how to use obs to record powerpoint presentation

How to add your PowerPoint presentation to your camera with OBS

Published by

Jason St-Cyr

Have you ever wanted an “over the shoulder” feel to your video presentation? Like a broadcast news style, right in your web camera? You can add your PowerPoint presentation to your camera feed using OBS software and a few easy steps. You can watch the video to see how, or read about it below.

Why “over the shoulder”?

For some of my presentations, what is on my slides is actually very graphical, or not the important piece of the talk. It’s a supporting device that allows me to talk over it. For those types of talks, I don’t really want somebody staring at a picture of a Batman toy for 2 minutes. The focus should be on the speaker.

This is where I started playing with the idea of using a more “camera first” presentation style, with the slides embedded. What I needed was to figure out how, and learn some basics of OBS. So here’s what I learned!

What is OBS?

OBS (Open Broadcaster Software ) is software you run on your computer that has the capability of pulling in multiple sources/devices to create a combined video output. You can then use this as a virtual camera, instead of the physical video device or web camera you currently have, either for calls or for recording.

It’s free, and does a lot, way more than I know how to do right now, but recently I wanted to do a presentation with only my camera and some visual slides, so I started learning how to use OBS a little.

How to capture PowerPoint slides in OBS

After launching OBS, the first thing that I needed to do was to capture my full screen slide presentation with a new input source. Following these steps, you can capture your slides:

NOTE: These steps are for the Windows version of OBS

• In your ‘Sources’ pane, click on the ‘+’ button to add a new source
• Select “Window Capture” as the type of source.
• Create a new source by giving it a name (something like “PowerPoint”).
• Press “OK” to confirm the device creation and launch the Properties screen to set up your capture. NOTE : By default, it grabs a recently run application when the Properties screen pops up, which may or may not be PowerPoint.

• For “Capture Method”, change from Automatic to Windows Graphics Capture (Windows 10 1903 and up) . Your OBS display should now show the PowerPoint slide correctly.
• Press “OK” .

You now have a PowerPoint video source!

Combining PowerPoint and video sources

At this point, your slides are taking up the whole video output. You may want to keep this as a scene for when you want your slides to go full screen. However, I mentioned I was trying to do an “over the shoulder” look with the slides smaller and mostly camera. That means I need my camera as part of the scene. These steps will let you mix a video capture with your window capture:

• Like before, you’ll need to add a source, but this time do a Video Capture Device.
• Configure it to your camera and desired video settings. I usually leave this on the default configurations. At this point, you have two sources, both full-screen, and if you try it out you’ll only see the video camera, not your slides.
• In the sources pane, select the PowerPoint Window Capture source.
• Click on the “up” arrow to bring it to the top layer.
• Use your mouse to resize your PowerPoint Window Capture source so that your slides are not taking up the entire screen.
• Use your mouse to slide the Window Capture source to the position that gives you the mixed layout of video and slides that you want.

And you’re done! Happy streaming!

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How to Record a PowerPoint Presentation?

Are you looking to record a PowerPoint presentation for a class, work presentation, or personal project? Recording a PowerPoint presentation can be a useful tool for creating video content, sharing information with a wider audience, or reviewing material at a later date.

There are several ways to record a PowerPoint presentation, depending on your needs and resources. In this article, we'll explore the different options for recording a PowerPoint presentation, as well as some tips for creating a high-quality video. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced presenter, this guide will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to record a professional-grade PowerPoint presentation.

How to Video Record Myself Presenting a PowerPoint?

How to record a ppt presentation with audio and video for free, tips for making better powerpoint presentation videos.

Slides from a PowerPoint presentation can arrange and distribute information. There are several customization choices available in Microsoft's PowerPoint software for Windows when making a presentation. If you want your presentation to appear polished and professional, there are various methods you can use to capture it and we shall explore one of the best ways with you today.

Here is how to record yourself on PowerPoint easily. Follow these steps to record a PowerPoint presentation with OBS Studio .

Note: Install and launch OBS Studio before you start the presentation and recording.

Step 1: Launch PowerPoint and start the presentation you wish to record.

Step 2: To add a source, open OBS Studio and choose the Plus (+) icon in Sources . Now, tap Display Capture to create a new source on the screen.

Tap the Properties option from the screen capture source and select the correct display you need.

Again, choose the Plus (+) icon and Video Capture Device to create a new source for your webcam. 

Tap the Properties option once again and then Device from the menu. Like above, you can edit the dimensions you want to capture. 

Step 3: The Preview window will show you both – the PPT presentation and webcam capturing. If you want to adjust the format, click the Transform and Filters option.

During the presentation, use the screen capture source to record your slides and the webcam source to record yourself live. 

Step 4: Finally, click "Stop recording" in the Controls box once you finish. You will find your recorded PPT in the Output settings.

