How to Format Text Files for OBS Studio

Using a text file to display dynamic information on your stream—such as current music, latest subscribers, or custom alerts—is an excellent way to keep your broadcast engaging. To ensure OBS Studio reads and updates your text source continuously without errors, you must format the text file correctly and configure the OBS source settings properly. This guide covers the exact file preparation, encoding, and formatting rules required for seamless, real-time updates in OBS.

1. Choose the Correct File Type and Encoding

OBS Studio requires a plain text file to read data continuously.

• File Extension: Use a standard plain text file ending in .txt. Do not use rich text formats like .rtf, .docx, or .pdf.
• Encoding: Save your text file using UTF-8 encoding. This ensures that special characters, non-English scripts, and emojis display correctly on your stream without turning into broken code.
  • On Windows (Notepad): Click File > Save As, and select UTF-8 from the “Encoding” dropdown menu at the bottom before saving.
  • On Mac (TextEdit): Go to Format > Make Plain Text, then save the file with UTF-8 encoding.

2. Formatting the Text Content

How you format the text inside the file determines how it will render in your OBS scene.

• For Static/Single-Line Displays: Keep all text on a single line. If you plan to use the “Filters > Scroll” effect in OBS to create a moving ticker, add a few blank spaces or a separator (like | or •) at the very end of your text line. This prevents the end of the text from running directly into the beginning when it loops.
• For Multi-Line Blocks: Press Enter to create line breaks. OBS will respect these line breaks and display the text as a block.
• Keep it clean: Avoid leaving empty lines at the bottom of the document unless you want blank space to appear in your OBS layout.

3. Configuring OBS Studio to Read the File

Once your file is formatted and saved, you must configure OBS to monitor it for changes.

1. Open OBS Studio and go to your Sources dock.
2. Click the + (Add) icon and select Text (GDI+) (Windows) or Text (FreeType 2) (Mac). Name your source and click OK.
3. In the properties window, check the box labeled Read from file.
4. Click Browse and select your saved .txt file.
5. Set your desired font, color, and size, then click OK.

4. Enabling Continuous and Automatic Updates

OBS Studio automatically monitors the selected .txt file. Whenever the file is updated and saved, OBS instantly refreshes the text on your screen.

• Manual Updates: If you are updating the text manually, simply type the new text in your text editor and press Ctrl + S (Windows) or Cmd + S (Mac). The change will reflect on your stream immediately.
• Automated Updates: If you are using third-party apps, chatbots, or music players (like Snip or Spotify controllers) to output text, ensure these programs are configured to overwrite the exact same .txt file path. OBS will continuously read the file as the external application updates it.