Discord is currently the best chat and video calling software for gamers, streamers and in the area of cryptocurrency. You can easily create a server for your community, or for your friends, use different groups, like talkroom, mods room, or gaming room. Give people permissions, for moderate the server, create rules based on usage, that users need to agree before join to the server. The modification possibilites are endless. And you can use OBS Virtual Camera on Discord as well.
With OBS Studio you can create an internal video source, that you can use in all of your video calling or chatting software. Create different scenes, and transitions in OBS, then use the final image in Discord, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or in Google Meet.
In this guide we going through how you can setup the OBS Virtual Camera in OBS Studio, where you can specify the features. Then we’re going to add the newly created video source in Discord.
1. Add footage, image or webcam to OBS scene
First thing first, is that your OBS Studio is running the newest version. If you’re not using OBS 26+ version, then you will not find the in-built function, Virtual Camera. If this is your case, then you should update OBS Studio. If you don’t want to update the software, for other reasons, then your option is only to download the OBS Virtualcam from obsproject.com. It’s supported for versions up to 28.0.0 .
If you’re updated the program, or you downloaded the plugin, the next step is to open up OBS.
After that you should create your scenes and add new sources to them. If you still not set up them, you should check out our OBS Studio tutorial. After you created some texts, added a webcam or a game capture, we can move onto the next step.
2. Setup Virtual Camera, output type and output preview
If you modified the scenes that you want to stream, the following step is to start OBS virtual camera. You’ll find the needed button at the right side of the software, under the Controls tab.
You have the option to change to virtual camera settings by clicking on the gear icon next to it. Then a popup will appear, where you can change the followings.
- Output type: Internal or Scene – If you pick internal, you can use it in other programs, while you choose Scene, than you can use it as a source in other scenes.
- Output selection – These options will depend on, what you selected on the previous option.
- Internal: There’s an option to Program Output, or Preview output. The first one is the image, that you stream default, the other one is the picture that you can see in the dashboard.
- Scene: You’ll see the scenes that you predefined, where the virtual camera should appear.
Of course, in this tutorial we would like to use the streaming output in other softwares. Therefore you need to select Internal, and Program Output.
3. Change camera settings in Discord to OBS Virtual Camera
In the end, we don’t have much to do, but to select in Discord. Open up the software, and head to the User Settings next to your username and click on it.
The settings should appear. Scroll down to do Voice & Video option, under the APP SETTINGS tab on the left side. The first options is about the Audio Settings, you will find the video under that. In the Video Settings, select the “OBS Virtual Camera”. You can click on the test preview button above that, and you should see the OBS Studio picture.
If you made the changes, then just click on the ESC on the upper right corner, and you’re ready to go. Stream your gaming, or your podcast directly in to one of the groups on your Discord server.
Alternatively use OBS Virtual Camera on Zoom
While Discord is best for the gamers and streamers, in contrast to Zoom, which is for the business side of the video calling. But that doesn’t mean that we couldn’t use the same virtual camera. Let’s open up Zoom.
Click on your profile icon in the upper right corner, and select Settings option.
After that select the Video tab, and on the Camera options, select OBS Virtual Camera. Our software currently not running, but yours should be, then you’ll will see the selected scene on the preview image.
Exit the settings and now you can easily stream the OBS to the Zoom meetings.
Generally, I can use OBS Virtual Camera in any software?
Yes, after you set it up, and started Virtual Camera, then every software should find the source, under the Camera or Video settings.
Can I stream and record, while I’m using OBS Virtual Camera?
Yes, you can do the three at the same time. However you should prepare your computer for that, especially If you’re playing with a game that have high PC usage.
Which of your software using OBS Virtual Camera? Do you have some fancy solution? Let us know in the comments!
