How to Use OBS Virtual Camera with Zoom and Discord

This guide explains what the OBS Studio Virtual Camera is and provides step-by-step instructions on how to set it up for Zoom and Discord. You will learn how this feature turns your OBS scenes into a usable webcam source, allowing you to use professional overlays, green screens, and multiple video sources directly in your video calls and meetings.

What is the OBS Virtual Camera?

The Virtual Camera is a built-in feature in OBS Studio that outputs your active OBS scene as a digital webcam feed. Instead of broadcasting your stream to a platform like Twitch or YouTube, OBS mimics a physical webcam. Any software on your computer that recognizes a standard webcam—such as Zoom, Discord, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet—can detect and display the video feed from OBS. This allows you to use OBS filters, transitions, graphics, and multi-source layouts during live video calls.

How to Enable the Virtual Camera in OBS Studio

Before connecting OBS to your communication apps, you must start the virtual feed inside OBS Studio.

  1. Open OBS Studio.
  2. Set up your scenes, sources (like your webcam, capture card, or display capture), and overlays on your canvas.
  3. Locate the Controls dock in the bottom-right corner of the OBS interface.
  4. Click the Start Virtual Camera button.

Once clicked, the button will change to “Stop Virtual Camera,” indicating the feed is now active and ready to be used by other applications.

How to Use OBS Virtual Camera with Zoom

To use your customized OBS feed in a Zoom meeting, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Zoom desktop application.
  2. Click on your profile picture in the top-right corner and select Settings (the gear icon).
  3. Navigate to the Video tab in the left-hand sidebar.
  4. Locate the Camera dropdown menu.
  5. Select OBS Virtual Camera from the list of available devices.
  6. (Optional) Uncheck Mirror my video in Zoom if your text or overlays appear backward to you. Note that Zoom automatically mirrors your preview for you, but other participants will see it correctly either way.

Once selected, your OBS canvas will appear as your video feed in all future Zoom meetings.

How to Use OBS Virtual Camera with Discord

To route your OBS scene into Discord for voice channels or direct messages, use the following steps:

  1. Open the Discord desktop application.
  2. Click the User Settings gear icon in the bottom-left corner next to your username.
  3. Scroll down to the app settings section and click on Voice & Video.
  4. Scroll down to the Video Settings section.
  5. Under the Camera dropdown menu, select OBS Virtual Camera.
  6. Click the Test Video button to ensure your OBS feed is displaying correctly.

When you join a voice channel or a private call, click the Turn on Camera button to share your OBS feed with others.