OBS Studio 32.0.4 for Mac

Whether you're streaming gameplay to Twitch, hosting webinars on YouTube, or recording tutorials for your audience, OBS Studio handles it all through an intuitive interface optimized for macOS workflows.

Native Apple Silicon Support

OBS Studio runs natively on M1, M2, M3, and M4 Macs without Rosetta translation.

This means faster performance, lower power consumption, and better battery life on MacBooks compared to running through emulation.

Intel Mac users also get full support with optimized performance for older hardware.

Version 32 introduces an experimental Metal renderer specifically for Apple Silicon Macs, taking advantage of Apple's graphics framework for improved compositing and effects performance.

Why Mac Users Choose OBS Studio

Zero Cost, Full Features: Unlike premium alternatives that charge subscriptions, OBS Studio includes every professional feature without hidden costs, watermarks, or artificial limitations. The same software powering major Twitch streamers is available to everyone.

Platform Freedom: Stream simultaneously to Twitch, YouTube, Facebook Gaming, and custom RTMP servers. OBS doesn't lock you into any single platform - switch services anytime without changing your workflow.

macOS Integration: OBS Studio integrates with macOS screen recording permissions, supports Retina displays, and works seamlessly with Mac-native audio routing. The interface follows macOS design conventions for a familiar user experience.

Core Features for Mac Streamers

Scene Composition: Build unlimited scenes combining window captures, webcam feeds, browser sources, images, and text overlays.

Switch between scenes instantly with customizable transitions - perfect for intro sequences, intermission screens, and multi-camera setups.

Professional Audio Mixing: The advanced audio mixer provides per-source controls including noise gate, noise suppression, and gain adjustment.

OBS works with macOS Core Audio for reliable microphone and system audio capture. Mac users can route audio through applications like Loopback or BlackHole for advanced audio workflows.

Multiple Output Options: Record locally while streaming, or capture separate audio tracks for post-production editing.

Output to MP4 or MKV containers with your choice of video codecs.

Encoding on Mac

OBS Studio leverages Apple's VideoToolbox framework for hardware-accelerated encoding on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.

This GPU-based encoding reduces CPU load and enables smooth 1080p60 or 4K streaming without sacrificing system performance.

The software supports H.264 encoding through VideoToolbox for maximum platform compatibility.

For local recordings where file size matters less than universal playback, HEVC (H.265) encoding delivers superior compression while maintaining quality.

Mac users building complete content creation workflows can pair OBS recordings with HandBrake for transcoding to different formats or Shutter Encoder for batch processing multiple recordings - both available natively for macOS.

Post-Production Workflow for Mac

Recordings from OBS integrate seamlessly with Mac-native video editing tools.

For quick edits without quality loss, LosslessCut trims recordings instantly without re-encoding - available for macOS with full Apple Silicon support.

MKV recordings can be refined using MKVToolNix - add external subtitles, remove unwanted audio tracks, or merge multiple recording segments.

MKVToolNix runs natively on macOS 11.0 and newer with Intel and Apple Silicon support.

For technical analysis of your recordings before uploading, MediaInfo reveals exact codec parameters, bitrates, and encoding profiles.

The macOS version includes both Intel and Apple Silicon builds.

Playback and Quality Verification

Before uploading content, verify recordings play correctly across devices. VLC for Mac handles virtually any format OBS produces with native Apple Silicon support and full hardware acceleration through VideoToolbox.

For users who prefer alternatives, IINA offers a native macOS video player with modern interface design, while mpv provides a lightweight command-line option for power users.

Building a Complete Mac Media Workflow

OBS Studio works excellently alongside other macOS multimedia tools:

• MakeMKV for Mac - Rip DVDs and Blu-rays for use as OBS media sources.
• FFmpeg - Command-line encoding and stream manipulation (macOS builds available).
• VLC for Mac - Preview recordings and play any format.
• MKVToolNix - Edit and organize MKV recordings.
• HandBrake - Transcode recordings for different platforms.

System Requirements for Mac

Operating System: macOS 11.0 (Big Sur) or later - supports Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma, and Sequoia.

Processor: Intel Core i5 or Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) - native support for both architectures.

Memory: 4GB RAM minimum (8GB recommended for streaming).

Graphics: Metal-compatible GPU for hardware acceleration.

Storage: 200MB for installation plus space for recordings.

Installation on Mac

Download OBS Studio for Mac using the link above. The installer provides a standard macOS DMG file - simply drag OBS to your Applications folder.

On first launch, macOS will request permissions for screen recording and microphone access - grant these to enable full functionality.

For users who need the Windows version, download OBS Studio for Windows 10/11 with full feature parity and NVIDIA NVENC support for hardware encoding.

Getting Started

Launch OBS and run the Auto-Configuration Wizard to optimize settings for your Mac hardware and internet connection.

The wizard tests your system and recommends encoder settings, bitrate, and resolution based on your streaming goals and whether you're using Intel or Apple Silicon.

For comprehensive streaming guidance, explore our guides on selecting the optimal video codec for YouTube and understanding AV1 vs H.265 codec differences.

What's New in OBS Studio 32 for Mac

The latest release brings significant improvements for Mac users:

• Experimental Metal Renderer: Optimized graphics performance for Apple Silicon Macs using Apple's Metal framework.
• Automatic Crash Reporting: Optional crash log uploads help developers identify and fix Mac-specific issues.
• Plugin Manager: Easier installation and management of OBS extensions.
• Improved Stability: Numerous bug fixes for macOS-specific issues.

Download OBS Studio for Mac and join millions of content creators streaming to Twitch, YouTube, and beyond from their Apple hardware.