How to add a PNGTuber to OBS so the mouth actually moves
You have two PNGs and OBS open, and nothing is happening. That is because an Image source cannot swap pictures when you talk — something has to do that job. If your character came from this maker, one link does it. Otherwise there are two free ways, and which one you want depends on how much you like fiddling with settings.
What you need before you open OBS
Two matching PNG files
The same character with the mouth closed and open, both with see-through backgrounds. If you do not have them yet, the maker on this site produces the pair.
A working microphone in OBS
Check the audio mixer bounces when you speak. If OBS cannot hear you, nothing downstream of it will work either.
Worth confirming the transparency now rather than later: open a PNG and check the background shows as a checkerboard, not white. Files exported from the maker are already see-through.
Made your PNGTuber here? Add it to OBS with one link
Every character with its basic frames has Use in OBS in the maker. It turns your character into a Browser Source: a see-through background, the mouth following your voice and the eyes blinking on their own. There are two ways to set it up, and the only question is where OBS runs.
- 1
Open Use in OBS on your character
In the maker, open your character and press Open OBS page. It asks one question: is OBS on this computer, or on another one?
- 2
OBS on this computer: Add directly to OBS
In OBS open Tools → WebSocket Server Settings, tick "Enable WebSocket server", then press "Show Connect Info" and copy the password. Paste it into Connect local OBS in the maker and press Add for each expression — the source lands in your current scene. It listens to OBS's own microphone meter, so your noise gate and mute buttons in OBS still apply. Needs OBS 28 or newer.
- 3
OBS on another computer: copy the links
Get expression links gives you one link per expression, with no password in it. On the OBS computer: Sources → + → Browser, paste the link, and set the width and height the page shows. This route uses that computer's microphone directly, which OBS only allows when it starts with --enable-media-stream — the page shows how on Windows and Mac. OBS's own mute and filters do not reach it.
- 4
One source per expression
Each expression is its own source. Add one for each and give it a Show/Hide hotkey in Settings → Hotkeys.
Keep your links off stream: anyone who has one can show your character, and a source added directly also carries your OBS password. If a link leaks, press Reset link under Copy links for OBS, then paste or add the new one — the old one stops working within five minutes.
Route one — a dedicated PNGTuber app (easiest)
The common route. A small free program holds your images, listens to your mic, and does the swapping. OBS just captures its window. The best known of these is veadotube mini, which is free and built specifically for this.
- 1
Load your two frames into the app
You will be asked for a resting image and a talking image. That maps exactly onto the two files you downloaded.
- 2
Set the microphone and threshold there
Pick your mic in the app, then talk normally and adjust the sensitivity until the mouth follows your speech instead of your keyboard.
- 3
Capture the window in OBS
In OBS add a Window Capture (or Game Capture) source and point it at the app. Enable the transparency option so the background does not come through as a solid color.
- 4
Crop and position
Alt-drag the edges of the source in OBS to crop away any window chrome, then scale it into the corner you want.
Why most people land here: the threshold controls are better than anything you get inside OBS, and adding extra expressions later is just adding more images to the same app.
Route two — do it all inside OBS with a plugin
If you would rather not run another program, an OBS plugin can react to your audio directly. The Move plugin by Exeldro includes an audio-driven filter, and Advanced Scene Switcher can act on audio levels too. Both are free.
- 1
Add both PNGs as Image sources
Two separate sources in the same scene — call them clearly, something like "avatar closed" and "avatar talking". Line them up so they sit in exactly the same spot.
- 2
Install the plugin and restart OBS
Plugins only appear in the filter list after a restart, which is the single most common reason people think the install failed.
- 3
Add the audio-reactive filter
Attach it to the talking source, point it at your microphone, and set it to show the source above a volume threshold and hide it below.
- 4
Tune the threshold while talking normally
Speak at the volume you actually stream at. Setting it while whispering at 1am gives you an avatar that never shuts up during the day.
Menu names shift between plugin versions, so treat the labels above as the shape of the job rather than exact clicks. The sequence — two sources, one filter, one threshold — has stayed the same for years.
Fixing what usually goes wrong
The avatar has a white or black box behind it. The transparency is being lost. If you used a window capture, switch on the option that allows transparency. If it is an Image source, your PNG itself is not see-through — re-export it.
The mouth never opens.Almost always the wrong audio source. Check the plugin or app is listening to your actual microphone and not to desktop audio, then lower the threshold. With the maker's link, the source itself tells you what is missing. For a copied link it is usually that OBS was not started with --enable-media-stream; for one added directly, that the WebSocket server is off or its password has changed.
The mouth never closes. Threshold too low, so room noise counts as speech. Raise it until the avatar sits still while you are silent, then lower it a touch.
It flickers on every syllable. Look for a hold or delay setting and add a small amount, so the talking frame stays up briefly between words instead of strobing.
The two frames are misaligned. They must be the same canvas size with the character in the same position. Frames from the maker are square and drawn from the same pose; if one comes out a different size, give both sources the same size in OBS (right-click the source, then Transform, then Edit Transform).
PNGTuber OBS questions
Can OBS do this without any plugin or extra app?
Not with Image sources alone — they cannot react to audio. A Browser Source can: added directly from the maker, it reads OBS's own microphone meter through the WebSocket server built into OBS 28 and newer, so there is nothing to install. A link copied for another computer listens to the microphone instead, which needs OBS started with --enable-media-stream. For a character made elsewhere, use a plugin or a small companion program; both are free.
Does the same setup work in Streamlabs?
The window-capture route works identically, since Streamlabs is built on OBS. The maker's OBS link does not: Streamlabs has no WebSocket server to read your microphone from and no way to let a Browser Source use the microphone, so the character would show but never talk. Plugin support differs too, so the dedicated app route is the safer bet there.
Will a PNGTuber slow my stream down?
No. It is two still images being shown and hidden — essentially free compared to anything else in your scene, including your webcam.
How do I add more expressions?
A dedicated PNGTuber app handles extra states with hotkeys. With the maker's link, add one Browser Source per expression and bind each to a Show/Hide hotkey. With plugins, add more image sources and bind each the same way.
Can I use one avatar across several scenes?
Yes. Add the source once, then reuse it in other scenes by choosing "Add existing" rather than creating a new copy — one change then updates everywhere.
Should the avatar sit above or below my other sources?
Above your gameplay and overlay, so nothing covers it. Just make sure it is not sitting on top of anything viewers need to read.