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How to Record and Capture Your Screen with Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) Studio

Introduction

OBS Studio is a free and open source software for video recording and live streaming. With OBS Studio, you can record and stream everything on your computer screen with just a few clicks.

In this guide, I will walk you through how to setup OBS Studio for screen recording, customize settings for optimal quality, add audio sources, use scene transitions, and more. By the end, you’ll have everything you need to create professional screen recordings.

Downloading and Installing OBS Studio

First, go to obsproject.com and download the latest version of OBS Studio for your operating system (Windows, Mac or Linux). Run the installer and follow the setup wizard.

Once installed, launch OBS Studio. On first run, it will take you through an Auto-Configuration Wizard to detect and optimize settings based on your system hardware. For screen recording, choose “Optimize just for recording”.

Configuring OBS Settings

Before recording, customize OBS settings for best performance:

Video

Under Settings > Video, set output resolution and frame rate. For screen recording, match canvas resolution to your display resolution for sharp quality. 30 fps is fine, 60 fps for fast motion.

Output

Under Settings > Output, set recording format. MP4 is most compatible. Set encoding to x264 and crf to 15-20 for high quality.

Audio

Under Settings > Audio, set Desktop Audio to your system playback device to capture computer sounds.

Adding a Display Capture Source

To capture your entire screen:

  1. Click the + button in the Sources section
  2. Select Display Capture
  3. Choose your main display

You can now record everything visible on that display.

Recording Computer Audio

To include computer audio from your system playback device:

  1. Go to Settings > Audio
  2. Set Desktop Audio Device to your playback device
  3. Adjust Desktop Audio levels in the Mixer while playback audio to test

Adding a Webcam Source

To include a webcam overlay on your screen recording:

  1. Click the + button in the Sources section
  2. Select Video Capture Device
  3. Choose your webcam from the Device menu
  4. Adjust size and position as needed

Webcam audio will automatically be included. Adjust levels in the Mixer.

Using Scene Transitions

To switch between different layouts:

  1. Add scenes from the Scenes section
  2. Click the Transition dropdown
  3. Choose a transition type like Fade or Wipe
  4. Set transition duration in the control panel

Now when switching scenes, your changes will be smoothly transitioned.

Starting Your Screen Recording

When ready, click Start Recording to capture your screen. The file will be saved to your chosen recording location.

To end recording, click Stop Recording. Your video file will now be available for editing or sharing.

Advanced Tips

  • Use hotkeys to start/stop recording and switch scenes
  • Add images, text, web browser sources
  • Use window captures for specific applications
  • Separate Discord, game, and microphone audio with advanced audio tracks
  • Change themes and layouts by customizing OBS Studio

So that’s how you can use the powerful OBS Studio software to record professional screen recordings on Windows, Mac or Linux! With a little customization, you can set up the perfect screen capture workflow.

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