Free Countdown Timer for OBS Studio (Transparent)
A countdown timer is essential for any professional stream. It lets your audience know exactly when the content starts, giving them time to grab a snack or tag their friends. This tool generates a clean, customizable timer you can add directly to OBS.
How to Add This Timer to OBS
Unlike other tools that make you download a video file, this timer runs in real-time. This means it's crisp, clear, and uses zero CPU resources.
- Customize: Set your font, color, and duration (e.g., 5 or 10 minutes) using the controls above.
- Get the Link: Copy the URL of this page (with your settings applied, if available) or simply use this page as a Browser Source.
- Add Browser Source: In OBS, click + > Browser. Paste the URL.
- Key Step - Crop: Hold Alt and drag the edges of the red box in OBS to crop out the rest of the website, leaving only the timer visible.
- Remove Background: Ideally, use the "Chroma Key" filter in OBS if you need transparency, but this tool provides a solid background for readability. Select "Color Key" to remove the black background if needed.
Why 5-10 Minutes?
Data shows that a 5-10 minute "Starting Soon" screen is ideal. Less than 5 minutes isn't enough time for notifications to go out to mobile devices. More than 10 minutes can make early viewers bored and click away.
Features
- No Installation: Runs entirely in your browser.
- Custom Fans: Choose from monospaced digital fonts or modern sans-serifs.
- Zero Lag: Extremely lightweight compared to playing a video loop file.