Installing OBS Studio on macOS works differently from Windows: there is no setup wizard to click through. Instead, you open a disk image, drag the application into your Applications folder, and you are done. This guide covers the current release, OBS Studio 33.0.1, released on October 29, 2026, and walks through the whole process in order: preparing your Mac, opening the right disk image, installing the application, answering the first-launch permission prompts, and making a test recording. OBS Studio is free and open-source software under the GPLv2 licence or later, so there is no payment, licence key, or account to create. It needs macOS 13.0 or newer.
Before you install on macOS
First, confirm your Mac and its chip. Click the Apple menu and choose About This Mac: the window shows your macOS version and whether your chip is Apple Silicon or Intel. OBS Studio 33.0.1 needs macOS 13.0 or newer, and the disk image must match your chip: the Apple Silicon image is OBS-Studio-33.0.1-macOS-Apple.dmg (199.9 MB) and the Intel image is OBS-Studio-33.0.1-macOS-Intel.dmg (211.6 MB). If you have not downloaded the file yet, our guide to downloading OBS Studio for Mac explains how to choose and where to get it from the official OBS Project source.
Next, check the practical details. Make sure you are signed in with an account allowed to install software; on a Mac managed by a school or workplace, you may need an administrator password. Close applications that use your camera or microphone, such as video calling apps, and save any open work. Check you have a few hundred megabytes free for the application, and much more free space for recordings, since video files grow quickly. Also check the downloaded file before opening it: the name should match the official name exactly and the size should be close to the published size. A file much smaller than expected is an incomplete download and should be deleted and downloaded again.
Opening the disk image
A.dmg file is a macOS disk image. When you double-click it, macOS checks the file, mounts it, and opens a window showing its contents. For OBS Studio, that window shows the OBS Studio application icon and a shortcut to your Applications folder, with an arrow suggesting you drag one to the other. That window is not the program itself; it is a temporary view of the disk image, and running OBS Studio from inside it is a common mistake that leads to the program seeming to vanish when the disk image is ejected.
To open the image, find the downloaded.dmg file in your Downloads folder and double-click it. If macOS takes a few seconds to verify the file, wait; that is normal, especially on a first open. A window should appear with the OBS Studio icon and the Applications folder shortcut. If nothing appears, look in Finder: the mounted disk image also shows up in the Finder sidebar under Locations, and you can click it there to open the window. Do not move the.dmg file itself into Applications, and do not copy the application anywhere else yet; the next section covers the one correct move.
Installing: drag OBS Studio to Applications
Installation on macOS is a single drag. The disk image window shows the OBS Studio application on one side and a shortcut to the Applications folder on the other, and you drag the application onto that shortcut. macOS copies the application into your Applications folder, and a progress bar shows the copy happening. When it finishes, OBS Studio is installed, and you can close the disk image window.
- Open the downloaded.dmg file and wait for its window to appear.
- Drag the OBS Studio application icon onto the Applications folder shortcut in the same window.
- Wait for the copy to finish completely before closing the window.
- Open Finder, go to Applications, and confirm OBS Studio is listed there.
- Eject the disk image by clicking the eject button next to its name in the Finder sidebar.
- Delete the.dmg file from Downloads if you need the space; you can download it again later.
A practical example: imagine you are setting up a MacBook to record lessons. You drag the application into Applications, eject the disk image, and then open OBS Studio from Launchpad, where it now appears alongside your other apps. If you later open OBS Studio from the disk image window instead of from Applications, macOS will mount the image again each time and the app may behave oddly, so always launch it from Applications or Launchpad after installing. If macOS asks for an administrator password during the copy, enter it; that is normal on a Mac where installing software needs approval.
First launch, Gatekeeper, and permissions
The first time you open OBS Studio, macOS may show a message saying the application was downloaded from the internet and asking whether you are sure you want to open it. That is Gatekeeper, a normal macOS security check for downloaded applications. Because you downloaded the file from the official OBS Project source and checked its name and size, you can choose Open to continue. If you see a message saying the application is damaged or cannot be opened, do not look for a way to bypass macOS security; stop and re-download the disk image from the official link, since that message should not appear for the genuine file.
OBS Studio will also ask for permissions it needs to do its job. To record your screen, macOS needs you to allow Screen Recording; to use your camera and microphone, it needs camera and microphone access. These prompts appear when the program first needs each feature, and you can manage them later in System Settings under Privacy and Security. If you accidentally decline a permission, OBS Studio will show a black capture or silent audio, and the fix is to open System Settings, find OBS Studio in the relevant permission list, and turn the permission on. You may need to quit and reopen OBS Studio after changing a permission before it takes effect.
The setup wizard and your first scene
When OBS Studio opens for the first time, it offers an auto-configuration wizard. The wizard asks whether you mainly want to stream or record, then tests your hardware and suggests settings. Accept its suggestions for now; they are starting points, not final answers, because the best settings depend on your hardware, encoder, and connection. If you only want to record, choose the recording option; streaming can be set up later without reinstalling anything.
