OBS Studio is a free and open-source software for video recording and live streaming. Whether you want to stream your gameplay on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, or any other platform, or record your screen for tutorials, presentations, or podcasts, OBS Studio can help you achieve your goals with high-quality output and easy-to-use features.
In this article, we will guide you through the basics of OBS Studio, from downloading and installing it on your computer, to setting it up for streaming or recording, to adding and managing sources and scenes, to using filters and transitions, to using studio mode and multiview, to using hotkeys and settings, to using plugins and scripts, to troubleshooting common issues.
By the end of this article, you will have a solid understanding of how OBS Studio works and how you can use it for your own purposes. Let's get started!
How to Download and Install OBS Studio
OBS Studio is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. You can download it from the official website¹, where you will find the latest release version as well as links to other installation methods.
To install OBS Studio on Windows, simply run the installer file that you downloaded and follow the instructions. You may need to install some additional components such as Visual C++ redistributable packages or DirectX if they are not already installed on your system.
To install OBS Studio on Mac, open the disk image file that you downloaded and drag the OBS icon into your Applications folder. You may need to allow OBS to access your microphone or camera if prompted by your system.
To install OBS Studio on Linux, you can use one of the official packages for Ubuntu 20.04 or newer², or use Flatpak³ which is compatible with most Linux distributions. You can also compile OBS Studio from source if you prefer.
How to Set Up OBS Studio for Streaming
OBS Studio supports streaming to various platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, Huya, Douyu, VK, and any other RTMP server. To set up OBS Studio for streaming, you need to do the following:
- Select a service from the Stream section in the Settings menu. You can also choose Custom if your service is not listed or if you want more control over the server URL.
- Enter your stream key for the service that you selected. You can usually find your stream key on your dashboard or account settings on the service's website. You can also use the Get Stream Key button on OBS Studio to open a web page with instructions on how to get your stream key.
- Adjust your output settings in the Output section in the Settings menu. You can choose between Simple or Advanced mode depending on how much customization you want. In Simple mode, you only need to set your video bitrate (the amount of data that is sent per second) and audio bitrate (the quality of your sound). The video bitrate depends on your upload speed and the limitations of the service that you use (for example, 6000 kbps max for Twitch.tv). The audio bitrate can be around 160 kbps for streaming or lower if you have a low upload speed.
How to Set Up OBS Studio for Recording
OBS Studio also allows you to record your video and audio locally on your computer. To set up OBS Studio for recording, you need to do the following:
- Choose a recording path in the Output section in the Settings menu. This is where your recorded files will be saved. You can also choose a recording format (such as MP4, MKV, MOV, etc.) and a file name prefix (such as Date or Time).
- Select a quality preset and an encoder in the Output section in the Settings menu. You can choose between Same as stream, High Quality, Indistinguishable Quality, and Lossless. These presets determine the resolution, framerate, and bitrate of your recorded video. You can also choose a different encoder (such as x264, NVENC, QuickSync, etc.) if you have a compatible hardware device that can speed up the encoding process and reduce the CPU usage.
- Enable the Replay Buffer in the Output section in the Settings menu if you want to save a short clip of your video without having to record the whole session. You can set the maximum length of the replay buffer (in seconds or megabytes) and assign a hotkey to save the buffer when something interesting happens.
How to Add and Manage Sources and Scenes
Sources are the elements that make up your video, such as your game window, your webcam, your microphone, your browser window, your images, your text, etc. Scenes are collections of sources that you can switch between during your stream or recording.
To add and manage sources and scenes in OBS Studio, you need to do the following:
- Create a new scene by clicking on the + button in the Scenes panel. You can name your scene according to its purpose (such as Game, Webcam, BRB, etc.).
- Add a new source by clicking on the + button in the Sources panel. You can choose from various types of sources such as Display Capture, Window Capture, Game Capture, Video Capture Device, Audio Input Capture, Browser Source, Image Source, Text Source, etc. You can name your source and adjust its properties (such as resolution, position, volume, filters, etc.) in the pop-up window that appears.
