Restarts with the scene
Tick one box and the countdown starts from the top whenever your starting soon scene goes live. No OBS refresh settings to hunt for.
Starting soon screens
Your starting soon
screen, sorted.
Give chat something to watch while they arrive: a full-screen animated scene with a countdown, your stream title and a proper “We’re live!” moment — or a transparent timer over your own art.
Loading the stream studio…
A moment at zero
Your message takes over with a pop and optional confetti in your colours — the cue to switch to your main scene.
Going live at a set time?
If you start at 7 PM sharp every time, the next stream countdown counts to the clock instead of a duration, so a reload can never shift it.
More for your stream
BRB timerBreaks that count back to youSubathon timerA timer your community keeps extendingNext stream countdownCounts down to your schedule, every weekStream uptime timerHow long you’ve been liveOBS clock overlayYour time of day, for chat around the worldIRL stream overlayYour city’s time, on the moveStudy with me timerPomodoro focus and break roundsAll stream overlays58 themes, 9 jobs, one studioOBS countdown timerSetup, reload behaviour and hotkeys
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a starting soon countdown be?
Five minutes is the usual choice: long enough for go-live notifications to reach people and for early arrivals to settle in, short enough that they don’t drift off. Pick any length from a few seconds to several hours.
Can the starting soon screen play music?
The overlay is silent on purpose, so it never clashes with your audio. Add music as its own media or audio source in the same scene, where you control the volume and the mix.
Can I use my own background art?
Yes. Choose the Transparent background and put the overlay above your image or video source in OBS. The theme scenes are there for when you don’t have art yet.
What happens when the countdown reaches zero?
The title switches to your message (“We’re live!” by default), with confetti if you turned it on. Choose “Count the overtime” instead to show how far past the start you are.
Overlays load in OBS’s Browser Source. Test your scene before going live. Timing a talk or a lesson instead? Make a timer video or embed a timer on a website.