After the wizard, the main window opens, with panels for scenes, sources, audio, and controls, and a large preview in the centre. A scene is a layout built from sources, and your first one can be simple: a default scene already exists, so in the Sources panel click the plus button and add a Display Capture source for the whole screen, or a Window Capture source for one application. Name it clearly, such as "Main screen". Add an Audio Input Capture source for your microphone, speak a few words, and watch the audio meters move. If a meter stays flat, that source is not hearing anything yet, and you should check the device selection and the permissions in Section 4 before going further.
Making a test recording
A short test recording is the fastest way to confirm the installation works. Click Start Recording, do something on screen for about thirty seconds while speaking, then click Stop Recording. OBS Studio saves the file to the recordings folder shown in Settings under Output, and you can open it from the File menu by choosing Show Recordings. Watch the test clip all the way through: check the picture is sharp, the sound is clear, and nothing important is cut off at the edges.
For example, a teacher recording a lesson might open a slide presentation, start recording, talk through two slides, and stop. Watching that clip back shows whether the slides are readable, whether the microphone is loud enough, and whether any notification popped up on screen during the recording. If something is wrong, change one setting at a time and test again, rather than changing several things at once. Once the test looks good, read our guide to how to use OBS Studio and our guide to recording your screen with OBS for the next steps.
Updating and uninstalling on macOS
To update OBS Studio on macOS, download the new disk image from the official source, open it, and drag the application into Applications again, replacing the old copy when macOS asks. Your scenes, sources, and settings are kept, so you do not need to uninstall first. Before a major update, back up your profiles and scene collections from within OBS Studio so you can restore your setup if anything goes wrong. Keep a note of which version you are running, shown in the application menu under About OBS, so you can tell at a glance whether you are up to date.
To remove OBS Studio, quit the application, open Finder, go to Applications, and drag OBS Studio to the Trash. That removes the program; your recordings stay where they are, because they are separate files in your recordings folder, and your settings may remain in your user library. Delete those settings only if you are sure you will not reinstall, since removing them erases your scenes and sources. If you installed from the wrong disk image by mistake, uninstall in the same way and start again with the correct file for your chip.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is running OBS Studio from inside the mounted disk image instead of dragging it to Applications first. The program works for a while, then seems to vanish when the disk image is ejected, and any shortcut you made stops working. Always install from Applications or Launchpad after the drag. A second common mistake is downloading the wrong chip build: the Apple Silicon image for an Intel Mac, or the Intel image for an Apple Silicon Mac. Check About This Mac before downloading.
Another frequent mistake is declining a permission prompt without reading it, then wondering why the screen capture is black or the microphone is silent. Screen Recording, camera, and microphone permissions live in System Settings under Privacy and Security, and OBS Studio needs them to work. Finally, do not try to bypass a Gatekeeper warning by disabling macOS security; if the genuine official disk image triggers a warning about damage, re-download it from the official link instead.
Troubleshooting
If the disk image will not open, check the downloaded file first: the name should match the official name exactly and the size should be close to 199.9 MB for Apple Silicon or 211.6 MB for Intel. A much smaller file is incomplete; delete it and download again. Also check your macOS version, since OBS Studio 33.0.1 needs macOS 13.0 or newer and will not open on older versions.
If the application copies to Applications but will not open, try opening it from Finder rather than from Launchpad, and read any message macOS shows. A message about the application being damaged points to a bad download, so re-download from the official source. If OBS Studio opens but your capture is black, check Screen Recording permission in System Settings under Privacy and Security, make sure no other app is using the camera, and try a Window Capture source instead of Display Capture to narrow the problem down.
If a test recording has no sound, watch the audio meters while you speak, confirm the right microphone is selected, and check microphone permission in System Settings. If the meters move but the recording is silent, check the recordings folder location in Settings under Output and confirm you are playing the finished file rather than a partial one. If problems persist after these checks, our guide to fixing OBS Studio when it will not open covers the next steps before you consider reinstalling.
Frequently asked questions
Is OBS Studio free to install on macOS?
Yes. OBS Studio is free and open-source software under the GPLv2 licence or later. There is no payment, licence key, or paid edition, and the disk image from the official source is the complete program.
Do I drag the.dmg file into Applications?
No. You open the.dmg file, which mounts a window, and drag the OBS Studio application from that window onto the Applications folder shortcut. The.dmg file itself stays in Downloads and can be deleted after installation.
Why does macOS ask for Screen Recording permission?
macOS requires apps to have permission before they can capture the screen, camera, or microphone. OBS Studio asks for these permissions when it first needs them, and you can manage them in System Settings under Privacy and Security.
Can I install OBS Studio on an Intel Mac?
Yes. Download the Intel disk image, OBS-Studio-33.0.1-macOS-Intel.dmg (211.6 MB), and install it the same way. It needs macOS 13.0 or newer, just like the Apple Silicon build.
How do I update OBS Studio on macOS?
Download the new disk image from the official source, open it, and drag the application into Applications, replacing the old copy. Your scenes, sources, and settings are kept. Export your settings as a backup before a major update.
Conclusion
Installing OBS Studio on macOS is a short process once you know the pattern: check your chip and macOS version, open the right official disk image, drag the application into Applications, eject the disk image, allow the permissions OBS Studio needs, and confirm everything with a short test recording. From there you can build scenes, add sources, and start recording properly. Continue with how to use OBS Studio and recording your screen with OBS, and if the program will not open, our guide to fixing OBS Studio when it will not open is the place to start.