obs for zoom presentation

How To Use OBS Studio With Zoom

As of a recent update, OBS is now simple to set up with Zoom. You can use all of your scenes, overlays, and widgets as a video source for the popular conference meetings software. Knowing how to use OBS Studio with Zoom will help you improve the professionalism of your meetings.

In this article, we’ll be taking you through how to set up OBS Studio as a virtual camera so you can use any of your OBS collections instead of your webcam in Zoom.

What Are OBS Studio And Zoom?

OBS Studio is a streaming software that helps users design and organizes their content. You can collect multiple sources together to create informative and exciting visual scenes.

Zoom is a video conferencing software where users can meet via video link at any given time. Its main use is for conference calls and business meetings, but over the past few years has grown in popularity with families and friendship groups alike. 

Why Use OBS Studio With Zoom?

Using OBS Studio with Zoom allows you to change the video of your Zoom call with footage and widgets from your OBS Studio setup. Through this, you can activate different sources and presentations, which will be directly reflected in your Zoom call video.

Some also use OBS with Zoom because of its chroma key capabilities, meaning it allows you to use green screen software to create false backgrounds. 

What Is A Virtual Camera?

Your computer or laptop undoubtedly comes with a webcam or other camera source. When you use software that requires a camera, it will appear in the list of available video sources. When you click it, it’s used as your camera source.

A virtual camera source is when you use an image or software on your system as a camera source for software such as Zoom. Some software allows you to project its product as a virtual video source and make it choosable in video camera settings.

For example, if you use OBS Studio as a virtual camera, all of the items in your preview area will be projected as a video source. When you select OBS Virtual Camera, you will see the same OBS projection as to when you record through the program or stream from it.

How To Use OBS Studio As A Camera With Zoom

Using OBS Studio with Zoom used to be quite complicated. Before recent updates, a special plugin was required, and it had to be installed manually. Not any more! 

In a recent update, OBS has released a virtual camera that is pre-installed in the OBS Studio build. It’s available to everyone on all new installs. If you do not have this available, check for an OBS update by clicking the help tab at the top of the app and then clicking check for updates . 

Enable Virtual Camera In OBS Studio

Enabling a Virtual Camera inside OBS Studio has never been easier. Gone are the days of complicated plugins and settings!

In the bottom right-hand corner of OBS Studio, there is a list of buttons you can click that perform specific operations called the controls . You will see a button that says start virtual camera in the menu . Once clicked, your OBS Studio application will be projecting your preview area as a virtual camera on your device.

Top tip: The preview area is located in the top center of your screen and shows everything that will be projected (as seen below). Anything outside this box (indicated by red boxes below) will not be sent out to your virtual camera.

Choosing OBS Virtual Camera In Zoom

The next step is choosing OBS Virtual Camera as your default camera in Zoom settings. By default, your camera will be set to any pre-installed webcam that comes with your system. It’s time to change that.

• Open Zoom on your system. It is far easier to use the downloaded program rather than the browser version. If you don’t have it installed already, you can find the free download here .
• Click the gear icon in the top right-hand corner of the application to access your Zoom settings (as seen above). It can be found underneath your profile picture and above to the right of the clock and date widget.

• Click the video tab on the left hand side of the settings menu.

• Find the camera drop down menu and select OBS Virtual Camera. Once selected, your OBS Studio preview area will appear in the Zoom camera preview area above the camera drop down menu.

Zoom Video Settings

OBS Studio manages the majority of your video picture settings, but there are a few additional settings in Zoom that you can play with to achieve better results:

• Original ratio and HD – This will change the quality of the OBS feed that Zoom is receiving. Choosing original ratio will keep the feed at the original quality. HD will attempt to upscale the resolution to be as high definition as possible. We recommend keeping this on original ratio.
• Mirror my video – Checking this box will transform your OBS feed in Zoom by flipping it horizontally. This is handy if you have text in your image and need to flip it to be readable.
• Touch up my appearance – This setting applies a filter to your Zoom camera footage to remove any blemishes and spots. If you’re using OBS Studio as a Virtual Camera it’s better to apply these filters in OBS rather than Zoom. For more information about OBS image filters, click here .
• Adjust for low light – This setting will add brightness to darker colors in your video feed. Keep this turned off. As with the above setting, it’s better to correct colors inside OBS Studio than in Zoom settings.

How To Set Up Audio From OBS Studio

Setting up your OBS Audio with Zoom is a little more complicated than video, but not by much! If you’re just using a microphone, it will take you two seconds to set up. However, if you want to use multiple audio sources from OBS, such as background music or desktop audio, you’ll need to configure some external software.

Single Microphone Set Up

If you only want to use your microphone as an audio device for Zoom, the setup is effortless! 

In your Zoom settings, go to the Audio tab. In the following menu, you will see a microphone subheading and a drop-down menu. Click the drop-down menu and select the microphone you wish to use.

Your microphone is now configured as your primary audio input in Zoom.

More Complex Audio Set Ups

If you have more than just a microphone source in OBS that you want others to hear on Zoom, you will need to install and configure a virtual audio cable. 

A virtual audio cable is essentially a driver that Zoom can recognize as an audio source. Zoom can’t recognize OBS Studio as an audio source, so that it won’t appear in the list of potential microphones. Using this hardware will act as a ‘virtual’ microphone and appear in those settings. Set up your virtual audio cable by following these steps in order:

• Download the VB-Audio Voicemeeter audio cable drivers here .
• In OBS Studio, go to your audio settings in the main settings menu and set your monitoring device to CABLE Input (VB-Audio Virtual Cable).
• Open the mixer settings and set all of your audio sources (that you want to be heard in Zoom) monitoring settings to monitor and output .
• In Zoom, set your microphone to VB-Audio Virtual Cable. You will now be receiving all of the selected OBS audio in Zoom.

Top tip: Using this method will alter your system’s default audio settings. Your system settings can get muddled up, and it becomes confusing . Only go through with this setup if you’re confident navigating your system’s audio settings.

In Conclusion

Knowing how to use OBS Studio with Zoom can set you apart from other Zoom users. Whether you’re taking part in an interview or simply chatting to family, it enables you to engage other users with impressive features and transparent backgrounds. 

It may seem complicated at first, but by following the simple steps above, you’ll be switching scenes and impressing colleagues in Zoom in no time at all!

Step Up Your Zoom Presentations With Open Broadcast Software (OBS)

Introduction: Step Up Your Zoom Presentations With Open Broadcast Software (OBS)

Here is how you can add some class and professionalism (or a hilarious bleep button!) to your Zoom (or any online) meetings using OBS just like a Twitch Streamer. I'll be using Zoom in this Instructable because that's what my organization uses, but this will work with any platform that utilizes a webcam. Just make sure you have the most up-to-date version of your software of choice.

Everyone is probably pretty familiar with Zoom's built in Virtual Background settings but it has some limitations. At the time of the writing of this Instructable Zoom only allows you to upload an image or a video as a virtual background. Zoom's content sharing is also limited to screen sharing in a separate window (See the Harvard Image Above). This creates a subtle disconnect between you and your content because people's eyes have to do a lot of traveling. Zoom with OBS will allow you to combine Zoom's webcam view and its screenshare function so that all of your content (face and visuals) is happening in one screen.

In this Instructable I'll be going over:

• A brief overview of Open Broadcast Software (OBS)
• How to connect OBS and Zoom
• How to add lower-thirds and screenshares to your webcam output

Required Hardware:

• Computer (If you can run Zoom without issues this shouldn't be too much of an additional burden on your computer)

Optional Hardware:

• Green Screen
• Stream Deck

Required Software:

• OBS VirtualCam Plugin

Step 1: OBS Introduction and Installation

What is OBS?

OBS is a piece of open source studio software primarily used for livestreaming (Youtube Live, Twitch, etc) and recording. Its very easy to step into, and has a lot of cool features under the hood when you've mastered the basics.

For this step just:

• Download and install OBS
• Download and install OBS VirtualCam Plugin

Once you've run through the installation of both, verify that the VirtualCam plugin is installed by clicking "Start" in the VirtualCam menu (See Photos). This plugin will turn the output of OBS into a selectable webcam option in Zoom.

Step 2: Adding Sources in OBS

Open up OBS and you'll be greeted with a blank Scene. You can think of Scenes as different layouts you might want during your presentation. For example during your presentation you may want a Scene/layout of just your webcam for when you're doing introductions, and then transition to a Scene that has your webcam feed with your PowerPoint in the corner, and finally you might want to add a Scene of just your PowerPoint full screen so you transition to that if text in the presentation is hard to read.

