Record ProRes in OBS Studio Using Custom FFmpeg

This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to configure OBS Studio to record high-quality, visually lossless Apple ProRes video using the Custom Output (FFmpeg) settings. By switching to FFmpeg custom output, you can bypass standard consumer codecs like H.264 or H.265 and generate edit-ready ProRes files directly within OBS Studio on Windows, Mac, or Linux.

Step 1: Access Advanced Output Settings

  1. Open OBS Studio.
  2. Click on Settings in the bottom-right corner (or go to File > Settings).
  3. In the left sidebar, click on Output.
  4. At the top of the Output settings window, change the Output Mode dropdown from Simple to Advanced.

Step 2: Configure the Recording Tab

  1. Click on the Recording tab.
  2. Change the Type dropdown to Custom Output (FFmpeg).
  3. In the FFmpeg Output Type dropdown, select Output to File.
  4. Click Browse next to File Path or URL to select the folder where you want to save your recordings.

Step 3: Set up the Container and Video Encoder

  1. Set the Container Format to mov (Apple QuickTime), which is the native container for ProRes video.
  2. In the Video Encoder dropdown, select prores_ks (this is the highly compatible FFmpeg Apple ProRes encoder).
  3. If you want to specify a particular ProRes profile, enter one of the following parameters into the Video Encoder Settings (if any) box:
    • ProRes 422 HQ: profile=3
    • ProRes 422 Standard: profile=2
    • ProRes 422 LT: profile=1
    • ProRes 422 Proxy: profile=0
    • ProRes 4444: profile=4 (Note: This profile supports alpha channels if configured correctly).

Note: If you do not specify a profile, the encoder defaults to ProRes 422 Standard.

Step 4: Configure Audio Settings

To match the professional quality of ProRes video, you should use uncompressed linear PCM audio. 1. Set the Audio Encoder to pcm_s16le (16-bit uncompressed audio) or pcm_s24le (24-bit uncompressed audio). 2. Set the Audio Track checkmarks to match the tracks you wish to record.

Step 5: Save and Test

  1. Click Apply and then OK to save your changes.
  2. Click Start Recording to perform a brief test.
  3. Import the resulting .mov file into your video editing software (such as Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Final Cut Pro) to verify that the video is recognized as Apple ProRes.