Let Twitch chat play sounds and GIFs with commands
To let Twitch chat play sounds, connect a tool that reads your chat and plays a clip in OBS when a viewer types a command like !horn. Desktop apps such as Honkpad or Streamer.bot do this with free chat commands; extensions such as Sound Alerts and Blerp let viewers pay with Bits or channel points. Set a cooldown first.
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Your options
| Tool | How viewers trigger sounds | Runs on | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honkpad | Chat commands, chat combos, Bits, subs, raids, channel points with text | Mac and Windows app + OBS browser source | Download |
| Streamer.bot + OBS | Chat commands and many other triggers that run actions, such as showing an OBS media source | Windows; macOS and Linux experimental | Streamer.bot docs |
| Sound Alerts | Twitch extension panel paid with Bits; channel points | Web service + OBS | soundalerts.com |
| Blerp | Twitch extension with Bits or channel points; a browser extension for viewers | Web service + OBS | blerp.com |
Set up chat commands in Honkpad
- Install Honkpad from the download page and add its overlay to OBS. See How to add a meme soundboard to OBS.
- In Honkpad, enter your Twitch channel name. Honkpad reads public chat anonymously, so no Twitch login is needed.
- Open a meme and add a Chat command trigger, for example !horn. Optionally limit it to moderators, VIPs or subscribers.
- Set a per-meme cooldown and the pause between chat memes. Optionally set a maximum number of plays per stream.
- Use a Test button in Connections to fire a fake chat command, then type the command in your own chat to check.
Plays only reach viewers while OBS is streaming and you are signed in to a free account.
Keep it fun, not spammy
- Cooldowns: a per-meme cooldown plus a global pause between chat memes stops one viewer from flooding the stream.
- Repeats: when chat spams a meme that is already playing, Honkpad collapses the repeats into one play with an ×N badge instead of queueing them all.
- Roles: limit loud or long memes to subscribers, VIPs or moderators.
- Moderation: moderators can type !hp skip, !hp stop, !hp pause and !hp resume. A Twitch ban, timeout or deleted message removes that viewer's queued plays. Blocked users never trigger anything.
- Combos: a chat combo meme plays when several different viewers send the same word or emote within a few seconds, which rewards the whole chat instead of one person.
- Let viewers see the list: !memes can answer with your streamer page, which lists the commands that are free in chat.
Other platforms
YouTube, Kick and TikTok chat can reach Honkpad through Social Stream Ninja for free. See the Social Stream Ninja guide. Paid events from those platforms go through Streamer.bot.
FAQ
Do chat commands cost viewers anything?
Not in Honkpad or Streamer.bot: typing a command is free. Extensions like Sound Alerts and Blerp mostly charge Bits or channel points per sound, which is a way to earn from sounds.
How do I stop chat from spamming sounds?
Set a cooldown per sound and a pause between any two chat sounds, cap plays per stream, and limit loud sounds to subscribers or VIPs. Give moderators a skip or stop command.
Does Honkpad need my Twitch password or login?
No. It reads your public chat anonymously. A Twitch login is not built yet, so channel point rewards without text input, follows and Power-ups need Streamer.bot forwarding.
Can I use Streamer.bot on a Mac?
Streamer.bot is a Windows app. Its docs call macOS support experimental and not officially supported, through the now-deprecated Whisky wrapper. See Streamer.bot on macOS.
Can chat trigger GIFs too, not just sounds?
Yes. In Honkpad each meme is a sound plus a GIF or video and a caption, and a chat command plays all of them together in the OBS overlay.
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