Open Broadcaster Software or OBS is a free, open-source screen recording software for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The software allows users to take screen recordings of the entire screen, a specific window, or a selected section of the screen. OBS will also stream your screen directly to a number of streaming sites, like Twitch and YouTube, by signing in with your username and password.
What Obs Is Used For?
1. Gaming
Livestreams of video games are very popular, which is why Twitch is one of the sponsors of the OBS project. Instead of only sending live streams to Twitch or other sites, OBS allows players to switch between selfie cameras, the game, and even add comments or social media feeds in real-time.
2. Vlogging
Vlogging is literally video blogging, which means that it’s typically an episodic medium that’s performed on a very regular basis. Vlogging can be either live or recorded, making OBS a fantastic free tool for producing vlog episodes. Some vloggers have thousands or millions of followers, and they make a living off their online persona.
3. Create Fantastic Videos for YouTube
Instead of capturing video with your handheld iPhone, OBS helps even novice users to learn how to use multiple cameras and switch between them, add professional-looking titles, make seamless transfers between cameras, and then make smooth recordings for upload to YouTube or Vimeo.
4. Improved Online Meetings
Why hold a dull meeting with the tiny “Gallery View” pictures of those in attendance? If a small number of people present at a conference or lecture, while others do not engage actively, use OBS or a similar tool to highlight the speaker, present bullet points on the screen at the same time, and introduce each speaker to catch the attention of the crowd.
Where to Download OBS?
You can download OBS from OBSProject.com for free. It’s available for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. You can also read the blog on OBSProject.com where you can find useful tips about using OBS. OBSProject.com provides valuable guides in the assistance section and a user support page where you can post questions.
How to record a video with OBS?
When your OBS device has been set up, you can record OBS videos using the Start Recording button in the lower right corner. You can track the video in the main OBS window and monitor the audio using the levels of the audio mixer. You can customize the video recording parameters and the position of the recording in the settings section of the output tab.
The video bitrate is used to adjust the video quality of your file to 2500 kbps by default, but you may choose to increase this to 10,000 kbps in order to increase the quality of your video recording. You may also choose a recording format and a record folder to store your videos in this area.
How to Add Cameras and Microphones to Obs?
OBS organizes all sources of audio and video into scenes. In this way, you can build custom scenes with a variety of layouts to show all your audiovisual sources. Start by choosing a scene to include your video or audio sources. Then select the plus button in the source to specify the type of media. Pick the form of audio or video source that you would like to add to the OBS.
Next, you should assign a name to these sources. You may be asked to change any of the source properties before applying the source to your output. Additional audio sources may be added to the OBS in the Audio tab settings field.
What is an OBS Plugin?
OBS plugins are used to expand the capabilities of OBS by inserting custom code written to execute particular tasks. The most common OBS plugin provides support for NDI, an IP video production protocol. Another common plugin is called VirtualCam, which enables you to take some video within OBS and link it to another camera through a virtual webcam source. This is perfect for pumping OBS videos to applications like Zoom.
Other common plugins include OBS remote control that offers an IP server to remotely control OBS and a PTZOptics OBS plugin that enables you to control PTZ cameras using OBS.
How to Livestream with OBS?
If your OBS device has been set up, you can use the “Start Streaming” button to stream video from OBS. In the configuration area within the Stream tab, you can customize the stream destination. Tools such as Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook can all be added to using your account login details. You can also select the “custom” button to access a custom server and the live stream key.
If you have selected the streaming destination parameters, OBS can stream live to this destination when the streaming start button is selected.