Bonus: The Best 4K PTZ Webcam for Recording a PowerPoint Presentation

Here we recommend the OBSBOT Tiny 2 webcam as the best choice for recording a slide show on PowerPoint. With features such as 4K UHD resolution, intelligent auto-framing & auto-tracking, and 4x digital zoom, the OBSBOT Tiny 2 webcam is a trustworthy webcam with various capabilities. Moreover, both its installation and operation are fairly simple. Tiny 2 is optimal if you do significant online work, such as live streaming, vlogging, or other equivalent tasks.

The OBSBOT Tiny 2 features a 4K resolution of 3840 by 2160 pixels and can record 4K video at 30 frames per second. You will have a field of vision of 86 degrees and a fourfold digital zoom. Regarding audio, the device contains a pair of omnidirectional microphones with noise reduction already included in its design. On paper, it's a terrific package, and even if you succeed, you will only be able to exceed it if you try.

AI-powered auto-tracking enables the camera to follow you around the room automatically. Even standing and not seated in front of your laptop, you can use hand gestures to control the camera's tracking and zoom capabilities. Since the Obsbot software handles all of this, you may utilize these capabilities with any video-calling program that meets your requirements. During our camera testing, we found that both the desk mode and upper body tracking features performed quite well. It can track your location and automatically follow your movements during a video chat.

You can capture voice, ink gestures, and live video presence while recording your PowerPoint presentation or a single slide. Once finished, it functions just like any other presentation. You may either download the presentation as a video clip or play it for your audience as a slide show. People will be able to view your presentation with the passion and personality you intended rather than merely "handing the deck" to someone. 

Here is how to record a PowerPoint presentation with video for free.

Note: PowerPoint 2016, PowerPoint 2019, and PowerPoint 365 all provide the Record Slide Show capability. You may record audio and video presentations if you have either version of PowerPoint.

Step 1: Once the presentation is ready, you should go to the Slide Show page and select the Record Slide Show option. You should then go to the Presenter window's Settings drop-down menu and choose the mic and camera you want to record your presentation. A window displaying the camera feed will appear on the bottom right side of the display. You can locate the icon that allows you to disable the camera feed preview just below. However, don't disable this function since it helps you to see how you are when presenting.

Step 2: Click on the Record option in the top left of the window to begin recording a presentation. PowerPoint will then record the on-screen presentation and the video and audio captured by the attached microphone and camera. Below each slide, you will discover annotation tools that allow you to bring the audience's attention to a specific portion of the presentation. Use the arrows visible on the left and right of the presentation to navigate between slides and to change the color of the annotation tools. When you are through presenting, click the Stop button and return to PowerPoint's main window.

Step 3: All the slides you opened throughout the recording session will include the recorded videos. You may easily relocate the video window inside each slide by dragging and dropping it to a new location.

Step 4: To save the recorded presentation, choose Export to Video from the File menu and pick the Create a Video option. Click the Create Video button inside the Create a Video menu, and then choose the place on the hard drive where the file will be stored.

So, those were the best answers for how to record PowerPoint presentations. Now, let us learn how to make an efficient presentation.

It is essential to avoid clichés first and foremost. We are all familiar with the negative stereotypes of ineffective PowerPoint presentations, namely that they dull or overwhelm the audience. Your video will be successful if you can identify and eliminate these cliches throughout the design phase. 

Here are tips for making compelling PowerPoint presentation videos:

• Utilize the slide master function to develop a consistent and straightforward design template. Modifying the material's format (bulleted list, two-column text, text plus picture, etc.) is OK, but you should consistently maintain the font, color, and background.
• Simplify and restrict the amount of text on each screen. Use just the most necessary terms and information.
• Limit punctuation and avoid using full capital letters for words. Space on the slide will improve its legibility.
• Use complementary colors for the text and the backdrop. The optimal combination is white writing on a dark stage. Backgrounds with patterns might hinder readability.
• Avoid transitions that are visually distracting, such as text fly-ins. These features may look spectacular initially, but they rapidly become distracting and tiresome.
• The excessive use of special effects such as animation and music might make your presentation seem "cutesy" and harm your trustworthiness.
• Utilize photos of high quality that support and enhance your message. Ensure that your image's impact and sharpness remain unchanged when projected on a broader screen.
• If you utilize builds (i.e., lines of text that emerge each time you click the mouse), ensure that the material appears consistently and straightforwardly from the top or left is optimal. Use the functionality sparingly since it may slow down your presentation because builds can be used only when essential.
• Reduce the number of slides. Presenters that repeatedly "flip" to the subsequent slide risk losing their audience. The recommended sliding rate is one per minute.
• Develop the ability to browse your presentation in a nonlinear manner. PowerPoint enables the presenter to go forwards or backward without having to scroll through all intermediate slides.
• Know how to go forward and backward inside your presentation and practice doing so. Frequently, audiences want to view an initial screen again.
• If feasible, see your slides on the presentation screen. Ensure that the slides are legible from the rear row. Text and visual pictures should be big enough to be easily readable but not so big that they look "loud".
• Have a plan b in case of technical issues. Remember that transparency and handouts do not include animation or other special effects.
• Practice your presentation with someone who has never seen it before—request direct input about the colors, the text, and any effects or visual pictures you included.
• Refrain from reading your slides aloud. The intended audience for your slides is the audience, not the presenter and numerous speakers face their slides rather than their audience.
• Do not provide any apologies in your presentation. Avoid using it if you suspect anything challenging to read or comprehend.