- Edit and arrange your sources by using the handles on their edges or corners to resize them or drag them around on the preview window. You can also use the arrow keys to nudge them or hold Alt to crop them. You can also right-click on a source to access more options such as Order (to move it up or down in relation to other sources), Transform (to rotate or flip it), Filters (to apply effects such as color correction or chroma key), Properties (to change its settings), or Rename (to change its name).
- Duplicate or remove a source by right-clicking on it and choosing Duplicate or Remove. You can also copy and paste a source between scenes by using Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V.
- Duplicate or remove a scene by right-clicking on it and choosing Duplicate or Remove. You can also rename a scene by double-clicking on it.
How to Use Filters and Transitions
Filters are effects that you can apply to your sources to enhance their appearance or functionality. Transitions are effects that you can apply to your scenes to make them switch smoothly.
To use filters and transitions in OBS Studio, you need to do the following:
- Add a filter to a source by right-clicking on it and choosing Filters. You can choose from various types of filters such as Color Correction (to adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, etc.), Chroma Key (to remove a specific color from your source), Noise Gate (to mute your microphone when there is no sound), Noise Suppression (to reduce background noise from your microphone), etc. You can name your filter and adjust its settings in the pop-up window that appears.
- Add a transition to a scene by clicking on the + button in the Scene Transitions panel. You can choose from various types of transitions such as Cut (to switch instantly), Fade (to fade out one scene and fade in another), Swipe (to slide one scene out and another one in), Stinger (to play a custom video file with sound), etc. You can name your transition and adjust its settings in the pop-up window that appears.
- Switch between scenes by clicking on them in the Scenes panel or using hotkeys that you assign in the Hotkeys section in the Settings menu. The transition that you selected will be applied when you switch scenes.
How to Use Studio Mode and Multiview
Studio Mode is a feature that allows you to preview your scenes and sources before pushing them live. Multiview is a feature that allows you to monitor multiple scenes at once and easily cue or transition to any of them.
To use studio mode and multiview in OBS Studio, you need to do the following:
- Enable studio mode by clicking on the Studio Mode button at the bottom right corner of OBS Studio. You will see two preview windows: one for Program (what is currently live) and one for Preview (what will be live next).
- Edit your preview scene by adding, removing, or adjusting sources as you normally would. You can also switch between scenes by clicking on them in the Scenes panel. The changes you make will not affect the program scene until you transition to it.
- Transition to your preview scene by clicking on the Transition button at the bottom center of OBS Studio. The transition that you selected will be applied and the preview scene will become the program scene. The next scene in the Scenes panel will become the preview scene.
- Enable multiview by clicking on the Multiview button at the top right corner of OBS Studio. You will see a window with eight scenes that you can monitor and switch to. You can also see your audio levels, recording status, streaming status, and CPU usage.
- Switch to a scene in multiview by clicking on it once to make it the preview scene or twice to make it the program scene. You can also use hotkeys that you assign in the Hotkeys section in the Settings menu. The transition that you selected will be applied when you switch scenes.
How to Use Hotkeys and Settings
Hotkeys are keyboard shortcuts that you can use to perform various actions in OBS Studio, such as starting or stopping streams or recordings, muting or unmuting audio sources, switching between scenes, saving the replay buffer, etc. Settings are options that you can use to customize various aspects of OBS Studio, such as stream settings, output settings, audio settings, video settings, general settings, etc.
To use hotkeys and settings in OBS Studio, you need to do the following:
- Assign hotkeys to actions by going to the Hotkeys section in the Settings menu. You can scroll through the list of actions and enter the keys that you want to use for each one. You can also clear or reset the hotkeys if you want.
- Use hotkeys during your stream or recording by pressing the keys that you assigned. You can also see the hotkeys for each action by hovering over their buttons on OBS Studio.
