How to Crop Webcam into a Circle in OBS Studio

This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to transform your standard rectangular webcam feed into a perfect circle using the Image Mask/Blend filter in OBS Studio. You will learn how to prepare a simple mask template, apply the filter to your video source, and configure the settings to achieve a clean, professional circular layout for your live streams or video recordings.

Step 1: Create or Download a Circle Mask Image

To crop your camera feed, OBS Studio requires a template image called a mask. You can easily create one in any basic image editor (like Canva, Photoshop, or GIMP): 1. Create a new square canvas (e.g., 1000 x 1000 pixels). 2. Draw a perfect solid black circle in the exact center of the canvas, leaving the surrounding background pure white. 3. Alternatively, you can create a solid white circle with a transparent background. 4. Save the file to your computer as a PNG file.

Step 2: Open the Filters Menu in OBS Studio

  1. Launch OBS Studio and locate your webcam under the Sources dock.
  2. Right-click on your webcam source (usually named “Video Capture Device”) and select Filters from the drop-down menu.

Step 3: Add the Image Mask/Blend Filter

  1. In the Filters window, look at the bottom section labeled Effect Filters.
  2. Click the + (plus) icon in the bottom-left corner of this section.
  3. Select Image Mask/Blend from the list of available filters.
  4. Give the filter a name (such as “Circle Crop”) and click OK.

Step 4: Apply your Circle Mask

  1. In the filter properties on the right, click the Type drop-down menu.
  2. Select Alpha Mask (Alpha Channel) if your mask has a transparent background, or select Alpha Mask (Color Channel) if you used the black-and-white method.
  3. Click the Browse button next to the Path field.
  4. Locate and select the PNG circle mask image you saved in Step 1.
  5. Your webcam preview in the window will instantly crop into a circle.

Step 5: Adjust and Position on Your Canvas

  1. Click Close to exit the Filters window.
  2. On your main OBS canvas, click on your webcam source.
  3. Use the red boundary box corners to resize the circular webcam and drag it to your preferred position on your screen layout.