Record Your Screen and Webcam: Layout & Setup

To record your screen and webcam together, select a screen source, add your camera, choose a microphone and arrange the picture so your face does not cover the task. Then make a saved test recording that includes the menus, dialogs and text your viewer needs to see.

This guide focuses on layout: where the camera belongs, how to arrange an OBS overlay, and when separately editable footage is useful. It also covers a Clipchamp workflow, screen-only options and a training example. For a comparison of recording products, use our facecam recorder guide.

Choose the layout by what the viewer needs

Layout	Useful situation	Main check
Camera over the screen	A brief explanation with a personal introduction	The overlay never hides a required control or result
Screen and camera side by side	The face needs a stable space outside the demonstration	The reduced screen area still shows readable text
Camera introduction, then screen only	A detailed task where every part of the interface matters	The transition preserves narration and the intended screen source
Separately editable screen and camera footage	The final layout may need to change after capture	The recorder and editor retain independently adjustable clips

A webcam is optional. Use it when your expression, introduction or explanation helps the content. Showing a face does not guarantee that a tutorial will be clearer or more memorable. If the interface is dense, screen-only sections may be easier to follow.

The layout you need also narrows the recorder:

What you need	Starting point	Check before recording
Screen and camera with editing afterward	Clipchamp screen and camera recorder	30-minute limit per session; camera and microphone access
Several sources, a custom layout or a longer local recording	OBS Studio	Capture sources, source order, audio mixer and output settings
A simple Mac screen-only demonstration	Screenshot or QuickTime	Capture region and version-specific audio options
A short Windows app clip	Xbox Game Bar	App capture, microphone and saved-file playback

For a wider shortlist, see our free screen recorder comparison. Choose by capture scope, sound, duration and delivery rather than assuming a paid plan is necessary.

Map the screen before placing the camera

Run through the actual task before choosing a corner. A space that is empty at the beginning may contain a menu, toast notification, error message or confirmation later.

1. Open the starting page and identify the controls you will use.
2. Open important menus and dialogs during the rehearsal.
3. Check where the result appears.
4. Reserve a camera area that stays clear of those elements.
5. If no suitable overlay area exists, use a side-by-side or screen-only layout.

Prepare the screen at the same time. Enlarge small text, hide unrelated tabs, notifications and customer information, and use sample data where possible. Check where the recording will be saved and that you have enough storage.

Do not rely on one preview frame. Your layout needs to work across the demonstration. Check the saved result at a size similar to the viewer’s playback window, especially when the video contains small labels or tables.

Build a screen-and-camera layout in OBS

Add the visual and audio sources

The OBS Quick Start Guide describes configuring a scene, adding sources, checking the Audio Mixer and recording a test. Use Display or Window Capture on Windows, or macOS Screen Capture on Mac, for the picture you need. The macOS source documentation describes display, window and application capture, including audio on macOS 13 or later.

Prefer the smallest capture scope that shows the complete task. If the demonstration moves between several applications, a display source may be easier to follow, but check everything visible on that display.

For the camera, OBS’s video-capture reference lists Video Capture Device on Windows and macOS, and Video Capture Device (V4L2) on Linux. Add the supported source and select your camera in its properties. Start with a device-supported configuration instead of entering an arbitrary resolution or frame rate.

Select your intended microphone and check the meter while speaking. If app sound matters, check that source independently: play a sound from the target application and confirm that its meter responds. Review Settings → Audio if the wrong device is selected, and Settings → Output before recording. Then record a short sample and play back the saved file. Our audio setup guide explains the distinction between microphone and computer sound.

Order and position the overlay

In OBS, higher sources in the list appear over lower sources. Its Sources Guide documents source ordering, resizing, cropping and visibility:

1. Place the screen source below the camera in the source list.
2. Select the camera and drag its bounding box into the reserved area.
3. Resize with the handles. Use Edit → Transform → Edit Transform for precise placement.
4. Crop when needed through Edit Transform or Alt/Option-drag on the bounding-box handles.
5. Use the eye control to show or hide the source.

Rehearse the menus and result again after positioning. Cropping the camera can remove background from its frame, but it cannot remove information elsewhere in the shared screen.

Decide whether you need to move the camera afterward

A camera placed over a screen in a single rendered video occupies part of the visible picture. If the output only contains that combined view, moving the camera later does not reveal screen pixels hidden behind it. A decorative shape covering the camera has the same limitation.

If later layout changes matter, choose a workflow that retains separate screen and camera footage. Clipchamp’s screen-and-camera recorder documents separately editable clips on the timeline. It records in sessions up to 30 minutes and supports moving or editing the clips separately afterward.

