This minHour teaches you how to use OBS Studio to record your screen in Windows or macOS.
Recording your Screen
Open OBS Studio on your PC or Mac.
It’s in the area of the Start menu on Windows, and the folder on macOS.
- If you want to record yourself playing a game, see this method.
Click + under “Sources.”
It’s near the bottom-left corner of OBS. A list of sources will appear.
Click Display Capture.
This opens the “Create/Select Source” window.
Click OK.
This opens a window that displays a preview of your desktop.
Select the display you want to record.
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.
Click OK.
This brings you back to the main OBS Studio screen.
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.
Click Start Recording.
It’s near the bottom-right corner of OBS. The recording will begin immediately.
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 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.
Recording a Game
Open the game you want to record.
OBS Studio can record you playing any DirectX or OpenGL video game.
Open OBS Studio on your PC or Mac.
It’s in the area of the Start menu on Windows, and the folder on macOS.
Click + under “Sources.”
It’s near the bottom-left corner of OBS. A list of sources will appear.
Click Game Capture.
This opens the “Create/Select Source” window.
Click OK.
Select a capture mode.
The default option, , will automatically detect your game as long as you play it in full-screen mode.
- If you keep the default, know that switching away from the full-screen game (such as when you press ) 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.
Click OK.
This brings you back to the main OBS Studio screen.
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.
Click Start Recording.
It’s near the bottom-right corner of OBS. The recording will begin immediately.
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 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.