How to Use OBS Studio - 2024 Beginner Tutorial

Here is a complete tutorial on how to use OBS studio.

OBS studio is a free application for Windows PC, Mac and Linux for video recording and live streaming.

You can record you screen, game play, web cam and you can stream to YouTube, Twitch, Facebook and pretty much any streaming platform.

And OBS Studio has a ton of advance options and I’ll cover the most important ones in this video as well.

I’ll share some resources as well to make your steam or video capture more professional. Some include my affiliate links.

To start using OBS Studio, make sure to download the official app for PC, Mac or Linux.

Envato Elements for overlays and videos

Shure Microphone

Stream Deck

Interface overview
The interface can be a bit confusing, but I’ll walk you through it as we go through the video.

Settings
There are a few setting options you may want to change such as steam location and recording quality. For steaming quality, you may want to choose 5000 K/Bs for best quality.
If you are recording, you should also choose MP4 instead of MKV.
Make sure to save your settings for streaming with OBS Studio or recording with OBS Studio.

Audio mixer
It is a good idea to use a high-quality USB microphone for steaming or video recording.

Adding Sources
Inside of each scene, you can add several sources such as web cam, external camera, screen capture, photos and more.

You can also add multiple items and turn some on and off.

Using Scenes
Scenes in OBS studio allow you to get more advanced with your stream. You can have multiple scenes that you can cut between. Each scene can have one or several sources such as video camera, screen captures, images and videos.

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Recommended YouTube Gear and tool: (includes affiliate links)

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[VocalTomes]

This was way more helpful than other OBS videos I've come across. Thank you for being very clear and easy to follow!

[dhass]

Best and only video about OBS that actually first explains what a scene is or what a source is, before diving in and telling you how to create/add them, when you don't yet know what they actually are or why you are adding them. Have been wishing I could learn to use OBS for over a year and yours is the first video that actually made me realise I can.

[georgeridgeway]

So far this is the best video that I have seen for a beginner. Someone already thanked you for going slow and showing the steps and tab. I agree. I am particularly interested in learning how to use OBS Studio during a Zoom presentation.

[Luke_Mayo]

This is one of the BEST tutorials I've ever seen. Clear, doesn't skip over important elements, etc. Just superb! I'm messing around with OBS right now and it already feels VERY familiar.

[nancymauro]

He spoke clearly and a slower pace than others I have watched. Excellent for a real novice into this tech world. Thank you

[TheMakShow]

Loved your tutorial great work. I am considering jumping into content creation and finding out that there is both so much to learn but also there are so many people making great tutorials like yourself. Many Thanks

[HD-Gaming-Zero-Them-Down]

OBS is not user friendly, however when you learn it it's actually really good plus no watermarks.

[Barking_Schnauzer]

Thank you so much! This is one of the best OBS tutorials I've found so far. It's easy to understand and follow what you do. You're also showing the features that most users are probably going to need. Great vid! 👍

[AfricanFlightStar]

Wow, I had heard about and have been looking at OBS "from the outside" for a few years now, waiting for when I wanted to pull the trigger on video creation. You really gave us a great intro to this platform, clearly and logically presented with just the right amount of detail, but without overwhelming us. Excellent job, thank you a ton. I guess I'll be subscribing then 😀Now time to dive into it, cheers!

[tofuComputer]

I'm attending a virtual all-day training in a few days and need to record it. You saved my butt! Thank you! Great video!

[jonaton]

This was extremely helpful! I've never used any recording software besides iMovie years ago so OBS confused me, but you made it very simple so thanks!

[sunshinechica]

Thank you so much for the detailed obs tutorial. I really appreciate you taking the time and sharing with us ⭐

[lidiagomez]

i LOVED this tutorial! first video i came across and i love how you are talking and showing everything at a slow pace which is easy to follow along with

[TheRickAustin]

Found your tutorial very helpful getting over some initial learning humps - thank you! Curious - what tool(s) are you using to record this tutorial and specifically, what are you using to highlight the cursor and accent the sections of the UI?

[dingolovethrob]

That was quite simply teh best tutorial on OBS I have ever found.
- subscribed.
I only wanted a few pointers on how to record my screen properly but now I understand what the scenes are for and how to use studio mode. Excellent.

[stampinturtles]

This was very helpful because I only do 4 lives a month and didn't want to buy a subscription to yard stream or other streaming host that cost $40+ a month. OBS is free so I figure I'll try it. Maybe someday I'll need to do more but this looks so easy and you explained it very well. I have two cameras I want to use and I also want to put an image on the screen. This is perfect! Thank you so much. I'm subscribing because I think you need to be seen by many more people. Praying the algorithm picks you up and pushes you to many. more people.

[CruzeCraze]

Excellent tutorial! Easy to follow and good pace for beginners.

[dennis]

Just halfway through. You simply explained the OBS interface. Thanks a lot

[AmazingPhilippines]

I have not been live streaming but using video editing software and Snagit. This program has a lot of potential but there is a bit of a learning curve with everything. Looks easy enough based on your tutorial so I will play with it a bit. Thanks.

[matthattanbeats]

I appreciate this man. You definitely explained everything I needed to know. 🙌🏽