Free Stream Starting Soon Screens and Overlays
A stream starting soon screen is the first thing viewers see when they click into your channel early. It sets expectations, keeps people from bouncing, and gives you time to finish setup without broadcasting dead air. Most streamers either use a static image or skip the screen entirely. Both are missed opportunities.
The assets below are animated starting soon screens, countdown timers, and text overlays exported as transparent WebM files. They work as OBS Media Sources out of the box. No plugins, no green screen removal, no extra steps. Grab one, drop it into a scene, and go live when you are ready.
Countdown timer overlays
Countdown timers give viewers a reason to stay. Instead of wondering whether you are starting in 30 seconds or 30 minutes, they see an actual number ticking down. These timers export with alpha transparency so you can layer them over any background scene, webcam feed, or branded waiting screen.
Animated countdown timers
No assets in this category yet.
Animated waiting screen backgrounds
A static background works, but an animated one signals that your stream is alive and about to begin. These loop-ready backgrounds run continuously without a visible seam. Use them as the base layer of your starting soon scene, then stack a countdown timer or text overlay on top.
Loop-ready stream backgrounds
Starting soon text animations
Text overlays handle the message itself. A clean "Starting Soon" animation that fades in, pulses, or types out letter-by-letter looks sharper than a static text source in OBS. These are transparent overlays you can position anywhere in your scene and combine with any background.
Animated text overlays
How to set up a starting soon scene in OBS
Setting up a starting soon scene in OBS takes under two minutes. Here is the full process from an empty scene to a ready-to-go waiting room.
Step 1: Create a new scene
In the Scenes panel, click the + button and name it something like "Starting Soon". Keeping it separate from your live scene means you can switch cleanly when you go live without rearranging sources mid-stream.
Step 2: Add a Media Source for the background
In the Sources panel, click + and select Media Source. Browse to your animated background WebM file. Check Loop so the background plays continuously. This becomes the base layer of your starting soon screen.
Step 3: Add a Media Source for the countdown timer
Add another Media Source and point it to your countdown timer WebM. Leave Loop unchecked so the timer plays once and stops at zero. Position and resize it in the preview canvas. The transparent background means only the timer itself is visible over the animated background below.
Step 4: Add a text source for stream info
Use a standard OBS Text (GDI+) source to display your stream title, schedule, or social handles. Position it below or beside the countdown timer. This is the layer you update each stream without changing the animation assets.
Step 5: Set up scene transitions
In OBS settings under Scene Transitions, pick a fade or cut transition. When you are ready to go live, switch from "Starting Soon" to your live scene. If you want auto-switching, use the Advanced Scene Switcher plugin to trigger the transition after a set duration or when your countdown timer finishes.
Customization tips
Every asset on this page was generated with Video Effect Vibe and has configurable parameters. That means the colors, text content, font size, animation timing, and overall style are not locked in. You can adjust them to match your channel branding instead of using a generic template that looks the same on every other stream.
To customize an asset, sign up for a free account and open it in the workspace editor. From there you can change parameters directly and preview the result before exporting. Common adjustments include:
- Brand colors — match your primary and accent colors to your Twitch panels, YouTube banner, or Kick profile.
- Countdown duration — set the timer to 3 minutes, 5 minutes, or whatever lead time you need before going live.
- Text content — swap "Starting Soon" for your stream title, a schedule reminder, or a custom message in any language.
- Animation speed — slow down or speed up transitions and pulsing effects to match the energy of your stream category.
- Font and weight — pick a typeface that fits your on-screen identity instead of defaulting to whatever the template shipped with.
Once you have the parameters dialed in, export as WebM and the file is ready for OBS, Streamlabs, or XSplit. No design software needed.
FAQ
What format should a starting soon screen be in for OBS?
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WebM with alpha transparency is the best format for OBS starting soon screens. OBS treats WebM files as Media Sources, and the alpha channel means the transparent parts of the overlay stay transparent. This lets you layer the starting soon animation over a background scene, camera feed, or solid color without any chroma keying.
Can I loop a starting soon screen until I go live?
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Yes. In OBS, add the file as a Media Source and check the Loop checkbox in the source properties. The animation will repeat continuously until you switch to your live scene. For countdown timers that should not loop, leave Loop unchecked and the timer will play once and hold on the final frame.
What resolution should a stream starting soon overlay be?
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Match your stream output resolution. For most Twitch, YouTube Live, and Kick streams, that means 1920x1080. Video Effect Vibe exports at 1080p by default. If you stream at 1440p or 4K, you can scale the overlay up in OBS without visible quality loss since the assets are motion graphics, not photographic footage.
How do I add a countdown timer to my starting soon scene?
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Add a Media Source in OBS and point it to your countdown WebM file. Uncheck Loop so the countdown plays once. Position it where you want the timer to appear. Set the scene to transition automatically after the countdown duration, or switch manually when you are ready to go live.
Do these work in Streamlabs and XSplit?
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Yes. Streamlabs Desktop supports WebM Media Sources the same way OBS does, including alpha transparency and looping. XSplit also supports WebM files as media sources. The setup steps are nearly identical across all three applications.
Can I customize the colors and text on these overlays?
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Every asset on Video Effect Vibe is generated from a prompt with configurable parameters. Sign up for a free account, open any asset in the workspace, and adjust colors, text content, font size, timing, and animation style. Then export a new WebM tailored to your channel branding.
Create a starting soon screen that matches your brand
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