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OBS does not document a setting that adds or removes a filename overlay for a Media Source. First find where the text comes from: a media player overlay, a separate OBS source, or text baked into the video. Then change the setting or source at that point. If the name appears only when you open a finished recording, check the playback app—not the recording image.

Find out where the filename appears

Check the OBS preview and, if possible, make a short test recording or stream. Then view the recording in a second player. This separates text in the OBS scene from a title that the playback app draws over the video.

  • It appears in the OBS preview or on the live output: inspect the scene sources and how the video is being brought into OBS.
  • It does not appear in the preview or recording itself, but appears when you play the recording: inspect the playback app’s on-screen display or title settings.
  • It remains visible when the video is played outside OBS: it may be part of the video image itself.

In a 2019 OBS forum thread, a helper said OBS does not insert a filename into a recording, and the original poster later confirmed a VLC setting was responsible in that case. That is a community troubleshooting report, not an official specification or proof that every filename display has the same cause. Read the OBS forum discussion.

Fix the filename at its source

If a media player is drawing the title

If you are capturing a player window or display, the player’s interface and overlays can be captured along with the video. Open the player’s on-screen display or title options and disable the filename display. The forum reports confirm a VLC setting fixed one user’s issue, but they do not establish a current VLC menu path or setting label, so check the options in your installed version.

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If OBS is capturing a player window or display

OBS distinguishes Display Capture from Media Sources: Display Capture captures what is shown on a display, while a Media Source adds a supported media file directly to a scene. If the filename comes from the player interface, try adding the file as a Media Source instead of capturing the player. Confirm the result in the preview and a short test output; this is a troubleshooting inference from the source types and the reported player-overlay case, not a dedicated filename-removal feature. See the OBS Sources Guide and OBS Media Sources documentation.

If the filename is a separate OBS source

In the Sources list, look for a Text source or other overlay that contains the filename. Click its eye icon to hide it. If it should remain in the scene but sit behind another visual, change its order: sources higher in the list appear above sources lower in the list. The eye icon toggles visibility; it does not delete the source. OBS’s Sources Guide explains visibility and source order.

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If the filename is part of the video image

If the text is visible in the actual source video, OBS cannot remove it as a separate title. Use a clean copy of the video or edit the image—such as cropping or covering the text—before using it. A player or OBS visibility setting can affect overlays, not text already rendered into the picture.

What Media Source and recording settings do—and do not do

OBS’s Media Sources documentation describes adding supported video and audio files to a scene, along with playback options such as restarting when active, hiding when playback ends, and closing a file while inactive. It does not list a control for displaying or hiding the filename. The guide lists video formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF, and WebM, and audio formats including MP3, AAC, OGG, and WAV. Check the guide for supported formats and current details: Media Sources.

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The recording output setting for naming files controls the name OBS gives a generated recording; it is distinct from text rendered visibly into the scene. Changing the recording filename format will not remove an overlay from the stream canvas. See the OBS Standard Recording Output Guide.

OBS Browser Source can load a local HTML file or URL and supports custom CSS, but it is not needed for this diagnosis and is not documented as a filename-removal feature. Use it only if you deliberately need a custom browser-based presentation. OBS Browser Source documentation.

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Troubleshoot if the filename is still visible

  • The change is absent from the live output: verify that you changed the player or source used by the active scene, then check the OBS preview and a new short test. A setting in a different player or scene will not affect the active capture.
  • The overlay appears only in a finished recording: open the recording in another player. If the filename appears only in one app, inspect that app’s overlay or title settings.
  • The text remains after hiding a suspected source: restore its eye icon and check other text or overlay sources. OBS source visibility only hides the selected source.
  • The text appears with a direct Media Source too: play the original file independently. If the filename is visible there as part of the picture, use an edited or clean source file.
  • You are changing the recording filename pattern: that affects the generated file’s name, not text rendered on the video canvas.

Once the source is corrected, make a short test output before relying on the scene. This catches overlays that are absent in one view but visible in the final output.

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Or let it run in the cloud

If your goal is to keep uploaded videos looping on a YouTube channel, StreamNeo is a separate option from OBS: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. StreamNeo keeps the stream running from the cloud, so your computer and home connection do not have to stay on. It streams the uploaded video, not a live camera feed.

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