Scenes are comprised of Sources. Sources are the individual components of the Scenes. They are things like your webcam, images, screen shares, text, etc.

The OBS wiki has a list of all of the Sources and their descriptions.

Let's start building your first Scene by adding a "Video Capture Device" (webcam) Source by clicking the plus sign under Sources. Select your webcam from the dropdown accept the configuration (you can change it later if you need to) and click okay. You should now see your webcam feed in your Scene. You can click on the webcam feed and move it around and resize it. For a simple layout, go ahead and resize so it fills the whole screen.

Lower Third:

To create a news-style lower third graphic for your name and title, add a color source, and a text source.

PowerPoint (or any content share):

To share a PowerPoint (or website, etc.) You can select a Window Capture (which you'll have to select a specific window to share) or a Display Capture (to share a whole screen).

The order of your sources should be:

• Text (containing your name)
• Color Source
• Content Share (Window Capture, Display Capture)
• Any kind of background you want (especially if you're using a green screen)

Every item in the Sources panel will be it's own layer, so the order of the panel is important to how your sources are displayed.

Step 3: Optional Fun: Green Screens and Bleep Buttons

Green Screen usage in OBS:

If you have a green screen, you can use a Filter in OBS on your Webcam Source to make the green transparent. This way you can have your webcam on top your PowerPoint, or make use of a nicer background.

Bleep Button:

If your coworkers have a good sense of humor, nothing will be funnier then adding a bleep button to your next meeting.

• Download and install VoiceMod
• Go to Settings, and create a keyboard shortcut for the "Bad Language" Voice Control. (I chose the num pad plus sign)

Similar to the OBS VirtualCam plugin, Voicemod will create a new microphone on your system. When you connect your audio in your Zoom meeting, make sure you select the VoiceMod microphone for the bleep button to work.

Step 4: Bring It All Together

• Open a Zoom meeting
• Connect your Audio. Make sure you select the VoiceMod microphone if you're using it.
• Connect your webcam. Make sure you select OBS-Camera.

If you're webcam feed is blank, make sure:

• OBS is running
• You hit Start on the VirtualCam plugin and OBS-Camera was selected as the output

Well there you go! Here are a couple of things you can do take this even further.

• Create multiple Scenes in OBS and switch back and forth between them in your meeting (Full screen webcam, full screen PowerPoint, etc)
• Use VoiceMod to add sound effects to your presentations (Applause, Rimshots, etc.)
• Get a StreamDeck and map all of these features to custom buttons for easy access.

Participated in the Work From Home Speed Challenge

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How to use obs with zoom (plus a better alternative).

Remote work is now commonplace, leading many studios to refactor how they produce content and collect vital feedback across several stages of production. 

Popular platforms like Zoom can be helpful for remote conferencing, but collaboration can be exceedingly difficult without a live view of your creative workflow. To build a more efficient remote environment, some creators use OBS with Zoom as a cheap way to live stream a session. 

With this guide, we walk you through performing this exact process to assist you on your collaboration journey. Plus, we share an even more effective alternative that doesn’t have any of the limitations of this popular OBS strategy.

How to use OBS with Zoom

OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is free, open-source software made for live streaming and recording. It’s compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux systems, and you can use OBS to share your live workflow in a Zoom meeting through the virtual camera option. 

To get started, download and install the newest version of OBS and Zoom. Next, open up OBS and configure the scene to your liking. That could include adding Window Capture or Display Capture under Sources to show your workflow. 

Remember, whatever your OBS display shows is streamed directly to Zoom once the virtual camera begins streaming. Add sources using the + button at the bottom left corner of the Sources window. 

Once you’re happy with your configuration, head to Zoom and navigate to Settings by clicking your profile icon in the upper right corner. Under Settings , go to Video and then Camera . Use the drop-down menu to switch the default camera to OBS Virtual Camera . 

Finally, return to OBS. Click Start Virtual Camera . You should now see your OBS stream appear in your Zoom preview window. Now, you can start a meeting and stream your OBS feed so long as the OBS Virtual Camera is selected. 

While OBS is notably free, it has a somewhat outdated user interface, which you may need to get used to. It’s also prone to lag issues and takes up considerable CPU power, potentially opening the door to unforeseen problems during critical meetings with your crew or clients. 

You may be able to stream the live session over Zoom with OBS, but this setup is limited at best for providing and collecting feedback. The stream owner must maneuver starting and stopping playback to leave space for verbal notes, as there is no way to leave frame-accurate annotations during the live feed. 

The OBS method also requires that you individually set up sources within the OBS program before starting your virtual camera stream. It’s far from a one-click remedy, and the additional steps can introduce an unnecessary margin for error. 

Fortunately, a robust solution without these limitations is available, which can also deliver a true in-studio experience when working remotely. 

A better alternative: Use Evercast

Instead of troubleshooting an OBS workaround that only provides some key collaboration features for Zoom users, seasoned professionals opt for an all-in-one solution with Evercast . Evercast combines video conferencing with high quality streaming. You can invite clients to simply click a button to join an Evercast session, opening the door to a virtual room tailored to your professional needs, from pre-production through finishing. 

Zoom and OBS provide a free solution, but in some cases, you get what you pay for. Where OBS’s Virtual Camera defaults to 1080p, Evercast provides streaming up to 4K resolution. Evercast also offers genuine color accuracy (up to 10-bit 4:4:4), which Zoom and OBS can’t. 

Zoom is notorious for compressing audio, so reviewing assets in their full form is challenging. In contrast, Evercast offers up to 7.1 surround sound and adjustable audio bitrates to create the perfect virtual environment. This way, your team and clients can review streams in an authentic 1-1 setting that isn’t feasible with traditional conferencing tools. 

Perhaps the biggest drawback of the Zoom and OBS setup is the unpredictable, highly fluctuating latency. You never know when the web-based platform might delay or compromise the quality of your stream, making it unreliable for professional video production. Evercast, on the other hand, provides ultra-low latency (at a 150ms global average) without requiring additional proprietary hardware or plugins. 

Plus, Evercast’s encrypted streams and security protocol are approved by all major studios, so you can comfortably discuss and collect feedback on projects at any stage of development.

Create together remotely, in real time

Designed by film and TV industry veterans, Evercast’s interface offers tools for true creative collaboration. Use interactive file playback to let anyone in your session pause, play, and scrub media in real time. Unlike Zoom, Evercast’s frame-by-frame annotation and drawing tools allow anyone to leave notes easily. 

Zoom and OBS may provide additional flexibility to the video conferencing platform solution, but it can’t create the space for true remote creative collaboration. Evercast can, and that’s why the platform is trusted and used by the world’s top facilities, studios, brands, and agencies. 

‍ Learn more about Evercast here .

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Kate Brunotts is a writer based in Brooklyn, NYC with over four years of experience. As a content producer, she is passionate about empowering creators to level up their workflow and process. When she's not writing, Kate spends her time scoring for film and engineering sessions for independent artists.

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How To Use OBS Studio With Zoom

I had the bright idea that I might like to use something like OBS Studio to make my video calls fancier.

It works! And it wasn’t too hard to get working, but it also wasn’t simple and I had to hunt around a lot to figure out how to do it. This post is a summary of the various steps I used to get OBS Studio working on Linux and piping video into Zoom.

Update 19 July 2022: OBS Studio now supports virtual cameras without a plugin as of version 26.1.0 .

What This Is Not

This is not a discussion of how to use OBS Studio on Windows, or MacOS, any non-Ubuntu flavour of Linux, or anything else.

I’ll try to give you pointers for where to start looking for solutions if your problem involves Windows or Mac, but you won’t find the answer here. If you’re on a Debian derivative, this may work out for you, but if you’re on something like Arch it might be weirder.

Sorry. But at least you found out early, rather than wading through dozens of forum posts chasing a tantalising hint that ended up going nowhere. Been there, comrade.

My setup involves the following components, which may materially affect the results:

• Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
• PulseAudio, but also jackd
• Zoom client for Linux version 3.5 (specifically 3.5.361976.0301)
• A paid Zoom account

OBS Studio is available using APT in Ubuntu, so you can install it like this:

sudo apt install obs-studio

This installs version 25.0.4-0obsproject3~bionic at time of writing.

Add v4l2loopback driver

You need to add a new video output to the system that Zoom can use to pull the video in from. Think of it as a virtual camera, if you like.

