By Lucas Salgado, motion designer and co-founder of SylphVisuals
Short answer: In OBS, add a stinger under Scene Transitions → + → Stinger, select a WebM file with an alpha channel, and set the Transition Point to the moment the animation fully covers the screen. If the stinger cuts off early, shows a black screen, or flashes the wrong scene, the cause is almost always a frame-rate mismatch, a file without alpha, or a transition point that doesn't match the animation.
I design stingers for a living, and most problems I see come from how the file was made, not from OBS. This guide covers setup, how to calculate the exact transition point, track matte stingers, and the fixes.
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What is a stinger transition?
A stinger is a short animation, usually 1–2 seconds, that plays over a scene change. The animation covers the screen, OBS switches scenes behind it, and the animation clears to reveal the new scene. Because the switch happens while the screen is covered, viewers never see a hard cut.
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How do I add a stinger transition in OBS?
- In the Scene Transitions dock, click + → Stinger and name it.
- Click Browse and select yourÂ
.webm stinger. - Set Transition Point Type to Time (milliseconds) or Frame.
- Enter the transition point (calculated below).
- Click OK, select the stinger as your active transition, and switch scenes to test it.
To use a different transition for a specific scene (for example, a special stinger when going from Starting Soon to Live), right-click the scene → Transition Override.
Streamlabs Desktop has the same feature: add a Stinger in the scene transitions settings, select the file, and set the transition point.
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How do I find the right transition point?
The transition point should be the first frame where the animation fully covers the screen. Find that frame in your editor or by scrubbing through the file, then convert it:
Transition point (ms) = frame number Ă· frame rate Ă— 1000
| Frame where the screen is covered | At 30 fps | At 60 fps |
|---|---|---|
| Frame 15 | 500 ms | 250 ms |
| Frame 30 | 1000 ms | 500 ms |
| Frame 45 | 1500 ms | 750 ms |
If you'd rather not convert, set Transition Point Type to Frame and enter the frame number directly. Set it too early and viewers see the old scene vanish before it's covered; set it too late and they see the new scene appear before the cover.
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What is a track matte stinger?
Since OBS Studio 27, stingers can use a track matte: a black-and-white video that controls where the new scene appears, for example revealing it through a circle or a wipe instead of behind a full cover. There's no single cut point; the matte reveals the new scene gradually.
OBS reads the stinger and matte from one file, in one of two layouts:
- Side by side:Â stinger on the left, matte on the right. Two 1920Ă—1080 videos make a 3840Ă—1080 file.
- Stacked:Â stinger on top, matte on the bottom. Two 1920Ă—1080 videos make a 1920Ă—2160 file.
In the Stinger properties, check Use a Track Matte and choose the layout that matches your file. If the reveal runs the wrong way, check Invert Matte Colors.
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Why is my stinger transition not working?
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Stinger cuts off before it finishes | Stinger frame rate doesn't match your OBS output frame rate | Re-export the stinger at your output frame rate (Settings → Video → Common FPS Values) |
| Black screen before or after the stinger | The file has no alpha channel (MOV or MP4), so its transparent parts render black | Use a WebM with alpha; see the black background fix |
| Stinger plays with a black background | Alpha lost during export or conversion | Re-export with the alpha/transparency option enabled |
| Old scene disappears before the cover | Transition point too early | Move the transition point later (recalculate with the formula above) |
| New scene appears before the cover | Transition point too late | Move the transition point earlier |
| A different scene flashes during the transition | Switching scenes again before the previous transition finished, or conflicting Transition Overrides | Wait for the stinger to finish; check overrides on each scene |
| Stinger stutters | File too large: oversized resolution or very high bitrate | Export at your canvas size (usually 1920Ă—1080) and keep it short |
How to make a stinger that never breaks
These are the rules I follow when designing stingers:
- Match the canvas and frame rate. 1920×1080 at the frame rate you stream (30 or 60 fps).
- Hold full coverage for several frames. A cover of just 1–2 frames leaves no margin; holding it for at least 4–6 frames hides the cut even if timing drifts slightly.
- Keep it short. 1–2 seconds feels snappy; longer stingers get tiring when you switch scenes often.
- Export WebM with alpha. Every transparent pixel needs real alpha, not black.
- Keep audio short and quiet. The stinger's sound plays every time you switch scenes.
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FAQ
What format should a stinger transition be?
WebM with an alpha channel. It keeps transparency, has small files, and works in OBS, Streamlabs, and StreamElements. MOV and MP4 files often show a black background.
How long should a stinger transition be?
Usually 1–2 seconds. Long enough to read as an animation, short enough not to slow down your stream.
Why does my stinger cut off early?
The most common cause is a frame-rate mismatch between the stinger file and your OBS output. Re-export the stinger at the same frame rate you stream at.
What transition point should I use?
The first frame where the animation fully covers the screen. Convert it with frame number Ă· frame rate Ă— 1000 to get milliseconds, or set the transition point type to Frame.
Can I use a stinger on Kick, Twitch, and YouTube?
Yes. The transition happens in OBS or Streamlabs, so it works on every platform.
Stingers that match your overlay
Sylph Visuals packs ship as WebM with alpha, built to the same rules in this guide. Pick a theme (Anime, Shooter, VTuber, Cozy, Horror, or Holiday), or start with a free asset.
