How to Record Zoom with OBS

OBS Studio is a versatile streaming and screen-recording tool for creating professional-quality broadcasts. Streamers can easily combine multiple recording sources, like cameras, images, and audio inputs, while broadcasting. These customization options make it a favorite among gamers, educators, and corporate presenters.

Over 300 million people use Zoom for daily work and business, so integrating OBS with this video conference platform is more relevant than ever. Dacast provides a reliable platform for live streaming, VOD, and OTT content delivery, helping you reach even more users. It improves Zoom meetings and webinars with high-quality visuals and custom overlays, bringing your presentations to the next level.

As the online broadcasting landscape becomes more competitive, with numerous live streaming platforms vying for attention, seamless integrations between tools like OBS and Zoom will give content creators and professionals the competitive edge they need to come up on top. Let’s see how you can easily integrate OBS with Zoom while reaching a bigger audience with Dacast’s enterprise video solutions.

Table of Contents

• What is OBS Studio and Why It’s Popular
• Why Integrating OBS with Zoom is a Game Changer
• How to connect OBS to Zoom: Step-By-Step Guide
• How To Record Zoom With OBS
• Streaming Zoom Meetings with OBS via Dacast
• Leveraging Dacast for VOD and OTT Streaming
• Advanced Tips and Best Practices for OBS and Zoom Integration
• Why Dacast is the Ideal Platform for Replay and Streaming
• Competitor Overview: How OBS and Zoom Integrations Are Handled Elsewhere
• Reach The Full Potential of your OBS and Zoom Integration Using Dacast

What Is OBS Studio and Why It’s Popular

OBS Studio is an entirely free open-source online broadcasting application. Thanks to this software, users can easily screen-record what’s happening on their computers and live-stream it to other platforms. It’s also incredibly simple to set up and start streaming, regardless of whether you’re a Windows or Mac user.

A feature that makes it popular with various users is its compatibility with Zoom video conferencing. You can stream OBS for Zoom webinars or presentations in real time. It also allows users to record Zoom meetings with OBS and customize them to look like a highly professional production.

OBS Features That Make It Ideal for Live Streaming and Recording

OBS Studio offers almost complete control over your streaming setup. Because it’s open-source, you can customize the different features and add or tweak any functionality you want. For example, you can change the screen’s layout, add overlays and text, or even change the resolution of the final output. Some of the most noteworthy OBS features are:

• Screencasting and Video Recording: With OBS, you can broadcast what’s happening on your screen in HD. To create videos for later viewing or sharing, you can also record your streams and create a video archive.
  
• Live Streaming on Most Platforms: This software lets you broadcast your content on several streaming platforms, including Twitch, YouTube, and Dacast.
  
• Capturing Input from Multiple Sources: Using OBS, you can capture audio and video from several sources, such as integrated web cameras, system and external microphones, and even game consoles.
  
• Easy Zoom Integration: You can do live Zoom professional streaming and share your meetings or conferences with a large audience as they are happening.
  
• Advanced Features: The app makes creating visually appealing streams easier than ever. It offers many proprietary OBS scene transitions and text overlays. You even have the option to do chroma keying during streams.

Why Integrating OBS with Zoom Is a Game Changer

When you combine OBS’s advanced video production capabilities with Zoom’s easy-to-use conference platform, you get high-quality, professionally made streams. It gives you complete control over the visuals and audio, turning simple Zoom webinars and meetings into highly engaging content.

Even if the machine you’re streaming from isn’t all that powerful, with OBS, you can adjust the definition and bit rate so the video output looks high-def. You can quickly switch from using the camera to screen-sharing, and the advanced audio mixing capabilities mean you can use sounds from several sources during the stream.

How to Use OBS With Zoom for Education, Webinars, and Corporate Events

Integrating these tools isn’t beneficial just for game streamers and creators of video content. Streaming Zoom meetings with OBS makes it easy for companies to live broadcast conferences or new product demos to their remote and international employees. The different overlays can show off the company’s branding and add a layer of corporate professionalism to any streamed event.

