How to Record Apple ProRes in OBS Studio

This guide provides a straightforward walkthrough on how to configure the advanced recording settings in OBS Studio to output video files encoded with the Apple ProRes codec. You will learn how to enable advanced output mode, select the correct container, and choose the appropriate ProRes encoder settings for both macOS and Windows platforms to achieve visually lossless quality for video editing.

Method 1: Native macOS Setup (Apple Silicon & Intel Macs)

If you are using macOS, OBS Studio includes native support for hardware-accelerated Apple ProRes encoding through Apple VideoToolbox.

  1. Open OBS Studio and click Settings in the bottom right corner (or go to OBS Studio > Settings in the top menu bar).
  2. Select the Output tab from the left sidebar.
  3. At the top of the Output menu, change the Output Mode dropdown from Simple to Advanced.
  4. Click on the Recording tab.
  5. Set the Recording Format to MOV (ProRes is native to the QuickTime MOV container).
  6. In the Video Encoder dropdown, select Apple VT ProRes (HW) for hardware-accelerated encoding, or Apple VT ProRes (Software).
  7. Under the Profile dropdown, choose your desired ProRes flavor:
    • ProRes 422 HQ: Best for high-end mastering and heavy color grading.
    • ProRes 422: Standard balance of quality and file size.
    • ProRes 422 LT: Smaller file sizes, ideal for general editing.
    • ProRes 422 Proxy: Extremely low bitrate, best for offline editing workflows.
  8. Click Apply and then OK to save your settings.

Method 2: Custom FFmpeg Setup (Windows & Linux)

Windows and Linux users can record in ProRes by routing OBS through its built-in FFmpeg custom output mode.

  1. Open OBS Studio and go to Settings > Output.
  2. Set the Output Mode to Advanced.
  3. Go to the Recording tab.
  4. Set the Type dropdown to Custom Output (FFmpeg).
  5. Under Container Format, type or select mov.
  6. Set the Video Encoder to prores (standard software ProRes) or prores_ks (an advanced, high-quality FFmpeg ProRes encoder).
  7. In the Video Encoder Settings (if any) text field, you can specify the ProRes profile by typing one of the following arguments:
    • -profile:v 3 (ProRes 422 HQ)
    • -profile:v 2 (ProRes 422 Standard)
    • -profile:v 1 (ProRes 422 LT)
    • -profile:v 0 (ProRes Proxy)
  8. Leave the video bitrate field blank, as the ProRes encoder determines the bitrate dynamically based on the selected profile and resolution.
  9. Click Apply and then OK to save.