NDI & OBS Setup

NDI (Network Device Interface) lets you send Open Worship lyrics to video software like OBS, vMix, or Wirecast for livestreaming.

What is NDI?

NDI is a video-over-IP protocol. It sends video over your local network without cables. Open Worship outputs lyrics as an NDI source that you add to OBS as a layer.

Use cases:

  • Overlay lyrics on top of camera feed for livestream
  • Send lyrics to a separate display via NDI
  • Combine with other video sources in OBS

Prerequisites

  1. Open Worship (desktop app)
  2. OBS Studio (or vMix, Wirecast, etc.)
  3. NDI Runtime — required on every machine that uses NDI

Step 1: Install NDI Runtime

Download and install the free NDI Tools from ndi.tv/tools.

This includes NDI Runtime, which is required for NDI to work.

After installing, restart Open Worship and OBS.

Step 2: Enable NDI in Open Worship

  1. Open Settings in the sidebar
  2. Scroll to NDI Output
  3. Toggle Enable NDI Output on
  4. Set a Source Name (e.g., “Open Worship”)
  5. Choose Text Position:
Mode Frame Size Use Case
Center 1920×1080 Full screen display
Lower Third 1920×360 Bottom overlay for livestreams
  1. You’ll see the status: “Broadcasting as Open Worship”

Step 3: Install OBS NDI Plugin

  1. Download the OBS NDI plugin from github.com/DistroAV/DistroAV
  2. Run the installer
  3. Restart OBS Studio

Step 4: Add NDI Source in OBS

  1. Open OBS Studio
  2. In your scene, click + under Sources
  3. Select NDI™ Source
  4. Name it (e.g., “Lyrics”)
  5. In the Source name dropdown, select Open Worship (or your custom name)
  6. Click OK

Step 5: Position the Lyrics

For Lower Third Mode (Overlay)

If you’re using Lower Third mode (1920×360), position the source at the bottom:

  1. Right-click the NDI source → Transform → Edit Transform
  2. Set:
    • Position X: 0
    • Position Y: 720 (for 1080p canvas)
    • Size: 1920 × 360
  3. Close

The lyrics will now appear at the bottom of your stream.

For Center Mode (Full Screen)

  1. Right-click the NDI source
  2. Select Transform → Fit to screen (or press Ctrl+F)

Transparent Overlay (Chroma Key)

To make the background transparent and only show text:

In Open Worship:

  1. Go to Settings → Backgrounds
  2. Set a solid green background (#00FF00)

In OBS:

  1. Right-click the NDI source → Filters
  2. Click + → Chroma Key
  3. Set Key Color Type to Green
  4. Adjust Similarity until the green is removed (~400)
  5. Adjust Smoothness to clean up edges (~80)

Now your lyrics appear over your video with a transparent background!

Troubleshooting

NDI source not showing in OBS

  • ✅ Make sure NDI Runtime is installed from ndi.tv/tools
  • ✅ Both Open Worship and OBS must be on the same network
  • ✅ Try restarting both applications
  • ✅ Check firewall — allow NDI ports 5960-5969
  • ✅ In OBS, click the Source dropdown refresh button

“Mock mode” warning

If you see “Mock mode” in Open Worship Settings, the NDI SDK isn’t fully installed.

  1. Download NDI Tools from ndi.tv/tools
  2. Run the installer
  3. Restart Open Worship

Poor quality or lag

  • Use wired Ethernet instead of WiFi
  • Close other network-heavy applications
  • Both machines should be on a Gigabit network

Lyrics not updating

  • Make sure GO LIVE is active in Presenter
  • Check that NDI is enabled in Settings
  • Try disabling and re-enabling NDI

Alternative: Window Capture

If NDI doesn’t work for you, use OBS Window Capture:

  1. In Open Worship, use GO LIVE to show lyrics on a window
  2. In OBS, add a Window Capture source
  3. Select the Open Worship presentation window
  4. Crop or resize as needed

This is simpler but doesn’t support transparency.

Summary

Step Action
1 Install NDI Tools from ndi.tv
2 Enable NDI in Open Worship Settings
3 Install OBS NDI plugin
4 Add NDI Source in OBS
5 Position at bottom (for lower third)
6 Add Chroma Key filter (for transparency)

Now your lyrics are ready for livestreaming! 🎉