By Lucas Salgado, motion designer and founder of Sylph Visuals
Short answer: You don't upload overlays to Kick. Your overlay lives in OBS or Streamlabs, and Kick only receives the finished video. To set up a Kick stream with animated overlays: connect your streaming app to Kick, add your overlays as Media Sources (WebM files with alpha), and add alerts and chat through a service that supports Kick, such as Streamlabs, as a Browser Source.
A lot of Kick guides still tell you to add your overlay as an Image Source. That works for a static PNG, but an Image Source can't play animation. Below is the full setup for animated overlays, plus the fixes for the problems Kick streamers hit most.
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Do you upload overlays to Kick?
No. Kick has no overlay editor. Everything viewers see on top of your gameplay (webcam frames, bars, alerts, chat) is composited in your streaming software before the video leaves your PC. That's good news: any overlay that works in OBS works on Kick, including packs originally made for Twitch.
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Step 1: Connect OBS or Streamlabs to Kick
OBS Studio:
- Copy your Stream URL and Stream Key from the stream settings in your Kick creator dashboard.
- In OBS, open Settings → Stream.
- If Kick appears in the Service list, select it. Otherwise choose Custom and paste the Stream URL into Server.
- Paste your Stream Key and click Apply.
Never show your stream key on screen. Anyone who has it can stream to your channel.
Streamlabs Desktop:Â log in with your Kick account. Streamlabs connects to Kick directly, so you don't need to paste a stream key.
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Step 2: Add your animated overlays
Add each animated element (webcam frame, bars, Starting Soon screen) as a Media Source pointing to a WebM file with an alpha channel:
- Sources → + → Media Source (in Streamlabs: Media File).
- Browse to theÂ
.webm file. - Turn on Loop for continuous elements.
- Uncheck Use hardware decoding when available, which prevents the most common black-background problem.
For format details, loop settings for each asset type, and the full black-background checklist, see how to set up animated overlays in OBS and fix black backgrounds.
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Step 3: Add alerts and chat for Kick
Alerts and chat need a service that reads your Kick events (follows, subs, tips, chat messages) and plays the matching animation.
- Streamlabs supports Kick for alerts, widgets, and chat boxes. Set up your Alert Box in the Streamlabs dashboard, copy the widget URL, and add it in OBS as a Browser Source sized to your canvas (1920×1080).
- StreamElements: Kick support has been inconsistent, so check that your Kick account connects and test an alert before relying on it.
- Animated alert media:Â upload WebM files to your alert box, not MOV. Alerts play inside a browser, and browsers render WebM with alpha correctly but not ProRes MOV.
Put the alert Browser Source at the top of your Sources list in every scene where alerts should appear, so they display over everything else.
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A simple scene setup for Kick
| Scene | What's in it | Overlay elements |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Soon | Animated screen, music, chat | Full-screen looping WebM, chat box |
| Gameplay | Game capture, camera | Webcam frame, bars, alerts |
| Just Chatting | Large camera | Webcam frame or border, chat box, alerts |
| BRB | Animated screen | Full-screen looping WebM, chat box |
| Ending | Animated screen, socials | Full-screen WebM, social links |
Build one scene completely, test it, then duplicate it so you don't repeat the setup for every scene. A stinger transition between scenes adds polish; see how to set up stinger transitions in OBS.
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Kick overlay troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Overlay shows in OBS but not on stream | The source is in a different scene, hidden, or you're looking at the Studio Mode preview instead of Program | Check the eye icon and that the source is in the scene that's live |
| Overlay has a black background | Alpha channel lost (hardware decoding, MP4 file, or bad conversion) | See the black background fix |
| Overlay doesn't animate | Added as an Image Source | Re-add it as a Media Source |
| Alerts don't fire | Alert service connected to the wrong account or platform, or the Browser Source needs a refresh | Reconnect Kick in your alert service, then right-click the Browser Source → Properties → Refresh cache of current page |
| Overlay text has Twitch logos | Pack designed for Twitch | Edit the social bar text and icons, or use a platform-neutral version |
| Overlay looks blurry or misaligned | Overlay resolution doesn't match your canvas | Use overlays at your canvas size (usually 1920×1080) and Fit to screen |
Can I use Twitch overlays on Kick?
Yes. Overlay files are platform-neutral video and image files. The only platform-specific parts are alerts, chat, and widgets, which need a service connected to Kick, and any graphics that show a Twitch logo or Twitch-specific wording.
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FAQ
Can I use animated overlays on Kick?
Yes. Add them in OBS or Streamlabs as Media Sources using WebM files with alpha. Kick receives the finished video, so animation and transparency carry over.
Does Streamlabs work with Kick?
Yes. Streamlabs supports Kick for going live, alerts, widgets, and chat boxes, and you can log in with your Kick account instead of pasting a stream key.
Why aren't my Kick alerts showing?
Usually the alert service isn't connected to your Kick account, or the alert Browser Source is in the wrong scene or needs its cache refreshed. Send a test alert from the service's dashboard to check.
What size should a Kick overlay be?
Match your OBS canvas, usually 1920Ă—1080. A webcam frame or bar can be smaller, but full-screen elements should match the canvas exactly.
Are Kick overlays different from Twitch overlays?
The visuals are the same. Only alerts, chat, and any platform logos differ.
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Overlays ready for Kick
Every Sylph Visuals pack ships as WebM with alpha, so it drops into OBS or Streamlabs and works on Kick, Twitch, and YouTube alike. Pick a theme (Anime, Shooter, VTuber, Cozy, Horror, or Holiday), or start with a free asset.
