To hear when someone sends an ordinary chat message, use the sound-notification settings in Streamlabs’ Chat Box widget. Choose a sound and volume, set the quiet-chat trigger and cooldown, then keep the source active across the scenes where you want notifications. A chat overlay viewers can see and automatic messages about follows or subscriptions are separate features.
Set up incoming-message sounds in Streamlabs
- Add Chat Box: In Streamlabs, set up the Chat Box widget. Its Chat Notifications feature handles sounds for incoming chat messages.
- Choose the sound: Select a built-in notification sound or upload one, then adjust its volume.
- Set the timing: The cooldown controls how soon another sound can play after the previous one. Streamlabs documents a default cooldown of five seconds. Separately, the trigger threshold controls how long chat must be quiet before a new message triggers a notification; the available range is five seconds to ten minutes. A higher threshold is useful if you want a sound when chat resumes after a lull, rather than repeated sounds during an ongoing conversation.
- Keep the source active across scenes: In the Chat Box browser-source properties, Streamlabs recommends turning off “Shutdown source when not visible.” Add the Chat Box source to each scene where you want sounds to remain available. If you want the sound but not the chat displayed over gameplay or a BRB screen, place the source below the visible scene sources.
- Avoid duplicate sounds: When reusing the widget in another scene, add it as an existing source rather than creating another copy.
These controls are documented in Streamlabs’ “How to Set Up Chat Notifications” guide, dated September 5, 2025. Test the sound and scene behavior in your own setup before going live. The guide explains the controls but does not provide a complete test procedure; Streamlabs’ general alerts test function concerns alerts and does not prove ordinary-message notifications work.
Choose the feature that matches what you want
| Your goal | Documented option | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Hear when ordinary chat arrives | Streamlabs Chat Box sound notification | Plays a configurable sound, with volume, cooldown and quiet-chat trigger settings. |
| Show chat on your stream layout | A chat overlay added as a Browser Source | Displays chat visually; this is not evidence of an audible message-notification feature. |
| Post a chat message for a follow or subscription | StreamElements Chat Alerts | Posts configured messages for supported channel events; available event types vary by platform. |
If you use OBS
OBS’s FAQ describes using a third-party Browser Source for chat overlays; it does not describe a native OBS chat-overlay feature. Streamlabs also documents using its widget URL as a Browser Source in other streaming software. That can embed third-party content, but the Streamlabs Chat Box sound settings—not OBS itself—are the documented route for incoming-message audio.
If you want viewers to see Twitch chat
StreamElements documents a Twitch chat overlay: create an overlay, add “Your Stream’s Chat,” customize and save it, then copy the overlay URL into your streaming layout. Its guide covers Twitch emotes, including animated emotes and BTTV, FFZ and 7TV emotes; unlisted 7TV emotes are not supported. This is a visual overlay, not a documented sound cue for ordinary messages.
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If you want automated event messages
StreamElements’ Chat Alerts are configured in the dashboard under Chatbot > Chat Alerts. Enable the event types you want and configure their messages and parameters. These messages acknowledge events such as follows or subscriptions; they do not notify you with a sound whenever an ordinary chat message arrives. The event list differs among Twitch, YouTube and Kick.
Keep notifications useful during a live stream
- For a busy chat, consider whether you want a cue for every eligible message or only when conversation resumes after a quiet stretch; adjust the trigger threshold accordingly.
- Check the sound level in your actual listening setup so it is noticeable without overpowering the game or microphone audio.
- Switch through the scenes you use—including gameplay, intermission and BRB scenes—to confirm the source remains active where intended.
- If you hear duplicate sounds, check whether multiple copies of the widget were added instead of reusing the existing source.
Troubleshooting
No sound plays
Check that Chat Notifications has a sound selected and its volume is not set too low. Confirm the Chat Box source is present and active in the current scene, and that the source has not been shut down while hidden. Also consider the trigger threshold: if chat has not been quiet for long enough, a new message may not produce a sound.
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Sounds stop after changing scenes
In the Chat Box browser-source properties, turn off “Shutdown source when not visible,” then make the source available in every scene where you need notifications. Streamlabs recommends these settings to avoid interruptions and chat being cleared during scene changes.
There are too many sounds—or too few
The cooldown limits how frequently sounds can occur, while the quiet-chat trigger threshold determines whether a message after a quiet period triggers one. They are separate controls: review both rather than changing only the volume.
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The chat appears on screen, but there is no sound
A visible chat overlay and an audible incoming-message notification are different functions. Confirm that you configured Streamlabs Chat Box notifications; adding a Twitch chat overlay or another Browser Source for display does not by itself establish that ordinary-message sounds are enabled.
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