Key concepts
Scenes and sources in OBS Studio
- Scene
- A layout preset. Switch between scenes for different views: gameplay, BRB screen, starting soon.
- Source
- A capture input added to a scene: game, window, webcam, image, text, browser.
- Scene Collection
- A set of scenes saved as a profile. Use different collections for different stream types.
- Global Source
- A source shared across all scenes — your webcam, for example.
- Transform
- Resize and position sources within a scene by dragging or right-clicking > Transform.
Build a stream scene
Create a streaming layout in OBS
- 1
Create a scene
In the Scenes panel, click + and name it (e.g. "Gameplay"). This is your main scene.
- 2
Add game capture
Sources + → Game Capture → "Capture specific window" → select your game. Resize to fill the canvas.
- 3
Add webcam
Sources + → Video Capture Device → select your webcam. Resize and position it (bottom corner is typical). Right-click → Filters to add background removal.
- 4
Add alerts (optional)
Sources + → Browser → paste your Twitch/StreamElements alert URL. Set size to your canvas resolution.
FAQ
Scenes questions
How to switch scenes in OBS without it showing?
Use the Studio Mode (View → Studio Mode). This shows a Preview and Program view. You edit the next scene in Preview, then click Transition to switch it to Program (live). Add scene transitions in the Scene Transitions panel.