How to Build Animated Starting Soon and BRB Screens in OBS

What is a starting soon or BRB screen?

It's a dedicated OBS scene that plays while you're not actively streaming content: before you go live, when you step away, or when you're wrapping up. Instead of dead air or a static image, it shows a looping animated background with text telling viewers what's happening and roughly when you'll be back.

Having one ready means you're never caught scrambling for something to put on screen when a notification pops up or your camera needs adjusting.

What do you need before you start?

• OBS Studio (or a fork such as Streamlabs Desktop) installed and set up with your stream or recording
• A looping MP4 background that matches your channel's tone, browsed by theme in the animated backgrounds collection
• A text source or two for status and countdown
• Optional: a small audio loop for the waiting period

For general OBS setup and scene basics, see the OBS Studio guide.

How do you build a starting soon scene?

1. In OBS, click the + under Scenes and name it something clear, like "Starting Soon."
2. In that scene, click + under Sources, choose Media Source, and point it at your downloaded MP4. Untick "Restart playback when source becomes active" if you want it to keep running smoothly between scene switches, and make sure Loop is ticked.
3. Resize the video to fill the canvas. Right-click the source, select Transform, then Fit to screen, so it matches your stream resolution without stretching.
4. Add a Text (GDI+) source for a heading such as "Starting Soon" and position it in the upper or lower third, away from the busiest part of the animation.
5. Add a second text source for details, like your start time or today's topic.
6. Save the scene and switch to it to check readability on both a desktop preview and, if possible, a phone screen, since many viewers watch on mobile.

How do you set up a BRB scene?

A "be right back" scene works the same way but usually needs a shorter, calmer background so it doesn't distract while you're away from the desk.

1. Duplicate your Starting Soon scene (right-click it in the Scenes panel and choose Duplicate) so your layout and fonts stay consistent.
2. Rename the duplicate "BRB" and swap the media source for a different loop, ideally one with a slower pace. The lofi study and fireplace collections both work well for a relaxed waiting screen.
3. Update the text to something like "Be Right Back" and adjust the secondary line if you use it for an estimated return time.
4. For an ending screen, duplicate again and change the heading to "Stream Ending" or "Thanks for Watching," with a calmer loop such as one from the night sky or rain collections.

How do you add a countdown timer?

OBS doesn't have a built-in countdown, so most streamers use a browser source pointed at a free countdown timer page, or a plugin such as a timer/clock source if their OBS version supports it.

1. Add a Browser Source to your Starting Soon scene.
2. Set the width and height to match a small panel size, not the full canvas.
3. Paste the URL of your chosen countdown tool and set the target time before each stream.
4. Position the browser source near your text so viewers can see both the message and the countdown at once.

Some streamers prefer a static "Starting around [time]" text line instead, updated manually before each session.

How do you switch scenes with hotkeys?

1. Open Settings > Hotkeys in OBS.
2. Scroll to find each scene name (Starting Soon, BRB, Live, Ending).
3. Click the field next to "Switch to Scene" for that scene and press the key combination you want.
4. Choose combinations you won't hit by accident, and avoid keys already bound to other OBS or system functions.
5. Test each hotkey once before going live so you're not fumbling for the mouse mid-stream.

What about audio?

Keep background audio low or skip it on the Starting Soon and BRB scenes, since many viewers will have chat or music already playing. If you do add a loop, set its volume well below your microphone level in the Audio Mixer, and check it doesn't have an audible seam. Mute it in your Ending scene if you're layering in a sign-off message or outro music separately.

Tips for keeping it readable

• Keep text short. Viewers glance at these screens, they don't read paragraphs.
• Pick a background loop with enough contrast behind your text, or add a semi-transparent box behind the text source.
• Match font size to your typical layout elsewhere in the stream, so the scene doesn't feel disconnected from your usual look.
• Test on a small preview window, since a laptop thumbnail is closer to how many viewers will actually see it.
• If your stream is vertical for Kick or mobile-first platforms, use a portrait-oriented loop rather than cropping a landscape one, which often cuts off the parts of the animation that make it worth watching.

Frequently asked questions

What video format should I use for a BRB screen in OBS?

MP4 is the safest choice for OBS Media Sources, since it plays reliably across Windows, Mac and Linux builds without extra codec installs.

Can I use the same background for starting soon and BRB scenes?

Yes, though many streamers prefer a calmer or slower loop for BRB and ending screens since viewers often watch them for longer stretches while waiting.

Why does my looping background show a visible jump or stutter?

This usually means the source clip wasn't exported as a clean loop, or OBS is restarting playback on every scene switch. Untick "Restart playback when source becomes active" in the Media Source properties and use a loop that was built to cut cleanly from end to start.

Do I need a separate scene for every platform I stream to?

No. If you're streaming the same output to Twitch, YouTube and Kick simultaneously, one set of scenes covers all of them, since OBS sends the same video feed to each destination.