To add a transition in OBS Studio, use the Scene Transitions panel: choose the active transition and set its duration. Fade and Cut are available by default; click the plus button to add other built-in options. For a more controlled change, turn on Studio Mode, prepare the next scene in preview, then click Transition when you are ready to take it live.
Choose and configure a scene transition
- In the OBS main window, find the Scene Transitions section.
- Select the transition you want from its drop-down. Cut switches scenes immediately; Fade changes gradually. For a more directional or stylized change, click the plus button in the section and select an additional built-in option.
- Set the transition’s duration in the Scene Transitions controls. Preview the effect at the duration you intend to use; a longer or shorter transition changes how quickly the next scene appears.
The OBS Studio Overview Guide lists Swipe, Slide, Fade to color, and Luma Wipe among the additional built-in choices. Available options may differ in later versions of OBS, so use the choices shown in your installed version.
Prepare a scene change with Studio Mode
- Enable Studio Mode in OBS.
- Select and edit the next scene in the preview side. The other side shows the scene currently live.
- When the preview is ready, click Transition to put it on air using the configured transition.
You can also add a configured transition as a Quick Transition in Studio Mode and set a duration for it. This is useful when you want a separate transition or timing for a particular scene change without changing the main transition controls.
Add a custom stinger transition
A stinger is a video overlay that plays across a cut between scenes. It is optional: the built-in transitions are enough for ordinary scene changes. OBS also documents a Track Matte mode for stingers, in which an animated mask controls how the next scene is revealed. In the mask, black represents the current scene, white represents the next scene, and intermediate gray values can blend between them.
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Track Matte file layout
OBS’s guide describes the overlay and matte together in one video file, arranged side by side or stacked. For example, if each part is 1920×1080, the combined file is 3840×1080 side by side or 1920×2160 stacked. OBS disables separate files in this mode because it cannot guarantee synchronized playback. Track Matte mode was introduced in OBS Studio 27.0; consult the controls in your installed version, as interfaces can change.
Test before going live
- Switch through the scenes you plan to use and check that the correct sources appear.
- Preview each transition at its intended duration, including any stinger, before using it on a broadcast.
- Use Studio Mode to check the next scene before taking it live if you need to avoid showing edits in progress.
OBS recommends testing settings and scenes before a first live stream. Its guides documenting the transition controls and Track Matte mode are dated August 25, 2021.
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Or let it run in the cloud
OBS transitions are for scene changes in an OBS production. If your goal instead is to keep a prerecorded YouTube video or playlist live around the clock, StreamNeo is a separate cloud option: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops uploaded videos to YouTube; it does not stream a camera feed. Your computer and home connection do not have to stay on, it supports whatever quality you upload up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, and 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 start the free first day.
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- Single Tap Control: This USB macro keyboard pad supports single tap commands for quick operation. Users can trigger pre-set macros, input text, open files and web pages, adjust media playback, or switch OBS scenes with one tap. The straightforward layout fits gaming, live streaming and professional office task setup
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