How to Set Up Capture Sources in Streamlabs Desktop

Streamlabs Desktop builds every stream or recording from sources inside a scene. Each source is one input, such as your screen, a single window, a game, a webcam or a microphone. This guide covers adding and arranging these sources, checking the result, and fixing the problems that come up most often.

Before you start

Capture runs locally on your computer. Streamlabs Desktop reads your screen, windows, camera and audio devices directly, and local recordings are saved to a folder on your drive. You only need an online service when you stream to a platform. The app may also ask you to sign in at first launch, so check what your installed version requires. Read the current privacy terms yourself if account data matters to you, rather than assuming what is or is not uploaded.

• Install a current version of Streamlabs Desktop for Windows or macOS. Source types and labels can change between releases.
• Connect your webcam, microphone or capture card before opening the app, so it can detect them.
• Close other apps that may be using the camera, such as video call clients. Many webcams work with only one app at a time.
• On macOS, be ready to grant Screen Recording, Camera and Microphone permissions in the system privacy settings. Without them, capture fails or shows a blank image.
• Open the game or window you plan to capture, so it appears in the source selection list.

Step-by-step instructions

The steps below follow the usual layout: a Scenes panel and a Sources panel beneath the preview. If your version looks different, look for the same functions under similar names.

• 1. Select or create a scene in the Scenes panel. Use a separate scene for each layout, for example one for gameplay and one for a full-screen webcam. This keeps changes easy to undo.
• 2. In the Sources panel, click the add button (usually a plus icon) to open the list of source types.
• 3. Choose the source that matches your task. Display Capture shows a whole monitor. Window Capture shows one application window. Game Capture hooks into a running game and is available on Windows. Video Capture Device is for webcams and capture cards. Audio input and output capture sources are for extra microphones or specific playback devices.
• 4. Give the source a clear name and confirm. The properties window opens next.
• 5. In the properties, pick the exact monitor, window, game or device. For Game Capture, you can capture a specific window instead of any fullscreen application, which avoids picking up the wrong program.
• 6. For a webcam, check the resolution and frame rate options in the device properties if your version shows them. Choose a mode your camera supports, not just the highest number listed.
• 7. Close the properties and adjust the source in the preview. Drag it to move it, and use its edges to resize it. Use the right-click menu to transform or fit it to the screen.
• 8. Order the sources in the list. Sources at the top are drawn over the ones below, so a webcam should sit above a screen or game capture.
• 9. Open Settings and review the Audio section. The default desktop audio and microphone devices are set there, so you may not need extra audio sources.
• 10. Review the Video section of Settings. The base (canvas) resolution should match your layout, and the output resolution controls the size of the stream or recording.

To undo a change, hide a source with its visibility toggle or remove it from the list. Removing a source from a scene does not delete any files or change your devices.

Check the output

The preview shows your layout, but it does not prove that the final file or stream looks and sounds right. Make a short local recording before you go live.

• Watch the preview for a few seconds. Confirm that every source updates and none is frozen, black or cropped by mistake.
• Speak and play some sound while watching the audio mixer. The meters for desktop audio and microphone should move independently. A meter that never moves points to a wrong device or a muted source.
• Record a short local test clip, then open it in a media player. Check the picture, sync between voice and video, and the volume balance.
• Check the recording format and folder in the output settings. A container such as MKV is generally safer if the app closes unexpectedly, but some editors expect MP4. Confirm which formats your version offers and which your editing software accepts.
• Remember that output resolution and bitrate settings limit quality. A sharp preview does not guarantee a sharp recording if the output is scaled down or the bitrate is low.

Common problems and next steps

Black screen with Display Capture or Window Capture: on Windows laptops with two graphics processors, the app and the captured program may run on different GPUs. Try changing which graphics processor Streamlabs Desktop uses in the Windows graphics settings, restart the app and test again. Some windows also block capture for protected content, which no setting can override. On macOS, check that Screen Recording permission is enabled for Streamlabs Desktop, then restart the app.

Game Capture shows nothing: make sure the game is running before you select it. Switch between capturing a specific window and capturing any fullscreen application. If the game runs with administrator rights, Streamlabs Desktop may need the same rights to hook into it. Window Capture or Display Capture is a reasonable fallback for games that resist hooking.

Webcam is black or listed as busy: close video call apps and browser tabs that may be using the camera, then deactivate and reactivate the device in the source properties. If the image appears but is choppy, select a lower resolution or frame rate that the camera supports, and connect it directly to the computer rather than through a hub.

No sound or doubled sound: open the audio mixer and check that no source is muted and the expected device is selected in the Audio settings. Doubled audio usually means the same device is captured twice, for example as the default microphone and again as a separate audio input source. Disable one of them.

If a source behaves strangely after an update, remove it and add it again rather than changing many settings at once. When a problem persists, note your app version, operating system and source type before asking for help in the official Streamlabs support channels.