If you’re reading this, you were most likely redirected from a post teaching you how to record or live-stream your gameplay.
Open Broadcaster Software Studio, or OBS Studio for short, is one of the most widely used screen recording software used by streamers and YouTubers all around the world.
The best part about OBS is that it allows users a wide range of personalized possibilities.
And… It’s free!
Moreover, it is available on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
This is a pretty big deal since many screen capturing software support only one or two operating systems (Poor Linux is often ignored).
While OBS might seem like complex software, it’s pretty straightforward!
So, without any further ado, let’s check out how you can capture your screen through OBS.
How To Record Your Screen Through OBS?
Step 1: Download and Install OBS
Download OBS from here and install it through the installation wizard.
Step 2: Quick Screen Recording Setup
OBS has a Scenes and Sources system, which works together to keep your video, audio, and other production elements organized.
When you first run OBS, you’ll see that a scene has been pre-installed and can be found in the bottom left corner of the interface.
Step 3: Open Broadcaster scenes and sources
Before you can begin recording, you must first add a source to this scenario. Pick the default Scene (it will be highlighted), then click the Add button at the bottom of the Sources panel, then select Screen Capture on Linux or Display Capture on Mac and Windows.
Step 4: Choose a source
In the source box, select the gameplay mirroring image coming from your capture card and press OK.
Step 5: Configure the screen dimensions.
Next, you will get a box to set the screen resolution.
Make sure the image is not being stretched and that it is scaled perfectly.
Step 6: Choose a location for your recording.
Take notice of the Recording Path field on the Output tab. This is the location on your computer where you will store your recorded video.
Choose a location for your video.
Step 7: Begin recording
When you’re ready to begin recording, click the Start Recording button in the lower right corner.
And we’re good to go!
When you’re finished, click Stop Recording, and a video will be saved to the folder you defined in your preferences.
OBS allows users to not only record but also live-stream video directly to YouTube!
Let’s check out how you can live-stream your screen on your YouTube channel with OBS!
How To Livestream Captured Screen Through OBS?
Before we proceed to the OBS part of the guide. You need to get your YouTube Stream Key to link your YouTube with OBS and start live-streaming.
Let’s check out how:
How To Get Your YouTube Stream Key?
Step 1:
If you haven’t already, create an account on YouTube or Sign-in with your existing channel.
Step 2:
You will not be able to live-stream until you have verified your account with a connected cell phone number. Navigate to the verification page, and then follow the instructions on the screen.
Step 3:
After you’ve been authenticated, go to YouTube Studio. You can now Schedule a stream or start it instantly by clicking ‘Go Live’
Step 4:
When you’re ready, click Create Stream.
Step 5:
After you’ve created your stream, a control panel will appear.
By default, the Stream Settings tab is open.
Look right under the label for the stream key required by OBS. Copy the long string of characters to the clipboard by clicking the Copy button. This string of characters will help in linking your YouTube channel to OBS.
Now that your YouTube is all set up for live streaming, let’s see how you can link your YouTube channel to OBS and start streaming!
How To Link OBS to YouTube And Start Livestreaming?
Step 1:
Run OBS as administrator, and then go to the Settings panel by clicking the Settings icon in the bottom right corner.
Step 2:
On the subsequent pop-up screen, utilize the Video and Output tabs to pick your preferred resolution, frame rates, and bit rate – they determine the quality of your audio.
Step 3:
Using the left-hand menu, go to the Stream tab and pick YouTube from the drop-down box.
Step 4:
Enter or paste your YouTube stream key into the Stream Key area. This connects OBS to YouTube, allowing the program to broadcast directly to your channel.
Step 5:
On the left-hand menu, click Audio.
Set one of the Desktop Audio options to your system’s audio output if you want viewers to hear in-game or desktop audio.
Select your microphone from the drop-down menu next to Mic/Auxiliary Audio if you want your viewers to hear you.
Step 6:
Click Apply > OK to exit the settings page.
Step 7:
In the main window, at the bottom, click the plus symbol under the Sources header. If you wish to broadcast game video, go to the pop-up menu and choose Game Capture.
Step 8:
You have a few choices for broadcasting your screen.
Any full-screen program, a particular window, or a foreground window may be captured.
You can also enable transparency, capture third-party overlays, and do other things. To finish, click OK.
Step 9:
You can add yourself to the stream by clicking the Plus symbol under Sources once again, but this time choose Video Capture Device.
Choose your external camera from the Device drop-down menu and choose its quality and frame rate. When you’re done, click OK.
Step 10:
In the bottom right corner, click the Start Streaming button.
Finally, go to your YouTube Dashboard and click the Go Live icon in the upper left corner.
And that’s it! That’s how simple it is to start live-streaming on YouTube with OBS!
Note that there is a 20s delay in your live stream (This is pretty useful in case something against YouTube’s Terms & Conditions starts getting displayed on your screen).