How to Add Title and Subtitles in OBS Streaming Video
Adding titles and subtitles to your OBS live stream not just enhances its aesthetics but also delivers a better viewing experience. A clean, readable title can give your stream a professional look, whereas subtitles make sure your content is more inclusive for non-native speakers or viewers with hearing impairments. On top of that, they also keep your audience engaged, even if the sound is off. In this article on how to add titles and subtitles in your OBS streaming video, you will get to know the simple steps to make your streams look polished and accessible.
Part 1: How to Add a Title in OBS Streaming Video
Titles help your audience instantly understand what your stream is about. Whether it's a game stream, webinar, or talk show, a clear title adds content and branding.
Bonus: The Best OBS Streaming Camera - OBSBOT Tail 2 Live Production Camera
A high-quality camera is essential for professional-looking OBS streams, especially when you want your titles and subtitles to be clear and readable. The OBSBOT Tail 2 stands out as the best choice for streaming because its superior video quality, AI tracking, and stabilization keep your subjects perfectly framed, ensuring that captions, lower-thirds, and on-screen text always remain sharp, well-positioned, and easy for viewers to follow.
Key Features:
- High Resolution Keep Every Detail Sharp: Supports 4K@60fps for ultra-sharp video and 1080p@120fps for smooth motion. Clear, crisp video ensures that all titles, captions, and overlays remain readable and professional.
- 90° Auto-Rotation: Switch between horizontal and vertical shots, without remounting the camera.Makes it easy to adjust your stream layout depending on whether your titles/subtitles are placed at the top, bottom, or sides.
- AI Tracking 2.0: Tracks one or multiple people, keeping subjects centered in the frame.Keeps your titles, lower-thirds, and subtitles aligned with the subjects, avoiding awkward overlaps or drifting text.
- Multiple Connectivity Options: Seamlessly integrates with OBS and other streaming setups, lets you focus on adding polished titles and captions, rather than troubleshooting hardware connections.
Tip: Using OBSBOT Tail 2 alongside OBS's title and subtitle features provides a comprehensive streaming solution.
Step 1: Open OBS Studio
Launch OBS Studio and get your live broadcast scene ready.
Step 2: Select or Create a Scene
In the Scenes panel at the lower left corner, select the scene you want to edit or click '+' to make a new one.
Step 3: Add a Text Source
Click the '+' button in the Sources panel and choose:
- Windows: Text (GDI+)
- macOS: Text (FreeType 2)
Step 4: Name Your Text Layer
Give your text layer a descriptive name, for example, 'Stream Title', and click 'OK'
Step 5: Enter and Customize Your Title
In the properties window:
- Enter your title
- Adjust font, size, color, and outline/shadow settings
- Click 'OK' to save
Step 6: Position the Title
In the OBS preview, click and drag the text layer to your desired position. You may resize if needed.
Part 2: How to Add Subtitles in OBS Streaming Video
Step 1: Open OBS Studio on your computer
Make sure you have the latest version of OBS Studio installed.
Step 2: Install OBS Captioning Plugin
- Download the OBS Captioning Plugin
- Follow the instructions to install it into OBS
Step 3: Add the Plugin to Your Scene
- Open OBS and select the scene where you want subtitles
- Go to Tools → Captions (Experimental)
- Select your microphone as the audio input
Step 4: Configure Caption Settings
- Choose your language.
- Select Whisper (or other available models) for real-time transcription.
- Adjust options like display font, size, and color if available.
Step 5: Start Streaming
Once everything is working:
- Click Start Streaming.
- Your audience will now see live subtitles during the stream.
Part 3: FAQs About How to Add Title and Subtitles in OBS Streaming Video
1. How do I add a title to a stream on OBS?
Open your scene in OBS, click the '+' in the Sources panel, select Text (GDI+ / FreeType 2) depending on your OS, name your text layer, enter your title, customize font, size, color, outline/shadow, and drag it to the desired position in the preview.
2. How to add labels in OBS?
Use the same Text Source method to create labels for overlays, player names, or topics. Customize the style and placement to ensure readability and consistent branding across your stream.
3. How to have moving text in OBS?
After adding a Text Source, install or apply the Move Transition or Scroll filter from OBS filters. Configure speed, direction, and movement path to create dynamic, engaging text effects for your viewers.
4. What is better, GDI or MPI?
For Windows, GDI+ offers more styling options. MPI is not a common OBS text format.
5. How to add custom text in OBS?
Add a Text Source and fully customize every aspect: font type, size, color, alignment, outline, and shadow. You can also animate or layer text for emphasis, ensuring it matches your brand and stream theme perfectly.
Conclusion
Adding titles and subtitles makes your live streams look professional and titles accessible, improving audience engagement and inclusivity. In this article on how to add title and subtitles in OBS streaming video, you've learned step-by-step how to insert and style titles, plus integrate real-time subtitles using WebCaptioner. Whether you're streaming games, interviews, or presentations, these enhancements help you connect with a broader audience.
