The Upstream Winter Update (November to December 2025) focuses on the Stream Builder and your 24/7 channels: scrolling text can now run vertically or as stacked letters, overlay elements snap into place with one click, “My Streams” is now the Dashboard, the Stream Builder has full keyboard shortcuts, you can pull thumbnails from your Media Library, and the backend is faster across the board.
What’s new at a glance
| Feature | What it does | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical & stacked scrolling text | Marquee text scrolls up/down or stacks into single letters | Stream Builder overlay text |
| One-click alignment | Snaps any element left, center, right, top, or bottom | Stream Builder |
| Dashboard | “My Streams” renamed to your main hub | Main navigation |
| Keyboard shortcuts | Hotkeys, a Help panel, and a Delete button in Layers | Stream Builder sidebar |
| Media Library thumbnails | Pick a stream thumbnail without re-uploading | Stream setup |
| Show Next Playing | Shows viewers what track or video is up next | Now Playing display |
What’s new for overlay layout?
This update gives you more control over how text and elements sit on screen, so your live stream overlays match the look you want.
Vertical and stacked scrolling text
Scrolling text can now move vertically, up or down, instead of only left to right. A new stacked-letters option splits your text into individual letters stacked top to bottom, which suits sidebar tickers and chat-style columns.
One-click element alignment
Alignment tools let you snap any element to the left, center, right, top, or bottom with a single click. This now works for every element type, so lining up a logo, a lower-third, and a ticker takes seconds.
A more forgiving color picker
The color picker now accepts 6-character hex codes, and a mistyped code can’t break your styling. Paste a brand color and keep building.
Clearer platform labels
“Stream URL” is now “YouTube Livestream URL,” and platform names show dynamically based on the platform you picked, so it’s obvious where each link points.
Go live from your browser.
Invite guests, share screens, build scenes, and add overlays without installing or wiring together another production stack.
How does the Stream Builder workflow get faster?
The Overlay Editor in the Stream Builder picked up shortcuts and guardrails that cut the clicks out of building a layout.
Keyboard shortcuts and a Help panel
A new Help panel in the sidebar lists every shortcut. You can move layers up or down with hotkeys, delete elements from a dedicated button in the Layers panel, and selecting an element now highlights it on the canvas so you always know what you’re editing. Holding a key or switching layers feels smoother too.
Media Library thumbnails
You can now pick a stream thumbnail straight from your existing Media Library instead of re-uploading the same image every time you set up a stream.
Smarter image uploads
Image uploads now check resolution and file size and warn you if a file is too large, and they fix sideways or rotated photos automatically, so your overlays look right the first time.
Sting and jingle timing
Stings and jingles now support offset timing, so you control exactly when an audio cue fires. If you run a music or talk channel, you can add stings and jingles to your channel and place each one precisely.
What changed in Now Playing and the media queue?
Your 24/7 channels got a cleaner viewer-facing display and a steadier queue.
Show Next Playing
The Now Playing display has a centered, cleaner layout, and a new “Show Next Playing” lets you and your viewers see which track or video is up next.
Smoother Now Playing
We fixed a flicker in the Now Playing display so it updates cleanly, only when the track actually changes. The Playlist Manager also now saves background images correctly.
What’s new on the Dashboard and multistream screens?
The renamed Dashboard makes your streams easier to scan, and the multistream screens read more clearly when you multistream to multiple destinations.
The new Dashboard
“My Streams” is now the Dashboard, your clearer main hub for everything you’re broadcasting.
Cleaner multistream labels and backup streams
Multistream modals now show platform names under your custom labels and drop the redundant “Platform:” prefix for a scannable list. Creating backup streams is clearer too, with visual indicators in the stream list showing which streams are backups.
Live export progress
Downloads and exports now show a live percentage, so you know exactly how far along a file is.
What’s new for your account and on-air safety?
Profile photos and password options
You can upload a profile photo in account settings, and your avatar now appears across the app, including the User Switcher. If you signed up with Google, you can also set a manual password, so you’re not locked into Google login. Manage all of this from your free plan or paid account.
Protection from accidental mid-stream changes
Certain stream settings are now automatically disabled while you’re broadcasting live, so you can’t change something by accident during a broadcast.
Under the hood
Plus reliability and performance work across the app: faster page loads, a lighter backend, and fixes like preventing duplicate folders on rapid keypresses.
Where this fits
The layout and alignment changes live in your Stream Designer overlays. The Now Playing and queue updates power your 24/7 channels. The cleaner labels and backup streams help when you multistream to several platforms at once.
FAQ
Can scrolling text run vertically on Upstream overlays?
Yes. Marquee text now scrolls vertically (up or down), not just left to right. A stacked-letters option splits text into single letters stacked top to bottom, which works well for sidebar tickers and chat columns.
How do I align overlay elements in the Stream Builder?
Select any element and use the alignment tools to snap it left, center, right, top, or bottom in one click. This now works for every element type, not just text.
What was ‘My Streams’ renamed to?
The ‘My Streams’ page is now called the Dashboard. It is your main hub for streams, with clearer multistream labels and backup-stream indicators in the list.
Can I reuse an existing image as a stream thumbnail?
Yes. You can pick a stream thumbnail straight from your Media Library instead of re-uploading the same image every time you set up a stream.
Are there keyboard shortcuts in the Upstream Stream Builder?
Yes. A new Help panel in the sidebar lists every shortcut. You can move layers up or down with hotkeys, delete elements from the Layers panel, and selecting an element highlights it on the canvas.
Try it on the free plan
Build a layout with vertical text, snap your elements into place, and set a thumbnail from your Media Library. Start on the Upstream free plan and design it in the Stream Designer.
