How to Use OBS Studio: A Beginner's Setup Guide

OBS Studio is the free, open-source tool behind a huge number of live streams, webinars and screen recordings. It looks intimidating the first time you open it, with docks and panels everywhere. But for a business owner recording tutorials or going live, you only need to understand a few ideas. Here's the quick way in.

The two ideas that make OBS make sense

Term	What it means	Example
Scene	A layout, like a slide in a presentation	Intro screen, Screen and webcam, Just me
Source	Something shown inside a scene	Your screen, a browser window, your webcam, an image, text

You build scenes out of sources, then switch between scenes while you record or stream. That's the whole model.

How to set up OBS, step by step

1. Run the Auto-Configuration Wizard. It appears the first time you open OBS and picks sensible settings for your computer. To run it again, go to Tools, then Auto-Configuration Wizard.
2. Add sources. OBS starts with a blank scene. Click the + in the Sources dock at the bottom and add what you want to show.
3. Check your audio. OBS captures desktop audio and your microphone by default. Watch the meters in the Audio Mixer move as you speak.
4. Check your output settings under Settings, then Output.
5. Click Start Recording or Start Streaming in the Controls dock.

The sources you'll use most

Source	What it captures	Available on
Display Capture	Your whole screen	Windows and Linux
Window Capture	One app window	Windows and Linux
macOS Screen Capture	Your screen, a window or an app	Mac
Video Capture Device	Your webcam or a capture card	All
Game Capture	Games, with the best performance	Windows only
Image and Text	Logos, titles, lower thirds	All

A classic tutorial layout is a screen capture filling the scene with your webcam in a small box in the corner. Add the screen source first, then the webcam, and drag the webcam's corners to resize it.

Getting the audio right

If the Audio Mixer meters aren't moving, or the wrong microphone is picked up, go to Settings, then Audio, and choose your devices. On a Mac, desktop sound needs a little extra setup. OBS's own guide says that on macOS 13 (Ventura) or later with OBS Studio 30 or later, you can use the macOS Audio Capture source to capture all desktop audio or just one app.

The catch: test before anything that matters

The OBS team says it plainly in its quick start guide: run a test for a few minutes before your first real stream or recording, rather than jumping straight in. Settings that look right can still give you a silent microphone, a black screen capture or a choppy recording. Two minutes of testing saves you an hour-long webinar with no sound.

Recording vs streaming

You want to	Click	Check first
Save a video to your computer	Start Recording	The save folder and file format in Settings, Output
Go live on a platform	Start Streaming	Your stream key in Settings, Stream

If you're streaming to YouTube, my guide on adding chat to OBS as an overlay shows how to bring viewer comments on screen, and if your stream stutters, my notes on fixing stream delay apply well beyond Twitch.

A simple setup for business videos

1. Scene 1, Intro: your logo as an image source and a title as a text source.
2. Scene 2, Teaching: screen capture with your webcam in the corner.
3. Scene 3, Talking: your webcam full screen for the wrap-up.
4. Switch scenes by clicking them while recording.

Name your scenes clearly. When you're live and nervous, "Screen and webcam" is much easier to find than "Scene 2".

Common beginner problems

• Black screen capture. Often a graphics card setting on laptops, or a missing screen recording permission on a Mac.
• No microphone. Pick the right device in Settings, Audio.
• Recording won't open in your editor. Use File, then Remux Recordings to convert it to MP4.
• Laggy recording. Rerun the Auto-Configuration Wizard and close other heavy apps.

How I'd use OBS for a webinar

If you're running a webinar or live workshop, OBS lets you look far more polished than a plain screen share. I'd set up three scenes before the day: a holding screen with your logo and the start time, a teaching scene with your slides and a small webcam box, and a full-camera scene for questions at the end. Then you just click between them as you go. It feels a bit like being your own TV studio, and once it's set up, you can reuse the same scenes for every session. Don't forget to record it too, so you've got a replay to send to the people who couldn't make it.

It's worth doing a full dress rehearsal the day before, clicking through every scene, so nothing surprises you when people are watching.

My verdict

OBS is free, powerful and much simpler than it looks once you understand scenes and sources. Run the wizard, add your screen and webcam, check the audio meters, test for a few minutes and then hit record. If you want something simpler for quick tutorials, my rundown of screen recording software covers easier options, and StreamYard alternatives are worth a look for browser-based live shows.

Frequently asked questions

Can OBS record and stream at the same time?

Yes. You can record while streaming, which gives you a replay file of every live session.

Is OBS Studio free?

Yes. OBS Studio is free and open source.

What is the difference between a scene and a source in OBS?

A scene is a layout. Sources are the things inside it, such as your screen, webcam, images and text.

How do I record my screen with OBS?

Add a Display Capture or macOS Screen Capture source, then click Start Recording.

Why can't OBS hear my microphone?

Go to Settings, then Audio, and choose the right microphone. Check the Audio Mixer meters move.

How do I rerun the OBS setup wizard?

Go to Tools, then Auto-Configuration Wizard.

Can I use OBS on a Mac?

Yes. Use the macOS Screen Capture source, and the macOS Audio Capture source for desktop sound on newer versions.