Educators can prepare dynamic lectures and quickly transition from the camera feed to screen-sharing slideshows, videos, or texts with their students. They can even simultaneously show themselves and the study materials they’re discussing with OBS’s multi-view feature.

If you’re a presenter or a coach, using OBS and Dacast can help you broadcast your webinars to a large number of participants without overloading the Zoom call. You can go for the Zoom live streaming with OBS or record the sessions and make them available as VODs on Dacast.

How To Connect OBS to Zoom: Step-By-Step Guide

As long as you have the latest versions of both software installed, connecting OBS Studio to your Zoom app shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes and a few clicks. The first thing you need to do is install OBS and Zoom, respectively, and take the following steps to integrate them:

1. Open OBS Studio and head to the Control section. Open it and click on the “Start Virtual Camera” button.

2. Launch the Zoom app and go to Settings at the top of the right corner of the window. Click on the Video tab and select the “OBS Virtual Camera” option.

3. Start a Zoom call, find the video option, and click “OBS Virtual Camera” again to enable it.

Necessary Equipment and Settings

Using OBS doesn’t require any fancy equipment or additional tools. You’re all set to go if you have a computer with a built-in webcam and microphone. To integrate OBS with Zoom and start live streaming on Dacast as smoothly as possible, you’ll need:

• To download the newest version of OBS Studio
• To install the Zoom app
• A computer with working audio and video equipment
• The OBS plug-in “Audio Monitor” for sound output
• The OBS plug-in “Virtual Camera” for video output
• A stable Internet connection

Troubleshooting Common Issues When Integrating OBS and Zoom

If you’ve done the OBS Studio Zoom integration correctly, there shouldn’t be any major issues when you start streaming. However, smaller problems are common and usually have simple and fast fixes. Here is how you can troubleshoot them:

• Audio issues: If there isn’t any sound output, double-check if you’re using the correct audio device in OBS and Zoom. Go to Settings and select the proper settings. If you notice a delay in the audio, adjust the sync settings in OBS.
• Video issues: If the Virtual Camera setup isn’t showing up as an option, try restarting both apps. Adjust the resolution and the FPS if the video is laggy or choppy. You can also close any unnecessary background programs that may slow down your machine.

How To Record Zoom With OBS

In addition to using OBS to live-stream your Zoom meetings, it can also help you record your sessions and store them for future use and unlimited replay. On the Dacast platform, you can offer these recordings as VODs or OTT content. To use the record feature, all you need to do is:

1. Launch OBS Studio: Open the OBS Studio app on your computer.
2. Create a New Scene: In the “Sources” section, click the “+” button and select “Display Capture.” Name the source and choose the display where your Zoom meeting is visible.
3. Add Audio Sources: If necessary, add audio sources like your webcam microphone or other audio devices using the “+” button.
4. Configure The Correct Settings: Adjust the output settings, resolution, and bitrate to the desired quality and available storage space.
5. Start a Zoom call: Open the Zoom app and join the meeting you want to record.
6. Share Your Screen: In your Zoom meeting, click the “Share Screen” button and select the OBS Studio window.
7. Start Recording the Meeting: In OBS Studio, click the “Start Recording” button.

