How to Stream and Record Different Scenes in OBS to Show Heart Rate

Using OBS to stream one scene while recording another is a common setup for creators who want to add or remove overlays in recordings without changing the live broadcast. This approach works especially well when using the Pulsoid Twitch Extension while streaming on Twitch.

The Pulsoid Twitch Extension lets you show your heart rate live with features like visibility for followers only, viewer toggle and move options, and zero CPU usage. Learn more about its features here.

However, Twitch Extensions aren’t visible in VODs, clips, or highlights. This article shows how to use OBS to stream and record different scenes so your heart rate widget appears in your recordings and shareable content.

What You Need to Record Heart Rate in OBS

Before following the steps below, make sure you download the Aitum Vertical Plugin and go through the installation steps.

The plugin lets you create a separate recording canvas where you can add your Pulsoid heart rate widget without changing your main stream layout. You can use it for both horizontal gameplay recordings and vertical mobile-friendly clips. Make sure you also have Pulsoid set up and connected to your heart rate monitor — this is required to display the widget in OBS. If you haven’t done that yet, follow this guide to get started.

Two Ways to Record Content with Heart Rate Using Aitum

Horizontal Recording for Full Gameplay and YouTube Videos

If you want your heart rate visible in full gameplay recordings, YouTube videos, or post-stream highlights, set your Aitum canvas to a horizontal resolution and add your Pulsoid widget.

1. Click the Settings icon under the Vertical Canvas and set a horizontal resolution (for example, 1920x1080).

   

2. Add your main stream as a source to the Vertical Scene, or customize it based on your needs by adding different sources.

   

3. Choose a heart rate widget you want to use. Click the “+” icon in Vertical Sources, select “Browser”, then “New”, and add the widget as a Browser Source. Check this article if you're not sure how to add a Browser Source.

   

4. After starting your stream, click the Record button to begin capturing.

   

Your Twitch viewers still see the Pulsoid Extension live, while your separate recording shows the heart rate for later use.

Vertical Clips for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts

If you’re creating short, mobile-friendly content like TikToks, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram Reels, Aitum Vertical is the perfect tool. You can either record your full stream vertically, similar to the horizontal setup mentioned above (just set the resolution to 1080x1920), or simply use Aitum’s Backtrack feature to save highlights after they happen.

Backtrack is ideal if you don’t want to record the entire stream, but still want to grab key moments with your heart rate visible for social media.

1. Click the Settings icon under the Vertical Canvas and set a horizontal resolution (for example, 1080x1920).

   

2. Set up your Vertical Scene by adding Vertical Sources.

   

3. Choose a heart rate widget you want to use. Click the “+” icon in Vertical Sources, select “Browser”, then “New”, and add the widget as a Browser Source. Check this article if you're not sure how to add a Browser Source.

   

4. Turn on the Backtracking

   

5. Click on the Settings icon under the Vertical Canvas and scroll to the Backtrack section in General settings. Set a hotkey for saving backtrack clips, and configure options like Backtrack Recording Path and Backtrack Recording Length (how far back the recording should capture when you press the hotkey).

   

6. Stream as usual, and press the hotkey whenever you want to instantly save the last moments (with your heart rate shown) to the selected folder.

   
   

   Learn more about Aitum Vertical features, settings, and troubleshooting here, including details about hotkeys and other useful options.