Media & Design Center - Labs, Software & Equipment: Screen Recording

1. Launch Open Broadcaster Software Studio

2. Set up your audio devices

By default, OBS Studio is set to capture your system default desktop audio device and microphone. You can verify this by looking at the volume meters in the mixer section of the main OBS Studio window, and see if they are active. If they aren't moving, or you suspect the wrong device is being captured, click on Settings -> Audio and select the devices manually.

3. Add your sources for video

Next, you'll see that the preview is a black screen. OBS does not capture any video by default. To get started capturing, you need to add a Source. At the bottom of the window is a box called 'Sources'. Click on the + (or right click inside the box) and pick the source you want. As a few examples, select Window for software applications, or Video Capture Device for a webcam or capture card. An easy way to record from a DVD is to play the disc in a media player such as VLC, then use "Display Capture" as your video source.

4. Test your stream and record settings

Double check that all your settings are how you want them in Settings -> Output. Then, just hit Start Recording or Start Streaming. We strongly encourage running a test for a few minutes to make sure that there are no issues, rather than just jumping in to your first stream or recording. If you run into any issues, or need further help, take a peek at their help portal. Once you're satisfied, you can go on to creating great content. That's all there is to it! If you want to read a more in-depth guide about the power of OBS Studio, jump into the Overview wiki.

FAQ

Where are my recordings saved?

Once your recording is done, you can find it using File -> Show Recordings. You can change this in File -> Settings -> Output -> Recording.

I need my recordings in MP4!

File -> Remux Recordings will quickly and easily convert your video files into MP4 from another file format.

To automatically record MP4 files in OBS Studio, go to File -> Settings. Click on the Output tab in the left column list. There will be a dropdown menu called 'Recording Format' where you can select formats from MOV to MP4. When you have made your choice, click 'Apply' at the bottom right corner, then click 'OK.' This will save your choice the next time you open up OBS Studio.

The Media & Design Center staff are available to answer your questions on using equipment, finding films, and creating posters or podcasts!  

Email the MDC Staff

Need instruction for your students in the Adobe Creative Suite or WordPress? We can help!

Schedule Library
Instruction

Contact:

Media & Design Center
Undergraduate Library
CB# 3942
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
919-962-2559