Thus, this article presents how to record yourself on PowerPoint with audio and video. There are various methods, but the most straightforward and apparent answer is to utilize just Microsoft PowerPoint. This program enables you to capture and export PowerPoint video recordings with audio. There may be better alternatives in certain instances, but it is still valid.

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Posted on May 10, 2020 • Updated on May 5, 2021 • Originally published at eheidi.dev

OBS Recording How to Use OBS Studio to Record or Stream Live Presentations

With quarantine measures and social distancing taking place all over the world, this is definitely the season for online conferences and virtual events. There's also a lot of folks getting into streaming these days, or at least trying to do so - for beginners, streaming can seem difficult, and some streaming tools can definitely look intimidating at a first sight.

OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is a powerful open source video streaming and recording software, available for Linux, macOS and Windows. Even though OBS is one of the best alternatives for live streaming today, it might not look very intuitive for those who don't have a previous experience with video editing.

In this tutorial targeted at beginners, you'll learn how to set up OBS and use it for recording live presentations and / or streaming directly to Twitch and other platforms.

Getting Started with OBS

At the center of the screen, you'll se the live preview of your recording / stream. On the bottom left, you have the scenes and sources lists. The audio mixer goes in the middle and on the bottom right you'll see the transition settings and the control buttons for starting / stopping recording and streaming, and to access the settings page.

Configuring Scenes and Sources

A scene is a particular view / way to present: it can contain one or more sources . A source can be your webcam, an image, a video, a slideshow, a desktop window, your entire screen, among other things.

Before streaming or recording with OBS, you'll have to configure your scenes . You will be able to configure multiple scenes and switch between them while streaming. So, for instance, you might be showing your browser window, and then switch to a scene that is configured to show your terminal window.

You can also make composite scenes with your screen and your webcam, for instance, or multiple application windows. OBS is highly customizable, so you have loads of options to set up your scenes and show exactly what you want to show.

While streaming, you can switch between scenes by clicking on the scene you want to show next.

Just be aware that if you set up too many scenes, it might get overwhelming to manage while you are live streaming. It's good to set up a manageable number of scenes and practice a bit to make sure you select the right ones when you're live. The worst that might happen (and happened to me a few times) is forgetting to switch, say, from the browser window to the terminal window, when you want to show some live commands (only realizing your mistake several minutes afterwards). If you're using multiple displays, it's easier to manage the switch between scenes, since you can keep OBS's window visible at all times and thus keep track of what is being streamed.

Example Scene Setup

When streaming for DevOps & Chill, here's the scenes I have set up:

• Intro - this scene uses a slideshow source with two images: a cover image with the title / topic I'll be covering, and another image saying we'll be starting soon. I start the streaming a few minutes before with this slideshow, to give people time to join while making sure they know I'll be starting in a few minutes.
• Annotations - this scene uses a window source to show a text editor where I type explanations about what I'm doing - I don't talk in this stream, so I needed a way to include more details about what I'm doing.
• Browser Window - this scene is configured to show my browser window.
• Terminal Window - this scene is configured to show my Terminal Window.
• Stream Finished - I use this scene when the stream is finished. It uses an image source.

I don't use webcam or microphone in this stream. For live talks, however, I'm using a different set of scenes, which then includes a webcam scene and also browser + webcam.

You can create and switch between different scene settings within the menu "Scene Collection".

Audio and Soundtrack

OBS allows you to set up multiple audio tracks, so you can have for instance a music playback and audio input from your microphone. However, streaming music involves copyright concerns, and you don't want to get your video offline or muted due to copyright infringements. There are some royalty-free options you can use for streaming, thou.

Pretzel.rocks is a royalty-free music service that you can use with Twitch, Youtube and other services.

You can also download royalty-free music tracks and create a playlist to play while you're streaming.

In either case, there are two ways to configure audio output for your streaming / recording. You can set these at the profile level, which will make the audio sources available for all the scenes automatically in the current profile, or you can configure audio sources specifically per scene.

To configure audio at the profile level, go to the menu "Settings -> Audio" and then select the appropriate devices you want to enable, and disable the ones you don't need.

For my streams I use the default computer output as audio source, this is easier because anything you play will be streamed as audio - the only problem is that this will also include Google calendar reminders, slack notifications, and any alert sounds that might show up while you're streaming.