Linux has a kernel driver called v4l2loopback that can do this for us. Install it with APT:

sudo apt install v4l2loopback-dkms

We need to load it using modprobe, and we’ll add some parameters to make it easier for us to identify it from inside programs like Zoom:

sudo modprobe v4l2loopback video_nr=10 card_label="OBS Video Source" exclusive_caps=1

This will create our new video device as /dev/video10 .

The parameter to video_nr sets the number of the device created, so if you wanted /dev/video24 you would use video_nr=24 .

The card_label should show up in Zoom (and other apps) as the name of the device, making it easier to select the right one.

exclusive_caps=1 is necessary for some applications (like Chrome) to be able to use the device. It sets the device to OUTPUT only mode and it won’t start announcing CAPTURE capabilities until you connect a producer (like OBS Studio) to it.

Adding v4l2sink

Update 19 July 2022: You can skip this section now as the plugin capability has been built into OBS since version 26.1.0

To get OBS Studio to send output to our new video device, I used the v4l2sink plugin from https://github.com/CatxFish/obs-v4l2sink . This plugin was originally for Windows but after people asked in this issue thread , the author wrote a version for Linux.

That thread contains a bunch of other hacks to get things working, which you might find interesting. The method I’m documenting here I found the simplest (relatively speaking), but if you want to do some more complex things with multi-streaming, you might find the discussion useful.

Building The Module

Building the source was fairly straightforward. The procedure is documented in the code repo, but I’ll duplicate it here so you can get all the info in one place. Do check the code if a lot of time has passed since this was published, since it might have changed.

Install some pre-requisites

I have a lot of code building tools already installed, so you might encounter some other missing dependencies. Do let me know if there are more I should include here.

sudo apt install cmake qtbase5-dev

Create a holding directory

Let’s create a directory to hold all the code related to this little exercise. It’s neater that way.

mkdir myobscode cd myobscode

Clone the code for OBS Studio

This grabs the code for OBS Studio as well as a bunch of components it depends on. git clone --recursive https://github.com/obsproject/obs-studio.git The resulting code will be in directory myobscode/obs-studio

Clone the plugin code

We’re still in the myobscode directory, so we just grab the code:

git clone https://github.com/CatxFish/obs-v4l2sink

Build the plugin

cd obs-v4l2sink mkdir build && cd build cmake -DLIBOBS_INCLUDE_DIR="../../obs-studio/libobs" -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr ..

I’ll explain what the cmake line is doing.

The -DLIBOBS_INCLUDE_DIR parameter includes the OBS Studio libraries we need to link against.

The -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX tells cmake that we will be installing this plugin into the APT installed OBS Studio which gets installed into the /usr directory tree.

Let’s compile the code, using 4 CPUs in parallel:

Install the plugin

sudo make install

If you used the install prefix of /usr as in the example above, the plugin will get installed into the APT packaged plugin location: /usr/lib/obs-plugins/

Now we’re ready to connect OBS Studio to Zoom.

Connect OBS Studio to Zoom

Setup obs studio.

In versions of OBS Studio since 26.1.0, if you have a v4l2loopback device loaded, OBS will detect it and show you a Start Virtual Camera button in the controls.

The controls in OBS Studio, showing a Start Virtual Camera button.

I’ve found that, on my Ubuntu 22.04.0 LTS system, if I’ve started and stopped the virtual camera once, I have to unload the v4l2loopback module and re-load it via modprobe (as described above) for the virtual camera to work again. OBS doesn’t provide any information about why it can’t start the camera again, just a generic error message that it can’t. This isn’t very helpful for figuring out how to permanently fix the problem, but the workaround of an rmmod/modprobe script is working for me.

Previous Instructions

You don’t need to do this any more, but I’m leaving this information up so it’s here if anyone is using an older version of the software.

Run OBS Studio, either from commandline with obs or using the system launcher.

Click on the Tools menu, and you should see an item at the bottom of the list called v4l2sink . Click on that, and you’ll get a window like this:

Screenshot of v4l2sink properties

I’ve turned on AutoStart so that OBS Studio immediately starts sending data to the video device when I start it. You’ll need to remember to start the sink manually if you don’t want this to happen.

The device path matches the one we chose for our v4l2loopback device earlier.

I chose format of YUY2 because that’s what worked.

Add Webcam to Scene

You’ll need to minimally configure a Scene and a Source in OBS Studio. The intricate details of setting up OBS Studio are beyond the scope of this article, but you’ll need at least one scene with a webcam in it. Here are the settings for my Logitech USB webcam.

OBS Studio webcam source config. Hanging green material behind you is left as an exercise.

Your scene should now be streaming out to the v4l2sink. Let’s tell Zoom to get its video from there.

Start Zoom Client

If you already have the Zoom client running, you’ll need to exit completely from it and start it again. Zoom only appears to scan for possible webcams when it starts.

Start Zoom, and then open the Settings menu.

Go to Video settings, and use the pulldown menu to select the OBS Video Source , and you should see your webcam output as mediated by OBS Studio.

Select OBS Studio video source for Zoom

Now you can explore the fun video effects and scene switching capabilities of OBS Studio!

Beware giant kittens!

37 Comments

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hello from greece. I am a teacher and i would like to stream from obs to zoom. i follow your tutorial and im stack there cmake -DLIBOBS_INCLUDE_DIR=”../../obs-studio/libobs” -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr ..

— The C compiler identification is GNU 7.5.0 — The CXX compiler identification is unknown — Check for working C compiler: /usr/bin/cc — Check for working C compiler: /usr/bin/cc — broken CMake Error at /usr/share/cmake-3.10/Modules/CMakeTestCCompiler.cmake:52 (message): The C compiler

“/usr/bin/cc”

is not able to compile a simple test program.

It fails with the following output:

Change Dir: /home/balatsa/myobscode/obs-v4l2sink/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeTmp

Run Build Command:”/usr/bin/make” “cmTC_ad30a/fast” /usr/bin/make -f CMakeFiles/cmTC_ad30a.dir/build.make CMakeFiles/cmTC_ad30a.dir/build make[1]: Entering directory ‘/home/balatsa/myobscode/obs-v4l2sink/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeTmp’ Building C object CMakeFiles/cmTC_ad30a.dir/testCCompiler.c.o /usr/bin/cc -o CMakeFiles/cmTC_ad30a.dir/testCCompiler.c.o -c /home/balatsa/myobscode/obs-v4l2sink/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeTmp/testCCompiler.c Linking C executable cmTC_ad30a /usr/bin/cmake -E cmake_link_script CMakeFiles/cmTC_ad30a.dir/link.txt –verbose=1 /usr/bin/cc CMakeFiles/cmTC_ad30a.dir/testCCompiler.c.o -o cmTC_ad30a /usr/bin/ld: cannot find Scrt1.o: ??? ??????? ?????? ?????? ? ????????? /usr/bin/ld: cannot find crti.o: ??? ??????? ?????? ?????? ? ????????? collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status CMakeFiles/cmTC_ad30a.dir/build.make:97: recipe for target ‘cmTC_ad30a’ failed make[1]: *** [cmTC_ad30a] Error 1 make[1]: Leaving directory ‘/home/balatsa/myobscode/obs-v4l2sink/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeTmp’ Makefile:126: recipe for target ‘cmTC_ad30a/fast’ failed make: *** [cmTC_ad30a/fast] Error 2

CMake will not be able to correctly generate this project. Call Stack (most recent call first): CMakeLists.txt:2 (project)

CMake Error at CMakeLists.txt:2 (project): No CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER could be found.

Tell CMake where to find the compiler by setting either the environment variable “CXX” or the CMake cache entry CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER to the full path to the compiler, or to the compiler name if it is in the PATH.

— Configuring incomplete, errors occurred! See also “/home/balatsa/myobscode/obs-v4l2sink/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log”. See also “/home/balatsa/myobscode/obs-v4l2sink/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeError.log”.

what am i doing wrong;

sorry for my english

Thank you in advance

Your development environment is broken. You’ll need to re-install the C-compiler.

You can see the system trying to tell you this in the error message:

apt install --reinstall gcc g++

and then try running cmake again.

Why does this procedure need a paid Zoom account?

It might not, but as I tried to explain, my setup involves one so if you don’t have a paid account, your experience might be different to mine.

Hello again Justin,

I followed the instructions you provided here after re-reading above and noting that you did not say a paid Zoom account was needed but that that was what you had.

Anyway, I ended up with the following CMake error:

— Detecting CXX compile features – done — Could NOT find Libobs (missing: LIBOBS_LIB) CMake Error at external/FindLibObs.cmake:106 (message): Could not find the libobs library Call Stack (most recent call first): CMakeLists.txt:5 (include)

— Configuring incomplete, errors occurred! See also “/home/mark/myobscode/obs-v4l2sink/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log”.

