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Use OBS scenes to send a holding screen, countdown, and service view through one continuing YouTube stream. Create the visuals as sources in OBS, connect OBS to YouTube with the stream URL and stream key, then switch scenes at the right time. A looping countdown file repeats; it does not automatically count down to a scheduled start time.
What you need before you start
- A computer running OBS that can stay on and connected for the period you want to stream.
- A YouTube channel with access to the Live Control Room.
- A holding-screen image and countdown video or graphics. Use visuals and audio the church owns or is authorized to stream.
- Your YouTube server URL and stream key. Keep the stream key private.
You do not need dedicated countdown hardware for this scene-based setup. YouTube lists cameras, microphones, mixers, and hardware encoders as examples for production workflows, but those are not required just to put a holding screen and countdown into an OBS output. See YouTube’s encoder setup guidance and the OBS Sources Guide.
Prepare the holding screen and countdown
Holding screen
Make a church-branded image that fills the video canvas. Include the church name, service time and time zone, and brief instructions for viewers, such as when the service begins. Keep text large enough to read on a phone. If you want motion, use a quiet, licensed video visual instead of an image; avoid capturing an unintended desktop or open window.
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Countdown
Choose a countdown clip or build the graphic from image assets. A clip can be added as an OBS Media Source; OBS documents supported media-source formats and its Loop setting in Media Sources. Enable Loop only if you want the file to repeat. If it should run once, leave Loop off and switch scenes manually or use a suitable scene workflow.
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A looping file is not a clock synchronized with the service start time. For a reliable start, check when the countdown begins and select a clip whose duration and displayed time match the moment you intend to begin the service.
Create the scenes in OBS
- Create the holding scene. In OBS, use the Scenes panel to add a scene named
Holding. In Sources, add an Image Source for the background and a Text source for any text that is not already part of the image. - Set the source order. Place the background below text and overlays in the Sources list so the background does not cover them. OBS scenes can combine image, text, video, and capture sources; see the OBS Sources Guide.
- Create the countdown scene. Add a scene named
Countdown. Add the countdown file as a Media Source, or add image assets for a graphic countdown. Check the source’s Loop setting and preview its playback. - Create the service scene. Add a scene named
Serviceand arrange the camera, presentation, or other production sources the church uses. Confirm that the intended microphone and other audio sources are present and that desktop audio is not unintentionally audible. - Preview each scene. Confirm that the holding image fills the canvas, overlays remain visible, phone-sized text is readable, and the countdown starts at the intended point.
Connect OBS to the YouTube stream
- In YouTube Studio, open the Live Control Room and create a stream or schedule one using the encoder workflow described in YouTube Help.
- Copy the YouTube server URL and stream key into OBS’s stream settings. Do not share or display the key; anyone with it may be able to send video to the channel.
- Start streaming from OBS and check the YouTube preview. For a scheduled stream, follow the Live Control Room workflow and use YouTube’s Go live control when required.
- Once the stream is transmitting, leave OBS connected and change the active scene from
HoldingtoCountdown, then toServiceat the appropriate times. These scene changes alter the video within the same encoder output; they do not require a new YouTube broadcast for each screen.
Choose how to handle a 24/7 feed and individual services
| Approach | What viewers see | Useful when | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| One continuous stream with scene changes | The same stream changes from holding screen to countdown to service. | Continuity on one watch page matters more than separate event pages. | YouTube Help says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived; a single uninterrupted 24/7 broadcast is longer than that threshold. Do not assume it will produce a complete automatic archive. Check current YouTube behavior and plan how to provide replays. |
| A continuous feed plus separate event broadcasts | The 24/7 feed continues while a particular event has its own broadcast video. | The church needs a distinct watch page or replay for an individual event. | This requires managing separate broadcast workflows. Google’s API documentation describes the distinction between a broadcast video and a stream transmission, including a separate broadcast alongside a 24/7 feed: Understanding broadcasts and streams. |
Decide based on whether separate event watch pages are needed, how replays will be handled, how much encoder or API workflow the church can maintain, and whether the audio and visuals are cleared for use.
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Protect the stream from copyright interruptions
YouTube says live streams are scanned for matches to third-party content. A match may cause a placeholder to replace the stream or lead to interruption or termination. This applies to content in a countdown or holding screen as well as the service itself. Read YouTube’s guidance on copyright issues with live streams.
Permission to perform or play a track does not necessarily prevent an automated interruption. YouTube says a rights holder may need to add the channel to its Content ID allowlist; check permissions and allowlisting before using church music or a music bed, including when the church has a license.
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Troubleshoot common problems
- The countdown repeats instead of finishing. Turn off Loop on the Media Source if the file should play once, then preview it again.
- The countdown does not match the service start. A looping file does not synchronize itself to a scheduled time. Start the correct clip at the intended point or use a workflow that lets you switch scenes at the right time.
- Text or overlays disappear. Move the background lower in the Sources order so it does not cover text and other overlays.
- Viewers see the wrong image or desktop. Check the active scene and its sources before the stream; remove or disable unintended capture sources.
- YouTube does not show the expected preview or go-live state. Verify that OBS has the correct server URL and stream key, then follow the scheduled-stream controls in the Live Control Room.
- The stream drops frames or becomes unstable. A local 24/7 encoder relies on a computer that remains available and a stable connection. OBS’s Help Portal explains that rising dropped-frame counts and an unstable or insufficient connection can cause frame loss. Check the connection and encoder computer rather than treating a scene change as a fix.
- The stream is interrupted during music playback. Review the YouTube copyright notice, confirm the rights for the material, and ask the rights holder about Content ID allowlisting where applicable.
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