You can also set up an "Audio Output Capture" source for a specific scene:

Once you include audio sources, your "Audio mixer" window will exhibit a live view with the audio levels of all your active audio "tracks".

Recording Presentations with OBS

With OBS you can record your content without live streaming, which is a great way of preparing pre-recorded live presentations. Because you can also use a video as source, nothing prevents you from pre-recording your stream and then using the recorded video (edited if necessary) as source for a live stream. Most online conferences happening these days are choosing this model over live presentations, because then the speaker can join the live chat and interact / answer questions to the audience while the pre-recorded talk is being streamed.

Recordings are saved in the output directory set in OBS's configuration. This will be set to your home directory by default. To change this location, access the menu "Settings -> Output -> Recording path".

The controls to start / stop recording are located at the bottom right of the screen. Once you start recording, everything you see in the preview window will be recorded.

Live Streaming with OBS

In order to be able to stream via OBS, you'll first need to set up your personal streaming key/token in OBS's configuration. You can obtain this information in the streaming platform you'll be using (Twitch, YouTube, etc).

You can set up multiple streaming profiles, this way you can switch between streaming platforms easily.

Once you click the "Start streaming" button, OBS wil start broadcasting your scenes to your streaming service. Everything you see in your preview window will be streamed to your audience.

In your settings, you can configure OBS to start recording automatically when you start a new streaming. This is useful if you plan on editing and/or uploading the video stream to another platform later.

Bonus: Post Production Tips & Tricks with FFMPEG

Live streaming is fun and exciting, but being able to post the recorded video to your Youtube channel and other platforms is a valuable way to maximize your content reach. A tool like FFMPEG can help with some batch operations and simple editions that don't require a fully fledged video editor such as OpenShot (my personal favorite). Here's some tricks I've learned with ffmpeg that could be useful for you too:

Converting to MP4

Converting to different formats is quite straightforward with ffmpeg :

Speeding Up Videos

On DevOps & Chill, I don't talk, I only type. I guess it's not a big deal while it's happening live, but I find the resulting video just really slow, so I like to speed up the videos to 2x the original speed. This is how you do it with ffmpeg :

This will remove the audio from the video ( -an option). Removing the audio is necessary because when you speed up without changing the audio, the FPS won't match anymore, and this can cause trouble during playback. And you probably don't want to speed up the audio too ;) See the next tips for how to deal with audio.

To speed up all videos in a directory, you can use this one-liner shell script:

Extracting Audio from Video

This will extract the audio track from the video and save it to a .aac file.

The resulting .aac file can then be converted to .mp3 if you wish:

Generate a playlist with mp3 files

This will concatenate the listed .mp3 files into one audio file.

Include a new audio track in a video

This will insert the video_playlist.mp3 audio track in the video.

OBS Studio is a powerful, free and open source software for recording and streaming live presentations. Once you get familiarized with its interface and how to configure scenes with sources, you'll see it's not difficult to use it, and it will enable you to perform professional live streaming and video presentations using only your computer.

There are certainly many different ways to configure OBS to suit your needs, depending on what kind of content you want to present. Play around with different settings and experiment until you find the scenes that work best for you! I hope you'll now feel empowered to start that live streaming idea you've been postponing :) what time better than now?

Top comments (20)

Templates let you quickly answer FAQs or store snippets for re-use.

• Location Saguenay, Québec
• Education Computer Engineering Degree
• Work Software developper at TLM
• Joined Aug 23, 2018

Thank you for this wonderful post Erika! I always wanted to stream myself coding, study session and gaming on twitch. With this pandemic, I lost my summer intership so the timing is perfect to start this project. I found some valuable resources in your article, specially Pretezel. I've already done an overlay and some panel images. I can't wait to start.

• Location The Hague
• Work Developer Experience Engineer at Chainguard
• Joined May 2, 2019

This is awesome, thank you for sharing! I'm very happy this post helped you. Also, please share your Twitch profile so I can follow you there :)

My twitch profile is twitch.tv/bigj1m/ but for now it's mostly empty. I'm in a rush to make it more interesting. What is your profile? I might have missed the link in the post.

• Email [email protected]
• Location Virginia
• Education Masters of Information Technology
• Work Quality Engineer
• Joined Oct 30, 2018

I have been thinking about trying to stream, thank you for writing this!

I'm glad it was helpful to you, and hope you manage to make it happen - also, share your twitch / YouTube so I can follow! ☺️

I don't have it set up yet, but when I do, I will check back in. :)

• Joined Dec 29, 2020

Great! thanks for sharing this awesome post. you really help us a lot. I can try to use all of them later. Besides, I will recommend you to use an alternative screen recorder which is the Acethinker Free Online Screen Recorder, this is one of the simple yet effective screen recorder that will help you record all the activities on your computer screen with ease

• Location localhost
• Joined Dec 12, 2019

Thank you very much for sharing all this information. It is helping me a lot!

