OBS Studio is the most widely used streaming and recording software in the world. It is completely free, open-source, and handles everything from a simple webcam stream to a multi-camera, multi-scene professional broadcast. Every major streamer, most churches, and countless businesses use OBS for their live video.
We use OBS in our production workflows for church livestreams and event broadcasting. This guide covers everything from first installation to advanced configuration — whether you are streaming your first YouTube video or setting up a multi-camera church broadcast. For our streaming-specific deep dive, see our existing OBS streaming setup guide.
OBS Core Concepts
Scenes
Scenes are layouts you switch between during a stream or recording. Example: a 'Talking Head' scene with your camera, a 'Screen Share' scene with your desktop, a 'Starting Soon' scene with a graphic, and a 'BRB' scene. You create as many as you need and switch between them with keyboard shortcuts or the scene list.
Sources
Sources are the individual elements inside a scene. A camera is a source. A screen capture is a source. An image overlay is a source. Text is a source. Audio from your microphone is a source. You layer sources on top of each other and arrange them within each scene.
Audio Mixer
OBS mixes all audio sources together — microphone, desktop audio, media players, browser sources. The audio mixer at the bottom of the screen shows levels and lets you adjust volume for each source independently. Use the Advanced Audio Properties to control which sources go to which output.
Encoding
Encoding compresses your video into a format suitable for streaming or recording. x264 (CPU-based) and NVENC (NVIDIA GPU-based) are the two main options. NVENC is preferred if you have an NVIDIA GPU — it offloads encoding from the CPU, leaving more processing power for games and applications.
Filters
Filters modify sources in real time. Noise suppression removes background noise from your microphone. Chroma key removes green screen backgrounds. Color correction adjusts your camera feed. LUT filters apply cinematic color grades. Filters are applied per-source and stack.
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Is OBS Studio free?
Yes. OBS Studio is completely free, open-source software available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. There are no premium tiers, subscriptions, or feature locks. Everything is included in the free download. It is maintained by volunteer developers and funded by sponsors including Twitch and YouTube.
What is OBS Studio used for?
OBS Studio is used for live streaming (to YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, and any RTMP destination) and local recording. It combines multiple video and audio sources (cameras, screen captures, images, browser sources) into scenes that you can switch between during a stream or recording. It is the most popular streaming software in the world.
OBS vs Streamlabs — which is better?
OBS Studio is lighter, more stable, and more customizable. Streamlabs OBS (now Streamlabs Desktop) adds built-in alerts, themes, and a stream dashboard but uses more system resources. For production work and church streaming, OBS Studio is the better choice. For Twitch streamers who want built-in overlays and alerts, Streamlabs is more convenient.
What are the best OBS settings for streaming?
For YouTube: 1080p60, x264 or NVENC encoder, 6000 Kbps bitrate, Medium or Fast preset, keyframe interval 2. For Twitch: 1080p60 or 936p60, x264 or NVENC, 6000 Kbps (max for non-partners), Fast preset. For Facebook: 1080p30, 4000 Kbps. Always use CBR (constant bitrate) for streaming.
Can OBS record and stream at the same time?
Yes. Enable Recording in Settings > Output, set a recording path, and click Start Recording alongside Start Streaming. The recording can be at higher quality than the stream — use the Advanced output mode to set different encoders and quality levels for streaming vs recording.
At Ruah Creative House, OBS is part of our livestream production toolkit. We configure OBS for churches and events as part of our Ministry Media Partner service — from initial setup to ongoing production support.