How to Add a Webcam Overlay in OBS

The short answer

In OBS Studio, a webcam overlay is built from separate sources stacked in one scene. First add your camera as a Video Capture Device source. Then add an Image source (or a Browser source for web-based overlays) for the graphic, and place it above the camera in the Sources list. OBS draws sources from the bottom of the list upward, so anything higher in the list appears on top. To show the result in a video call, start the OBS Virtual Camera and select it as the camera in your call app.

"Webcam overlay" can mean two different things, and the steps differ slightly. It can mean a graphic, such as a frame, border, name tag or logo, laid over your camera feed. It can also mean placing your webcam as a small window over something else, such as a game or screen capture. This guide covers both. The layering principle is the same: whatever should appear in front goes higher in the Sources list.

Before you start

• OBS Studio installed and opened at least once.
• A webcam that your operating system recognizes.
• Camera permission for OBS. On macOS this is under System Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera. On Windows it is under Settings > Privacy & security > Camera, where access for desktop apps must be allowed.
• The overlay graphic. A PNG file with a transparent background is the usual choice, because the transparent areas let your camera show through. A JPG has no transparency and will cover whatever is beneath it.
• No other app using the camera. Many systems let only one program use a webcam at a time. Close call apps and other camera software before adding the camera to OBS.

Check your canvas size under Settings > Video (Base Canvas Resolution). An overlay made at the same dimensions as the canvas lines up without resizing. A frame designed only for the camera window should match the shape of that window instead. No specific resolution target was verified for this guide, so take the numbers from your own OBS settings and your overlay file.

Step 1: Add your webcam

• 1. In the Scenes panel, select an existing scene or click + to create a new one.
• 2. In the Sources panel, click + and choose Video Capture Device. On Linux the option may be labeled with V4L2.
• 3. Give the source a name, such as Webcam, and click OK.
• 4. In the properties window, pick your camera from the Device list and click OK.
• 5. Success check: your live camera image appears in the preview area. If you see a black box, see the troubleshooting section below.

To resize the camera, drag the red handles around it in the preview. To crop it, hold Alt (Option on macOS) while dragging an edge. Right-click the source and open Transform for exact options, including Fit to Screen. If the camera is meant to be a small window over a game or screen capture, add that capture source as well, and make sure the webcam sits above it in the Sources list.

Step 2: Add the overlay graphic

• 1. In the Sources panel, click + and choose Image.
• 2. Name it, for example Webcam Frame, and click OK.
• 3. Click Browse, select your PNG file and click OK.
• 4. In the Sources list, drag the Image source above the Webcam source.
• 5. Resize and position the graphic so it lines up with the camera. If it should cover the whole canvas, right-click it and use Transform > Fit to Screen.
• 6. Success check: the graphic appears in front of your camera in the preview, and your face shows through any transparent areas.

Animated overlays work the same way, using a Media Source for video files or a Browser source for web-based overlays. Media files only show transparency if they were exported with an alpha channel, which is the data that stores transparency. Without it, the graphic shows a solid background.

Optional: shape the camera or remove a solid background

Two filters often help with overlays. To open them, right-click a source and choose Filters.

Goal | Filter | Apply it to

Cut the camera into a circle or another custom shape | Image Mask/Blend, using a mask image | The Webcam source

Remove a solid green or blue background from an overlay file | Chroma Key | The overlay source

Remove a green screen behind you | Chroma Key | The Webcam source (requires a physical green screen)

Chroma keying a physical green screen replaces the real background behind you inside OBS. That is different from the virtual background or blur effects in call apps, and different from editing the background of a still photo afterward. You don't need either for a simple frame overlay.

Step 3: Keep the layers together

Once the camera and frame line up, select both sources (Ctrl-click, or Cmd-click on macOS), right-click and choose Group Selection. Moving or resizing the group then keeps the overlay aligned with the camera. You can also click the lock icon next to a source to stop it moving by accident.

Step 4: Use the overlay in a video call

• 1. In the Controls panel, click Start Virtual Camera.
• 2. Open your call app and go to its video or camera settings.
• 3. Select OBS Virtual Camera as the camera.
• 4. Success check: the call app's camera preview shows your OBS scene, including the overlay.
• 5. When you're finished, click Stop Virtual Camera in OBS.

Since OBS is now using the physical webcam, the call app should use the virtual camera, not the webcam directly. If the call app grabs the real webcam first, OBS may lose access to it. Also, many call apps mirror your self-view. Text in your overlay can look reversed to you while appearing correctly to other participants. Check the app's mirror setting before you change the graphic.

What these checks confirm, and what they don't

• Camera image in the OBS preview: OBS has access to the camera and is capturing video. It doesn't confirm how the image will look after a call app compresses it.
• Overlay visible above the camera: the layer order and transparency are correct.
• OBS scene in the call app's preview: the virtual camera is running and selected. It doesn't show what other participants receive, which also depends on their connection and the call service.
• Short test recording: clicking Start Recording, then stopping and playing the file back, shows the composed output as OBS saves it. That includes alignment and any filter edges.
• Only a test call with another person, or a call service's test feature, shows how the overlay looks on the receiving end.

Common problems

• Black or empty webcam source: close other apps that might be using the camera, and confirm OBS has camera permission in your operating system's privacy settings. Then open the source's properties and choose the device again, or deactivate and reactivate the source.
• Overlay hidden behind the camera: drag the overlay above the webcam in the Sources list.
• Solid box instead of a transparent frame: the file has no transparency. Re-export it as a PNG with a transparent background, or remove a solid color with the Chroma Key filter.
• Overlay misaligned after resizing: group the camera and overlay, then resize the group instead of the individual sources.
• OBS Virtual Camera missing from the call app: make sure the virtual camera is started in OBS, then restart the call app so it rescans its camera list.

Gap in this guide: no verified figures were available for overlay resolution, file size or video quality thresholds, so none are recommended. Use your OBS canvas settings as the reference, and judge quality from your own test recording and a test call.