The Tool Desk
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Choose how the track information will update
A track list is an on-screen graphic layered into your broadcast. OBS can display a web page through a Browser Source, or you can create a local text display with OBS’s built-in sources. Which route works best depends on whether your overlay can receive accurate now-playing metadata from the music source you use.
| Method | Automation | Dependency | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browser Source overlay | Can update automatically if the provider has a working metadata connection to your player or audio setup. | An external overlay URL and a compatible metadata feed. | Use it when you have confirmed that the provider can show the current track and update when it changes. |
| OBS text source | Manual: edit the track and artist text when the song changes. | Your OBS scene; no overlay URL is needed. | Use it when an automatic feed is unavailable, unreliable, or not confirmed. Keep it ready as a fallback if a browser overlay stops updating. |
OBS’s Browser Source documentation explains how to render a web page in a scene; it does not verify any particular overlay provider’s music integrations. Check the provider’s compatibility with your player or audio setup before relying on automatic updates. See the OBS Browser Source guide and OBS Sources guide.
Add the track display in OBS
- Prepare the overlay or text. For an automatic display, obtain the overlay URL from a provider and confirm that its metadata source is connected to the music you will play. For a manual display, decide how you will update the track title and artist in an OBS text source.
- Add the source to the correct scene. In OBS, select the scene used for the podcast and add a Browser Source for the overlay, or a text source for the manual display. For a Browser Source, enter its URL and set the viewport dimensions to suit the overlay. OBS documents both browser and text sources in its Sources guide.
- Position and layer it. Place the source above the background in the Sources list so it is visible. Move and size it on the canvas; keep it clear of faces, captions, and other essential visuals. Source order controls which items appear on top.
- Check your audio and stream setup. Confirm that OBS is capturing the intended microphone and program audio, and that your stream settings are ready. Follow the OBS Quick Start Guide for its audio-device and stream setup guidance.
- Test the changing information before the show. Check that the overlay loads, the text is legible at your broadcast canvas size, and the title and artist change when you switch tracks. If the automatic feed fails or becomes stale, switch to your prepared manual text source.
Keep the music rights separate from the track display
A title-and-artist credit identifies the music; it does not give you permission to stream it. YouTube says that “All live streams are scanned for matches to third-party content, including copyrighted content in the form of another live broadcast.” A match may lead to a warning, a placeholder replacing the live stream, interruption, or termination. YouTube also cautions that a live stream can be interrupted even when the creator has licensed the content if the channel is not on the rightsholder’s allowlist. Read YouTube’s guidance on copyright issues with live streams.
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- Confirm that you have permission for the recordings and compositions used in the live broadcast.
- Check whether your permission covers an archived replay as well as the live transmission.
- For licensed third-party music, coordinate with the rightsholder, label, or distributor about YouTube’s allowlisting process.
YouTube for Artists’ live-stream guidance advises music creators to coordinate with their label or distributor when using copyright-protected music. It also says first-time creators should enable live streaming and verify the account at least 24 hours ahead. Check your current channel-specific eligibility and instructions in YouTube Studio. Spotify’s separate copyright guidance for Spotify creators concerns publishing on Spotify; it is not a YouTube rule.
Troubleshoot a missing or stale track title
- The Browser Source is blank: Check that the URL is correct and that the source’s viewport dimensions suit the overlay. Confirm the page works and the provider’s service is available.
- The overlay appears but does not update: Verify that the provider is receiving metadata from the player or audio setup you are using. OBS can display the page, but that does not establish that the page has access to track information. Use the manual text source if you cannot restore the feed.
- The text is hard to read or covers important visuals: Resize or move the source in the scene, and confirm its position relative to other items in the Sources list.
- The audience cannot hear the intended audio: Recheck OBS’s selected audio devices and confirm the microphone and program audio are routed into the broadcast. The OBS Quick Start Guide covers initial audio and stream setup.
- YouTube interrupts the stream: Treat this as a rights issue, not an overlay issue. Check YouTube’s copyright notice and your permissions; a track display does not prevent a Content ID match, and a license may still require channel allowlisting.
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