OBS Studio can create a composed video scene and expose it to Microsoft Teams as OBS Virtual Camera. Teams receives that scene as a camera. Audio remains a separate path, so a virtual camera alone does not send media sound.
OBS is third-party software. Microsoft does not document or support every OBS configuration, so test the exact operating system, Teams client and meeting policy before using it live.
What you need
- OBS Studio from the official OBS Project download
- Microsoft Teams desktop
- permission to install software and camera components
- a webcam or other approved sources
- a test meeting and second device or colleague for verification
Use the current built-in OBS Virtual Camera. Do not install the old OBS VirtualCam plugin from legacy tutorials.
Build a simple scene in OBS
Start with one scene and as few sources as possible.
- In OBS, create a scene such as Camera and slides.
- Under Sources, add Video Capture Device and choose the webcam.
- Add a second source only if needed, such as Window Capture, Display Capture, Image or Media Source.
- Resize and crop sources in the preview.
- Check that no private window, notification or browser tab is visible.
OBS scenes are layouts. Sources are the camera, window, image or media items inside them. Studio Mode can preview a change before transitioning it to the output.
Avoid copying arbitrary resolution, frame-rate or bitrate values from another computer. Choose settings that the device can sustain and verify the actual result in Teams.
Send the OBS picture to Teams
- In OBS, select Start Virtual Camera.
- Open Microsoft Teams.
- Go to Settings and more > Settings > Devices.
- Under Camera, select OBS Virtual Camera.
- Check the Teams preview.
- Join a private test meeting before the real event.
If OBS Virtual Camera is missing, restart OBS and Teams after installation. Confirm that the current OBS build supports the operating system and that installation was permitted. If the normal webcam is also missing, fix operating-system camera permission first.
Route audio separately
OBS Virtual Camera carries video, not a complete Teams audio mix.
For your voice, select the microphone in Teams > Settings > Devices.
For a video or application that participants need to hear, Microsoft’s supported path is:
- Select Share in the Teams meeting.
- Turn on Include sound.
- Share the intended window or screen.
On macOS, Microsoft says its current Teams audio driver is needed for computer-audio sharing. Test for echo by listening from a second device with that device muted.
More complex virtual-audio routing adds another unsupported dependency. Document it, secure it and rehearse a fallback before using it for an important event.
Privacy and meeting safety
OBS can expose more than intended. Before going live:
- close private applications;
- disable notifications;
- use a dedicated browser profile or presentation window;
- verify every scene and source;
- confirm recording and streaming consent;
- keep stream keys out of scenes, screenshots and logs; and
- prepare a plain webcam and native Teams share as the fallback.
Selecting Do not disturb reduces interruptions but does not prove that no sensitive content can appear.
If the output is black, frozen or slow
Check one layer at a time:
- Is the source visible and active in OBS?
- Is Virtual Camera running?
- Is Teams using OBS Virtual Camera rather than the physical webcam?
- Does the operating system allow camera access?
- Does another application hold the source?
- Does a simpler one-source scene work?
This article validates the supported Teams device and sound controls plus OBS’s documented virtual-camera mechanism. It does not prove performance on your hardware or approve third-party software for your organisation.
Keep the meeting setup supportable
For practical Teams client, policy and meeting-design discussions, join the SharePoint & Teams Admins Space.