A stream overlay is typically a graphic or piece of information that is visible to the viewer on top of the raw live video feed. Overlays are typically things like images, text, webcams, custom QR codes or interactive elements that are used to add more information and styling to your broadcast. On websites such as Twitch, overlays can be used to display viewer donations as well as recent followers or subscribers.
There is a good amount of Twitch overlay templates to help you add an extra layer of interactivity to your stream. You can keep adding more layers until you have something that looks completely different from your competitors, which really helps you stand out.
Image via Twitch’s official channel Why Use A Stream Overlay? Below is an example of how Twitch’s own channel harnesses the power of interactive elements and custom OBS overlays to produce a very unique looking stream. We already covered some of the reasons to use live stream overlays.
