How to Use OBS to Record on a PC or Mac

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A guide to capturing your screen with OBS

Written by Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: April 19, 2023

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Recording your Screen

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Recording a Game

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Q&A

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
Open OBS Studio on your PC or Mac. 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.
It’s near the bottom-left corner of OBS. A list of sources will appear.

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This opens the “Create/Select Source” window.
This opens a window that displays a preview of your desktop.
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.
This brings you back to the main OBS Studio screen.
7
Adjust the volume as needed. 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.
It’s near the bottom-right corner of OBS. The recording will begin immediately.
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Click Stop Recording when you’re finished. 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.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Recording a Game

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OBS Studio can record you playing any DirectX or OpenGL video game.^{[1]
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It’s in the All Apps area of the Start menu on Windows, and the Applications folder on macOS.
It’s near the bottom-left corner of OBS. A list of sources will appear.
This opens the “Create/Select Source” window.
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Select a capture mode. The default option, Capture any full screen application, will automatically detect your game as long as you play it in full-screen mode.^{[2]
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- 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.
This brings you back to the main OBS Studio screen.
8
Adjust the volume as needed. 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.
It’s near the bottom-right corner of OBS. The recording will begin immediately.
10
Click Stop Recording when you’re finished. 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.

Join the Discussion...

How do I screen record sound and video on Windows?

34

WikiZebraGlider531 posted on 09/04/24 11:27pm

I'm looking for a way to screen record sound and video on Windows and want recommendations on what software or tools I should use. It'd be great... Read More

WikiKoalaChaser891

One of my favorite programs for screen capturing is OBS, and I know a ton of streamers also use it. You can choose which windows to record and or... Read More

Ken Colburn
Consumer Electronics Expert

Both Windows 10 and 11 have the ability to bring up a Windows screen recorder. With the shortcut, you press the Windows key and the letter G. Thi... Read More

See all 4 Replies and

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Right click on the source with the mouse and select the remove option.

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