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Add the timer as an OBS Browser Source in the scene you broadcast. Set its size and position, choose focus and break intervals, then test what happens when the source is hidden or refreshed before relying on it in a continuous stream. OBS can load a timer from a web page or, if the timer supports it, a local file.
Add a timer to your OBS study-stream scene
- Choose a timer. Select a timer page or overlay that shows the information viewers need, such as the current phase and time remaining. Check whether it cycles automatically or waits for you to advance it, and whether it offers controls you can operate from OBS.
- Add it to the scene. In OBS, open the scene used for the study stream, select + in the Sources panel, and add a Browser Source. Enter the timer’s URL. If the timer provides a local-file version, OBS Browser Source can also load a local file.
- Set the viewport. In the source properties, set the width and height to suit your stream layout. Place the source where it will not cover important content; resize or crop it in the preview as needed. OBS’s default custom CSS makes the page background transparent and removes body margins and scrollbars. OBS describes Browser Source as “one of the most versatile sources available in OBS.” OBS Browser Source documentation
- Choose the cycle. Set the focus, short-break, and—if available—long-break durations. Decide whether the timer should start phases automatically, how many focus sessions occur before a long break, and whether phase labels and controls should be visible. There is no single required Pomodoro interval: use the options provided by your chosen implementation and test that the displayed phase matches your stream plan.
- Test the source lifecycle. In Browser Source properties, review Shutdown source when not visible and Refresh browser source when scene becomes active. Both are off by default in OBS. Enabling the first unloads the page when it is hidden; enabling the second refreshes it when its scene becomes active. A reload may reset a timer, resume it, or restore its state depending on the implementation. Test scene changes and refreshes in your actual setup before going live.
Choose an implementation that fits your stream
| Option | Documented capabilities | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| r7kamura/obs-browser-sources | Its clockwork Pomodoro browser source defaults to 50 minutes of work and 10 minutes of break; URL parameters can set other intervals, including 25/5 or 20/10. A separate timer can switch OBS scenes named Work and Break. | Scene switching requires advanced OBS permission in that implementation. Grant it only if you need scene changes; otherwise use the timer without that extra permission. |
| Bskasan/pomodoro-obs-overlay | Its README describes a timer-only overlay, configurable study, short-break, and long-break durations, session count, long-break frequency, auto-start, and overlay controls. The project describes itself as self-hosted and MIT-licensed. | These are project documentation claims, not an independent reliability or usability assessment. Check the current setup instructions and confirm the controls and state behavior in your scene. |
| Hosted overlay described by Kloot’s guide | The guide describes a vendor-managed Browser Source overlay with configurable focus, short-break, and long-break periods; its example defaults are 25/5/15, with a long break every four cycles. | Before using a hosted overlay, check its current features, terms, account requirements, and privacy implications. The example settings are not universal requirements. |
These options document different features, but there is no controlled comparison here of their reliability, latency, privacy, or usability. Pick based on the controls and hosting arrangement you want, then test the timer in your own OBS scene.
Connect OBS to YouTube Live
- Open YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room and create or select the live stream you intend to use.
- In OBS, open the stream settings and enter the YouTube Live server URL and stream key shown for that stream. Treat the key as private: anyone with access to it may be able to send video to your broadcast.
- Start streaming from OBS, then follow the status and control flow in YouTube Live Control Room. Check the preview before you share the stream with viewers.
YouTube’s encoder instructions say streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. That guidance does not establish that a 24/7 broadcast will be saved as one complete replay. If you need an archive, check YouTube’s current guidance and plan recording separately rather than assuming a continuous stream will produce one intact recording. YouTube Help: Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder
Troubleshoot timer and scene problems
- The timer does not appear: Confirm the Browser Source is in the broadcast scene, its URL or local-file path is correct, and its viewport dimensions are nonzero. Check its visibility and layer order in Sources.
- The timer is cut off or covers the study content: Adjust the Browser Source width and height, then resize or crop it in the OBS preview. Recheck the composition at the output resolution you use.
- The timer restarts after a scene change: Check whether Shutdown source when not visible or Refresh browser source when scene becomes active is enabled. Turn off the setting that causes unwanted unloading or refreshes, if appropriate, and test again. Some timers may reset on reload regardless.
- The timer advances but the phase label or break timing is wrong: Review the configured focus, short-break, and long-break durations, session count, and automatic/manual behavior. Confirm the chosen timer’s controls apply the settings you intended.
- A scene-switching timer cannot change scenes: Confirm that scene switching is part of that specific implementation and that its required OBS permission is granted. If you do not need automatic scene changes, use a timer-only mode instead.
- YouTube does not receive the stream: Check that the correct stream is selected in Live Control Room and that OBS has the matching server URL and stream key. Follow the stream status shown in OBS and YouTube before troubleshooting the timer overlay.
Or let it run in the cloud
For a YouTube study stream made from uploaded video, StreamNeo can keep the channel live without leaving a computer or home connection running. The timer still needs to be part of the video you upload; StreamNeo plays uploaded videos and does not go live from a camera.
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