I’m on Ubuntu 20.04. Is there any recommendation you could make installing the libobs library?

Installed libons-dev and seem to have solved the problem.

I think I got to my destination: Install the project… — Install configuration: “” — Installing: /usr/lib/obs-plugins/v4l2sink.so — Installing: /usr/share/obs/obs-plugins/v4l2sink/locale — Installing: /usr/share/obs/obs-plugins/v4l2sink/locale/de-DE.ini — Installing: /usr/share/obs/obs-plugins/v4l2sink/locale/en-US.ini — Installing: /usr/share/obs/obs-plugins/v4l2sink/locale/zh-TW.ini

However, the v4l2sink menu item doesn’t show under Tools when I restarted OBS. I’ll look around and see what’s what.

Progress! Huzzah!

You’ll need to figure out where OBS expects the plugins to be. On 18.04 LTS it expects them to be in /usr/lib/obs-plugins so make sure v4l2sink.so is in there, and copy it over if it isn’t and then restart OBS.

You might like to use `checkinstall` to create a .dpkg wrapper thing to help manage the installation without having to learn how to set up the full Debian format package build pipeline.

The folder /usr/lib/obs-plugins/ contains one file: v4l2sink.so.

Folder /usr/share/obs/obs-plugins/ contains a v4l2sink/locale with three language .ini files.

The file en-US.ini contains:

V4l2sink=”V4L2 Video Output” AutoStart=”Auto Start” Device=”Path to V4L2 Device” Format=”Video Format”

I restarted OBS and also logged out and back into Ubuntu with no luck seeing the plugin listed under the Tools menu.

Continuing to look around.

The solution for Ubuntu 20.04 (must also be for earlier versions since the fix was for 19.x) is to sudo cp /usr/lib/obs-plugins/v4l2sink.so /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/obs-plugins/ (See https://srcco.de/posts/using-obs-studio-with-v4l2-for-google-hangouts-meet.html linked from https://github.com/CatxFish/obs-v4l2sink/issues/40 )

The writer says he was told it also works for 18.04, although you didn’t seem to need to do a fix.

I took your advice and used `checkinstall` before finding this answer to the problem. Maybe the suthors need to set params in their make/install to address various situations.

Thanks again.

@mark: /usr/lib/obs-plugins/ should contain around 20 plugins. If it doesn’t, then your obs package is storing them somewhere else. Try: locate vlc-video.so to find out where, then move v4l2sink.so to the same place :)

Hi Mark, same problem here… in my Debian Buster, the magic obs plugin’s folder is in /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/obs-plugins problem solved.

There is now an unofficial snap package of OBS that includes v4l2loopback built in.

sudo snap install obs-studio.

No need to make the plugin from source. Only

sudo modprobe v4l2loopback video_nr=10 card_label=”OBS Video Source” exclusive_caps=1

On Debian Buster, I didn’t compile anything, just downloaded the deb from https://github.com/CatxFish/obs-v4l2sink/releases/

e.g. $ wget https://github.com/CatxFish/obs-v4l2sink/releases/download/0.1.0/obs-v4l2sink.deb $ apt install obs-studio obs-plugins v4l2loopback-dkms $ apt install ./obs-v4l2sink.deb

Now had some trouble with the v4l2loopback-dkms, ( needed linux-headers- ) do the modprobe and go from there

Ubuntu 20.04 workaround:

If you get { CMake Error at external/FindLibObs.cmake:106 (message): Could not find the libobs library } you must do some extra steps

sudo apt install libobs-dev

sudo cp /usr/lib/obs-plugins/v4l2sink.so /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/obs-plugins/

Hi Mark, Its probably something obvious (so apologies in advance) but I can’t figure it out… I get the following error message and the log file doesn’t give me any clues I can work with.

mickey@penguin:~/myobscode/obs-v4l2sink/build$ cmake -DLIBOBS_INCLUDE_DIR=”../../obs-studio/libobs” -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr .. — The C compiler identification is GNU 8.3.0 — The CXX compiler identification is GNU 8.3.0 — Check for working C compiler: /usr/bin/cc — Check for working C compiler: /usr/bin/cc — works — Detecting C compiler ABI info — Detecting C compiler ABI info – done — Detecting C compile features — Detecting C compile features – done — Check for working CXX compiler: /usr/bin/c++ — Check for working CXX compiler: /usr/bin/c++ — works — Detecting CXX compiler ABI info — Detecting CXX compiler ABI info – done — Detecting CXX compile features — Detecting CXX compile features – done — Could NOT find Libobs (missing: LIBOBS_LIB) CMake Error at external/FindLibObs.cmake:106 (message): Could not find the libobs library Call Stack (most recent call first): CMakeLists.txt:5 (include)

— Configuring incomplete, errors occurred! See also “/home/mickey/myobscode/obs-v4l2sink/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log”.

Apologies all I didn’t notice the Typo in the comment above. A simple

sudo apt-get install libobs-dev

before building the plugin resolved the error message just fine.

The plugin installed w/o error messages after the above correction in my steps but now I can’t load it and in OBS I can see it now in the tool selection (after moving the file into the other plugin folder, as described above) but when I try to start the sink I get an error message “Device open failed”

This is what it looks like when I run a modprobe:

mickey@penguin:~/obs-v4l2sink/build$ sudo modprobe v4l2loopback devices=1 video_nr=10 card_label=”OBS Cam” exclusive_caps=1 modprobe: ERROR: ../libkmod/libkmod.c:586 kmod_search_moddep() could not open moddep file ‘/lib/modules/4.19.113-08528-g5803a1c7e9f9/modules.dep.bin’ modprobe: FATAL: Module v4l2loopback not found in directory /lib/modules/4.19.113-08528-g5803a1c7e9f9 mickey@penguin:~/obs-v4l2sink/build$ ls /lib/modules/ 4.19.0-9-amd64

In case it saves someone else the aggravation, my experience was that Zoom failed to find the virtual cam if the card_label has a space in it. So with card_label=”OBS Cam” I get a camera I can use in guvcview or skype, but not Zoom. And with card_label=”OBSCam” Zoom is happy too. This is with Ubuntu 20.04, OBS 25.0.8 and Zoom 5.1.418436.0628

This works great on Ubuntu 20.04 Be sure to follow all the notes with this blog posting. And a big Thank you to Justin Warren. Now working at home and attending meetings can be a bit more exciting.

I have an error at this part: cmake -DLIBOBS_INCLUDE_DIR=”../../obs-studio/libobs” -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr .. CMake Error: The source directory “/home/barney/myobscode” does not appear to contain CMakeLists.txt. Specify –help for usage, or press the help button on the CMake GUI.

As I was looking online I tried the same command but with only 1 ‘dot’ instead of the 2 ‘dots’. This is what I got: cmake -DLIBOBS_INCLUDE_DIR=”../../obs-studio/libobs” -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr . CMake Error at external/FindLibObs.cmake:98 (include): include could not find load file:

/home/barney/obs-studio/libobs/../cmake/external/ObsPluginHelpers.cmake Call Stack (most recent call first): CMakeLists.txt:5 (include)

— Configuring incomplete, errors occurred! See also “/home/barney/myobscode/obs-v4l2sink/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log”.

Can anyone help? I have no experience in coding. I am trying to this on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS.

Hi Justin, By chance i get here to see this post, i don’t quite understand the details of all this process but i got it you’re one expert on obs&zoom, now i have a issue on how to streaming a zoom meeting to a 3rd cdn platform. the zoom can add streaming url on its setting but that’s not good enough for streaming quality depending on your local bandwidth.. i once saw someone streaming a zoom meeting seemingly by some applications installed on clouds to pull stream from zoom meeting, then pushing it to cdn node.. maybe you can make some recommendations for this . thanks in advance

This is going well beyond what I know anything about, sorry.

Maybe take a look at Restream ? It looks like they support what you’re trying to do: https://support.restream.io/en/articles/3314278-how-to-connect-zoom-with-restream

It sounds like you might be running the command from the wrong directory?

Go into the directory you’d run this cmake command from. What’s the output of pwd ?

I followed along with your instructions for video and was successful — thanks very much.

Have you done a write-up about how to hookup the audio as well? I am a teacher using OBS as a front end to Zoom for teaching, and need to be able to play pre-recorded videos as part of my presentation. This means I need the audio multiplexing in OBS in addition to the video multiplexing.

