OBS does the encoding.
obs_controller does the switching.
A native desktop app that adds a real Preview-before-Live staging workflow on top of your existing, free OBS Studio setup — a shot grid organized into layers, a Preview stage you build up first, and one TAKE button to cut it live. No encoding engine to buy, no plugin to install — obs_controller just talks to OBS over its own WebSocket server.
Why not just use OBS's own UI?
Professional switcher software like Wirecast or vMix bundles two different things together: a compositing/encoding engine, and an operator workflow for staging content before it goes live. OBS Studio is already a free, mature, actively-developed version of the first part — what it doesn't give you out of the box is the second: a real Preview-before-Live staging model, a shot library you click through, or dedicated always-on confidence monitors. obs_controller is entirely that second part, built as a control layer on top of OBS — so all the hard engineering (encoders, capture cards, codecs, streaming protocols) is inherited for free and stays up to date with OBS itself, instead of being reinvented.
What it does
Built for church AV teams, small studios, and solo streamers running multi-camera or multi-scene productions who want vMix/Wirecast-style operation without the encoding-engine price tag.
Preview → TAKE staging
Stage the next shot in Preview, confirm it looks right, then cut it live with one TAKE button — using OBS's own Studio Mode transition under the hood, so you keep OBS's real transition effects.
Layered shot grid
Organize cameras, video/image clips, titles, and lower thirds into layers, each with its own row of ready-to-go shots you click to stage — no rebuilding scenes in OBS every time.
Auto-advance rotations
Let a layer automatically move to its next shot — on a timer for images, or when a clip naturally finishes — for unattended announcement loops or B-roll rotations.
Real lower thirds
Compound title-plus-background shots with proper placement controls, not a text source dropped on top and hoped for.
Media library
Browse, preview, and reuse local video/image/audio files across shots — including optional AI-generated still images using your own Hugging Face API key.
Dedicated monitors
Always-on Preview and Live confidence-monitor windows, plus Stream Deck and NDI support for camera and hardware-switcher workflows.
Pricing
Final pricing will be announced at launch. The current plan:
One-time purchase
- Full switcher functionality
- No subscription
- Aimed at church/nonprofit & budget-conscious teams
Subscription
- Same core switcher
- Lower up-front cost
- Cancel anytime
Both options are still being finalized — exact amounts, a full-featured free trial, and an optional higher tier (hosted AI-generated media, PTZ camera control, MIDI/hotkey support) will be confirmed when obs_controller is available for purchase.