How to Install OBS Studio on Ubuntu Linux

OBS Studio lets you capture video and audio, compose scenes with multiple sources, and stream directly to platforms like Twitch and YouTube. Common use cases include recording gameplay footage, streaming live events, producing tutorials with screen capture, and running virtual webcams for video calls. This guide covers three installation methods, walks through first-time configuration, and addresses common issues like Wayland screen capture and hardware encoding setup.

Choose Your OBS Studio Installation Method

Ubuntu offers multiple ways to install OBS Studio. The Ubuntu repository provides a stable, distro-tested version. The OBS Project PPA (Personal Package Archive) delivers the latest releases directly from the developers through Launchpad, Ubuntu’s software hosting platform. Flatpak offers sandboxed installation, meaning OBS runs in an isolated environment separate from your system, with automatic updates from Flathub. Choose based on your preference for stability versus new features.

Method	Channel	Stability	Best For
Ubuntu Repository	Official Ubuntu repos	Stable, distro-tested	Users who prefer system-integrated packages
OBS Project PPA	Launchpad PPA	Latest stable releases	Users who want new features quickly
Flatpak	Flathub	Latest with sandboxing	Users who prefer isolated applications

For most users, the Ubuntu repository provides a reliable starting point with minimal setup. Choose the OBS Project PPA if you need recent features or bug fixes, or Flatpak if you want automatic updates independent of your Ubuntu release cycle.

The OBS Project PPA provides different versions depending on your Ubuntu release: Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble) and newer receive the latest builds (currently 32.x), while Ubuntu 22.04 (Jammy) receives older stable versions (30.x series). Check the PPA package list for exact version availability on your release.

Method 1: Install OBS Studio with APT

Update System Packages

Refresh your package index and upgrade existing packages before installing new software. This prevents dependency conflicts and ensures you have the latest security patches:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Select Installation Source

Install OBS Studio from the Ubuntu repository for stability, or add the OBS Project PPA for the latest features:

Option 1: Install OBS Studio with Ubuntu Repository

Installing OBS Studio directly from the Ubuntu repository is ideal for maintaining a stable system environment. However, this method may not provide the most recent updates, bug fixes, or improvements to OBS Studio, as the repository can lag behind the latest releases.

To install OBS Studio from the Ubuntu repository, run the following command in your terminal:

sudo apt install obs-studio

Verify the installation by checking the version:

obs --version

OBS Studio - 30.0.2

If you prefer a more updated version, consider using the OBS Project PPA below.

Option 2: Install OBS Studio via OBS Project PPA

The first step in this method is to import the PPA containing the latest stable OBS Studio version maintained by the OBS Project team. Run the following command in your terminal:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:obsproject/obs-studio -y

Alternatively, you can install the unstable master build version if you prefer. The unstable and stable versions share the same installation process, so importing the unstable version will allow you to access the latest stable version if there are issues with the unstable build.

To add the unstable version, run the following command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:obsproject/obs-studio-unstable -y

After adding the desired PPA, run an APT update command to synchronize your package manager with the new repository:

sudo apt update

Finally, install the latest stable version of OBS Studio with the following terminal command:

sudo apt install obs-studio -y

Verify the installation by checking the version:

obs --version

OBS Studio - 32.0.2

The version shown above reflects Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble). If you are running Ubuntu 22.04 (Jammy), expect version 30.2.x from the PPA instead.

Method 2: Install OBS Studio with Flatpak

Flatpak provides an alternative installation method that keeps OBS Studio isolated from your system packages. This approach ensures you receive updates directly from the OBS Project regardless of your Ubuntu version, and the sandboxed environment prevents conflicts with system libraries.

If your system does not have Flatpak installed, refer to our guide on how to install Flatpak on Ubuntu before proceeding.

Enable Flathub Repository

Before installing OBS Studio through Flatpak, you must enable the Flathub repository, a primary source for Flatpak applications. To enable Flathub, execute the following command in your terminal:

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

This command adds the Flathub repository to your Flatpak configuration, ensuring you have access to various applications, including OBS Studio.

Install OBS Studio from Flathub

With Flathub enabled, you can now install OBS Studio using the flatpak install command. Run the following command in your terminal:

flatpak install flathub com.obsproject.Studio -y

This command installs OBS Studio from the Flathub repository, providing you with the latest version of the application.

Verify the Flatpak installation:

flatpak list | grep -i obs

OBS Studio    com.obsproject.Studio    32.0.2    stable    flathub

Launch OBS Studio

After installation, launch OBS Studio from the terminal or your desktop environment’s application menu.

Launch OBS Studio from Terminal

If you have the terminal open, you can launch OBS Studio directly using the following command:

obs

For those who installed OBS Studio via Flatpak, you can run the following command instead:

flatpak run com.obsproject.Studio

Launch OBS Studio from Applications Menu

Desktop users who prefer not to open a terminal constantly can easily access OBS Studio using the graphical interface. To launch OBS Studio, follow these steps:

1. Click on Show Applications or Activities (depending on your desktop environment).
2. Search for OBS Studio in the search bar.
3. Click on the OBS Studio icon to start the application.