Which Settings Improve the Recording Quality

You can capture the Zoom live streaming with OBS as is, or you can adjust the setting to get the best quality screen recording. To get the most professional-looking result, try changing the following:

• Resolution: Set your OBS resolution to match your Zoom meeting settings for the best recording quality by opening OBS, going to “Settings,” and choosing “Video.” Set the Base (Canvas) Resolution and Output (Scaled) Video Resolution to 1920×1080.
• Bitrate: For 1080p recordings, a video bitrate of 4500 kbps to 6000 kbps maintains high video quality without excessive file sizes. To set this, navigate to “Settings,” go to “Output,” and adjust the “Video Bitrate” under the Recording section. A higher bitrate ensures less compression and better visual fidelity, particularly during fast movements or transitions.
• Audio Quality: To get clear audio recordings, set the sample rate to 48 kHz, which is standard for video production. In OBS, go to “Settings,” then “Audio,” and select the sample rate. Use a bitrate of 192 kbps for AAC audio codec, so voices from participants are clear and understandable.
• Video Quality: Because you can adjust the Zoom recording quality with OBS, all your videos can be high definition with clear video. Choose “Quality” or “High Quality, Medium File Size” under the preset option, which balances quality and file size to produce smooth playback without lag or distortion.
• Output Format: The default output format in OBS is MKV, but changing it to MP4 or MOV can increase compatibility with various media players. To do this, go to “Settings,” choose “Output,” and select the recording format.

Streaming Zoom Meetings with OBS via Dacast

Dacast is the perfect place to host your broadcasts and broaden their reach. It offers endless replay possibilities and the option to monetize your streams. The only thing you need for Zoom live streaming with OBS on Dacast is an account on the platform. To start your broadcast, follow these steps:

1. Log into your Dacast account: Head to the “Live Streams” section, select an existing stream or create a new one.

2. Set up the broadcast: Open the “Encoder Setup” and choose “OBS Open Broadcaster Software” as your streaming option. This will give you an encoder key you need to enter into OBS.

3. Configure OBS Studio: Go to the “Sources” section, click the “+” icon, and choose “Video Capture Device.” You can use your webcam for this.

4. Set up the OBS stream: Open “Settings” and choose the “Stream” tab. Select the custom option in the “Service” field and paste the encoder key you got from Dacast.

5. Start the stream: In OBS Studio, click the “Start Streaming” button and enable the “Live Stream Online” option in Dacast.

6. Begin the Zoom meeting: Open Zoom and start a meeting. To start screen sharing, click the “Share Screen” button and select the OBS Studio window to start the Zoom to Dacast streaming.

Add Professional Touches to Your Streams With Overlays, Transitions, and Scenes

Now that you have a professional platform to host and stream your Zoom meetings, you should also make them look as high-production as possible. OBS Studio has plenty of customization options to improve the professionalism level of your broadcasts while Zoom live streaming with OBS.

Use the many OBS overlays for Zoom to display your branding or social media handles. Or, you can add additional text to explain the discussion topic further. The OBS scene-switching feature is useful for organizing the content into individual segments. The transitions can create a seamless flow when you change scenes or switch from the camera to a slide or video. Choose an OBS virtual background for Zoom to capture the right atmosphere for any professional event.

Leveraging Dacast for VOD and OTT Streaming

While OBS Studio lets you stream and improve the production quality of your Zoom meetings, webinars, and conferences, adding Dacast to the mix can help you monetize that content. Your audience can access your live streams and broadcasts through a subscription model or a pay-per-view payment structure.

Dacast allows users to upload already recorded content and create a vast library of content. Subscribers can access these VODs anytime and replay them as much as they want. Thanks to Dacast’s OTT streaming option, you can broadcast all your Zoom meetings live over the internet to any smart device. You can adjust the OBS settings in real-time and always provide the best quality streams to your audience.

To make your content available for replay as VODs on Dacast, you can do the following:

• Record the Zoom meeting: Use the OBS Zoom video recording option and capture the entire stream.
• Upload to Dacast: Open your Dacast account and upload the stream to the library.
• Configure the VOD Settings: Title the video and add the appropriate tags and description.
• Publish the video: Make the recording available on demand to anyone who wants to watch it.

With Dacast, you can also stream your Zoom recordings to other OTT platforms by:

• Integrating with an OTT platform: Add Dacast to your chosen OTT platforms like Apple TV or Roku.
• Configure your settings for Dacast OTT streaming: Make the recordings in your library available for OTT streaming and distribution on other platforms.
• Publish the recordings: Allow viewers to access and purchase your OTT content.

