Vortexia is a free, browser-based animated stream background that adds to OBS, Streamlabs, or StreamElements as a Browser Source. The background reacts to your audio in real time — no download, no plugin, no software.
Most free animated backgrounds are stock video files, and free usually has conditions attached: attribution, a non-commercial clause, or a watermarked preview with the real file behind a paywall. Vortexia is free to run at 720p and 30fps with a small Vortexia watermark, with no download, no account needed for Ambient Mode, and no licence to read - you are running a tool rather than redistributing somebody else s footage. It is also generated live, so it never loops and it reacts to your audio, neither of which a file can do.
How to use Animated Stream Backgrounds — Free
Customize the visual. Open the Vortexia dashboard, choose the Animated Stream Backgrounds — Free preset, and adjust colour shift, zoom and iteration depth until it matches your show.
Copy the viewer URL. Click "Get Browser Source URL" — Vortexia will give you a permanent URL that loads this exact configuration anywhere.
Add it to OBS, Streamlabs and any other broadcasting software. In OBS, Streamlabs and any other broadcasting software, add a new Browser Source, paste the viewer URL, and set the canvas to 1920×1080 (or 1080×1920 for vertical). The visual is live as soon as the source loads.
Route your audio. Make sure the browser tab can hear the audio you want it to react to — most streamers route their stream output through a virtual audio cable so Vortexia and OBS hear the same mix.
Specs & output
Engine
Chaos Prime
Render Mode
genesis
Iteration Depth
65
Default Zoom
1.30
Colour Shift
300°
Output (Free)
720p / 30fps + watermark
Output (Plus)
1080p / 60fps, no watermark
Output (Pro)
4K / 60fps, brand-kit logo overlay
Audio Source
Browser tab audio (FFT, real-time)
Last Updated
2026-08-25
Frequently asked questions
What is the catch with the free tier?
A small Vortexia watermark, 720p and 30fps. That is the whole of it - no time limit, no trial, no card. The watermark is how a free tool pays for itself, since it travels on your stream to people who have not heard of us. Plus removes it at $4.99/month.
Do I have to credit anyone or check a licence?
No. You are not redistributing a video file, so there is no attribution requirement and no non-commercial clause to trip over - which is worth checking on any free stock loop you download, because many carry one and monetised streams are exactly what they exclude.
Is there anything to install?
Nothing. It is a browser tab. In OBS it is a Browser Source URL; on a phone stream it is a page open on a second screen. No plugin, no executable, no updates to keep up with.
How is this different from a free background video?
A video is a fixed clip that repeats and cannot hear anything. This is computed frame by frame, so it never reaches a loop point, and it moves with whatever you are playing. The trade is that it needs a browser and a GPU, where a file does not.
About the author
Yousef @ Vortexia — Vortexia Engine Creator.
Yousef builds Vortexia — a browser-based, GPU-accelerated audio-reactive visual engine used by streamers and DJs on Twitch, Kick, YouTube Live and TikTok Live.