Is Vortexia an OBS plugin?

No. It uses the Browser Source that comes with OBS, so there is nothing to download or copy into an OBS folder. You paste your OBS link into a Browser Source and the visual appears.

Should I use a plugin like Waveform instead?

It depends on what you want on screen. Waveform is a free, maintained plugin that draws a spectrum graph or bars from any audio source already in OBS, with no extra window. Vortexia fills the whole scene with moving fractals, reacts to channel events and adds scene screens, but needs its dashboard tab open to listen.

What happened to Spectralizer?

Spectralizer is no longer developed: its repository is archived, and its author recommends Waveform instead.

What Browser Source settings should I use?

Width 1920 and height 1080 to match a standard canvas, and leave “Shutdown source when not visible” unticked so the visual does not restart on every scene change. “Control audio via OBS” makes no difference to Vortexia: the source only draws, and the dashboard does the listening.

How does it hear my audio?

Through the Vortexia dashboard. Set Listening to Microphone, or to Music / system to capture a tab or your desktop audio in Chrome or Edge on Windows, and keep that tab open while you stream; minimised is fine. On a Mac, a virtual audio device such as BlackHole, chosen as the browser’s microphone, can carry your music.

Will it slow my game down?

The 2D engines cost roughly a millisecond per frame at 1080p. On paid plans Performance Mode can drop the render to 720p or 480p while OBS still outputs at full canvas size; the free plan already renders at 720p.

Yes, with no time limit and no card: 720p and 30fps with a small watermark, three engines and Twitch events. Plus, from $4.99 a month, removes the watermark and adds 1080p at 60fps, all eight engines, and automatic YouTube and Kick events.

AUDIO-REACTIVE VISUAL · UPDATED 2026-09-28

Free Audio Visualizer for OBS Studio

Name: Vortexia
Author: Vortexia

No plugin to install, and how that compares to one

Want an audio visualizer in OBS? Vortexia needs no plugin: a free Browser Source with music-reactive visuals. And how it compares to plugins like Waveform.

Open the dashboard · Watch it live · All presets · Pricing

What is Free Audio Visualizer for OBS Studio?

There are two honest ways to put an audio visualizer in OBS. A plugin such as Waveform, which is free and actively maintained, adds a source that draws a spectrum graph or bars from any audio source OBS already has; you install it into OBS, and it hears your stream audio directly. Vortexia is the other way: a free visualizer that needs no plugin, because it runs in the Browser Source that comes with OBS. Instead of bars, it fills the scene with fractals that move with the bass, mids and treble, punch on every kick, and react to Twitch follows, subs, bits and raids, with Starting Soon and Be Right Back screens built in. The trade-off is that the listening happens in the Vortexia dashboard, a browser tab you keep open, set to your microphone or, in Chrome or Edge on Windows, your music or system audio. The free plan runs at 720p and 30fps with a small watermark.

How to use Free Audio Visualizer for OBS Studio

Open the dashboard. Sign in at vortexia.live, pick a look and turn audio on.
Choose what it hears. Under Listening to, pick Microphone, or Music / system to capture your music directly.
Copy your OBS link. Click Copy OBS Link in the dashboard.
Add a Browser Source. In OBS, click + under Sources, choose Browser, paste the link and set 1920 by 1080.
Keep the dashboard open. It does the listening; minimise it rather than closing it.

Specs & output

Engine	Chaos Prime
Render Mode	flux
Iteration Depth	60
Default Zoom	1.00
Colour Shift	200°
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	2026-09-28

Frequently asked questions

Is Vortexia an OBS plugin?: No. It uses the Browser Source that comes with OBS, so there is nothing to download or copy into an OBS folder. You paste your OBS link into a Browser Source and the visual appears.
Should I use a plugin like Waveform instead?: It depends on what you want on screen. Waveform is a free, maintained plugin that draws a spectrum graph or bars from any audio source already in OBS, with no extra window. Vortexia fills the whole scene with moving fractals, reacts to channel events and adds scene screens, but needs its dashboard tab open to listen.
What happened to Spectralizer?: Spectralizer is no longer developed: its repository is archived, and its author recommends Waveform instead.
What Browser Source settings should I use?: Width 1920 and height 1080 to match a standard canvas, and leave “Shutdown source when not visible” unticked so the visual does not restart on every scene change. “Control audio via OBS” makes no difference to Vortexia: the source only draws, and the dashboard does the listening.
How does it hear my audio?: Through the Vortexia dashboard. Set Listening to Microphone, or to Music / system to capture a tab or your desktop audio in Chrome or Edge on Windows, and keep that tab open while you stream; minimised is fine. On a Mac, a virtual audio device such as BlackHole, chosen as the browser’s microphone, can carry your music.
Will it slow my game down?: The 2D engines cost roughly a millisecond per frame at 1080p. On paid plans Performance Mode can drop the render to 720p or 480p while OBS still outputs at full canvas size; the free plan already renders at 720p.
Is it free?: Yes, with no time limit and no card: 720p and 30fps with a small watermark, three engines and Twitch events. Plus, from $4.99 a month, removes the watermark and adds 1080p at 60fps, all eight engines, and automatic YouTube and Kick events.

About the author

The Vortexia team — Makers of the Vortexia engine.

The Vortexia team builds a browser-based, GPU-accelerated audio-reactive visual engine used by streamers and DJs on Twitch, Kick, YouTube Live and TikTok Live.