Free OBS Tools for Streamers
These free OBS tools give you features you always wanted for your stream, taking hassle away from your workflow. These are pretty rad, so let's jump right in.
Animated Lower Thirds
First up, we have an Animated Lower Thirds browser source and dockable control panel for OBS. This is a really cool HTML package that both generates an animated name or title lower third for your streams, but it also does more than that. It works by just using one HTML file as a browser source, and then another for a dockable control panel using the OBS custom browser docs feature to let you completely customize and tweak the lower thirds on the fly directly within OBS. There's a ton of options, and they even added a Lua script to let you set hotkeys for all this in OBS too.
Redirect YouTube Chat
Next up is a pretty janky Python web server setup, but one that could really make YouTube's streaming chat management more convenient. Redirect YouTube Chat always pulls the most recent live chat for your YouTube channel, allowing you to just use the local host URL for browser docs or browser sources to manage or embed YouTube chat in your stream. Alright, not gonna lie, I thought this was a lot more jank than it actually is. Streaming it up is super simple and there are results that are pretty stellar, so I highly recommend this for you if you stream to YouTube a lot and get annoyed tracking all your chat URLs. Python stuff never goes entirely according to plan with these OBS projects, but chat management is one of the most frustrating aspects of streaming to YouTube, so hopefully this makes it a little easier for some of you.
Control OBS from RODECaster Pro
This next one I couldn't actually test, but I did want to highlight there's a beta firmware on the forums that allows the RODECaster Pro audio mixer to control OBS via MIDI. I have no clue if it still works or if it's worth looking into, especially since there's now a Model 2 of the RODECaster Pro already, which does have some OBS control built in, but it seemed pretty handy for those of you who already invested in the first one.
OBS Definitive Guide
If you're wanting to learn everything about OBS Studio, from how to use it, from a complete noob to mastering even the most advanced streaming and recording setups, you need to check out my new course - my first-ever course, the OBS Definitive Guide. This course is jam-packed with 126 videos - about 19 hours of content - walking you through step by step everything you need to know to use OBS to stream, record, present webinars, video conference, and more. Plus, it's always growing. I have more videos in the works already immediately after release - those are all be added free to those who have the course. It comes with 24 albums of StreamSafe music, including some course-exclusive tracks from our backing track catalog that didn't release publicly, a free Nerd or Diagnostics package, and more. Get a significant discount by using the code \\
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enThese free OBS tools give you featuresyou always wanted foryour stream, taking hassleaway from your workflow.These are pretty rad,so let's jump right in.Animated Lower Thirds First up, we havean Animated Lower Thirdsbrowser source anddockable control panel for OBS.This is a really cool HTML package thatboth generates ananimated name or title lowerthird for your streams, butit also does more than that.It works by just using one HTML file as abrowser source, andthen another for a dockablecontrol panel using the OBS custombrowser docs feature to let youcompletely customizeand tweak the lower thirds on the flydirectly within OBS.There's a ton of options, and they evenadded a Lua script tolet you set hotkeys for allof this in OBS too.Redirect YouTube Chat Next up is a prettyjanky Python web serversetup, but one that could really makeYouTube's streaming chatmanagement more convenient.Redirect YouTube Chat always pulls themost recent live chatfor your YouTube channel,allowing you to just use the local hostURL for browser docs orbrowser sources to manageor embed YouTube chat in your stream.Alright, not gonna lie, I thought thiswas a lot more jank than it actually is.Streaming it up is super simple and theresults are prettystellar, so I highly recommendthis for you if you stream to YouTube alot and get annoyedtracking all your chat URLs.Python stuff never goes entirelyaccording to plan withthese OBS projects, but chatmanagement is one of the most frustratingaspects of streamingto YouTube, so hopefullythis makes it a littleeasier for some of you.Control OBS from the RODECaster Pro.This next one I can't actually test, butI did want to highlightthere's a beta firmwareon the forums that allows the RODECasterPro audio mixer to control OBS via MIDI.I have no clue if it still works or ifit's worth looking into,especially since there'snow a Model 2 of the RODECaster Proalready, which does havesome OBS control built in,but it seemed pretty handy for those ofyou who alreadyinvested in the first one.OBS Definitive Guide.If you're wanting to learn everythingabout OBS Studio, from howto use it, from a completenoob to mastering even the most advancedstreaming and recordingsetups, you need to check outmy new course - my first-ever course, theOBS Definitive Guide.This course is jam-packed with 126 videos- about 19 hours of content - walking youthrough step by step everything you needto know to use OBS tostream, record, presentwebinars, video conference, and more.Plus, it's always growing.I have more videos in the works alreadyimmediately after release -those are all be added freeto those who have the course.It comes with 24 albums of StreamSafemusic, including somecourse-exclusive tracks fromour backing track catalog that didn'trelease publicly, a free Nerd orDiagraphics package,and more.Get a significant discount by using thecode \"LaunchMe\" atcheckout by clicking thelink in the video description.Make any window an overlay.This next one is a simple yet genius useof AutoHockey, thescripting and text completionprogram for Windows, to give you anoverlay over your games.An overlay of what?Literally anything.Any window you have open can be anoverlay that issemi-transparent, can be clicked throughas to not interfere with your game, anddisplay anything fromYouTube videos to your Twitchchat to your StreamElements recentactivity feed if that's what you want.I'm always trying to find new ways to letyou single-monitorgamers get your informationin front of you while you're streaming,and this seems pretty epic.It's worth noting that if you capture agame with a displaycapture source, it willsee this overlay, but window and gamecapture sources shouldn'twithout having the \"CaptureOverlays\" box ticked.So just keep that in mind.GREEN CAMThis last one is awesome in concept, butI had trouble gettingit to work in practice.Regardless, I wantedto shout out Green Cam.This is a virtual green screen tool thataims to provide a freealternative to Chromacamor XSplit vCAM to remove your backgroundand replace it withChroma Green, allowing youto chroma key out in OBS.You can run it as a web app or install itlocally, though thelocal install method iscomplicated and I did not mess with that.But with the web app, I kept encounteringan issue where itwould only access my camerafor a single frame, and then the light onmy camera would goout and it wouldn't showany other frames, it would just show thatinitial frame as itwas loading my webcam.There are so many cool OBS tools outthere to make yourstreaming and content creationlife easier, including a couple reallycool ones that I didn'ttalk about here, but Idid talk about in this video.So go ahead and click somewhere one ofthese, click on it tocheck those out, and rememberto be kind, rewind.\n"
