Add a countdown timer to OBS with one browser source
Create a free timer in NextTime, copy the OBS display link, and paste it into a Browser source. The timer renders with a transparent background over your scene, and you control it from any other device: your phone, a second monitor, or a producer's laptop across the internet. No plugin, no script, no download.
Live · the overlay in your scene, the controls in your pocket
Set it up in four steps
From sign-up to a live overlay in a few minutes. No plugin on either side.
- Friday Night StreamCountdown 5:00 Stopped
01
Create a timer.
Sign up free, create an event, and add a segment with your countdown length.
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02
Copy the OBS link.
Every timer has an OBS-ready display variant with a transparent background. Copy it.
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03
Add a Browser source.
In OBS, add a Browser source to your scene and paste the link. Set the size to match your canvas.
- Friday Night StreamLive 3:20 RunningThanks for waiting
04
Control it from anywhere.
Open the console on your phone or another computer. Start, pause, add time, or send a message. The overlay updates instantly.
Why a synced timer beats a plugin
Timer plugins live inside OBS, which means changing the time means touching OBS mid-stream. A NextTime timer is just a URL: the overlay lives in your scene while the controls live anywhere else. Add two minutes from your phone without alt-tabbing. Get green, yellow, and red warning states and flash messages on the overlay, with no scripts, no plugins, and no scene rebuilds. When the stream ends, there is nothing to update or maintain in OBS.
- Add two minutes from your phone, no alt-tabbing
- Green, yellow, and red states plus flash messages on the overlay
- Nothing to update or maintain in OBS afterward
More than a countdown in the corner
The same synced link covers your second PC, your pre-show, and the rest of the rig.
One timer, every machine
Because the timer is a synced web page, the same countdown can render in any number of browser sources at once: your streaming PC, a co-streamer's setup in another city, a dual-PC configuration, or a monitor facing on-camera talent. Every copy ticks in lockstep, and one console controls them all. If you have ever tried to keep two machines' timers matched by hand, this is the fix.
A stream countdown before you go live
Run a starting-soon countdown on your waiting scene and let auto-advance roll it straight into your show clock when it hits zero. Or count down to a launch, a raid, or a scheduled livestream start using a segment that ends exactly at showtime. After you are live, flip the same screen to count-up mode as a session clock, or time-of-day mode as an on-stream clock.
Streamlabs, vMix, and everything else
The Streamlabs countdown timer setup is identical: add the link as a browser source and size it. The same goes for vMix, TikTok Live Studio, or any tool that renders a web source. NextTime does not integrate with these tools and does not need to. It is a URL, and a URL works everywhere.
Try it on tonight's stream
If it is not for you, close the tab. There is nothing to uninstall.
Free to start
The OBS variant and unlimited display links are included on the Free plan.
Nothing to install
No plugin, no script, no download. The overlay is a URL.
Any browser source
OBS, Streamlabs, vMix, TikTok Live Studio. The same link works in all of them.
Stop editing OBS mid-stream
Put the countdown in your scene once, then run it from anywhere. Free to start, live in one browser source.
OBS timer questions
Is the OBS view really transparent?
Yes. The OBS display variant renders the timer with a transparent background, so only the numbers and states show over your scene.
Can I control the timer without switching scenes?
Yes. The console is a separate page on any device. The overlay updates in real time.
Can two streamers show the same timer?
Yes. A display link works in any number of browser sources at once, all in sync, on any plan.
Does the free plan work for this?
Yes. Free includes the OBS variant and unlimited display links. Segments cap at 10 minutes each on Free; a $15 Event Pass removes the cap for 30 days.
How do I add a countdown timer in Streamlabs?
Same as OBS: add a browser source, paste the NextTime OBS link, and size it to your canvas. Control it from any other device.
Can the timer count up during my stream?
Yes. Run count-up mode as a session clock, or let a countdown run past zero and show the overtime.
Can I change how the overlay looks?
You control the warning colors' timing, the display mode, and the progress bar. Custom fonts and logo branding are not offered today; the overlay is intentionally clean.
Does it work in vMix or TikTok Live Studio?
Anywhere you can add a web or browser source, the link works the same way. It is just a URL.