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OBS Studio is a free, open-source app for capturing, compositing, encoding, recording and streaming video. To record successfully, create a scene, add the source that matches what you want to show, add desktop and microphone audio separately, set an output folder and encoder, then make a short test clip before a long session.
This guide covers full-monitor recordings, individual windows, games, webcams, HDMI capture cards, audio, performance settings and common failures. OBS labels can vary slightly between releases and operating systems, so verify current options in the official OBS Project documentation.
What you need before recording
Download OBS Studio from the OBS Project rather than an unofficial mirror. The project describes OBS as software for “capturing, compositing, encoding, recording, and streaming video content, efficiently.” It is free and open source.
- Windows: Windows 10 or 11 and a DirectX 10.1-compatible GPU.
- macOS: macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later, an Intel or Apple Silicon CPU, and an OpenGL 3.3-compatible GPU.
- Linux/Unix: an OpenGL 3.3-compatible GPU plus X Window System or Wayland.
These are compatibility requirements, not a promise of smooth recording. Resolution, frame rate, encoder choice, browser or game workload, filters and the number of scene sources can push a system beyond its practical limit. The OBS requirements page, dated August 25, 2021, explicitly warns that a compatible system may still be unable to record or stream reliably.
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- 【Package Content & Note】 1x HD Audio Capture Card , 1x USB 3.0 to USB C Adapter (A-side 3.0, B-side 2.0), 1x user manual. Please note that you need to restart the OBS Studio software after the audio setup is complete, otherwise it will result in no sound output. When using an adapter, if the device is recognized as USB 2.0, try using the other side with the USB-C port. Simply flip the capture card and reconnect it to be recognized as USB 3.0
Set up your first OBS recording
- Install and open OBS Studio. In the Scenes panel, keep the default scene or click + to create one, such as “Desktop tutorial.”
- In Sources, click + and select the capture source that matches your target (the choices are explained below).
- Add audio sources. Use Audio Output Capture (or configure Desktop Audio) for system sound and Audio Input Capture (or Mic/Aux) for narration.
- For a camera or capture card, add Video Capture Device, select the device and set a supported resolution and FPS.
- Open Settings > Output. Set a writable Recording Path, choose a quality preset and select an encoder. Hardware choices can appear as QuickSync, NVENC or AMD VCE when your hardware and drivers support them.
- Click Start Recording, perform a short representative action, then click Stop Recording. Watch the clip before recording the real session.
During the test, check the picture, cursor visibility, application audio, microphone level, lip-sync and whether the intended window remains visible when you switch focus.
Choose the right capture source
| What you want to record | OBS source | Important trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Everything on one monitor | Display Capture | Simplest whole-screen setup, but notifications and unrelated windows are exposed. |
| One application | Window Capture | Cleaner tutorials and better privacy; accelerated applications can behave differently. |
| A supported game | Game Capture | Designed for game processes, but unusual games, launchers or permissions may require troubleshooting. |
| HDMI camera, console or second computer | Video Capture Device with a capture card | Requires compatible hardware and matching resolution and FPS. |
| Face camera or overhead view | Video Capture Device with a webcam | Image quality depends on the camera, lighting and selected device settings. |
Display Capture: the entire monitor
Choose Sources > + > Display Capture, name the source and select the monitor. Resize or crop it in the preview if necessary. This is the dependable choice for software demonstrations that move between several windows. Turn off notifications and close private applications first, because every visible pixel can be recorded.
Window Capture: one app
Select Sources > + > Window Capture, then choose the application from the Window list. Keep the app open while configuring it. If the preview is black, blank or frozen, try changing its capture method in the source properties, use Display Capture for that monitor, or run OBS and the target application with compatible permissions. Hardware-accelerated browsers and protected video surfaces are common causes of inconsistent Window Capture behavior.
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Game Capture: a game process
Add Sources > + > Game Capture and choose the mode that fits the game (for example, capturing a specific window). Start the game and confirm that the preview updates. If it does not, check that OBS can access the game, avoid mixing elevated and non-elevated processes, and use Display Capture as a fallback. Anti-cheat software or unusual rendering modes can prevent Game Capture from attaching; do not attempt to bypass those protections.
Add webcam, capture-card and overlay video
For a presenter camera, HDMI camera, console or second computer, add Video Capture Device. Select the device, then set resolution and FPS to values the device actually supports. If OBS rejects a custom combination, return to Device Default or select a documented mode such as 1920×1080 at 30 FPS.
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Arrange sources in the Sources list: items higher in the list appear above items lower down. Put the webcam above the screen source for a picture-in-picture layout, then drag a corner in the preview to resize it. Use the lock icon after positioning so an accidental drag does not move it. A USB webcam for OBS is usually simplest; an HDMI camera requires a compatible USB HDMI capture card for OBS.
