OBS Sources Explained: How to Add and Configure Them

In OBS Studio, a source is any input that feeds a scene: a webcam, a microphone, a whole screen, a single window, an image, a media file, text or a web page. A scene holds its sources in layers, and the preview shows the combined result of every visible source in the active scene. This guide explains the main source types, how to add them for recording or streaming, and how to configure them.

Before you start

OBS captures and mixes sources locally on your computer. Recordings are saved to the folder set under Settings > Output. Sources do not need an account or online service, but streaming does: you must configure a service or server and a stream key under Settings > Stream. A Browser source loads web content, so pages hosted online need a network connection. Treat anything a source loads or sends as something to verify against the provider's own terms, not as a guarantee.

• Install OBS Studio and note its version from the Help > About dialog, because source names and options differ between versions and operating systems.
• Grant permissions: on macOS, allow OBS camera, microphone and screen recording access in System Settings > Privacy & Security, then restart OBS. On Windows, check that camera and microphone access is allowed for desktop apps. On Linux with Wayland, screen capture goes through a system prompt where you pick the screen or window.
• Close other apps that may be using your webcam or capture card. Many devices can be opened by only one application at a time.
• Set the canvas first under Settings > Video: base (canvas) resolution, output resolution and frame rate. Changing the canvas later moves and rescales sources you have already positioned.
• Check what will be visible. A full-screen capture shows everything on that monitor, including notifications, messages and open files.

Step-by-step instructions

Common source types

• Video Capture Device: webcams and capture cards.
• Display Capture: an entire monitor. On recent macOS builds this is handled by macOS Screen Capture, and on Linux Wayland by Screen Capture (PipeWire).
• Window Capture: a single application window, which keeps other windows private.
• Game Capture: Windows only; hooks into games, especially full-screen ones.
• Audio Input Capture: microphones and line inputs.
• Audio Output Capture: sound playing through an output device such as speakers or headphones.
• Application Audio Capture: sound from one program, available on recent Windows versions of OBS.
• Image, Image Slide Show and Color Source: static graphics, rotating images and solid backgrounds.
• Media Source: local video or audio files, with options to loop or restart.
• Browser: a web page or local HTML file, often used for alerts and overlays.
• Text: on-screen text (Text (GDI+) on Windows, Text (FreeType 2) on macOS and Linux).
• Scene and Group: nest another scene or bundle several sources so they move together.

Add and set up a source

• 1. In the Scenes dock, select the scene you want to edit or create a new one with the + button.
• 2. In the Sources dock, click + (or right-click an empty area and choose Add), then pick a source type.
• 3. Choose Create new and give the source a clear name, such as Main Webcam or Gameplay Window. To reuse a source that already exists in another scene, choose Add Existing instead.
• 4. Keep Make source visible checked and click OK.
• 5. In the Properties window, select the device, display, window or file. Click OK to finish. You can reopen this window later by double-clicking the source.
• 6. Position the source by dragging its red bounding box in the preview. Right-click the source and open Transform for options such as Fit to screen or Edit Transform. Hold Alt (Option on Mac) while dragging an edge to crop.
• 7. Set the layer order. Sources at the top of the list are drawn over the ones below, so a webcam placed above a screen capture appears on top of it. Drag sources or use the arrow buttons to reorder them.
• 8. Adjust audio in the Audio Mixer. Open Advanced Audio Properties from the mixer menu for monitoring, sync offset and recording track assignment.
• 9. Add effects with right-click > Filters, for example Noise Suppression on a microphone or Chroma Key on a green-screen camera. Each filter has its own eye icon, so you can switch it off without deleting it.

To keep changes reversible, hide a source with its eye icon instead of deleting it. Use the lock icon to stop accidental moves. You can also back up your whole layout through Scene Collection > Export before making large changes.

Settings that matter

For a Video Capture Device, choose a resolution, frame rate and video format that the camera actually supports. A camera frame rate that does not match the OBS frame rate can produce repeated or skipped frames. On Windows, the Display Capture properties include a Capture Method option. If one method gives a black image, try another.

Sources do not control encoding. The encoder, bitrate, recording format and recording quality are set under Settings > Output, and the output frame rate under Settings > Video. If an image looks soft or blocky, check those settings as well as the capture source itself.

Check the output

• Look at the preview. It shows what will be recorded or streamed. In Studio Mode, the right-hand Program pane is the live output and the left-hand pane is for editing.
• Speak and play sound, then watch the Audio Mixer meters. Each expected source should move, and loud peaks should stay out of the red zone.
• Record a short test clip and play it back in a separate media player. Check the picture, cursor, all audio sources and lip sync.
• Open the Stats dock from the View or Docks menu, depending on your version. It shows frame rate, rendering and encoding lag, and skipped or dropped frames while you record or stream.
• If your streaming service offers a private or test mode, use it to see the stream after the platform has processed it, since services may re-encode or limit resolution and bitrate.

Recording format affects recovery. An MKV file usually stays playable if OBS or the computer stops unexpectedly, while a standard MP4 may not. File > Remux Recordings converts MKV to MP4 without re-encoding. Newer OBS versions offer additional MP4 and MOV options, so read the descriptions in your build. Quality is ultimately limited by the source itself, the output resolution and the bitrate. Fast motion at a low bitrate will show compression artifacts no matter how the source is configured.

Common problems and next steps

• Black display or window capture: on Windows laptops with two graphics processors, OBS and the captured screen may be running on different GPUs. Set the graphics preference for OBS in Windows graphics settings, or try another Capture Method. Minimized windows cannot be captured, and some protected video intentionally appears black. On macOS, confirm the screen recording permission and restart OBS.
• Webcam not showing or reported as in use: close other apps using the camera, then use the Deactivate and Activate button in the source properties. Avoid creating a second source for the same device. Add the existing source to other scenes instead.
• Game Capture shows nothing: try a different capture mode in its properties, run OBS with administrator rights, or fall back to Window Capture or Display Capture. Some anti-cheat systems block capture hooks.
• No sound or doubled sound: the global Desktop Audio and Mic devices under Settings > Audio already act as sources. Adding an Audio Output Capture for the same device records it twice. Also check the mute icons, the monitoring mode and track assignment in Advanced Audio Properties.
• Audio and video out of sync: measure the offset with a test recording, then adjust Sync Offset in Advanced Audio Properties, or add a Render Delay filter to the video source.
• Source missing from another scene: each scene has its own source list. Use Add Existing, or add the first scene as a Scene source.
• Browser source blank: check the address, the network connection and the page size. Use the button in its properties that refreshes the page cache. On some systems, toggling Browser Source Hardware Acceleration under Settings > Advanced helps.
• Media source not playing: enable Restart playback when source becomes active or Loop as needed, and confirm that the file plays in another player.

Once your sources are in place, set the encoder and bitrate for your recording or streaming target, then build separate scenes for situations such as a starting screen, a camera-only view and screen sharing. You can then switch between them with one click.