Add a clock and ticker to an OBS 24/7 YouTube stream with a Browser Source: load a local HTML overlay or a hosted overlay URL, set the source dimensions to fit your layout, then position it in your scene. The clock and ticker are rendered by that webpage; OBS displays them over your video.
Choose a local or hosted overlay
OBS Browser Source can load a webpage from your computer or a URL. OBS describes it as “quite literally a web browser that you can add directly to OBS.” The documented Browser Source controls work with OBS on Windows, macOS and Linux. See the OBS Browser Source guide.
| Option | How it works | What to consider |
|---|---|---|
| Local HTML | OBS loads a webpage file stored on the computer running OBS. | It avoids relying on an overlay host, but the HTML page must itself display and update the clock and ticker. |
| Hosted overlay | OBS loads a URL supplied by an overlay provider or custom web app. | Configure content and styling using that provider’s controls, where available; a hosted page depends on its availability and internet access. |
For either option, check whether the overlay lets you set the clock’s timezone and confirm the displayed time in OBS preview. OBS displays the page; it does not validate that the overlay is showing the time zone you intend.
Add the overlay as a Browser Source
- Prepare the page. Obtain or create an HTML page that renders both the clock and ticker, or copy the hosted overlay URL. Check the overlay’s own settings for clock format, timezone, ticker text, speed and appearance.
- Open the target scene in OBS. In the Sources dock, select + and choose Browser. Create a new source and give it a recognizable name, such as “Clock and ticker.”
- Select the page. For a local page, enable Local file and browse to the HTML file. For a hosted overlay, leave Local file unchecked and enter the overlay URL.
- Set the viewport dimensions. Enter a width and height suited to the overlay design and your scene canvas. OBS’s documented default is 800 × 600, which may not fit your layout. The viewport determines the webpage’s rendering area; it is not a command to change the overall stream resolution.
- Apply the source and position it. Confirm the Browser Source, then move and scale it in the preview so the clock and ticker sit over the intended part of the video. Check that neither is clipped by the source boundary or covered by another source.
- Check the source settings. Browser Source removes page margins, hides overflow scrollbars and uses a transparent background by default. Custom CSS is available if the page needs layout adjustments. Review the source’s refresh and frame-rate controls if the overlay requires them.
- Keep it loaded during the broadcast. Check Shutdown source when not visible. When enabled, OBS unloads the page if the source is hidden or not in the active scene. For an overlay that must persist, keep it in the scene that is on air; if you switch scenes, verify that the chosen unload behavior will not interrupt it.
OBS’s Browser Source documentation describes local-file and URL loading, dimensions, CSS, refresh behavior and visibility controls: https://obsproject.com/kb/browser-source.
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Set up and verify the clock and ticker
Use the overlay page’s controls—not an assumed OBS feature—to set the clock format, time zone, ticker wording, colors, typography or crawl speed. Providers differ, so confirm which options the selected page actually offers. A clock can render normally but show the wrong time zone; compare it with a trusted clock before broadcasting.
- Use concise ticker text and check it at the actual Browser Source size.
- Check the overlay in OBS preview at the stream’s intended canvas size; verify text is legible and not cut off.
- If the ticker pulls text from a remote file or service, check that source’s availability and update behavior.
- Switch away from and back to the scene once, if scene switching is part of the broadcast, and confirm the overlay returns as expected.
Test the YouTube stream before relying on it
YouTube Help advises: “Make sure to test before you start your live stream.” Test with audio and movement similar to the planned broadcast, and monitor stream health. The figures below are YouTube Help’s H.264 encoder recommendations, accessed in 2026; they are not requirements for adding a clock or ticker. Other codecs have different recommendations. Consult YouTube’s encoder settings and bitrate guidance for the current table.
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YouTube says first-time live streaming activation may take up to 24 hours. When you are ready, use YouTube Studio’s live workflow to obtain the YouTube Live server URL and stream key. Treat the key like a password: keep it out of public screenshots and recordings, and manage it through YouTube Studio. See YouTube’s live streaming setup guidance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Or let it run in the cloud
If you want to keep a YouTube channel live with uploaded videos but do not want a home computer running OBS, StreamNeo is a separate cloud option; it does not add an OBS clock or ticker overlay. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops uploaded videos from the cloud, so nothing has to stay on at home. Videos stream as uploaded, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot; it automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly billing is $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo or its plans. To try it, start a StreamNeo account.
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When a camera-specific ticker tool may fit
CamStreamer documents an Infoticker widget with a 12- or 24-hour clock, a banner with one or two text lines, text and background colors, switching intervals, and a crawl effect on supported camera processors. It can use text entered directly or a remotely hosted TXT file; its guide says the widget can display continually when no schedule is filled in. This is a specialized option requiring an AXIS camera, CamStreamer App and CamOverlay App—not a general OBS plugin or a prerequisite for Browser Source. Details are in the CamStreamer Infoticker setup guide.
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