This is not a directory. It is a short list of tools that people actually use under pressure. If a tool does not earn trust in real production, it does not belong here.
These stay central because they connect directly to the strongest internal workflows on this site and come up constantly in real production conversations.
OBS is still the default answer when someone needs to stream, record, capture, or build a lightweight production workflow without buying into a larger stack first.
Companion solves a real operator problem: too many systems, too many clicks, not enough fast control. When it is built well, it saves serious time.
These are still curated, not exhaustive. They earn a place here because people actually rely on them for graphics, automation, diagnostics, or media-system work under pressure.
A local browser-source fallback for lower thirds, status labels, and timers when the normal graphics path is unavailable or deliberately lightweight.
Open-source graphics and playout engine for teams that need custom behavior more than polished packaging.
Visual flow glue for events, APIs, and control logic when several systems need to talk to each other fast.
Packet-level truth when the network story sounds wrong and you need proof instead of guesses.
Real-time media environment for interactive, XR-adjacent, installation, and custom visual-system workflows.
Local event automation for stream workflows that need more than scattered plugins and manual scene changes.