How to start streaming With Yapp's Streaming Starter Kit
Hey! Let's Get You Started 👋
So you want to make your stream look awesome with Yapp? You're in the right place!
This tutorial will walk you through setting up our pre-made stream overlays in OBS. Don't worry if you're new to this stuff, we'll take it step by step.
Who is this for?
First-time streamers
Anyone who wants a professional-looking stream without starting from scratch
What you'll learn:
How to import ready-made scenes into OBS
What widgets are and how they work
How to connect everything to your Yapp dashboard
Basic customization to make it yours
2. What You'll Need Before We Start
Let's make sure you've got everything ready. This'll save you from getting halfway through and going "oh crap, I need that!"
The Basics:
OBS Studio installed (the latest version is best—grab it from obsproject.com if you haven't already)
Stable internet (because your overlays load from the web)
A Yapp creators account at https://creators.yapp.ink/
3. Grab the Yapp Starter Kit Scene Collection
Alright, time to download the goods!
What you're downloading: A .json file that's basically a pre-built OBS setup. Think of it like downloading a template, all the hard work is already done.
What's inside:
[Yapp] Just Chatting— Perfect for talk streams, reacting to videos, or hanging with chat[Yapp] Gameplay— Your main gaming scene with webcam and overlays[Yapp] Starting Soon— Countdown screen so viewers know when you're going live[Yapp] BRB— Be Right Back screen for bathroom breaks, snack runs, etc.
Heads up: Right now, all the widgets in these scenes are using test URLs. They won't actually show your real alerts or data yet. We'll fix that in Section 7!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ORbIoQNA5D6QXBpIZwZEdw7wxFeeelAL/view?usp=sharing
Once it downloads, you'll see a file called something like Streaming_Starter_Kit.json. Keep that somewhere you can find it.
4. Importing the Scene Collection into OBS
Okay, open up OBS. Let's get this thing loaded!
Here's how:
Look at the top menu bar in OBS
Click Scene Collection → Import
Find that
.jsonfile you just downloadedClick Open
OBS will ask if you want to switch to it. Say yes!
What just happened?
You should now see a bunch of new scenes pop up in your Scenes panel (that's the box on the bottom-left). They'll all start with [Yapp] so you know which ones are from the starter kit.
If you click through them, you'll see different layouts already set up.
5. Wait, What Are Widgets? 🤔
Before we dive into what's in each scene, let's talk about widgets for a sec.
Widgets are basically little web-based overlays that show live info on your stream. They're powered by Yapp and display things happening on your stream in real-time.
Here's what's included in your starter kit:
Alert Widget — Shows cool animations when someone sends you a tip through Yapp! This is the big one, it's what makes those hype moments pop on screen with confetti, sounds, and animations
Subathon Timer — Counts down (or up!) for subathon-style streams where you add time based on tips received
QR Code Widget — Displays a QR code viewers can scan to go directly to your Yapp tipping page (super convenient for mobile viewers!)
Milestone Widget — Shows progress toward tip goals like "Road to $500 for new mic!" or "50% to new camera!"
Leaderboard — Displays your top tippers, who's the MVP supporter this stream!
You can find all yapp's widget on the dashboard. We will keep adding new widget and enhance the current widget to keep your stream engaging and fun
Important stuff to know:
These widgets load from creators.yapp.ink/streaming with your unique URLs
Right now they're using test/placeholder URLs—we'll swap those out soon
You don't have to use all of them! If you don't want the QR code or leaderboard, just hide or delete those sources. Your stream, your rules!
All these widgets update in real-time when someone tips through your Yapp page
6. What's Inside Each Scene?
Let's walk through what you'll find in each pre-made scene. Click through them in OBS and follow along!
6.1 Just Chatting Template
When to use it: Hanging with chat, reacting to videos, doing IRL stuff, or just vibing.
What's in it:
Main Camera — Your webcam, nice and big since you're the main focus!
Widget Streaming Horizontal Folder containing:
Alert widget (celebrate those tips!)
Milestone widget (show your current goal)
Leaderboard (show off top supporters)
QR Code (easy access to your tip page)
All the widgets are neatly organized in one folder so they're easy to manage!
6.2 Playing Game Template
When to use it: Your main gaming scene! Whether you're playing games or sharing your screen for tutorials, coding, art—whatever you do!
