How to Add a Countdown Timer to StreamLabs

Setting a countdown timer in a live stream is important for a few reasons:

• It allows the audience to know when the stream is going to start. This way, they can be sure to be available at the right time.
• It builds anticipation and excitement for the stream.
• It gives the streamer a chance to get set up and make any final preparations before going live.

Overall, setting a countdown timer on a live stream is an excellent way to build interest and excitement and ensure that everyone can watch the stream at the right time. The following information will assist you in setting up the countdown timer in Streamlabs:

Steps To Put The Countdown Timer On Streamlabs:

Step 1

• The first thing you must do after starting Streamlabs is to choose a scene for the countdown timer to appear in. So click on the scene.
• Once you have it selected, you are going to come under sources. You need to go to the source, hit the + icon, and add a text source (found under "General Sources").
• Select the "text," "add source," and go ahead and label this as “Timer": and then click on "add source," then hit done.

2nd step:

• In the second step, you need to download my stream timer app from this link - 

https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/my-stream-timer/9N5NXX3WK7K7?hl=en-us HYPERLINK

• After installing it, open it up. You will be brought to a window. Here you should see some options.
• In the first option, you want to select the time that you want the TIMER to count down from. For example, you can leave the timer at 5 minutes.
• The second option is the “Output Format”. You need to leave it at custom.
• The third box is "Format Output " which shows the countdown timer output format. It should display the timer in the form of hours: minutes: and seconds. You need to purchase a pro plan for only minutes and seconds to appear in your countdown timer. There is a hack by which you can avoid it and show only minutes and seconds to appear in your countdown timer which we will discuss later.
• In the Finish output box, you want to select the text that you want to appear. For example, you have the option to choose, "We are Live."
• Then in the next box, you should see the file name. It should display itself as "countdown.text." Copy the file name from here as it will be used later on 
• Finally, at the bottom, you should see two more options to select: "auto-start" and " beep at 0." Choose the preferred setting.
• Click on Start, and then minimize the app.

3rd Step

• In the third step, you need to come back to Streamlsbs and select the timer.
• Double-click on “Timer” and click "Read from File” and the “Browse “ option will appear.
• It will go to the file manager of your PC if you click on Browse, and you will need to select the countdown timer file, or you can simply paste the file name that you had selected in the timer app.
• Once you select the file, the countdown timer should be visible in Streamlabs. But you need to customize the countdown time since it will be blurry. There is a fix for the blurry countdown timer that appears in the Streamlabs window.

Ways to Fix the Blurry Timer Appearance Issue

• Go to the window where the timer displays. There you should see options like font style, font size, text transform, color, etc.
• First, keep the font size to a maximum.
• Change the font style as per personal preference by choosing options such as "Impact” and “Arial”.
• Scroll down to add some colors and styles to it. You can add gradients and styles as well as outlines.
• Once you are done with customization, you need to hit Done. Your countdown timer should be visible. You can drag it to your live stream where you want to show it.

Countdown Timer Hack to Omit the “Hour” Portion

• Press and hold the alt key on your keyboard while the timer appears on your screen.
• Select the timer and drag it towards the left side to cut the hour text from the timer. You can drag it using your mouse by pressing and holding the right button like you do to select text.

This is how you are going to make the “hour” portion disappear from the timer and only minutes and seconds will remain visible to your audience.

Conclusion:

We know that Streamlabs is a very popular live streaming software used by thousands of live streamers worldwide. A countdown timer plays an important role in keeping the audience engaged during or before your live stream. This blog showed how to implement a free countdown timer in StreamLabs. The process is simple and comes with many customization options. This solution is a great way to make your live streams more professional.