Hi Christopher! I’m glad you got it working.

OBS seems to use system audio inputs pretty well, but I’ve not delved into it in detail, sorry. Audio is a whole messy thing all its own that varies a lot by platform.

My setup uses PulseAudio (because Ubuntu) and jackd (for Ardour DAW and USB mic sources via a Zoom H6) for microphone input routing, but I’ve not managed to get very far with application audio output routing. They all (mostly) send output to PulseAudio, which only appears as a single source in jackd. I’ve not figured out how to make the system apps use jackd directly so they can get routed manually, and since don’t have a specific need it hasn’t been a priority for me.

Sorry I can’t be of more help there. If you do find something, I’d be interested to hear about it, though!

I’ve spent a day poking at this and have an ok, but not great solution. You can create a virtual device that OBS can write to and Zoom can read as follows:

pactl load-module module-null-sink sink_name=Virtual-Speaker sink_properties=device.description=Virtual-Speaker

pactl load-module module-remap-source source_name=Remap-Source master=Virtual-Speaker.monitor

In OBS, set the Settings->Advanced->Monitoring Device to “Monitor of Virtual-Speaker”.

In Zoom, set the microphone to the “Remapped Monitor of Virtual-Speaker”.

With this setup, you can hear the OBS output in Zoom. This means that if you play a video, for example, you get both the audio and video available on Zoom. The problem is that the microphone has latency with respect to the video (so not the audio track that accompanies the video — the microphone so that any commentary you say over the video is delayed).

Make sure that you turn “Monitoring” on for each of the audio sources in OBS.

I think the delay is because I am using the “Monitoring” output. I am guessing that a better solution would be to merge the microphone input with the OBS output stream in pactl, but this is currently beyond my limited understanding of pactl.

I followed your steps. Works perfectly, except that my camera picture has deteriorated. It is now “grainy”.

I reverted all steps, but could not get my previous video quality back. I guess some settings have changed during this process, but I am not able to fix it.

Any advice highly appreciated!

Occasionally something similar happens with my webcam. I’ve found unplugging it and then plugging it back in seems to reset it and clear the problem. Maybe give that a try?

For those who what to make the modeprobe permanent, there are some useful instructions at https://askubuntu.com/questions/1245212/how-do-i-automatically-run-modprobe-v4l2loopback-on-boot

Unfortunately, it’s a build in webcam.

Thank you very much for this article! Very helpful.

I followed the instructions listed on the website and found out that the plugin file (v4l2sink.so) is installed in the myobscode/obs-v4l2sink/build directory created during the process described here. Unfortunately, OBS-Studio doesn’t recognize the file in that location. OBS-Plugins reside in usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/obs-plugins/ (check package manager properties for OBS-Plugins package if you have a different version). Copied the v4l2sink.so file to the referenced directory and it works perfectly

I was progressing through your instructions on Ubuntu 18.04. When I attempted to execute: $ sudo modprobe v4l2loopback video_nr=3 card_label=”OBS Video Source” exclusive_caps=1 I received the following error: modprobe: ERROR: could not insert ‘v4l2loopback’: Bad address

Would you give me some clue as to what I need to fix? Dan

Not sure, Dan, sorry.

You could try to reinstall the v4l2loopback driver with something like:

sudo apt install –reinstall v4l2loopback-dkms

and then see if the modprobe succeeds? If not, check out the output from dmesg and see if there’s any more information about what’s causing the error in the system logs.

I did this with Microsoft Teams as well. I had to change my Video – Output (Scaled) Resolution down to 1280×720 for Teams to recognize the input. The OBS Source wasn’t listed with my default of 1920×1080.

Success! Thank you, so much! VERY Helpful; so much easier to follow than others I had seen. Great work! Two Thumbs Up… more if I had them.

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Updated! How to Connect OBS and Zoom

Written by paul richards on october 29, 2020.

How to Connect OBS and Zoom

It’s time for an updated video and tutorial on connecting OBS and Zoom. OBS has recently been updated to support a new virtual camera output feature. This feature makes it even easier to connect OBS with Zoom. This tutorial also includes a new method for working with virtual audio cables to connect OBS and Zoom. The video side is easy, and the audio side is a little more difficult. Let’s dig in. 

how to connect OBS and Zoom

The picture above is a complete connection diagram showing you how to connect audio and video between OBS and Zoom. Essentially, you are able to bring audio and video directly from Zoom and OBS with any Windows or Mac PC. The main difference between Windows and Mac computers is the type of Audio setup that you use. 

Requirements for this setup:

• Latest version of OBS
• VB-Audio Cables (SoundFlower on Mac)
• VoiceMeeter
• 2 Monitors (Video)

Connecting Video Between OBS and Zoom

You can now use the virtual camera output inside of OBS to send your OBS video output into Zoom. To do this, simply click the Virtual Camera Output button. This button is below the “Start Recording” button in the bottom right-hand corner by default. Some people still prefer to use the Virtual Camera plugin available for OBS as well. Also, if your video is mirrored you can fix this in the video settings area of Zoom. 

Connect OBS video with Zoom

To bring your video from Zoom back into OBS you can use a desktop or window capture. Click the add source in OBS inside of one of your scenes. Then select either Desktop or Window Capture. You will then be able to bring in everything happening in Zoom into your OBS production. This is great because you can now record 1080p videos with high bitrates using Zoom. Many people say that the default cloud recordings in Zoom could be better. Using OBS will allow you to record in a higher quality and do it locally on your harddrive without Zoom’s compression settings. 

Working with Virtual Audio Cables

Setting up virtual audio cables to work with Zoom and OBS is a little tricky. But don’t worry, you can do this. Start by downloading virtual audio cables at VB-Audio.com . You need to download the A + B audio cable drivers on your Mac or PC computer. You will use these to in Zoom for the microphone and speaker options. Next, you should download VoiceMeeter if you have a Windows Computer. Mac users can download SoundFlower. VoiceMeeter will be used to monitor audio with your headphones. Once you have both audio cables installed you can set them up in Zoom. Select Audio CABLE-B for your speaker and CABLE-A for your microphone. 

Using VoiceMeeter with OBS and Zoom

In order to get VoiceMeeter set up properly, you do need to set it up as your default audio device in Windows sound controls. You can do this by right clicking the audio speaker in Windows and select “Open Sound Settings.” Then select “Sound Control Panel.” Here you can right click VoiceMeeter and set it as your default device. This allows VoiceMeeter to output your audio to any source attached to your computer. In this case, you will eventually choose your headphones. 

OBS and Zoom

Take another look at the connection diagram between OBS and Zoom. You can see that VoiceMeeter is being used to connect OBS and Zoom’s audio. You can also see that it is being used to send audio into your headphones. You can now set up VoiceMeeter with virtual audio cable A and B. Next, you can select your headphone output to monitor the audio. 

OBS only has one audio output bus that you can use with a virtual audio cable. Open the settings area and click the Audio tab. Here you can select Audio Cable A as your “Monitoring Device.” This will allow you to send any audio inside of OBS you would like out via your Audio Cable A. To select audio sources to send out via this virtual audio cable navigate to the Advanced Audio Properties area of OBS. 

Next you should bring audio into OBS from Zoom. In the audio settings area you can select audio CABLE B as a “Global Audio Source.” This will bring the audio coming out of Zoom’s speakers into OBS. To test this and make sure it’s working properly, click the “Test Speaker” option inside of Zoom. You can access this in the Audio Settings, area of Zoom. 

That’s it. You are done! You can read the Unofficial Guide to OBS to learn more about increasing your video production skills with OBS and Zoom. You can download a free copy here. 

By the way, you can also reference additional help in this blog post on the same topic .

