How to add an overlay to OBS Studio

How to add a stream overlay image, webcam frame and scene to OBS Studio, and switch between scenes while you stream.

1. Unzip your overlay files

Extract the overlay pack to a folder you will keep (for example, Documents/Overlays). OBS reads files from their location, so if you move them later you will need to point OBS to the new path.

2. Create a scene

In OBS Studio, click + under the Scenes panel and name it (for example “Live”, “Starting Soon” or “BRB”).

3. Add the overlay as an image source

With the scene selected, click + under Sources, choose Image, and browse to the overlay PNG. For animated overlays (video files such as .webm or .mp4), choose Media Source instead and tick Loop.

4. Add your webcam and game

Add a Video Capture Device for your webcam and a Game Capture or Display Capture for gameplay. In the Sources list, order matters: sources higher in the list appear on top. Put the overlay or webcam frame above the webcam so the frame sits over it.

5. Position and resize

Drag the red handles to resize. Right-click a source and use Transform → Fit to screen for full-screen overlays. Make sure your canvas resolution (Settings → Video) matches the overlay size, commonly 1920×1080.

6. Switch scenes while live

Click scenes to switch, or set hotkeys in Settings → Hotkeys. Turn on Studio Mode to preview a scene before sending it live.