Record desktop audio and narration
System sound
Add Audio Output Capture and select the output device that plays the sound you want, or configure OBS’s Desktop Audio device in Settings > Audio. Play a known sound and verify movement on the Audio Mixer meter.
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Microphone
Add Audio Input Capture and select your microphone, or choose it as Mic/Aux in Settings > Audio. Speak at your normal distance and keep peaks out of the red portion of the meter. A USB microphone for OBS can provide a cleaner, more controllable input than a laptop microphone, but placement and room noise still matter.
Prevent echo and clipping
- Do not capture the same microphone through two sources.
- Use headphones while testing so speakers do not feed back into the mic.
- If voice is too quiet, move the microphone closer before adding excessive gain.
- If the meter clips, lower the source volume and record another test.
Configure output quality, format and encoder
Open Settings > Output and switch to Advanced only when you understand the extra controls. Choose a recording path with enough free space, a quality preset appropriate to your storage and editing needs, and an encoder available on your system. Hardware encoding can reduce CPU load, while software encoding may offer different quality and compatibility characteristics; the best choice depends on your CPU, GPU, target resolution and frame rate.
Set your canvas and output dimensions and FPS in Settings > Video. Recording 4K or 60 FPS requires substantially more processing and storage than 1080p or 30 FPS. Keep a consistent frame rate between the source, game and camera where possible. Record a short clip after every major change rather than discovering a problem after an hour.
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- 【What You Get】Includes: HDMI Capture Card, USB 3.0 to USB-C Adapter, User Manual. Tips: Make sure your tablet’s OTG function is enabled before connecting. Test your HDMI device with a monitor first to confirm video and audio output, then connect to the Video Capture Card for recording.
Performance and reliability checklist
- Close unnecessary launchers, browser tabs and overlays.
- Leave free disk space for the entire session and use a drive that can sustain the selected bitrate.
- Watch OBS’s status bar for dropped frames, rendering lag or encoder overload.
- Lower output resolution or FPS first when frames are dropping; then simplify scenes and filters.
- Try a supported hardware encoder if the CPU is overloaded, or a lower software-encoder preset if the GPU is saturated.
- Keep webcam and capture-card modes within their supported resolution/FPS combinations.
- Run a representative test while the game, presentation or browser is under its normal workload.
There is no universal “best” setting: encoder, resolution, FPS and scene complexity interact. The official OBS system-requirements page (August 25, 2021) documents baseline compatibility but does not guarantee a particular performance level.
Common OBS recording problems
Black or blank preview
Confirm the selected monitor, window or game; check source visibility (the eye icon); and verify that the target is not minimized. For a window that renders black, try another capture method or Display Capture. Match OBS and the target app’s permission level and update graphics drivers when appropriate.
No desktop audio
Check the selected output device in Settings > Audio or Audio Output Capture. Play sound through that exact device and look for mixer movement. If another application switches the default device, select the device explicitly and retest.
No microphone or delayed voice
Select the intended input in Audio Input Capture, confirm the device is not muted at the operating-system level, and make a short recording. If voice and video are out of sync, inspect device buffering and add a small sync offset in the source’s advanced audio properties only after measuring the delay.
Skipped frames, stutter or encoder overload
Reduce resolution or FPS, simplify the scene, close competing workloads and test another encoder. If storage is slow or full, choose a faster drive or lower the recording data rate. Review the status bar after each change.
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Capture card or webcam missing
Reconnect the device, close other software using it, select it again in Video Capture Device and choose a supported mode. A capture card must receive the same signal format the source sends; mismatched resolution or FPS commonly produces no picture.
Recording stops unexpectedly
Check the recording path, permissions and available disk space. Avoid removable drives that disconnect or enter power-saving modes, and confirm that security software is not blocking OBS from writing.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can OBS record a screen and webcam at the same time?
Yes. Add Display, Window or Game Capture plus a Video Capture Device source, then place and resize the webcam above the screen source in the Sources list.
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Should I use Display Capture or Window Capture?
Use Display Capture for the whole monitor and Window Capture for one application. Window Capture is cleaner for tutorials, while Display Capture is a practical fallback for apps that render a black window.
Why does OBS record video but not sound?
Configure Desktop Audio or Audio Output Capture for system sound and Audio Input Capture for narration, then confirm both meters move during a short test.
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No. OBS states that compatibility alone does not guarantee recording capability; encoder, resolution, frame rate and scene complexity determine the actual workload.
The Bottom Line
For dependable OBS recording, match the source to the target, add desktop and microphone audio independently, configure a realistic encoder and output path, and validate everything with a short test clip. Reduce resolution, FPS or scene complexity when performance indicators show overload.
Quick Recap
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