- Change settings for OBS Studio by going to the Settings menu and selecting the section that you want to modify. You can change various options such as stream service, stream key, output mode, output quality, output path, audio devices, audio bitrate, video resolution, video framerate, video bitrate, theme, language, system tray icon, etc. You can also reset the settings to their defaults if you want.
How to Use Plugins and Scripts
Plugins and scripts are extensions that you can use to add more features and functionality to OBS Studio. Plugins are native modules that are written in C or C++ and compiled for specific platforms. Scripts are text files that are written in Lua or Python and interpreted by OBS Studio.
To use plugins and scripts in OBS Studio, you need to do the following:
- Find plugins or scripts that you want to use by browsing or submitting them in the Resources section on the official website. You can also search for them on other websites or forums.
- Install plugins or scripts by following their instructions. For plugins, you may need to copy some files into your OBS Studio installation folder or enable some options in your system. For scripts, you may need to install some dependencies or libraries on your system.
- Use plugins or scripts by going to the Tools menu and selecting them from the list. You can also access their settings or documentation from there. Some plugins or scripts may also add new sources, filters, transitions, or outputs that you can use in OBS Studio.
How to Troubleshoot Common Issues
OBS Studio is a powerful and reliable software for video recording and live streaming, but sometimes it may encounter some issues that affect its performance or functionality. Here are some common issues that users may face and how to fix them:
Laggy or choppy video:
This may be caused by a high CPU usage, a low upload speed, a high video bitrate, a high video resolution, a high video framerate, a slow encoder, a slow internet connection, a congested network, etc. To fix this issue, you can try lowering your video bitrate, lowering your video resolution, lowering your video framerate, switching to a hardware encoder (if available), switching to a different server (if streaming), closing other programs or processes that consume CPU or bandwidth resources (such as antivirus software), updating your drivers (such as graphics card drivers), using an ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi (if possible), etc.
Audio sync issues:
This may be caused by a mismatch between your audio sample rate and your video framerate, a delay in your audio sources or filters (such as noise suppression), a delay in your video sources (such as capture cards), a delay in your encoder (such as x264), etc. To fix this issue, you can try matching your audio sample rate and your video framerate (such as 48 kHz and 60 fps), adjusting the sync offset for your audio sources or filters (in milliseconds), adjusting the video delay for your video sources (in milliseconds), switching to a hardware encoder (if available), etc.
Black screen or no signal:
This may be caused by a wrong or missing source, a wrong or missing capture mode, a wrong or missing window or game, a wrong or missing resolution or framerate, a wrong or missing monitor or device, a wrong or missing driver or firmware, a wrong or missing permission or setting, etc. To fix this issue, you can try adding or selecting the correct source, choosing the correct capture mode (such as display capture, window capture, game capture, etc.), choosing the correct window or game (such as fullscreen, borderless, windowed, etc.), choosing the correct resolution or framerate (such as 1920x1080, 60 fps, etc.), choosing the correct monitor or device (such as primary monitor, secondary monitor, webcam, capture card, etc.), updating or reinstalling the driver or firmware (such as graphics card driver, webcam driver, capture card firmware, etc.), allowing or enabling the permission or setting (such as administrator mode, game mode, game bar, antivirus software, firewall software, etc.), etc.
Conclusion
OBS Studio is a free and open-source software for video recording and live streaming that offers a lot of features and options for users of all levels and needs. In this article, we have covered the basics of OBS Studio, from downloading and installing it on your computer, to setting it up for streaming or recording, to adding and managing sources and scenes, to using filters and transitions, to using studio mode and multiview, to using hotkeys and settings, to using plugins and scripts, to troubleshooting common issues.
We hope that this article has helped you get started with OBS Studio and that you have learned something useful along the way. If you have any questions or feedback about OBS Studio, you can visit the official website, where you will find more resources such as news, help articles, forums, chat rooms, etc. You can also support the development of OBS Studio by making a donation or becoming a sponsor.
Thank you for reading this article and happy streaming or recording!
