OBS Studio is a free app for recording your screen and streaming live to sites like Twitch and YouTube. This guide shows you how to install it on Ubuntu 26.04 and 24.04 in a few minutes, then how to get your first recording going.
Not sure which method to pick? Use the Flatpak. It works on every Ubuntu version and always has the newest OBS.
Method 1: Install OBS Studio with Flatpak (Recommended)
Works on Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04, 26.10 and 22.04. Flatpak is a way to install apps that works on any Linux system and keeps each app in its own box, so it is less likely to clash with the rest of your system. The OBS team publishes OBS Studio 33 on Flathub, the main Flatpak app store.
Method 2: Install OBS Studio from the Official PPA (Ubuntu 26.04)
A PPA is an extra software source that a developer runs for Ubuntu. This one belongs to the OBS team. OBS then installs and updates through apt, the same tool Ubuntu uses for all its normal software, so it updates when you run sudo apt upgrade.
Other Ways to Install OBS Studio
Ubuntu’s own package. Ubuntu ships OBS in its universe section (the part of Ubuntu that the community looks after). It needs no extra setup, but it is older: 32.1 on Ubuntu 26.04 and 30.0 on 24.04. Do not add the PPA first if you want this one.
If apt says it cannot find the package, turn on universe with sudo add-apt-repository universe, then run sudo apt update and try again.
The Snap. Snaps are another app format, built into Ubuntu. There is no official OBS Snap. The obs-studio Snap is made by Snapcrafters, a community group, and was on 32.2.0 when we checked. The OBS team does not support it, so bug reports from it are often closed.
Our apt and snap commands guide explains how apt and Snap differ.
Still on Ubuntu 22.04? Use the Flatpak. It has OBS 33, while the PPA stopped at 30.2 for 22.04.
Compare the Methods
Versions checked on 25 October 2026. Not sure which Ubuntu you have? Run lsb_release -d in a terminal.
Open OBS Studio
From the apps list: press the Super key (the Windows key), type OBS, and click OBS Studio. Right click its icon in the dock and choose Pin to Dash to keep it there.
From the terminal: the command depends on how you installed it.
First Run: Let the Setup Wizard Pick Your Settings
The first time OBS opens, it offers to run the Auto-Configuration Wizard. Say yes. Tell it whether you mainly want to stream, record, or only use OBS as a webcam in video calls. It then tests your computer and picks good video settings for you.
If you stream, it asks for your service, such as Twitch or YouTube, and lets you sign in or paste a stream key (the private code your streaming site gives you). Tick Prefer hardware encoding if your graphics drivers are installed. You can run the wizard again any time from Tools, Auto-Configuration Wizard.
A Quick Look Around OBS Studio
OBS works with scenes and sources. A source is one thing you show, such as your screen, a window, your webcam, an image or your microphone. A scene is a layout of sources. You can make several scenes and switch between them while you record or stream.
Scenes are listed at the bottom left, with the sources of the current scene next to them. Then come the audio mixer, transitions, and the Start Streaming and Start Recording buttons on the right. The big area at the top shows what your viewers will see. OBS works the same on Linux, Windows and macOS, so any OBS tutorial you find applies here too.
Record Your Screen
Ubuntu uses Wayland by default. Wayland is the system that draws your desktop, and for safety it only lets apps record the screen through PipeWire, Ubuntu’s audio and video sharing service. In OBS, click the + under Sources and choose Screen Capture (PipeWire) for a whole screen, or Window Capture (PipeWire) for one app. Ubuntu then asks which screen or window to share. Pick one and click Share.
On the older X11 session, the list shows Display Capture (XSHM) and Window Capture (Xcomposite) instead, as in the screenshot above. Webcams show up as Video Capture Device (V4L2). Not sure which session you are using? Run this. It prints wayland or x11:
Use Your Graphics Card for Smoother Recording
Hardware encoding lets your graphics card do the heavy video work instead of your processor, so games stay smooth while you record or stream. You need the right graphics driver first. Then open Settings, Output and look at the Video Encoder list. The encoder is the part that compresses your video.
In Simple output mode, NVIDIA cards also show short names such as Hardware (NVENC, H.264). Switch Output Mode to Advanced to see every encoder.
NVIDIA: check that the driver is working. This should print your card name and driver version:
The Flatpak also needs a small NVIDIA add-on that matches your driver. Flatpak normally adds it for you. After you install or update the NVIDIA driver, run flatpak update and restart OBS.
AMD and Intel: these cards encode through VA-API, a standard way for Linux apps to use the graphics chip for video. The Flatpak brings its own VA-API drivers, so it usually just works. For the PPA, .deb or Ubuntu package, AMD support comes with Ubuntu. On Intel, install the media driver (it covers most Intel chips from 2014 onward):
This package lives in the multiverse section, which Ubuntu Desktop turns on by default. To see which video formats your card can encode, install the vainfo tool and run it. Lines that end in EncSlice are formats it can encode:
Keep OBS Studio Updated
Flatpak: Ubuntu’s App Center does not update Flatpak apps, so update them from the terminal. This updates OBS only (run plain flatpak update to update all your Flatpak apps):
PPA, .deb or Ubuntu package: OBS updates with the rest of your system. To update only OBS:
Upgrading to a new Ubuntu version? Ubuntu turns PPAs off during the upgrade. Afterward, check that the PPA supports your new version before you turn it back on, or switch to the Flatpak. Our Ubuntu 26.10 upgrade guide walks you through the upgrade.
Common Problems and Fixes
echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE. Check that PipeWire is running with systemctl --user status pipewire; it should say active (running). If the PipeWire options are missing, install the screen sharing helper with sudo apt install xdg-desktop-portal-gnome, then log out and back in.pactl list sources short (if that command is missing, install it with sudo apt install pulseaudio-utils). If no devices show at all, restart the sound service with systemctl --user restart pipewire pipewire-pulse.flatpak update.nvidia-smi to check the NVIDIA driver is loaded. If it errors, install or reinstall the driver. For the Flatpak, run flatpak update so the matching NVIDIA add-on gets installed, then restart OBS.sudo apt install v4l2loopback-dkms and restart OBS. This applies to the Flatpak too. If Secure Boot is on, Ubuntu may ask you to set a password and confirm it on the blue screen at the next restart, so the new part is allowed to load.Remove OBS Studio
Flatpak: remove OBS, then clear out shared files no other app needs:
PPA, .deb or Ubuntu package: remove OBS and the PPA, then let apt clean up leftover packages. Read the list apt shows before you confirm.
To confirm OBS is gone, run obs --version or flatpak list --app. You should get “command not found”, or a list without OBS Studio.
Your scenes and settings stay behind, so a reinstall picks up where you left off. Apt installs keep them in ~/.config/obs-studio and the Flatpak keeps them in ~/.var/app/com.obsproject.Studio. To delete them for good, which cannot be undone:
Helpful Resources
Install the Flatpak, let the wizard pick your settings, add a Screen Capture source and press Start Recording.
Related guides: Twitch on Ubuntu · Best video editors for Ubuntu · Install drivers on Ubuntu · The best software for Ubuntu