What's in it:
Application Sharing Screen — This captures whatever window/game you want to show
Main Camera — Your webcam (smaller, positioned so it doesn't block important stuff)
Widget Streaming Horizontal Folder — Same widgets as Just Chatting (Alert, Milestone, Leaderboard, QR Code)
6.3 Stream Starting Soon
When to use it: Right before you go live! Let people filter in while they know exactly when you're starting.
What's in it:
Looping Starting Soon Video — An animated countdown or "starting soon" graphic that loops
BG Music — Background music to set the vibe (you'll need to add your own copyright-free music here!)
No widgets on this one—just a clean waiting screen!
6.4 Be Right Back
When to use it: Bathroom break, grabbing food, answering the door—those quick "I'll be back in a sec" moments.
What's in it:
Looping BRB Video — An animated "Be Right Back" graphic that loops
BG Music — Some chill tunes while you're away (add your own music here!)
Keep it simple—no widgets needed!
7. Connecting Your Real Yapp Widget URLs
Okay, this is the important part! Right now your widgets are showing test data. Let's hook them up to YOUR actual Yapp account so they show your real tips!
Here's What We're Doing:
We're going to grab your unique widget URLs from Yapp and paste them into OBS. Each widget gets its own URL that's connected to your account.
Step-by-Step:
1. Open your Yapp Creators Dashboard
Go to creators.yapp.ink/streaming
2. Find your widget URLs
You'll see a list of available widgets (Alert, Subathon, QR Code, Milestone, Leaderboard)
Each one has a Copy URL button or a URL you can highlight and copy
Copy the URL for the widget you want to update
3. Go back to OBS
Click on one of your scenes (like
[Yapp] Gameplay)Look at the Sources panel (bottom-middle)
Find the widget source you want to update (it'll say something like "Alert Widget" or "Yapp - Alerts")
4. Update the URL
Right-click the source → click Properties
You'll see a field called URL with a test link in it
Delete the test URL and paste your real Yapp URL
Click OK
5. Repeat for each widget you want to use
Do this for Alert, Milestone, Leaderboard, QR Code, etc.
You'll need to update the widget in each scene where it appears
Which Widgets Should You Update First?
Not sure where to start? Here's the priority list:
Do These First:
✅ Alert Widget — This is THE big one! When someone tips, this is what makes the magic happen
✅ QR Code Widget — Makes it super easy for viewers to find your tipping page
Nice to Have: 3. Milestone Widget — Great for showing tip goals and progress 4. Leaderboard — Fun way to recognize your top supporters
Don't need one of these? Just right-click the source and hit Delete, or click the eye icon 👁️ to hide it. You can also hide the entire folder if you want a cleaner look!
8. Customization
Alright, your widgets are connected! Here are some easy tweaks to personalize your setup.
8.1 Adjust Your Camera
How:
Click Main Camera in the Sources list
Click the 🔓 unlock icon at the bottom if it's locked
Drag the corners to resize, or drag to reposition
Lock it again when you're done! 🔒
8.2 Set Up Your Game/Screen Capture
For the Gameplay scene, you'll need to tell OBS what to capture:
How:
Click Application Sharing Screen
Right-click → Properties
Choose your capture method:
Game Capture — Best for full-screen games
Window Capture — Good for specific programs/windows
Display Capture — Captures your entire screen
Select the game/window you want to show
8.3 Add Your Own Music
The Starting Soon and BRB scenes have a BG Music source, but it's empty by default!
How:
Click the BG Music source
Right-click → Properties
Click Browse and select your copyright-free music file
Make sure to check Loop so it keeps playing!
Where to get copyright-free music: Search for "royalty-free music" or "stream-safe music" online. Youtube has it.
8.4 Customize Your Widgets (Colors, Fonts, Animations!)
Want to change how your alerts look? You can do that in your Yapp dashboard!
How:
Customize colors, fonts, alert animations, sounds, and more
Changes will automatically show up in OBS
No need to change URLs. Just customize in the dashboard and you're good to go.
8.5 Tips
Play and test around
9. Testing Everything
Before you go live, let's make sure everything actually works!
Testing Your Alert Widget
This is super important—you want to make sure tips show up properly!
How to test:
Open your Yapp tipping page (you can find the link in your dashboard)
Send yourself a test tip (yes, really! Some platforms let you do test tips without actually charging, or you can tip yourself a small amount)
Watch OBS—you should see the alert animation pop up!
