Short answer
Before you start
- An updated OBS Studio install and a test scene
- Five minutes for a local recording
- Access to the OBS log and View > Stats
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Step by step
- 01
Protect the scene that works
Nicole, common OBS errors ↗Duplicate the scene collection or make a scene called Test. Work there before deleting sources, filters, or hotkeys from your live setup.
What you should see: You can test a fix without changing the scene you use on stream.
- 02
Record the failure before changing settings
Official OBS Quick Start Guide ↗Click Start Recording, reproduce the problem for one or two minutes, then watch the file. Say a sentence, move in the game, and switch scenes so the recording leaves useful clues.
What you should see: You have a file that confirms whether the failure reaches the output instead of only the preview.
- 03
Isolate a black capture
Official Game Capture troubleshooting ↗Select the Game Capture source and confirm the game is open and active. Try the specific-window mode if the right game appears in its list. Some titles block Game Capture and need borderless windowed mode with Window Capture.
What you should see: The preview shows the game, or you know that title needs another capture method.
Game Capture lets you select one game window before using a broader capture method. YouTube · 2:41 ↗ - 04
Check the GPU and conflicting apps
Official OBS known conflicts ↗On a laptop, check that OBS and the game use the high-performance GPU when the game documentation calls for it. Close FPS counters, overlays, and other recorders before reopening OBS and the game.
What you should see: The next attempt has one capture path and no competing hook from another app.
- 05
Remove echo in the mixer
Nicole, common OBS errors ↗Speak and watch which meters move. If Mic/Aux and an audio source in the scene answer to the same voice, mute one route and record again. Do not add filters until one voice enters through one route.
What you should see: Your voice appears on one identified meter and the recording no longer repeats the sentence.
A browser source using OBS audio control appears as a separate route in the mixer. YouTube · 1:11 ↗ 
The mixer shows the routes to inspect when a voice or application plays twice. YouTube · 5:40 ↗ - 06
Fix a source outside the frame
Official Game Capture setup ↗Right-click the source, open Transform, and use Reset Transform. Then use Fit to Screen if it should fill the canvas. Check whether you cropped with Alt before dragging the edges outward.
What you should see: The source fills the expected area without stray bars or content outside the canvas.
- 07
Read Stats before lowering everything
Nicole, common OBS errors ↗Open View > Stats during a test. Separate network dropped frames from rendering or encoding loss. Save a screenshot of the panel and change the setting tied to that column first.
What you should see: You can name the loss type before changing bitrate, resolution, or scenes.
Stats separates rendering, encoding, and network problems during a test. YouTube · 7:46 ↗ - 08
Run the full test again
Official OBS Quick Start Guide ↗Record game, voice, an alert, and a scene change once more. Watch it with headphones and note the setting you changed. If the failure remains, save the OBS log with the recording before resetting the profile.
What you should see: You have a repeatable test or concrete material for asking for help without guessing.
If something does not work
- The preview is black even though the game opens.
- Confirm that the correct game is selected and try Window Capture in borderless windowed mode. Some games do not allow Game Capture hooking. Close other overlays before trying again.
- The meter moves, but the file has no voice or repeats it.
- Check the recording audio track and leave one route for the microphone. Make another short recording before changing gain, compression, or suppression.
- The stream drops frames or stutters.
- Open Stats and note whether the loss is network, rendering, or encoding. Test a lighter scene or a smaller output based on that reading, not on guesswork.
Test before you go live
- The test scene leaves the live scene untouched
- A local recording plays game and voice
- The game source appears in the preview
- The microphone has one route
- Stats identifies the loss type
- The log and a recording are saved if the failure remains
5 errores que rompen tu stream en OBS y cómo solucionarlos rápido
Watch the full tutorial ↗Common questions
Why does OBS show a black screen?
First check the Game Capture mode and that the game is active. The official guide also lists titles that need Window Capture or borderless windowed mode. On laptops, GPU assignment can affect capture.
Should I use Display Capture to fix a game that does not appear?
It can help diagnose the problem, but it shows the entire display. Try Window Capture when the game allows it and keep Display Capture for a scene where you have checked notifications and private information.
Do filters always fix echo?
No. The common case is a voice entering through Mic/Aux and another source at the same time. Find the duplicate route, mute it, and test again before adding filters.
What do dropped frames mean?
OBS separates network, rendering, and encoding trouble in Stats. That difference matters because lowering bitrate alone does not fix a scene the computer cannot render.
When should I rebuild my OBS profile?
At the end, not the beginning. Save a recording and log, test a new scene, and change one variable at a time. Rebuilding the profile removes evidence of the cause.
