How to Make a Starting Soon Screen Viewers Will Wait For

Your starting soon screen is the first thing a viewer sees when they click your stream. If it looks broken, empty, or silent, they leave before you even say hello. If it looks intentional, they stay and chat while you finish setting up.

This guide walks you through building one from scratch: the text, the countdown, the music, the length, and the exact steps to make it your opening scene. If you want the bigger picture first, read what a stream overlay is and every element your channel needs.

What your starting soon screen needs to say

Keep the text short. A viewer should understand the screen in a few seconds. Here is what to include, in order of priority.

1. The status line. "Starting soon" or "Stream starting soon" in large type. This tells new arrivals the stream is not frozen.
2. Your channel name. Make it obvious whose stream this is, especially for people arriving from a raid or a shared link.
3. What today's stream is about. One line, such as the game, the challenge, or the topic. This gives people a reason to wait.
4. Where to talk. A visible chat box lets early viewers see each other and say hi. An active chat makes the wait feel shorter.
5. Optional extras. Your social handles, your schedule, or a recent follower line. Pick one or two, not all of them.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Too much text. If viewers have to read a paragraph, they will not.
• A static image with no motion. Without movement, viewers can mistake your stream for a frozen feed.
• Text near the edges. Leave margin so nothing gets cut off on smaller screens or in the mobile app.
• Outdated info. If your schedule or topic line is wrong, update it before every stream.

Countdown options: timer, loop, or both

A countdown answers the question every early viewer has: how long until this starts? You have three practical options.

First option: a live countdown timer

In OBS, you can add a countdown with a script from the Tools menu, under Scripts, or with a web-based timer added as a Browser Source. Set the end time to when you plan to go live. The upside is clarity. The downside is pressure: if the timer hits zero and you are not ready, viewers notice.

Second option: an animated loop with no timer

A looping animation keeps the screen alive without promising an exact time. This is the flexible choice if your setup time varies from stream to stream.

Third option: both

Run an animated background loop and place a countdown on top. When the timer ends, you switch scenes. If you need a minute more, you can hide the timer and the loop still looks finished.

Whatever you choose, test it before you go live. A timer counting into negative numbers looks worse than no timer at all.

Music that keeps people in the room

Silence makes viewers think their audio is broken. Music fixes that and sets the mood for your stream.

• Only use music you have the rights to stream. Royalty-free libraries, tracks licensed for streaming, or your own music are the safe routes. Copyrighted songs can get your audio muted or your stream flagged.
• Match the energy of your stream. Calm lo-fi suits cozy or chatting streams. Upbeat tracks suit competitive games.
• Keep the volume lower than your voice will be. When you switch scenes and start talking, the jump should not be jarring.
• Add the music as a Media Source set to loop, inside the starting soon scene only. That way it stops automatically when you switch to your main scene.

How long your starting soon screen should run

There is no official length. The right duration is one you can keep every time, so your regulars learn when to show up.

Think about why you run the screen at all. It gives notifications time to reach followers, gives early viewers time to arrive, and gives you time to check audio and settings. A few minutes covers that for many setups. Much longer, and early viewers may get bored and close the tab.

A simple rule: set your countdown to the time you actually need, then stick to it. If you say five minutes, start at five minutes. Being consistent matters more than the exact number.

Set it as your opening scene in OBS and on Twitch

Twitch does not have a setting for an opening scene. It broadcasts whatever your streaming software sends. So the opening scene is something you control in OBS.

1. In the Scenes dock, click the plus button and name the scene "Starting Soon".
2. In the Sources dock, add your background. Use a Media Source for a video loop or an Image Source for a still design.
3. Add a Text source for your topic line, or bake it into the design.
4. Add your countdown as a Browser Source or set up the script from Tools, then Scripts.
5. Add your music as a Media Source with looping turned on.
6. Add your chat box if your overlay includes one.
7. Before every stream, click the Starting Soon scene so it is the active scene, then click Start Streaming. OBS sends whatever scene is active.
8. When you are ready, switch to your main scene. A stinger transition makes this switch feel polished.

Set your stream title and category in your Twitch dashboard before you hit Start Streaming, so the info viewers see matches what your screen says.

If you would rather not design the screen yourself, Glowframe generates animated overlays for your channel name with AI. The Starter Pack includes three designs, each with animated Starting soon, Be right back and Ending screens, plus a webcam frame, alerts, a chat box and six channel panels. You can see what the screens look like on the starting soon screen page or in the live demo.

What it costs to get one made: a worked example

Here are the two packs at the prices shown on the site the day this article was written. VAT is not applicable under article 293 B of the French CGI.

The Full Brand Pack adds a stinger transition, which fits the last step above, plus a goal bar, a sponsor lower third and a day version of every design. To be clear about the limits: neither pack lists music or a countdown timer, so you still add those yourself using the steps in this guide. The designs are AI-generated, not hand-drawn. Compare both on the pricing page, or check the OBS stream package page to see how the files fit into your scenes.