✅ Success looks like:
Alert animation plays smoothly
Sound works (if your alert has sound)
The tipper's name and amount show up correctly
The animation completes and then disappears
❌ If it's not working:
Double-check you pasted the right URL from creators.yapp.ink/streaming
Make sure the widget isn't hidden (check the eye icon 👁️ on both the widget AND the folder)
Try right-clicking the source → Refresh cache of current page
Check if the folder is at the top of the Sources list (not hidden behind other elements)
Testing Your Camera and Screen Capture
Camera test:
Look at the preview—can you see yourself?
Wave at the camera to check for lag
Make sure lighting is good!
Screen/Game capture test:
Open the game or window you want to stream
Switch to the Gameplay scene
Make sure it's showing the right thing!
Testing Scene Transitions
How:
Click through each scene: Just Chatting → Starting Soon → Gameplay → BRB
Make sure everything loads properly
Check that music plays on Starting Soon and BRB scenes
Verify widgets show up on Just Chatting and Gameplay (but not on Starting Soon/BRB)
Testing Other Widgets
Milestone Widget: Set a tip goal in your Yapp dashboard and check if it displays correctly
QR Code: Scan it with your phone to make sure it goes to your tipping page
Leaderboard: After a test tip, check if it shows up
10. How to Start Streaming on YouTube
Alright, your OBS setup looks amazing! Now let's actually get you live on YouTube.
Step 1: Connect OBS to Your YouTube Account
First time setup:
Click Settings (bottom right)
Click Stream on the left sidebar
Under Service, select YouTube - RTMPS
Click Connect Account (recommended)
A browser window will pop up, log into your YouTube account
Give OBS permission to access your YouTube account
Click OK in OBS settings
Done! OBS is now connected to YouTube.
Step 2: Manage Your YouTube Broadcast
Before you click "Start Streaming" in OBS, you need to set up your stream info on YouTube!
How:
Go to YouTube Studio (studio.youtube.com)
Click the Create button (top right) → Go Live
You'll see the Stream Settings page
Fill in:
Title — What's your stream about?
Description — Tell viewers what to expect
Category — Gaming, Just Chatting, etc.
Visibility — Public, Unlisted, or Private (start with Unlisted for testing!)
Important: Add your Yapp tipping page link in the description so viewers know where to tip!
Click Create Stream or Go Live (depending on your setup)
Keep this tab open! You'll need it to monitor your stream.
Step 3: Go Live!
Okay, moment of truth!
In OBS:
Click Manage Broadcast
Select your existing broadcast
Make sure you're on your Starting Soon scene
Click Start Streaming (bottom right in OBS)
Check your YouTube Studio tab—you should see your stream preview!
Once you see yourself on YouTube:
Chat with early viewers
Test your alerts one more time
When you're ready, switch to your Just Chatting or Gameplay scene
Start streaming!
During your stream:
Switch scenes as needed (Just Chatting ↔ Gameplay ↔ BRB)
Monitor chat and tips
Keep an eye on YouTube Studio to check if everything's running smooth
When you're done:
Switch to your Ending scene (if you have one) or just say goodbye!
Click Stop Streaming in OBS
YouTube will automatically save your stream as a VOD (video on demand)
11. Adding a New Widget (Not Included in the Starter Kit)
If you have another widget you want to use, such as a subathon, running text, or any widget from your dashboard. You can easily add it to any scene in OBS.
Open the scene where you want the widget to appear
In the Sources panel, click the + button
Select Browser Source
Give it a name (example:
Donation Goal,Chat Widget, etc.)In the URL field, paste your widget link from your dashboard
Set the resolution to 1920 × 1080 (or the recommended size for your widget)
Click OK
Move and resize the widget to fit your layout
12. Additional Tips
Explore OBS freely. Don’t be afraid to click around, move things, adjust layouts, and experiment. OBS is very flexible, and you won’t break anything by trying.
Mute your mic during BRB or Starting Soon scenes. Many streamers forget that audio continues even when the screen is hidden. Always double-check your audio sources when switching scenes.
For testing, set your YouTube stream to “Unlisted.” That way, viewers won’t see it publicly, but you can still watch it live on another device to confirm everything works.
Not sure how the stream will look? Record first. Click Start Recording in OBS, do a short test, then watch the playback. This is the easiest way to verify webcam, alerts, and scene transitions.
Try using Studio Mode. Studio Mode lets you preview changes before showing them live. It’s great for smoother transitions and avoiding mistakes on stream.
Need Help?
More tutorials: [link to tutorial page]
Community/Discord: [Discord link]
Support: [support email/link]
Yapp Dashboard: creators.yapp.ink
Thanks for choosing Yapp! Now go out there, have fun, and make amazing content. 💜
See you on stream! 🎮📹✨
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