Thank you for your feedback! 🥰 I am glad this info is being useful for you!

• Joined May 11, 2020

Excellent tutorial!!!

thank you! :)

• Email [email protected]
• Location Singapore
• Education MSc in Advanced Software Engineering
• Work Senior Software Engineer at 99x
• Joined Jul 25, 2018

Great article, didn't know about Pretzel, thanks!

Thank you! ☺️

Thank you for sharing! I usually have a difficult time memorizing keyboard shortcuts, so I never tried those. But I am sure it's very useful for many people!

• Location Brazil
• Education Computer Science - Pontifical Catholic University Of Minas Gerais
• Work Software Engineer
• Joined Sep 13, 2020

Thank you for sharing! 😊

• Location Puerto Natales
• Education Universidad Mayor - Uniacc
• Work IT Managrt
• Joined May 10, 2020

@erikaheidi ! thanks! awesome and super complete !! very importan info to me!!!

• Joined Oct 7, 2020

Interesting, I've never used this application before

• Email [email protected]
• Location Time Vortex
• Pronouns he/him
• Work Author of "Dead Simple Python" (No Starch Press)
• Joined Jan 31, 2017

I love OBS! Unfortunately, it doesn't interface with Zoom anymore...just a heads up to anyone presenting at a remote conference.

AFAIK there are some plugins you can use to set it up as a webcam, right? There's no support for MacOS yet thou, but I think they're working on it.

obsproject.com/forum/resources/obs...

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Present a Slideshow with Streamlabs OBS

When recording a course lesson or presenting a live video, I often want to include a slideshow as part of my presentation.

I use Streamlabs OBS for recording my videos, so recently I did a deep dive on options for presenting slide presentations with OBS.

Note: The standard version of OBS should follow a very similar process.

There are 2 main ways to stream or record a slide presentation with Streamlabs OBS.

• Exporting images for each slide and using the “Image Slideshow” source in OBS.
• Using Google Slides, PowerPoint, or Keynote as a source with window or display capture.

There are pros and cons to each method, but I found that it was much easier for me to use the Image Slideshow feature right inside of SLOBS. 

Pros to using the Image Slideshow:

• Everything is within OBS and you don’t need to worry about other windows
• Much easier to do if you only have one monitor
• Hotkeys make it easy to advance slides or hide the slideshow completely
• You can make the “slides” with any software (Canva, Photoshop, PowerPoint, etc.)
• Transparency is supported (with PNG images)

Cons to using the Image Slideshow:

• You can only do simple transitions of the entire slide (no object transitions)
• Slightly more complicated to set up at first
• May be buggy with large presentations

To use this option, you’ll need every slide exported as an image. With PowerPoint this is very easy, but with Google Slides it takes a little more effort since you need to save every slide individually. 

How to use the Image Slideshow in Streamlabs OBS

1. save your images to a folder on your computer.

In most presentation software, you can save slides individually as images. OBS can support JPG and PNG images. JPG will have a smaller file size and PNG can preserve transparency if needed.

Make sure to save into a new folder and name your images sequentially in the order of the slideshow. 

In PowerPoint, just go to File>Export, and choose from the Image File Types. When you click save it will ask if you want to save “All Slides” or “Just This One.” Choose All Slides and it will create a folder and automatically name the files sequentially for you. 

If you are streaming or recording in 4k, be sure to check out “other lessons learned” below to learn how to increase the image quality from PowerPoint.

2. Create a scene and add the Image Slideshow source

Create a new scene in OBS called “Slide Presentation.” 

Click the “+” icon by sources to add a new source. 

Choose the “Image Slide Show” option and click “Add Source.”

If you have created slideshows in other scenes, you can select them here, or select “Add a new source instead” to create a new slideshow. 

3. Configure settings and select your folder of images

Leave the Visibility Behavior on “Always play even when not visible”.

Set the Slide Mode to “Manual (Use hotkeys to control slideshow)”.

Choose your transition (I like “Cut”).

Adjust transition speed if desired (I sometimes lower to 300-400ms).

With the manual slide mode, the other boxes can all remain unchecked.

Leave Bounding Size on Automatic.

Click the “+” next to “Image Files” and then select “Add directory”

Choose the folder where you saved your slides.

4. Set your hotkeys to advance slides

In Streamlabs OBS go to Settings (gear icon in bottom left) then “Hotkeys”.

Scroll all the way down to “Sources” and expand “Image Slide Show”.

Click any field and then press a key that you want to use as the hotkey for that action.

5. Add any other sources you need to your scene

If you want your camera to show up over the slides, or if you don’t have a default audio capture device, you’ll need to add those to your scene as well. 

How to use Google Slides or Powerpoint as a source in OBS

1. create your presentation.

Use whichever presentation software you like to create your presentation. I typically use Google Slides or PowerPoint when I want to present with OBS. Streamlabs OBS is also available for Mac, so you can create your presentation with Keynote if you prefer.

