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To show a holding slide between prerecorded church services without ending your YouTube livestream, keep one encoder stream running and switch between OBS scenes. Put each service in its own scene and make another scene for the slide; use OBS Studio Mode to preview the next scene, then transition it live. A scheduled YouTube trailer is different: it plays before a scheduled stream starts, not between services.
How the holding slide works
YouTube receives one continuous feed from an encoder such as OBS. The holding slide is one scene in that feed, alongside scenes for the prerecorded services. Switching scenes changes what viewers see without stopping the stream, provided the encoder stays connected.
YouTube describes encoder streaming as a way to send a feed from streaming software or hardware for more advanced productions. Its stream URL and stream key tell the encoder where to send that feed. YouTube Help puts it plainly: “Stream keys are like your YouTube stream’s password and address.” Keep the key private.
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- Create or select the event. In YouTube Studio, create or open the scheduled live event. Locate its stream URL and stream key in the event’s stream settings.
- Connect OBS to that event. In OBS, configure the stream destination with the event’s YouTube stream URL and key. Use the event’s own credentials, and do not share or publish the key.
- Prepare one scene per segment. In OBS, create scenes for the first prerecorded service, the holding slide, and the next service. Add the relevant video or image sources using the controls in your installed OBS version. Check that each video has the intended audio and that the slide is legible at the output resolution.
- Keep the encoder live. Start sending the feed to YouTube before the service begins. Do not stop the OBS stream when moving between scenes.
OBS’s scene-transition documentation supports changing scenes, but its reviewed guidance does not specify exact media-source setup or still-image duration controls for every version. Confirm those details in your installed version and rehearse the timing rather than relying on an assumed default.
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Switch to the holding slide without ending the livestream
- In OBS, enable Studio Mode. OBS separates the current Live Scene from the scene being prepared for editing. The OBS Project overview guide explains that Studio Mode lets you change scenes in the background without viewers seeing those changes.
- Select the holding-slide scene in the preview/edit area. Confirm the slide is the right one before taking it live.
- Choose a transition such as Fade or Cut, then select Transition. OBS lists Fade and Cut as available at launch, along with options including Swipe, Slide, Fade to color, and Luma Wipe. Transition duration can be changed in OBS; choose a duration that suits the service and test it beforehand.
- When the next service is ready, select its scene in the preview/edit area and select Transition again. The encoder continues sending the same live feed throughout.
Studio Mode is useful when the next scene needs checking before viewers see it. For an operator who is comfortable with direct switching, the core requirement remains the same: choose the intended scene and transition while keeping the encoder stream running.
Rehearse the handoff before the service
Run a private or unlisted rehearsal using the planned event setup. Check the full sequence, not just the slide in isolation:
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- The correct YouTube event receives the OBS feed.
- The slide appears cleanly between the two service videos, with no unintended desktop or editing view.
- Each prerecorded service has the expected picture and audio.
- The selected transition and its duration look appropriate.
- The operator knows which scene is live and which is being prepared.
- The stream remains active while scenes change.
A Stream Deck is optional: YouTube describes it as a controller that can map shortcuts. It is not required to switch OBS scenes.
Holding slide versus YouTube trailer
A YouTube trailer plays on a scheduled live event’s watch page before the live stream begins. It does not insert a slide between two services inside an already-running stream. For an in-stream intermission, use an encoder scene such as the OBS holding-slide scene described above. YouTube Help publishes trailer eligibility and length requirements in its live-stream settings guidance.
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Or let it run in the cloud
If the services are prerecorded videos and the goal is to keep a YouTube channel live without leaving a church computer running, StreamNeo is a cloud option: upload the recording or build a playlist, add the YouTube stream key, and go live. It loops uploaded videos; it does not stream a camera, and it streams to YouTube only. See StreamNeo.
Quick Recap
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