How to Add a Stinger Transition in OBS (Transparent WebM)
To add a stinger transition in OBS, you need a short animation with a transparent background, usually a WebM with an alpha channel, and one number: the transition point, the moment the animation covers the whole screen. In the Scene Transitions dock, add a Stinger, choose the file, and enter the transition point. From then on every scene switch plays the stinger, and OBS changes the scene underneath while the screen is covered, so the cut is never seen.
This guide covers making a stinger that fits your channel (we use iArt's stinger transition maker, which draws one from your prompt and tells you its transition point), each OBS setting, sound, and what to do when something looks wrong.
A stinger switching a video podcast from one camera to the other, the way OBS plays it. The footage is free stock from Mixkit; the stinger is the transparent WebM.
What a stinger needs to work
- Transparency at the start and the end. While the stinger sweeps in, the old scene has to show around it; while it sweeps out, the new one. A WebM with an alpha channel carries that transparency, and it is the format stinger packs for OBS ship in. An MP4 cannot carry it: the whole frame would be covered from the first frame.
- A moment of full cover. Somewhere in the middle the stinger has to hide the whole screen, even briefly. That is when OBS swaps the scenes.
- A short length. Usually one to three seconds. It plays on every switch, so a long one holds up your stream.
The same stinger on its own, on a checkerboard: see-through at the start and the end, fully covered in the middle.
Step 1: Make the stinger
Open iArt's Animation mode (this link opens it with a gaming prompt filled in) and describe the stinger in a sentence. Say that it is a stinger transition for OBS, give your channel or show name exactly as it should read, and describe the look: colours, mood, fast or calm. If you have a logo, attach it as a PNG and say it belongs in the stinger. The agent, Claude Opus 5.5, draws every frame in code, so the name is real type and the design is made for your prompt rather than picked from a set.
The preview plays over a checkerboard, so you can check that it starts and ends see-through. When it delivers the stinger, the agent tells you when the screen is fully covered; note that number, it is your transition point. Change anything by replying in chat ("faster", "bigger name", "add a whoosh"), then press Export: an overlay exports as a transparent WebM. Exporting needs a paid plan (new accounts get $2 in free credits to make and preview one), and the transparent export needs Chrome or Edge.
Step 2: Add a Stinger transition in OBS
- Find the Scene Transitions dock (by default next to Scenes and Sources; if it is hidden, turn it on from the Docks menu).
- Click + and choose Stinger. Give it a name, such as your channel name.
- For Video File, browse to the .webm you exported.
Step 3: Set the transition point
Set Transition Point Type to Time (milliseconds) and enter the moment the stinger covers the whole screen. For the podcast stinger above that is 700: 0.7 seconds after it starts. OBS switches the scenes at exactly that moment, behind the covered screen.
- Too early, and viewers see the new scene pop in before the stinger has covered the old one.
- Too late, and the stinger starts to clear while the old scene is still underneath.
If you don't have the number, scrub the preview and find the first moment nothing of the background shows. Any point inside the covered stretch works; the middle of it is the safest.
Step 4: Sound
A stinger from iArt is silent unless you ask for sound. Ask for a whoosh, a hit or a chime, and the agent synthesizes it in code; the sound is exported in the same WebM, and OBS plays it with the transition. Audio Fade Style decides what your stream's audio does meanwhile: Fade out to transition point then fade in dips it under the stinger, Crossfade blends the old scene's audio into the new one's. For a whoosh over a talking stream, the fade usually sounds cleaner.
Step 5: Switch scenes with it
Select your stinger in the Scene Transitions dock. Every scene switch, from a click or a hotkey, now plays it. To use the stinger only for some switches, keep a plain Cut or Fade as the default and set the stinger as a scene's Transition Override: right-click the scene in the Scenes list and choose the transition to use when switching to it.
Troubleshooting
- A black or solid background covers the scene for the whole stinger. The file has no transparency, usually because it is an MP4. Export it as WebM.
- You see the cut. The transition point is outside the covered stretch. Check the number the agent gave you, or scrub for the covered moment.
- The edges look wrong or the transparency flickers. Some GPU decoders handle alpha WebM imperfectly; older OBS builds also had trouble with it. Update OBS.
- The stinger feels slow. Ask for a shorter one ("1.5 seconds") and export again; OBS plays the whole file on every switch.
Three more stingers to start from
Each was made from the prompt under it and exported as a transparent WebM. The footage in the videos is free stock, there to show the switch.
Gaming channel: slanted bands
Stinger transition for OBS for my channel NovaPlays. Purple and teal, fast and punchy.
Teal, violet and deep purple bands slam across, the NOVAPLAYS wordmark punches in, and the bands peel away. 1.6 seconds. Transition point: 800 ms.
Church livestream: from worship to the sermon
Scene transition for our church livestream (Grace Community Church) when we switch from worship to the sermon. Warm, calm, gold and deep green. It's for OBS.
A deep-green veil rises on a curve of gold light, a thin cross draws on with the church name, and the veil keeps rising to reveal the next scene. 3.6 seconds, calm on purpose. Transition point: 1900 ms.
Esports team: replay stinger
Stinger transition for our college esports team, the Riverside Hawks, for replays between rounds on our Twitch broadcast. Orange and black, aggressive, with a hawk feel.
Talon slashes tear across, black blades sweep in, and an angular hawk head slams in beside RIVERSIDE HAWKS. 2.6 seconds. Transition point: 1000 ms.
FAQ
What file format should a stinger transition be for OBS?
A WebM with an alpha channel (VP9 or VP8) is the usual choice: it is small, OBS plays its transparency directly, and it is what stinger packs for OBS ship in. An MP4 cannot carry transparency. OBS 27 and later also support track matte stingers, where the video carries a black-and-white matte beside the picture instead of an alpha channel.
What is the transition point in OBS?
It is the moment in the stinger when OBS switches to the new scene. Set Transition Point Type to Time (milliseconds) and enter a moment when the stinger covers the whole screen, for example 700 for 0.7 seconds.
How long should a stinger transition be?
Usually one to three seconds. It plays on every scene switch, so shorter is easier to live with; it only needs to cover the screen long enough to hide the cut.
Why does my stinger show a black background?
The video has no alpha channel, so OBS draws its background as a solid colour. Export the stinger as a WebM with transparency; an MP4 cannot carry it.
Can a stinger have sound?
Yes. OBS plays the stinger file's audio with the transition, and Audio Fade Style controls how your stream audio behaves under it. In iArt a stinger is silent unless you ask for sound; ask for a whoosh or a hit and it is exported in the same file.
Can I make a stinger with my own logo?
Yes. In iArt's Animation mode, attach your logo as a PNG, JPEG or WebP and say it belongs in the stinger; it appears as it is. Without one, your channel name is set in type that fits the design.
Make yours in iArt's stinger transition maker, or start from a prompt above. For the name on screen while you stream, see animated lower thirds; for what a stinger is and where the name comes from, see What is a stinger transition?