2. Present on a second monitor

Use the presentation software to “present” your slideshow on a second display. 

While it is possible to add a PowerPoint window with the “window capture” source, I have found that it is very unreliable, and also difficult to keep all presenter tools out of the presentation. 

If you decide to go the window capture route, be sure to go to Slide Show>Set Up Slide Show>Show type in PowerPoint and choose “Browsed by an individual (window)”. Personally, I couldn’t get my slides to advance as expected in OBS using this method.

3. Create a scene and add the second monitor as a display input in OBS

Choose the “Display Capture” option and click “Add Source.”

If you’ve added a full window display capture before, you can choose it from the list, otherwise click “Add a new source instead” and select your monitor from the list.

Adjust the source size as needed to fit your workspace.

4. Add any additional sources to your scene

5. make sure the presentation window is active so you can advance slides.

When you are ready to go live, you’ll need to make sure to click on your presentation window to make sure it is active if you want to advance your slides with the arrow keys. 

Tips for live streaming slide presentations with OBS

Use Streamlabs Deck on an iPad or phone to easily switch between your scenes on the fly. This makes it easier to keep the presentation window “active” so you can easily advance slides.

Other lessons learned

If you are recording or streaming in 4k, make sure to save your images in a higher resolution (at least 3840 x 2060px). In PowerPoint, you need to make this adjustment by adding an option manually in the Windows registry (tutorial) . 

If you only have a few text based bullet points to make, you could just add them as Text sources in OBS. 

If you want to have different crops on the same video capture, first add a scene with only the camera input, then in another scene you can select that scene as a source and crop the scene itself. In subsequent scenes after that you can copy that source and paste it into new scenes as a reference.

3 responses to “Present a Slideshow with Streamlabs OBS”

This is an excellent tutorial on how to add a slideshow. Thank you!

Did you find out how to adjust the sorting of the slides in OBS or adjusting how powerpoint names the sequential slides so that the order is preserved when you have a slide show that is over 10 slides?

If you rename your slides as 001, 002, …010, it will work just fine.

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This article assumes you read this article and know how to run a live webinar with OBS. If not please read this first.

How to run a Youtube Live webinar with OBS

How to run a Twitch Live webinar with OBS

Open up your Microsoft Powerpoint slide, and from the top ribbon, click on "View" > Select "Reading View" ( Reading view is deprecated in newer PowerPoint versions, if you are using a newer version, in that case, you have to resize your window in OBS, so it just shows the slide area ). Make sure that your PowerPoint app is NOT minimized.  

Open your Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), go to "Sources", click on "+" icon and choose "Window Capture". Give it a name and from the next popup's "Window" menu, choose the "powerpoint.exe" app. Once done,  you will see the powerpoint slide in the preview area.

That's it!

Here is an example of how it ran for me on Youtube Live. So in case you are also wondering whether your transition animation will work this way or not, it certainly will. ​

How to record yourself Presenting a Presentation using OBS Studio

• October 10, 2021
• How-to , IT

OBS (Open Broadcast Software) Studio is an application to record.

Step-by-step procedure

1. prepare a powerpoint presentation.

Get ready a PowerPoint presentation or similar.

2. Download and install OBS Studio

You need to install OBS Studio, in case you have not do it before.

Download it from this link .

Double click on installer to proceed for installation process. Follow instructions in installation wizard.

3. Open OBS Studio

Run the application.

4. Add your webcam to OBS Studio

Right-click on the black screen, select “Add” > “Video Capture Device”.

In the following dialog, select radio button “Create new” and click OK.

In the “Properties for ‘Video capture device'”, you must see your own image from the webcam in preview. Click on “OK” if everything is fine.

Adjust the size and position of your webcam capture in the screen.

5. Add your display to OBS Studio

Right-click on the black screen, select “Add” > “Display capture”.

In the “Properties for ‘Display capture'” dialog, select a Capture Method that creates a Droste effect in the preview image.  If the preview image is a black screen, the value selected in “Capture Method” is not correct.

In my case, I had to change default value “Automatic” in Capture Method to “Windows 10 (1903 and up)” to make it work.

Open your PowerPoint presentation, and show it in fullscreen mode.

6. Perform recording

Go back to OBS Studio and click on “Start recording”.

When you are finished, click on “Stop recording”.

7. Retrieve videofile

Recording is automatically saved in the folder that is set up in OBS Studio.

To find what is the current video folder, go to OBS Studio > Settings >> Output > Recording Path.

The default value in Windows is C:\Users\youruser\Videos

8. Crop video

You may want to crop the beginning and the end of the video where you start clicking on OBS Studio and prepare everything. Or maybe add some post-production.

If this is the case, use a video editor to crop and/or edit the video.

