How to record your screen for free with OBS (and share the video)
Updated: November 6, 2026
For a tutorial, a class or a demo, recording your screen is the most direct option. OBS Studio is free, open source and runs on Windows, Mac and Linux. With a few settings you get a sharp video that isn’t enormous. And if you only need something quick, we also cover the options your system already has.
Quick option: what your system already has
- Windows: the Game Bar (Windows + G) records the active window with Windows + Alt + R.
- Mac: Shift + Command + 5 opens the tool to record the whole screen or part of it.
- They’re fine for a one-off; to record the full screen with your microphone and more control, use OBS.
Set up OBS in five minutes
- 1Download OBS Studio from its official site (obsproject.com) and install it. The first-run wizard can set it up for recording.
- 2In Settings → Video, set the base and output resolution to 1920 × 1080 and 30 FPS (60 only for games or fast motion).
- 3In Settings → Output, in simple mode, choose “High quality, medium file size” and, if available, the hardware encoder (NVIDIA, AMD or Intel): it records without loading the CPU.
- 4Choose the format: in recent versions, fragmented (or “hybrid”) MP4; if you use MKV, convert it to MP4 afterwards from File → Remux Recordings.
- 5Under Sources, click + and add “Display Capture” (whole screen) or “Window Capture” (a single app).
- 6Check in the audio mixer that the microphone and desktop audio bars move.
- 7Click “Start Recording”. When you finish, the recording is in the folder set in Settings → Output.
Make the tutorial easy to follow
- Increase the font size and zoom of the app you’re showing: on a phone it will look much smaller.
- Close notifications and tabs with personal data before recording.
- Use a microphone, even a headset one: it’s far clearer than a laptop’s built-in mic.
- Trim the start and end without losing quality before uploading.
Share or embed it
- 1Upload the MP4 to Dembed: up to 5 GB per file (50 GB with Premium), plenty for long recordings.
- 2Add subtitles if you want it to work without sound.
- 3Share the link or embed the video on your site, course or virtual classroom with the iframe.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. It’s free, open-source software with no watermark or time limit.