Why a countdown before your stream?
The first minutes of a stream decide whether viewers stay. A starting soon screen with a countdown tells everyone who arrives early that it is about to begin. Chat can warm up, notifications reach your community and you have time to check audio, camera and scenes one last time.
Three steps in OBS
- Pick “Starting soon” or “Stream starts at …” above and adjust time, texts and look.
- Copy the URL and add it in OBS as a new Browser source with the width and height shown.
- Tick Refresh browser when scene becomes active so the countdown restarts every time you switch to the scene.
The full guide with every option is on the OBS timer page.
Ideas for your starting soon screen
- Countdown to a time: counts down to your announced start time, even if you open OBS early.
- Start when you go live: the timer starts the moment you click “Start Streaming”.
- End text: for example “Let’s go!” before you switch to your main scene.
- Box style with outline: stays readable over colourful backgrounds and animations.
Frequently asked questions
Does the countdown restart every time?
Yes, if you tick “Refresh browser when scene becomes active” in the browser source properties. It then starts from the beginning whenever you switch to the scene.
Can I count down to a fixed time?
Yes. Choose the mode “Until a time” and enter your start time, for example 20:00. The timer uses the clock of your streaming PC.
Does it work in Streamlabs?
Yes. Add the link in Streamlabs Desktop as a Browser Source. The automatic start when you go live works in OBS Studio and Streamlabs Desktop.