How to Install OBS Studio on Ubuntu Linux (26.04, 24.04, 22.04)

OBS Studio is the open-source standard for screen capture and live streaming on Linux. It overlays screen captures, webcam feeds, game windows, and audio inputs into reusable scenes, then sends them to Twitch, YouTube, or any RTMP endpoint. Common uses include recording gameplay, producing screen-capture tutorials, streaming live events, and running a virtual webcam for video calls. Three installation methods cover every Ubuntu setup, with post-install configuration for Wayland screen capture, hardware encoding, and PipeWire audio sources.

Choose Your OBS Studio Installation Method for Ubuntu

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.

Ubuntu Release	Ubuntu Repository	OBS Project PPA	Notes
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS	OBS Studio 32.0.x	Not available	PPA has no Resolute builds; Ubuntu repository ships 32.0.x
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS	OBS Studio 30.2.x	OBS Studio 32.0.x	PPA recommended for latest features on Noble
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS	OBS Studio 27.2.x	OBS Studio 30.2.x	PPA strongly recommended; repository version is significantly older

These steps apply to Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS, and 22.04 LTS. The OBS Project PPA supports Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04 only; Ubuntu 26.04 already ships OBS Studio 32.0.x in the official repository, making the PPA unnecessary. Flatpak remains compatible across all supported releases.

Method 1: Install OBS Studio on Ubuntu 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

This guide uses sudo for commands that require root privileges. If your user is not in the sudoers file, run commands as root or follow our guide on how to add and manage sudo users on Ubuntu.

Select OBS Studio 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.

sudo apt install obs-studio

Verify the installation by checking the version:

obs --version

OBS Studio - 30.2.3

The version output reflects Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble). Ubuntu 26.04 ships 32.0.x and Ubuntu 22.04 provides 27.2.x from the official repository. See the version table above for full details. For newer releases on Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04, use the OBS Project PPA option below.

Option 2: Install OBS Studio via OBS Project PPA

Add the OBS Project PPA to receive the latest stable builds directly from the developers:

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

The OBS Project also maintains an unstable PPA with nightly master builds for testing upcoming features. Only add this if you want early access to new functionality and can tolerate potential bugs:

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

sudo apt update

sudo apt install obs-studio -y

obs --version

OBS Studio - 32.0.2

The version above reflects Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble). On Ubuntu 22.04 (Jammy), the PPA provides version 30.2.x instead. The OBS Project PPA does not publish builds for Ubuntu 26.04 (Resolute); Ubuntu 26.04 users should install from the Ubuntu repository or use Flatpak.

Method 2: Install OBS Studio on Ubuntu 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 Flatpak is not installed on your system, follow our guide on how to install Flatpak on Ubuntu before continuing.

Enable Flathub Repository

Enable the Flathub repository to access OBS Studio and other Flatpak applications:

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

Install OBS Studio from Flathub

Install OBS Studio from Flathub:

sudo flatpak install flathub com.obsproject.Studio -y

Verify the Flatpak installation:

flatpak list | grep -i obs

OBS Studio    com.obsproject.Studio    32.0.2    stable    flathub

Launch OBS Studio on Ubuntu

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

Launch OBS Studio from Terminal

Launch OBS Studio from a terminal:

obs

For those who installed OBS Studio via Flatpak:

flatpak run com.obsproject.Studio

Launch OBS Studio from Applications Menu

Alternatively, launch OBS Studio from the application menu:

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 on Ubuntu

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 on Ubuntu

Update OBS Studio

For APT installations, refresh the package index and upgrade OBS Studio:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade obs-studio

For Flatpak installations, update with:

sudo flatpak update

Remove OBS Studio

Remove APT Installation

Remove OBS Studio and clean up any orphaned dependencies left behind:

sudo apt remove obs-studio
sudo apt autoremove

Remove any PPAs you added. For detailed PPA management options, see our guide on how to remove a PPA from Ubuntu:

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

If you added the unstable PPA, remove it as well:

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

Verify removal is complete:

dpkg -l obs-studio

dpkg-query: no packages found matching obs-studio

Remove Flatpak Installation

sudo flatpak uninstall com.obsproject.Studio

Remove OBS Studio Configuration Files

OBS Studio stores your scene collections, streaming profiles, hotkeys, and preferences in ~/.config/obs-studio/. Flatpak installations also write to ~/.var/app/com.obsproject.Studio/. These directories are not removed automatically. Delete them only if you no longer need your recording configuration. This action is permanent and cannot be undone.

rm -rf ~/.config/obs-studio/
rm -rf ~/.var/app/com.obsproject.Studio/

Troubleshoot Common OBS Studio Issues on Ubuntu

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, check that the PipeWire package is installed:

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

vainfo: VA-API version: 1.20 (libva 2.20.1)
vainfo: Driver version: Intel iHD driver for Intel(R) Gen Graphics - 24.1.5
vainfo: Supported profile and entrypoints
      VAProfileH264Main               :	VAEntrypointVLD
      VAProfileH264Main               :	VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileH264High               :	VAEntrypointEncSlice
      VAProfileHEVCMain               :	VAEntrypointEncSlice

Select VA-API H.264 in the OBS encoder settings. If vainfo returns an error or shows no encoding profiles, install the appropriate Mesa driver package for your GPU (intel-media-va-driver for Intel, mesa-va-drivers for AMD). 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 Studio, navigate to Settings > Audio and set Desktop Audio to the .monitor source, which is the loopback device that captures whatever audio your system is outputting (game sounds, music, browser audio). Set Mic/Auxiliary Audio to your microphone input. Click Apply and verify levels appear in the Audio Mixer panel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

OBS Studio is installed and ready on Ubuntu with hardware encoding via NVENC or VA-API, Wayland screen capture through PipeWire, and audio routing configured for both desktop output and microphone input.

To extend OBS Studio’s capabilities, explore plugins from the OBS Resources forum for virtual backgrounds, advanced scene switching, and stream overlays. For post-production, use Videomass on Ubuntu to batch-convert and process recordings, Handbrake on Ubuntu to compress and convert video files, or VLC on Ubuntu for format testing and playback.