Check out our other articles about Open Broadcaster Software below:

• Updated - How to connect OBS and Zoom with VoiceMeeter and Headphone Monitoring - here .
• Learn how to use OBS for remote production here .
• How to connect OBS with Zoom, here
• OBS vs vMix a complete review here .
• How to use Zoom for Church Meetings and Worship here .
• Here are the top 10 OBS features you need to know about
• Getting dropped frames in OBS. Here are some new feature to help with that. 
• Take a look at OBS 24 and all the new feature here . 
• Increase your productivity with OBS and learn how to use hotkeys here
• Learn how to setup animated stinger transitions in OBS here
• Learn how to install the NDI plugin for OBS (and why you should) here
• Learn more about the latest OBS user interface (UPDATED for 2019) here
• Make your audio in OBS sound great with these VST 2 plugins here
• Learn how to fix the most common OBS issues! Audio and Video Sync! here
• Learn how to use OBS 20+  here
• Learn how to use NDI Cameras with OBS here
• Learn how to use the OBS Multiview here
• Learn OBS quickly with our ZERO to SIXTY tutorial video here
• Learn more about OBS settings and optimizing your settings for live streaming here 
• Learn how to record videos using OBS here
• New OBS 24 feature allows broadcasters the ability to pause and restart video recordings. Learn more here.
• Learn how to add live annotations over your OBS productions here
• Learn how to add a webcam and set up a picture in picture scene inside OBS here
• Learn how to crop and rotate inputs inside OBS here
• Learn how to use color correction tools and LUTs here
• Learn the best way to connect OBS and Zoom here
• Learn how to connect OBS and Teams here
• Learn how to use countdown timers in Teams here
• Learn where OBS recordings are saved here
• Learn how to live stream to YouTube and Facebook with OBS for free here
• Learn about OBS 27's new features here

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Online Education Technology

Using obs with zoom for teaching, what is obs.

OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software Studio) is a free, open source application that allows users to switch between various digital inputs – webcams, tablets, browser windows, documents, videos, etc. – on their computer and feed them all as a single stream to Zoom.  It eliminates the need to share your screens and windows in Zoom thereby eliminating those awkward transitions from one Zoom view to another.  Zoom “sees” the output of OBS as a webcam, while you control the changing/mixing of inputs using OBS.

OBS allows users to seamlessly switch between various digital inputs while sending a single stream to students via Zoom.

Produced using the methods described in our “How to Use OBS and Zoom for Online Teaching” guide, the video below showcases what can be done with OBS – hosted by CRDT Multimedia Producer Greg MacDonald:

You may already be using Zoom, but finding the transitions between class materials via screen sharing are just too clunky.  Or you may be fairly new to Zoom, and though you’ve traditionally incorporated various source materials into your teaching, haven’t found a way to really replicate the experience for students virtually.  Or you’re simply curious about expanding your tech skills for teaching.  Whatever the case, our guide is for anyone who wants to deliver a remote education experience that seamlessly incorporates presentations, spreadsheets, documents, websites, video, a virtual blackboard – really anything digital – without skipping a beat.  Even if one’s first attempts at using OBS with Zoom are a little bumpy, we’ve found that students really appreciate the effort. 

We understand that the software may appear somewhat daunting at first –  it did to us – but we also know from experience that taking the time to learn a few basic concepts and with some practice, you can quickly tame the learning curve.

Our goal is to provide enough information to get educators comfortable and up and running as quickly as possible with OBS and Zoom, and our “How to Use OBS and Zoom for Online Teaching” guide overs:

What hardware you need, along with some “nice-to-have” recommendations; 

The software you’ll need and how to install it;

A comprehensive How to Guide that covers everything you need to know to create, organize, and present your class materials with OBS, including:

A downloadable profile with all of the OBS settings you need to get started with Zoom;

An overview of the basic building blocks of OBS: Scenes and Sources;

A practical workflow for quickly sizing your materials for maximum visibility and legibility;

How to program and use keyboard shortcuts (aka Hotkeys) for efficient switching;

A series of step-by-step recipes to create content based on what it is you want to show;

A practical method for getting your first class organized and set up;

Productivity tips to then quickly scale everything up to create an entire course;

How to go live – from organizing your displays and screens and reactivating your Sources to switching with transitions;

Downloadable Yale-branded custom transitions;

How to archive your classes and recall them later.

Tips we’ve learned from experience – troubleshooting (no software is perfect!) and otherwise;

Resources we’ve found useful;

And did we mention the series of videos covering many of the steps and sections?

A Note from Rick

I was teaching two courses in the Spring of 2020 when Yale College went to online instruction. That was a bit of a jolt, especially since both courses reflected my increasing use of several types of media in class sessions: chalk board, PowerPoint, Excel spreadsheet, a pdf viewer and a browser. Not every one of these is used in every class session, but almost all class sessions use at least two and typically three sources.

In my usual teaching environment, Evans Hall on the Yale campus, this use of many different media is easy to pull off. Each classroom has at least three screens and a podium computer capable of sending two different displays to two different screens. Further, it is easy to hook up a laptop or other device and have three different sources up on three different screens.  I often have a PowerPoint that keeps students oriented in the flow of the class, a set of financial statements being analyzed, and an Excel workbook in which to do the analysis all up at once.

Zoom is a wonderful platform but handling all the different inputs and switching between them was just too cumbersome and slow. Plus, I wanted a better substitute for the chalkboard than Zoom provided.

My search for a solution led me to OBS. My struggles with getting it set up and with using it efficiently led me to the Yale School of Management Case Research and Development Team , and in particular to Multimedia Producer Greg MacDonald. The team (and Greg) has a lot of experience in putting together online, multimedia cases and other teaching material. I have found our collaboration to be extremely productive on at least four fronts:

•  Selecting the right software approach for integrating multimedia;
• Installing this software;
• Identifying, finding and selecting the right combination of settings for the various pieces of software; and,
• Developing a set of habits about file locations, file names, and attention to workflow that greatly increased my productivity.

I hope this document lets you take advantage of some of what Greg and I have learned.

Rick Antle William S. Beinecke Professor of Accounting Yale School of Management

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How to use obs studio to energize your zoom presentations: engage your students and enrich learning.

Date: Friday, April 9, 2021

Time: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (Eastern Time)

Get past the talking-head-and-slide-show Zoom session to engage your students with the free video streaming tool OBS Studio.

Compatible with Windows, Macs and Linux systems, OBS Studio lets you create rich multimedia Zoom lectures that foster more powerful, engaged learning.

When students log in, only to turn off their microphones and video, you don’t know if they’re tuned in or tuned out. You want them to be actively learning, focused and engaged, which is why you need to make your Zoom class a learning experience they’ll never forget.

Before taking part in this webinar, we encourage you download OBS Studio at https://obsproject.com/

Key Takeaways

In this engaging and interactive webinar, you’ll gain an understanding of how you can use OBS Studio and Zoom to significantly improve student engagement and learning outcomes. You’ll explore:

• How to integrate OBS Studio into Zoom in learner-effective ways
• How to stream video from OBS Studio to Zoom
• How to connect your webcam to OBS Studio
• How to create rich media presentations and experiences, linking video, sound, PowerPoint and other media

Tags: OBS Studio Zoom Student Engagement Educational Technology

Dr. Ron Owston is a Contact North I Contact Nord Research Associate. A pioneer in online teaching and research, Dr. Owston ranks among Google Scholar’s most cited blended learning researchers globally. The founding Director of the Institute for Research on Learning Technologies, he is a former Dean of Education and Professor Emeritus at York University. Accolades from educators around the world on Dr. Owston's webinars about Zoom include:

• I really appreciate Ron’s effort and I need to watch this all over again to try the different possibilities.
• I've learned a lot the last 6 months watching your Zoom webinars.My students have noticed and I share with you their kudos.
• Thank you very much Ron! This was a very informative session! I am excited to try to put together a class for my learners.
• I wanted to comment on how useful these sessions have been. I include them in all my PD announcements to encourage faculty to attend.
• Thank you, thank you, thank you—really wonderful!

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Posted on Jul 29, 2021 • Updated on Feb 23, 2022

How to setup OBS for live streaming, presentations, and virtual meetings

Not so long ago, there were these awesome things called conferences and gatherings that happened in person. Now - yes we all know why - we are stuck doing everything virtually. From meetings, to standups, conferences, talks, and even game nights.

You've probably seen that one, maybe two people, who come into your virtual meetings, or present at a conference and they have a killer setup. Everything looks super cool, snazzy, and they have these sweet looking overlays.

I'm going to walk you through how to setup your system so you can be that person.

Open Broadcast Software (OBS)

You may have heard of OBS . It's an open source project that many streamers use.

obsproject / obs-studio

Obs studio - free and open source software for live streaming and screen recording, obs studio < https://obsproject.com >.

What is OBS Studio?

OBS Studio is software designed for capturing, compositing, encoding, recording, and streaming video content, efficiently.

It's distributed under the GNU General Public License v2 (or any later version) - see the accompanying COPYING file for more details.

