name, and select the artwork file.
- Arrange the scene. Position and resize the image in the preview. Add a logo or station name if wanted, and adjust the source order so the image and other graphics appear as intended.
- Check before broadcasting. Confirm that the image is visible and the audio meters respond. Make a private or unlisted test broadcast before relying on the scene for a public stream.
A fixed image can be a station logo or one album cover. It will not change just because the song changes, and you need the appropriate rights to use the image.
Make artwork change with the playing track
A static Image source cannot update itself from a song change. OBS needs a changing source—usually a browser overlay—that can read metadata from the playback system. YouTube itself does not automatically read radio metadata and change the outgoing scene.
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Example: YTMDesktop2 with its OBS overlay
YTMDesktop2 documents an integration for its own supported playback. Its overlay uses the application’s local API and WebSocket; it is not a general-purpose connection to any internet-radio player.
- In YTMDesktop2, enable its local API.
- Open the application’s OBS settings, choose the layout you want, and copy the overlay URL.
- In OBS, select + in Sources and choose Browser.
- Paste the copied URL into the Browser Source URL field and set the source dimensions to suit the layout. YTMDesktop2’s documentation suggests about 480 × 140 pixels for a compact card; fullscreen artwork needs a source sized for the scene.
- Check the OBS preview while playback is running. Confirm that the cover and track details update when the song changes.
The documented default card includes artwork, title, artist, and progress. Other layouts include compact, badge, ticker, stack, text-only, and fullscreen art. Use the YTMDesktop2 method only when that application is actually supplying the playback and metadata. For another player, look for its own now-playing API or an integration designed for it; do not assume OBS can obtain track art from an arbitrary radio feed.
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Check music and artwork rights before going live
Adding album art to the scene is a visual-production choice; it does not grant rights to broadcast the recording or reproduce the cover image. Permission for the sound recording and permission for the artwork may be separate.
YouTube says that all live streams are scanned for matches to third-party content. If it identifies third-party content, it may replace the stream image with a placeholder, warn the streamer, interrupt the broadcast, or terminate it. YouTube also says a channel may need to be added to a rights owner’s Content ID allowlist to avoid interruption even when the broadcaster has a licence. An archived live video may receive a Content ID claim after the stream ends. See YouTube’s live-stream copyright guidance.
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- YouTube describes copyright-safe music as music in the public domain or music used with the copyright owner’s permission.
- A track labelled “free” can still be flagged by Content ID; describing it as free does not change how the system treats it.
- Check the terms for the recording and image, and confirm whether any required YouTube allowlisting is in place.
- YouTube’s guidance points to the Audio Library, original music, Creator Music where available, or third-party music used in accordance with its licence terms. See YouTube’s music-use guidance.
YouTube’s Creator Music restrictions say licensed tracks may not be used for certain formats, including a static-image Art Track with the whole song, a repetitive visualizer for the whole song, a lyric video, or karaoke video. Check the current terms for the particular track and your region before using Creator Music for a continuous radio format: Creator Music usage restrictions.
Check OBS settings and troubleshoot the stream
If you are setting up OBS for the first time, its official help portal recommends the Auto-Configuration Wizard for basic streaming settings. Use it as a starting point, then verify your live output and connection rather than assuming one bitrate or resolution suits every network. OBS says rising dropped frames can indicate an unstable connection or a bitrate higher than the connection can sustain. Its help portal also states that OBS has no watermark or commercial-use restriction.
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| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The scene shows no artwork | The image source is hidden, behind another source, or positioned outside the visible canvas. | Check the source visibility icon and source order, then select the image and reposition or resize it in the preview. |
| The image stays the same after a track change | You added a static Image source, or the overlay is not receiving metadata from the playback app. | Use a metadata-driven overlay and confirm that the player supports the integration and is sending track and artwork data. |
| The overlay is blank or incomplete | The local API is disabled, the overlay URL is incorrect, or the player has no usable artwork metadata for that track. | Recheck the app’s API setting and copied URL, then test with a track that has artwork available to the player. |
| OBS reports increasing dropped frames | The internet connection may be unstable or the configured bitrate may exceed its capacity. | Run the Auto-Configuration Wizard, then lower the bitrate if necessary and check whether the connection is stable. |
| YouTube replaces the visual or interrupts the live stream | YouTube may have detected third-party material, or the rights owner may not have allowlisted the channel. | Stop using material you are not authorized to stream; check the recording and image permissions and contact the rights owner about Content ID allowlisting where applicable. |
Or let it run in the cloud
If you want a prerecorded radio programme or playlist to keep a YouTube channel live without leaving a computer running, StreamNeo is a separate cloud option: upload your video, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. It loops uploaded videos; it does not broadcast a live camera feed. It is YouTube-only.
- Nothing has to stay on at home; the stream runs from the cloud.
- Each slot streams what you upload, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot.
- Automatic recovery is included if YouTube drops the stream.
- The first day is free with no card required.
- Monthly: $9.99 per month.
See StreamNeo for details, or start the free first day.
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