External references

• “ How to Record Yourself Presenting a Powerpoint Presentation ”; KenndyMann

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4 Ways to Record Yourself Presenting a PowerPoint

Technology has made communicating ideas with others easier, particularly in a formal setting. For example, PowerPoint is a widely used tool to present and communicate ideas to help people understand you better. It allows you to use icons, animations, pictures, and diagrams to convey your message and is an essential tool in many workplaces today.

Related Reading : How to Record Screen and Webcam at The Same Time

However, some situations might arise where you must record yourself presenting a PowerPoint. This article answers how to video record yourself presenting a PowerPoint and shares some easy methods to help you record yourself while presenting, with step-by-step guides. You can either use the default way, an online screen recording app, or OBS. Read on to find out more.

Method 1. Record Yourself Presenting a PowerPoint in the Default Way

Microsoft 365 for Windows allows you to record yourself presenting PowerPoint. You can capture your voice, make a video of yourself, and use ink gestures so your audience can follow as you present. If you are using Microsoft 365, this would be a perfect method since you don’t have to download or buy extra screen recorder software.

Follow the steps below to record yourself presenting a PowerPoint with your Windows built-in Camera app.

Step 1 : After your slides are ready for presentation, select the “ Record option ” on the Record tab. You can select the icons at the top to turn your camera and microphone on or off.

To do this, you choose the “ Select more options ” icon. You can also choose the type of background you want and change the layout option from the “ Views ” icon.

Step 2 : On the top side of Powerpoint, you will find a camera icon on the record bar. Turn on it and you will see yourself appearing on the bottom right corner of your slide.

Step 3 . When you are done with your settings, select start recording, and a countdown will begin to start the recording. To navigate around your slides, simply click the previous or next arrow.

The notes in your presentation turn to text at the top of the screen so that you can use it as a teleprompter as you record.

Step 3 : When you are done, select Export, after which you can view the video by clicking “view” and “share video” that comes up next.

Method 2. Record Yourself Presenting PowerPoint Slides using FineCam

We’ve previously published a post telling how to  add Google Slides as a webcam background for recording . In the article, we referred to our Fineshare FineCam . Yes, this program is also helpful for recording PowerPoint slides and your webcam at the same time.

Let’s get started to know how to make it.

Step 1 . Install and launch FineCam on your computer.

Step 2 . Choose a device and connect it to your computer.

Step 3 . Go to the Content , and click Slides . After that, click to upload or drag the PowerPoint as a webcam background and then Apply .

Step 4 . Now the PowerPoint slides are successfully added as the background. And you can adjust your webcam frame to be suitable.

Step 5 . You can record video presentations, or use the Virtual Camera feature to put the live video as a webcam source for your favorite video platforms like Zoom, Discord, etc.

Step 6 . Once the recording is complete, you can find the recorded video in the Library .

To make it easier to understand how it works, you can watch this video tutorial.

Method 3. Record Yourself Presenting a PowerPoint using Online Screen Recorders

The second method to record yourself presenting a PowerPoint is by recording your screen using some free web applications. For example, you can visit screenapp.io as it allows you to record your screen and your webcam at the same time online. Want to know the best part? You do not have to download any additional apps when using the online screen recorder. Everything is done through the website.

It is free to record your screen and webcam for 15 minutes , and you get your recorded video saved to your computer as soon as you are done. To use the online web application, you can follow the steps below.

Step 1 : Visit the website. Click on Get Started .

Step 2 : Choose to record both your screen and webcam from the first drop-down menu. Choose the audio option you want from the second drop-down menu.

Next, allow this app to access your webcam.

Step 3 : Next, you have recording options to show the screen you want to be recorded. Ensure to keep the Window that you want to be recorded open at all times so that everything gets recorded.

Next, you click the “ Share Your Screen ” option to proceed. On the pop-up Windows, select the entire screen so you can record a PowerPoint presentation.

Step 4 . Select “ Start Recording ” to begin your recording. Remember to launch your slide app and start the presentation.

Once you have completed your recording, click “Stop Recording”, and your recording will be automatically downloaded to your computer. You can view the recording in your library by clicking “View in Library”.

Method 4: Video Record Yourself Presenting a PowerPoint using OBS

You may be wondering, what is OBS Studio? OBS stands for Open Broadcasting Software. It is a free, open-source software for live streaming and recording. There are versions of OBS available for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux. Now, to video record yourself presenting a PowerPoint using OBS, follow the steps below.

Step 1 : Go to your preferred browser, and search for OBS. You’ll see it as the first suggestion. Click on it and select the operating system that you are using. It downloads automatically.

Step 2 : After downloading, navigate to where the install file is saved and install the software. Launch the software by searching for OBS on your system. Add a scene.

Step 3 : When you open the OBS software, you will see a black screen. Right-click that screen and select Add > Display Capture .

Step 4 : To add a video of yourself to the recording, right-click the recording interface of OBS. Select Add > Video Capture device > OK . You see a live video of yourself recording already, after which you can switch to whatever side you want to be.

