Streaming: lower thirds for OBS, vMix and NDI

For a stream you usually want just the text at the bottom of the picture (a lower third), not a full slide with a background. The desktop app gives you that picture in three ways. Pick one:

• an overlay for OBS (a Browser Source) — real transparency, the simplest option,
• NDI® — for video production over the network (vMix, OBS with NDI, hardware switchers),
• the Stream window — a green background for chroma keying, when nothing else works.

All three show the same text as the projector: songs, Scripture with its reference, the CCLI footer (with the streaming license number, if your church has one) and the sermon captions. On a black screen, with the text hidden (Clear), on the logo, media, presentations and empty slides, the lower third disappears.

How the lower third looks

In Themes, open the theme marked DEFAULT (only that one goes to the screen and the stream) and pick the Stream content type in the preview. There you set a separate look for the stream, e.g. Band without background (text only — transparent in NDI and the OBS overlay), a different font, band color and text alignment. The lower third always sits at the bottom of the picture — the stream does not use the position from the Text box tab. More: How slides look: themes and layout.

Overlay for OBS (recommended)

1. Settings → Streaming, section Stream overlay (OBS Browser Source).
2. Turn on Serve the overlay.
3. Copy the address from the This computer row (Copy).
4. In OBS: Sources → + → Browser, paste the address, width 1920, height 1080. vMix can use the same address as a browser source.

If OBS runs on another computer on the same network, tick Allow other computers on the local network (streaming from a second machine) and use the address from the Local network row.

You can add options to the address, e.g. ?size=1.3 (bigger text). The details are in the description under the address.

If you leave the overlay on, it turns itself on the next time you start the app.

NDI

1. Settings → Streaming, section NDI® — lower third for video production.
2. If the app can't find NDI, click Get NDI Tools, install NDI Tools (or just the NDI Runtime) and restart WorshipPro. On Linux, the app looks for libndi.so.6 in /usr/lib or /usr/local/lib.
3. When you see "NDI … — ready", turn on Send over NDI.
4. In your production software, pick the WorshipPro Lower Third source (the list shows the computer's name in front of it). The picture is 1920×1080 with real transparency.

The status "Sending · receivers: N" shows how many programs are receiving the picture. On Windows, the app tells you how to let NDI through the firewall. On a Mac, the system may ask to let WorshipPro use the local network. Allow it, because NDI needs it. You can change this later in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network. If you leave NDI on, it starts by itself the next time you start the app.

Stream window (chroma key)

In Show, in the STAGE DISPLAY panel, click the broadcast icon (Stream window (lower thirds for OBS)). A window opens with a solid green background and the text at the bottom. In your streaming software, capture this window and key out the green with a chroma key filter.

Timer on the stream

A timer with Show on the stream turned on appears in the top right corner of the picture, separate from the lower third — it stays visible even when the lower third disappears (e.g. on a black screen). Viewers never see a minus — the timer disappears about 2 seconds after zero. About timers: Stage display, messages and timers.

Without internet

The Stream window, the OBS overlay (on this computer and on the local network) and NDI work without internet. On a network with no router, the app can't find its own address: instead of the Local network row you'll see “No local network address found…”. OBS on the same computer still works.

What's next

• Sermon: verse suggestions and captions
• Desktop app settings — what's where