Quick Links

• Website: https://obsproject.com
• Help/Documentation/Guides: https://github.com/obsproject/obs-studio/wiki
• Forums: https://obsproject.com/forum/
• Build Instructions: https://github.com/obsproject/obs-studio/wiki/Install-Instructions
• Developer/API Documentation: https://obsproject.com/docs
• Donating/backing/sponsoring: https://obsproject.com/contribute
• Bug Tracker: https://github.com/obsproject/obs-studio/issues

Contributing

• If you would like to help fund or sponsor the project, you can do so via Patreon , OpenCollective , or PayPal . See our contribute page for more information.
• If you wish to contribute code to the project, please make sure to read the coding and commit guidelines https://github.com/obsproject/obs-studio/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.rst
• Developer/API documentation can be found here: https://obsproject.com/docs
• If you wish to contribute translations, do not submit pull requests. Instead, please use Crowdin. For more information read this page: https://obsproject.com/wiki/How-To-Contribute-Translations-For-OBS
• Other ways to contribute are…

Did you know, you can also use it for the ultimate virtual meeting. OBS has a feature called "virtual camera". This sets your OBS scene as a "virtual" camera so you can select this instead of using a USB or built in camera.

1. Setting up your Virtual Camera

Firstly, you'll need to install OBS . Once you have OBS installed, you'll see there is a "Start Virtual Camera" option in the "Controls" panel.

Click this to initialise your OBS Virtual Camera. Now that your camera is "on" and "working", you can select it as a source. If you're in Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google meet, or on the web, you can select "OBS Virtual Camera" as your video source.

If you're using Zoom, Zoom will invert horizontally. your camera, but only for you. Don't freak out! Others will see you normally.

2. Setting up your scene/s

Now that you can select your OBS source, it's time to setup your scenes. Anything displayed on the OBS scene canvas will be shown to your audience. Firstly, you'll need to add a "Scene", and then add elements to it:

• Press the + button under "Scenes" to create a new scene.
• Type a name for your scene and press ENTER.
• Press the + button under "Sources".
• Add your desired sources.

For example, you'll probably want to add a "Video Capture Device" which is your camera. Then you can add overlays, logos, images, and more.

Here you can also select filters for each source, including things like "Chroma Key" if you want to use a greenscreen.

3. Setting up your physical space

With your physical space, you need to make sure the background and the technology you are using make you look and sound awesome. Why is this important? Because if no one can see or hear you, it doesn't matter what you're saying or how important it is. This matters whether you're in a meeting or giving a keynote.

Number one piece of advice is to NOT use your built in camera. Built in cameras on MacBooks or laptops aren't useful because they are often low in quality and you don't have flexibility to move them around. This means people are probably looking up your nose or right at your forehead.

Get a decent webcam so you can place it in a desired location. My pick is the Razer Kiyo because it's good quality and has a built in light.

Most webcams these days are good so it's up to personal preference here.

Similar to the camera, DO NOT use the built in microphone from a laptop or MacBook. You can't move it to the desired location, it picks up a lot of static, and the quality of the audio is low. Invest in a good microphone and you'll notice a massive difference.

If you are recording or live streaming through OBS, add an "Audio Input" to capture your audio when you stream or record. If you're joining a call then choose "OBS Virtual Camera" as your video, and select your microphone as the "Audio" source.

Lighting is important if you're doing presentations or recordings. Good lighting helps to showcase who you are and what you're talking about.

Three points of lighting (in front of you, and each side) will help remove any shadows from your face. Lights with high lumens are great and there's lots on the market now with WiFi capabilities. This means you can control them from your computer while streaming or presenting.

I love the Elgato Ring light and Elgato keylights . These are great for highlight various physical features, lighting up a green screen, or making your photos look amazing.

Another thing you'll want to consider when live streaming or presenting is your background. If you're not using a virtual background, think about the types of things being shown on the screen. Do they represent you? Or your work? Are there little Easter eggs in your background? These little things will help engage the awesome and resonate with them.

Here's a couple of things in my background. A 3D printed model my GitHub Skyline showcases one of the products we have as also looks really cool! What can you add in that your audience will love?

Other things to consider

Based on the type of setup you want and your budget, you might want to consider a few other things to add:

• Pop filter to help make your sound clearer
• Green screen if you want to do fancy virtual backgrounds
• Stream deck for ultimate control while streaming
• Audio mixer to fine tune your audio on the go
• Acoustic sound boarding for even clearer sound

If you want to read a little more into my setup specifically, check out my article on the ultimate work from home setup:

Get the ultimate "code from home" setup

Michelle duke ・ nov 27 '20, top comments (1).

Templates let you quickly answer FAQs or store snippets for re-use.

• Location London
• Work Principal AWS Architect at Informa | Founder AWS at Scale
• Joined May 27, 2017

This is great, thanks for sharing 🌈 I gotta ask, is that your setup in the cover image?

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OBS and Zoom - Live streaming to Zoom with multiple cameras

By patrick connelly posted on may 18, 2020.

One of the hardest things about doing instructional content virtually is when you have to show things that are not on a screen. This came to be an issue for my father when he needed to teach the art merit badge for the Boy Scouts this summer. While lots of the work for the merit badge can be done via a presentation, there is still quite a lot that either has to be done in “meat space” or benefits greatly from being done in a tangible way. The scout camp he is working with this summer is doing all of their merit badge classes over Zoom and with the power of the open source application OBS we were able to give him a more professional setup without spending thousands of dollars or hiring a full-time video crew.

The Problem

The biggest hurdle we needed to face while preparing for this was that switching between cameras and presentation mode in Zoom is a bit clunky and can lead to downtime. And as anyone who’s ever been in a lengthy meeting knows, downtime is a killer and it’s doubly so when presenting to teenagers. What we needed was a way to seamlessly switch between several different “scenes” in a way that would not interrupt the flow of the meeting.

The Hardware

This part was both the easiest and the hardest part of the whole setup. Because of the large influx of people having to work remotely the supply of good webcams is fairly limited. Fortunately my father already had a webcam and I was able to lend him one of mine so we could have a two independent cameras and we were able to set up a top-down camera to allow for demonstrations of various art techniques. This camera was attached to an aluminum pole that is part of a photographic backdrop kit. This was super handy since it can stretch the whole width of the desk and adds a very rigid surface for the camera to mount to.

If you’ve never heard of OBS, it wouldn’t surprise me. If you’ve not done any live streaming then the likelihood of running across OBS is pretty small. OBS is an open source application that allows you to set up complex views with multiple inputs that can be static or dynamic and allows you to switch between these views while presenting a single output point.

For the class we broke down what we would need to show the scouts and it came down to the following four views

• Presenter Camera - This is a simple full screen view from a front facing webcam that will be used when not presenting and just talking to the audience.
• Presentation - This is another simple full screen view of just the presentation slides being presented to the audience.
• Art Camera - This is a top down view of the work surface so that different art techniques can be shown to the audience without being obstructed.
• Art and Presenter - This is a complex view that combines the Art Camera with the Presenter Camera to help add back the personality of the presenter

Each one of these scenes is created in OBS and the transition timing tweaked to be pleasing. I’m not going to go into how to set that up since it may change from release to release. The OBS wiki should have the most updated information about setting up scenes and sources. But once you’ve gotten them setup you get something like this.

Now that we have these scenes we can either click on the scene to transition between them or setup shortcut keys. In an ideal world you could set up something like the MAX Falcon-8 and use that as way to switch between the scenes. For my father we used his TV as a second monitor and put OBS on that screen and then he can just use the mouse to switch between scenes without having to have OBS up on the main display that is used for presentations.

Outputting OBS to Zoom

Once you’ve got everything setup in OBS then you need to get the output sent somewhere. If you’re using a common streaming platform like Twitch , YouTube or Facebook then OBS can natively stream to those platforms and you just need to setup your streaming endpoints. But if you want to use OBS to output to Zoom, Google Meet or another service that just takes in a webcam output then you need install OBS Virtualcam . This allows OBS to create a virtual camera that can be used in your applications.

I recommend that you choose the auto start option for Virtualcam so that it’s available as soon as you start OBS. Also, don’t forget to start OBS before you start your meeting software so that it doesn’t try to take control of the other cameras first. The only big downside is that the Virtualcam plugin is only available for Windows currently. There are other options for Linux but the OSX option is not currently available.

Markus Presents

Obs studio for video conferencing.

Share lively slides in next video conference! With this bundle, you’ll be able to share slides in a unique and impressive way. You’ll use OBS Virtual Camera and your favorite video conferencing software, such as Zoom, Teams or Skype.

What's included

A scene collection file that you can import into OBS Studio

Detailed step-by-step video instructions covering every step

Advanced tips to optimize your setup

Course curriculum

Welcome to the course.