You can also make the video capture bigger or smaller by zooming in or out.

Step 5 : After setting your preferences, click “ Start Recording ” in the Controls panel. When your recording is complete, click “Stop Recording”, which automatically saves to your desired folder. You can navigate to your PowerPoint presentation from your taskbar.

Click Settings > Output > Recording Path > OK to change where it saves your recorded folder.

That is it! 4 methods for you to video record yourself while presenting a PowerPoint. While this sounds simple, it is often easy to forget how to record yourself while presenting a PowerPoint. With this guide, you can record yourself smoothly by choosing your preferred method and following the steps listed above. Have an awesome future recording experience!

Luca Tangen

Staff writer at fineshare.com. Has been writing about the technology of Windows, Mac, and iOS since 2014.

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Free, open source live streaming and recording software for Windows, macOS and Linux

PowerPoint presentation on OBS

I know this might sound newbie, but what is the best and the cleanest way to present a powerpoint slides on OBS?

Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Presentations > Six tips for recording a presentation

Six tips for recording a presentation

Your latest presentation is filled with crucial information and key concepts your colleagues need to remember. Record and archive it for easy reference and absorption.

How to record your presentation

Whether you’re recording a presentation for work, a webinar or school, both you and your colleagues will greatly appreciate having it available to reference. You can absorb information at your pace, ensuring that you retain pertinent information, without having to rely solely on your notes. While the method of recording depends on the virtual meeting platform or whether its in person, here are some guidelines on how to record you presentation:

Tell your story with captivating presentations

Powerpoint empowers you to develop well-designed content across all your devices

1. Choose the right equipment

High-quality recording equipment is essential for producing professional-looking and sounding presentations. Laptops are equipped with microphone and a high-resolution webcam, but it’s always a good idea to consider investing in higher quality recording equipment.

2. Test Your equipment

Before starting your presentation, it’s crucial to test your recording equipment to ensure everything is working properly. Check the audio levels, video quality, and any additional accessories you may be using, such as lighting or a green screen. Conducting a test run will help identify any technical issues that need to be addressed. Review the virtual meeting platform you are using to ensure that the recording feature is enabled, so you won’t have to search for it when the presentation time rolls around.

3. Optimize your environment

Choose a quiet, well-lit environment for recording your presentation. Minimize background noise and distractions to ensure clear audio and video quality. Consider using a neutral background or a virtual background to maintain a professional appearance. Natural lighting is ideal, but if that’s not possible, invest in good quality lighting equipment to ensure your face is well-lit and visible.

4. Organize your presentation contents

Organize your presentation materials in a logical order to facilitate smooth delivery. Create an outline or script to guide your presentation, making sure to include key points, transitions, and visual aids. Practice your presentation multiple times to become familiar with the contents and ensure a confident delivery. If you have multiple presenters, solidify the speaking order and designate one person to facilitate the presentation.

5. Engage with Your Audience

Even though you’re recording your presentation, it’s essential to engage with your audience as if they were present in the room with you. Encourage interaction by asking questions, prompting viewers to think critically, and inviting them to share their thoughts or experiences in the comments section. Respond to comments and questions promptly to foster a sense of community and connection with your audience.

6. Monitor Your Time

Keep track of time during your presentation to ensure that you stay within the allotted timeframe. Plan your presentation carefully, allocating sufficient time to cover each topic or section. If you find yourself running out of time, prioritize the most critical points and consider saving less crucial information for a follow-up or supplementary material.

For more ways to improve presentation skills, like calming presentation anxiety and connecting with a virtual audience , learn more presentation tips .

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No audio when PowerPoint slides

• Thread starter bdrady
• Start date Tuesday at 11:20 PM
• Tags powerpoint sound
• Tuesday at 11:20 PM

I am a relative newbie at OBS and video recording. I started using OBS about a month ago. This is a recent problem. I recorded videos two weeks ago with no issues. I am recording marketing videos. When I am on screen, the audio is fine. However, when I switch to a PowerPoint slide and talk in the background, there is no audio. I switched from vMIx to OBS, and I really liked OBS until now. I am not very technically savvy so when you answer, please be kind and answer in simple terms. Pretend you're speaking to your grandmother. :-) HELP! PLEASE! Thank you in advance.  

Lawrence_SoCal

Active member.

• Thursday at 6:15 PM
• The Unofficial Guide to Open Broadcaster Software
• The OBS Superuser Guidebook
• Thursday at 10:32 PM

If you want the audio to stay when you switch scenes, you need to use a global source. Settings -> Audio. Everything in a scene goes away when you switch scenes. Also, don't duplicate sources. Global audio and scene audio, for example. That doesn't help anything, and can hurt a lot.  

• Friday at 10:17 PM

Correct, When adding a Source, R eference existing where appropriate (vs Duplicating/creating new reference/instance)  

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