How to Make a "Starting Soon" Screen for Your Livestream
The first minutes of a stream, while people are still joining, set the mood. A good "Starting soon" screen tells viewers they're in the right place and keeps them from leaving. Here's how to make one, plus "Be right back" and "Thanks for watching" screens, using free looping backgrounds.
The three screens every stream needs
- Starting soon: shown 5 to 10 minutes before you go live, while viewers arrive.
- Be right back: for short breaks, so the stream doesn't look frozen.
- Thanks for watching: at the end, with your next stream time or a reminder to follow.
Using the same background for all three, with different text, makes your channel look consistent and professional.
Choose a background
Pick a loop that matches your channel. Tech networks and particles suit gaming and tech streams. Space and aurora skies suit chill or late-night streams. Neon grids give a retro arcade feel, and soft bokeh suits talk shows, church livestreams and classes. Our backgrounds loop seamlessly, so they can play for as long as you need.
Set it up in OBS Studio (free)
- In the Scenes box, click + and make a new scene called Starting soon.
- In the Sources box, click +, choose Media Source, and select the background you downloaded.
- Tick Loop, then click OK. Right-click the source and choose Transform → Fit to screen.
- Add text: click + in Sources, choose Text, and type STARTING SOON. Use a big, bold font.
- Optional: add a second smaller line, such as grab a snack, we go live in a few minutes, or your social handle.
- Right-click the scene and Duplicate it twice. Rename the copies Be right back and Thanks for watching, and change their text.
- When you stream, click a scene to switch to it.
Streamlabs works the same way: add a Media File source with looping switched on, then add text on top.
Add a countdown
A countdown makes viewers stay. In OBS you can add one with a free countdown plugin or script, or simply place a short countdown video on top. If you'd rather keep it simple, writing the start time, such as Live at 8:00 PM, works too.
Music during the waiting screens
Silence makes people think the stream is broken. Play quiet music while the waiting screens are up, but be careful: copyrighted songs can get your stream muted or taken down. Use music made for streaming, or tracks from a library that allows live use.
Design tips
- Big, short text. Many viewers watch on phones, so STARTING SOON should fill about a third of the screen's width.
- High contrast. White text with a dark shadow on a darker background is easiest to read.
- Brand it. Add your logo in a corner and use the same colours as your channel art.
- Keep it calm. A slow background is nicer to look at for five minutes than a flashing one.
Not just for gamers
Churches, schools, online classes and webinars use the same trick: a calm loop with "We'll begin shortly" before a service or a lesson. Try a bokeh background or soft gradient for a gentler look.