Welcome and preparation

How to use this course

Download course assets

Basic setup for OBS Studio and Zoom

Configure OBS Studio

Import scene collection and add webcam

Add slides with PowerPoint

Set up Virtual Camera

Add slides with Image slideshow

Configure Zoom

Go full screen

Power tips for Zoom

Advanced tips for OBS Studio

Set up hotkeys

Moving scene transitions

Audio in OBS Studio

Add audio sources

Audio from OBS to video conferencing software

Enhance video quality

Using a green screen with OBS Studio

OBS Studio is a free and open-source video production studio. You can use it for live streaming and recording. Or for video conferencing, which is the focus of this course.

Yes! The scene collection template and all the plugins I demonstrate work in OBS Studio version 28.

Yes! You can use any presentation software to display your slides in OBS Studio. In fact, it could be any program on your system, like a PDF file, a spreadsheet or a web page.

No! You do not need a green screen to use OBS Studio in general or this scene collection in particular. However, if you do have a green screen, I will show you how to use it in a dedicated lesson.

OBS Studio looks a bit intimidating at first. I've designed this course so that you can deliver your first presentation within an hour of getting started. The scene collection template is ready for you; just add your camera and your slides.

System requirements

• Windows 10, 8 or 7
• The ability to install software

Get started now

Impress your audience in your next video conference. Start sharing lively slides now!

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How to Zoom In and Out in OBS: A Step-by-Step Guide

In live streaming and video recording, the ability to zoom in and out is a real game-changer. Whether you're putting together a step-by-step guide, focusing on a specific area of the screen, or just want to add some pizzazz to your content, the Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) has got you covered. 

This handy guide is all you need to get started with OBS zoom out and in. You'll be creating engaging and professional-looking videos with ease in no time!

Setting Up OBS for Zooming

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of OBS zoom in, let's make sure that your setup is ready. 

First things first, you'll need to have OBS installed on your computer. Once you've got that done, just follow these steps:

Step 1: Add a Source

• Click on the "+" button in the "Sources" box located in the bottom-left corner of the OBS interface.
• From the list of available source types, select "Display Capture" or "Window Capture," depending on whether you want to capture your entire screen or a specific window.
• Name your source and click "OK."

Step 2: Resize and Position the Source

• Right-click on the newly added source in the "Sources" box.
• Select "Transform" > "Edit Transform..."
• In the "Transform" window, adjust the size and position of your source as desired.
• Click "Close" when you're done.

Just a heads up, if you’re dealing with a tight deadline or you’d simply prefer not to spend your time getting into the details of rather complex software, you might want to try out special screen recorder tools. With Screen Story , for example, you can take advantage of the automatic zoom feature in literally seconds.

But let’s get back to the Open Broadcaster Software…

OBS Zoom In and Out

Once your source is ready to go, it's time to learn how to zoom in and out. OBS has a bunch of different ways to get the job done, and each one has its own perks and use cases.

Method 1 : Using the Transform Tool

The Transform Tool is a built-in feature in OBS that lets you zoom in and out on your source right in the preview window.

Step 1: Enable the Transform Tool

• Right-click on your source in the preview window.
• Select "Lock Preview" to ensure that your source remains visible while you make adjustments.

Step 2: OBS Zoom In On Screen and Out

• Once the Transform Tool is enabled, you'll see a red box surrounding your source in the preview window.
• To zoom in, click and drag one of the dots on the corners of the red box inwards. To zoom out, drag the dots outwards.
• To adjust the position of your zoomed source, click and drag inside the red box.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d26TUeowe6I?si=vqaVf-AKXDQuZdZ7" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Method 2 : Use the OBS Zoom and Follow Lua Script

While the Transform Tool is already built in, OBS lets you use third-party scripts and plugins to add extra features to the software. One example is the "OBS Zoom Effects & Mouse Follow" script, which lets you zoom in and out of your source material as you move your mouse cursor around.

Step 1: Install the Script

• Download the "OBS Zoom Effects & Mouse Follow" script from the official GitHub repository .
• In OBS, navigate to "Tools" > "Scripts."
• Click the "+" button and select the downloaded script file.

Step 2: Configure the Script

• Once the OBS zoom and follow Lua script is installed, right-click on it in the "Scripts" window and select "Properties."
• In the "Properties" window, you can configure various settings such as the zoom source, zoom factor, zoom speed, and whether you want the script to automatically follow your mouse cursor.

Step 3: Use the Script

• After configuring the script, you can activate it by clicking the "Start" button in the "Scripts" window.
• To zoom in and out, use the hotkeys you've set up or the zoom factor slider in the script's properties.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YMvQMRLUhhM?si=9ihgb_jOp0fYY99P" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Tips and Best Practices

Zooming for emphasis and clarity.

OBS zoom out and in feature is great for really bringing something to life on your screen, or making things easier to see in a tutorial or presentation. Use it when you need people to focus on a particular part of the screen or when you need to make a complex topic easier to understand.

Smooth Transitions

If you want to keep your viewers engaged, it’s best to avoid sudden changes in zoom level. Using the “Transition” settings in OBS can help you create a smoother and more polished transition. Alternatively, you could try using gradual zooming techniques, which can also help you achieve a more polished look.

Combining with Other OBS Features

OBS zoom in on screen feature is just one way to create engaging content in the software. You can really make an immersive and dynamic viewing experience by combining it with scene transitions, overlays, and audio mixing .

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Streamline Your Screen Recording with Screen Story

While OBS is a great tool for live streaming and recording, it can get a bit overwhelming, especially for those new to video creation. If you want something more user-friendly and streamlined, try Screen Story – a Mac-specific screen recording tool.

Screen Story is here to help you create top-quality videos and screen recordings without any fuss. Its automatic zoom-in feature, smooth cursor movement, and customization options mean you can easily create stunning video demos, tutorials, and GIFs. You don't need any video editing skills, just start recording and the tool takes care of the rest.

Unlock the power of efficient video creation today and take your screen recordings to new heights with Screen Story. 

Create stunning videos with Screen Story

Record your screen with audio and create stunning videos without editing skills. Screen Story applies the best design patterns to the video automatically.

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• Mac Support

My PPT presentation in OBS is blurry for my Zoom users.

• Thread starter Heather Miller
• Start date Sep 2, 2020

Heather Miller

• Sep 2, 2020

I have created OBS scenes including widow capture of a PPT presentation, and on my Zoom it is clear--> but it is showing as blurry for my Zoom users. I'm guessing there is some setting that is not set right? I am using OS Catalina 10.15.6, Zoom 5.2.1, and PPT 16.40. Thank you! Screen shots or specific settings would be great if possible. THANK YOU. I appreciate this community.  

• Oct 14, 2020

Asking same question. Setup is OBS, Virtual Camera, Zoom and no matter what setting people in the meeting keep seeing the presentation very blurry.  

Lawrence_SoCal

Active member.

I don't know specifically (I have tried/played with this exact scenario) but I do livestream using a Windowed captured PPTx every week 1 - realize Zoom compresses as much as it can... so that doesn't help. So Zoom optimization is one thing for you to address (not subject of this forum) 2- as for OBS and Windows capture, one thing to consider is Window frame size and whether you are having OBS re-size. Like JPG, every re-size is likely to involve resolution loss. So I make my PPTx window full screen height (1080p, Windows title bar moved off bottom to left... s PPTx window isn't full 1080 lines tall (App title bar, bottom bar, etc) but close), Then I don't re-size in OBS There are different Window capture methods. I use the older one so cursor doesn't appear, but you could try either and see which works better for you. And then there is making sure your OBS settings aren't re-scaling unnecessarily, set for high quality (assuming you have CPU & GPU to support), etc and I'm relatively new to OBS, so hopefully someone can reply and give you much better specifics than I have. But in case that doesn't happen, hopefully this will help  

The issue might be the Zoom settings your using. When sharing in Zoom, optimized for motion settings, so you can use PC audio uses a different driver, which results in blurry slides. You can try it yourself by bouncing back and forth in sharing screen and selecting/deselecting optimize motion setting...the PowerPoint will go from crisp to blurry and back.  

Porphyrogenitus

• Oct 15, 2020

This is similar to our problem (although on Mac). We are using an HD camera, separate sound, and powerpoint and sending that through zoom. Our recordings look great. The zoom participants are getting clear camera pictures but fuzzy slides. Ideas?  

• Nov 9, 2020

Under your share settings, deselect "optimize for video" which uses a motion codec. But slides aren't in motion. Your slides will become crisp and clean again...as will your video channel. The only problem is when you go to show PowerPoint embedded video... it'll start looking crummy. You'll want to switch back or share VNC optimized.  

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