Frequently asked questions: EmbedAvatar, PNGtubing and VTubing
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Is there a free PNGtuber tool without a download?
Yes. EmbedAvatar runs entirely in the browser: you build or upload your avatar on embedavatar.com and add it to OBS Studio, Streamlabs Desktop or Meld Studio as a browser source. There is nothing to install, and it's free.
Does EmbedAvatar cost anything?
No. EmbedAvatar is a free, non-commercial project without ads, without subscriptions and without tracking.
What do I need?
A Google or Twitch account to sign in, at least one image of your avatar (or a character from the builder) and streaming software with a browser source, e.g. OBS Studio, Streamlabs Desktop or Meld Studio.
How does my avatar move its mouth when I talk in OBS?
The overlay runs in OBS as a browser source and reads your microphone level from OBS via obs-websocket. Above your threshold it shows the “speaking” image, below it the “idle” image, and it blinks on its own. No microphone permission is needed in the browser source. See the OBS Studio guide.
Does it work with Streamlabs Desktop or Meld Studio?
Yes. They have no obs-websocket, so a control page in your normal browser measures your microphone and only tells the overlay “speaking” or “silent”. There are guides for Streamlabs Desktop and Meld Studio.
Does it work on Twitch, YouTube or Discord?
On Twitch, YouTube and any other platform: yes, because the avatar is part of your scene in OBS, Streamlabs or Meld and appears wherever you stream or record from there. EmbedAvatar has no Discord integration of its own.
Am I a VTuber with EmbedAvatar?
Yes. VTuber is the umbrella term for streaming or making videos as a virtual character. EmbedAvatar makes you a PNGtuber, the simplest form of VTubing: a 2D avatar that reacts to your voice. It doesn't move with your head or facial expressions. How to become a VTuber without a camera compares it with Live2D and 3D.
Do I need a webcam or face tracking?
No. EmbedAvatar has no face tracking; the avatar reacts only to your voice, so you need a microphone but no webcam, phone or VTube Studio. If your avatar should follow your head and facial expressions, a VTuber program with face tracking such as VTube Studio is the better fit – see What is a PNGtuber?
How much does it cost to become a VTuber?
With EmbedAvatar nothing: the avatar, the character builder and the overlay are free, and you need only a microphone and streaming software such as the free OBS Studio. The face-tracking programs VTube Studio and VSeeFace are free to use as well; what costs money is mainly a Live2D or 3D model if you have it made by an artist. The comparison is on How to become a VTuber without a camera.
Can I switch to Live2D or 3D later?
Yes, nothing locks you in: the overlay is one browser source that you can hide or remove at any time. EmbedAvatar can't load Live2D or VRM models and doesn't turn your images into one. For Live2D you need a rigged model and a program such as VTube Studio, for 3D a VRM model and a program such as VSeeFace. Your character and channel name can stay the same.
Background noise or my keyboard sets off the avatar – what can I do?
Move the threshold just above your noise, choose the preset “Noise-proof” or let Calibrate measure three seconds of silence and three seconds of speech. EmbedAvatar ignores steady noise (fans, hum) and short clicks by itself. In OBS, the filters Noise Suppression (RNNoise) and Noise Gate help further; a headset or a microphone close to your mouth helps most.
Which images can I upload?
PNG, WebP, GIF and JPEG up to 8 MB, animated too (at most 300 frames). Large images are scaled down to 2048 pixels. SVG is not accepted for security reasons.
Can I make an avatar without drawing?
Yes. The character builder offers 5 styles from DiceBear (Lorelei, Voxel, Moods, Critters, Sprouts) under the CC0 license. The idle, speaking and blinking images are created automatically, and you may use them on stream, commercially too.
Does EmbedAvatar listen in?
No. Audio never leaves your device. In OBS the overlay only reads the volume level from OBS on your PC. The control page only sends “speaking” or “silent”. Details are in the privacy policy.
Why does OBS need the WebSocket password?
So the overlay may read your microphone level directly from OBS. The password is only in the URL of your browser source and is never sent to us. That's why you shouldn't show the URL on stream.
Does the link change when I switch avatars?
No. The overlay keeps its link; you just choose another avatar. Changes in the editor appear in OBS immediately, without reloading the source.
Does it work without an account or offline?
The online version needs an account. There is also a local version: editor and overlay as a ZIP package that runs in OBS without an account and without an internet connection. Where to download it is shown on the home page as soon as the download location is settled.
Are my images public?
Anyone who knows your overlay link or the image address can access the images – otherwise OBS couldn't load them without signing in. Search engines don't index these addresses.
How do I delete my account?
In the account settings under “Your data”. You can export all data as a ZIP there first.
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