Advanced Tips and Best Practices for OBS and Zoom Integration

Usually, OBS Zoom compatibility is pretty good, but to give your viewers the best streaming experience, you might need to optimize the OBS settings for better results. For example, the OBS output resolution must match the Zoom video resolution to get the best video quality. High-definition streams usually have a 1920×1080 resolution.

To keep the stream smooth, without drops or lags, try maintaining 25 to 30 FPS and a constant bitrate. Adjust the audio bitrate in OBS to at least 128 Kbp for a crisp sound. These are just a few setting adjustments you can make to improve the video and audio quality when you OBS broadcast on Zoom.

Tips for Ensuring Low Latency When Streaming Live

You can almost always expect a stable connection when you livestream with OBS, but sometimes, you might experience a few delays. Here are a few simple tips to ensure OBS Zoom low latency streaming on Dacast:

• Use a dedicated streaming PC: When streaming your Zoom meeting, try to use a dedicated computer with high performance.
• Check the Zoom settings: Disable any unnecessary features and enable hardware acceleration.
• Adjust the OBS settings: Experiment with different settings in OBS Studio, such as reducing resolution or bitrate.
  
• Do a test stream: Run a test stream to check the latency and make the necessary adjustments to improve it.

Why Dacast Is the Ideal Platform for Replay and Streaming

So many professionals and streamers use Dacast for live streams and video on demand because of its extensive customization features and the option for monetizing content. It has adaptive bitrate streaming so viewers can enjoy high-quality playback and streams, regardless of internet speeds.

It allows creators to earn money from their content through subscription models, pay-per-view, and advertising. The player interface is completely customizable so that you can properly brand every VOD. Unlike other platforms like Vimeo or YouTube, Dacast offers more personalization options and robust security measures, including encryption and tokenized access. It’s also compatible with Zoom and other video communication software alternatives.

That’s why many organizations and companies use the OBS Zoom setup on Dacast. For example, educational institutions use Dacast to stream live lectures and make recordings available to their students.

Competitor Overview: How OBS and Zoom Integrations Are Handled Elsewhere

Platforms like StreamYard and Restream offer built-in features that allow users to connect directly with OBS, simplifying the streaming process. On the other hand, Zoom often requires additional setups to link with and broadcast on these platforms. However, Dacast offers a seamless integration that combines the strengths of both OBS and Zoom. 

It makes it easy to use OBS for advanced broadcasting features while holding interactive webinars and meetings on Zoom, all on one platform. Dacast’s focus on security and monetization sets it apart from the competition, making it an ideal choice for businesses using OBS and Zoom for professional-grade streaming.

Reach the Full Potential of Your OBS and Zoom Integration Using Dacast

While you can use Zoom’s limited live-streaming capabilities to broadcast your webinars and conferences, they leave much to be desired. If you really want to make the right impression on your audience, you will integrate OBS with Zoom and start producing high-quality recordings and streams.

With the use of OBS, you can increase the resolution of the streams, add graphics and overlays, and easily switch between screens even in the middle of a live stream. And with the help of Dacast, you can offer these recordings to a global audience across multiple platforms.

If you want your content to reach its full potential for professional streaming and replay, contact us immediately. Allow us to present you and your videos in the best light possible.

Conclusion

OBS Studio offers a quick and straightforward solution for streaming live video directly on your website, making it ideal for a hassle-free setup. In addition to OBS, Dacast also supports a variety of other powerful software and hardware encoders, suitable for professional streaming needs — such as Wirecast, vMix, VidBlaster, and Teradek.

If you’re seeking a dependable and user-friendly online video platform, consider signing up for a 14-day free trial—no credit card needed. This allows you to explore all the platform’s features before committing. Let us help you start live streaming today!

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