How to Use OBS to Record on a PC or Mac

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A guide to capturing your screen with OBS
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This wikiHow article teaches you how to use OBS Studio to record your screen in Windows or macOS.

Things You Should Know

  • Click + under “Sources" in OBS and then select Display Capture .
  • Click OK within the display preview that pops up. This preview should show your desktop.
  • Click Start Recording and then click Stop Recording when you are satisfied with your capture.
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Recording your Screen

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  1. It’s in the All Apps area of the Start menu on Windows, and the Applications folder on macOS.
    • If you want to record yourself playing a game, see this method .
  2. It’s near the bottom-left corner of OBS. A list of sources will appear.
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  3. This opens the “Create/Select Source” window.
  4. This opens a window that displays a preview of your desktop.
  5. If you only have one video card or monitor, there’s no need to make any changes. To record a different display, select it from the “Display” drop-down menu now.
  6. This brings you back to the main OBS Studio screen.
  7. You’ll see two sliders in the “Mixer” tab at the bottom of OBS.
    • Desktop audio: This controls the sounds coming from your computer (apps and music) during the recording.
    • Mic/Aux: This controls the microphone or an external input. If you’re using a mic to speak over your recording, make sure this slider is up. If not, just move the slider all the way to the left.
  8. It’s near the bottom-right corner of OBS. The recording will begin immediately.
  9. It may be level to or right below “Start Recording.”
    • The video file is saved in your Videos folder. To access this folder, press ⊞ Win + E to open the File Explorer, then click your Videos folder in the left column.
    • To change the default saving location, click Settings at the bottom-right corner of OBS, click Browse… next to “Recording Path,” then select a different folder.
    • You may then have to click on the Output tab on the left column.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Recording a Game

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  1. OBS Studio can record you playing any DirectX or OpenGL video game. [1]
  2. It’s in the All Apps area of the Start menu on Windows, and the Applications folder on macOS.
  3. It’s near the bottom-left corner of OBS. A list of sources will appear.
  4. This opens the “Create/Select Source” window.
  6. The default option, Capture any full screen application , will automatically detect your game as long as you play it in full-screen mode. [2]
    • If you keep the default, know that switching away from the full-screen game (such as when you press Alt + Tab ↹ ) will black out the screen until you re-open it.
    • To capture only the video game, click the “Mode” menu, select capture specific window , then select your game.
  7. This brings you back to the main OBS Studio screen.
  8. You’ll see two sliders in the “Mixer” tab at the bottom of OBS.
    • Desktop audio: This controls the volume of the sound coming from the game, as well as any other open apps.
    • Mic/Aux: This controls the microphone or an external input. If you’re using a mic to speak over your recording, make sure this slider is up. If not, just move the slider all the way to the left.
  9. It’s near the bottom-right corner of OBS. The recording will begin immediately.
  10. It’s level to or right below “Start Recording.”
    • The video file is saved in your Videos folder. To access this folder, press ⊞ Win + E to open the File Explorer, then click your Videos folder in the left column.
    • To change the default saving location, click Settings at the bottom-right corner of OBS, click Browse… next to “Recording Path,” then select a different folder.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I open the file?
    Community Answer
    It should come as an .exe or a .dmg, which means that clicking on it should launch it without the help of any external programs.
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  • Question
    What do I do if I can't open the video I recorded?
    Community Answer
    It may not be in a format supported by your video player. Try converting it to a different file type.
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  • Question
    How do delete a source?
    Kiana Browning
    Community Answer
    Right click on the source with the mouse and select the remove option.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://obsproject.com/wiki/Sources-Guide
      2. ↑ https://obsproject.com/wiki/Sources-Guide

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