Complete OBS Studio First-Time Setup

When you launch OBS Studio for the first time, the Auto-Configuration Wizard appears. This wizard optimizes settings based on your hardware and intended use:

1. Select your primary use case: streaming, recording, or both.
2. Choose your streaming service (Twitch, YouTube, etc.) or skip if recording only.
3. Allow OBS to run hardware tests to determine optimal encoding settings.
4. Review the suggested settings and apply them.

After setup, add your first source by clicking the plus icon under Sources. Common sources include Display Capture for screen recording, Window Capture for specific applications, and Video Capture Device for webcams.

Manage OBS Studio

Update OBS Studio

OBS Studio updates arrive through your standard system updates. To manually check for available updates, run:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

This refreshes the package index and upgrades OBS Studio if a new version is available.

For Flatpak installations, update with:

flatpak update

Remove OBS Studio

If you no longer need OBS Studio, you can remove it from your system using one of the following commands, depending on your installation method:

For users who installed OBS Studio with APT:

sudo apt remove obs-studio

After removing the software, remove any PPAs you added for security and system maintenance purposes. For detailed PPA management options, see our guide on how to remove a PPA from Ubuntu.

To remove the stable PPA, run the following command:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:obsproject/obs-studio -y

If you installed OBS Studio from the unstable repository, execute this command in addition to the one above:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:obsproject/obs-studio-unstable -y

For users who installed OBS Studio using Flatpak, you can remove the software by running the following command:

flatpak uninstall com.obsproject.Studio

Troubleshoot Common OBS Studio Issues

Screen Capture Shows Black Screen on Wayland

OBS Studio requires PipeWire for screen capture on Wayland sessions. If Display Capture shows only a black rectangle, first verify you are running Wayland:

echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE

wayland

If the output confirms Wayland, install the PipeWire integration package:

sudo apt install pipewire

Verify PipeWire is running:

systemctl --user status pipewire

● pipewire.service - PipeWire Multimedia Service
     Loaded: loaded
     Active: active (running)

In OBS, remove the existing Display Capture source and add a new Screen Capture (PipeWire) source instead. A portal dialog will appear asking which screen or window to share. The Flatpak version includes PipeWire support by default and handles this automatically.

Enable Hardware Encoding for Better Performance

If OBS Studio uses excessive CPU during recording or streaming, hardware encoding offloads the work to your GPU. First, check which encoders OBS detects by navigating to Settings, Output, and switching Output Mode to Advanced. The Encoder dropdown shows available options.

For NVIDIA GPUs, verify your driver supports NVENC:

nvidia-smi --query-gpu=name,driver_version --format=csv

name, driver_version
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, 535.154.05

If the command fails, install the NVIDIA drivers on Ubuntu. For advanced GPU compute features, optionally add the CUDA toolkit. Once drivers are installed, select NVENC H.264 or NVENC HEVC in the OBS encoder dropdown.

For AMD and Intel GPUs, the VA-API encoder provides hardware acceleration. Verify VA-API is available:

vainfo 2>&1 | head -5

Select VA-API H.264 in the OBS encoder settings. Hardware encoding significantly reduces CPU usage and maintains consistent frame rates during intensive recordings.

Fix Missing Audio Sources

If OBS does not detect your microphone or desktop audio, first verify your audio server is running:

pactl info | grep "Server Name"

Server Name: PulseAudio (on PipeWire 0.3.65)

If the command returns an error or shows no server, restart the PipeWire services:

systemctl --user restart pipewire pipewire-pulse

List available audio sources to find the correct device names:

pactl list sources short

46  alsa_input.usb-Blue_Microphones-00.analog-stereo  PipeWire  s32le 2ch 48000Hz  RUNNING
47  alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo.monitor  PipeWire  s32le 2ch 48000Hz  IDLE

In OBS, navigate to Settings, Audio, and select the matching devices for Desktop Audio (typically the .monitor source) and Mic/Auxiliary Audio (your microphone input). Click Apply, then verify levels appear in the Audio Mixer panel.

Conclusion

You now have OBS Studio installed on Ubuntu through your chosen method: APT for system integration, the OBS Project PPA for latest features, or Flatpak for sandboxed updates. The troubleshooting sections covered Wayland screen capture with PipeWire, hardware encoding setup for NVIDIA and AMD GPUs, and audio device configuration.

To expand your workflow, explore OBS plugins from the OBS Resources forum for features like virtual backgrounds and advanced scene switching. For post-production video editing, consider Handbrake on Ubuntu to compress and convert your recordings, or VLC on Ubuntu for playback and format testing.