Verify your specific project’s files and editor behavior. Separate clips, a separate audio track and an independently recorded participant are different things. Do not infer separate camera footage merely because a recorder offers a picture-in-picture preview.

Even separate camera footage cannot restore screen content excluded from the original screen capture. Choose a screen source that includes all required actions before considering layout changes in editing.

Record separately editable clips in Clipchamp

1. Open Record & create and choose screen & camera rather than camera-only capture.
2. Select your camera and microphone and grant the browser or system permissions.
3. Choose the tab, window or display that contains the task. Share only what the demonstration needs.
4. Record a sample: speak, click through one action and play any app sound you intend to include.
5. Review the sample, then record the complete task.
6. Trim mistakes and adjust the layout so the camera does not cover important interface content.
7. Export, review the file and check whether any paid assets or features were used.

Microsoft’s recording instructions distinguish personal and work/school accounts. For personal accounts, source sound comes from browser-tab capture with the audio-sharing toggle; microphone narration is separate. Check the options for your account and browser rather than assuming window capture includes app audio. For a lesson longer than 30 minutes, plan separate modules that learners can return to individually.

Test your camera and room with the equipment you have

Look at the recorded image rather than assuming a new webcam is necessary. Position the camera steadily near eye level, check that your face is in frame and try a front-facing light source. Move away from a bright window behind you if it makes your face difficult to see.

Review the background and remove distractions that do not help the explanation. Keep the microphone position consistent during narration. If you move significantly while speaking, repeat the sound test from the positions you expect to use.

A practical test can compare two positions or lighting arrangements using the same equipment. Pick the one that produces the useful result in the saved video. Avoid claims that a particular purchase always improves every recording.

Worked example: a settings walkthrough without hidden controls

Suppose you are making an illustrative tutorial about changing a notification setting. The application has a profile menu in the top right, a settings panel in the middle and a confirmation message near the bottom.

A camera overlay in the top-right corner hides the first required action. Moving it to the bottom may cover the result. During rehearsal, try a side-by-side layout and increase the important page text until it is readable in playback. Alternatively, show the camera for the introduction and hide it while demonstrating the task.

The point is not to choose one universally correct corner. The layout needs to preserve the beginning, action and result of this particular task. Keep a camera-placement note with the recording plan so a repeated lesson uses the same clear composition.

Training variation: a ticket-assignment lesson

For a training lesson, structure the recording as purpose, starting state, action, verification and practice. In an illustrative lesson that teaches a new support agent to assign a ticket, show the sample ticket and current assignee, then the assignment control, then the updated assignee and ticket history. Finish by asking the learner to assign a second sample ticket. Keep the webcam away from the assignment control, and explain decisions the learner cannot infer rather than narrating every cursor movement. For lesson objectives and practice design, use our training video guide.

Troubleshoot picture and audio separately

Saved-video problem	Focused check
The camera is missing behind the screen	Source order and whether the camera is visible in the active scene
The camera source itself is blank	Correct device, available permission and supported device settings
The screen is blank or shows the wrong content	Capture permission, selected source and whether the target window is available
The camera covers the task	Placement across the full action sequence, not just the first frame
The screen is unreadable in side-by-side mode	Source text size and the screen area’s share of the output
The face is visible but narration is missing	Selected microphone, mute state and saved playback
App sound is missing	Audio-source support for the tool, operating system and capture mode
Audio repeats or echoes	Duplicate capture or loudspeaker sound entering the microphone
The recording stops early	Session limit, free-plan quota, available storage and recorder error messages

OBS notes that unsupported camera resolution or frame-rate settings can leave a source blank. Check the source properties and a supported configuration before assuming the camera hardware has failed.

Its audio-source reference also warns against capturing the same device both globally and through a scene-specific source. Keep each intended sound source captured once and test again after changing routing. In every case, change one setting at a time and make a new short sample before repeating the full recording.

Copyable screen-and-webcam layout sheet

Recording task and audience:
Screen source and starting page:
Menus/dialogs opened during the task:
Where the important result appears:
Layout: overlay / side by side / screen-only sections
Reserved camera area:
Camera source and selected device:
Microphone and app-audio sources:

Need separately editable camera footage:
Recorder/editor supports it:
Required source files retained:

Saved test checks:
Starting control visible:
Menus/dialogs visible:
Result visible:
Screen text readable at playback size:
Camera appropriately framed:
Narration and required app sound audible:
Camera transitions checked:
Change made and retest result:

Review the export before sharing

After recording, trim unnecessary setup and inspect the exported file. Check the opening, the required steps and the final result. If you changed the camera layout during editing, review the entire affected section. Review captions for product names and technical terms.

Check your destination’s current upload requirements rather than relying on a fixed size or duration table. If you share a hosted link, confirm that the intended recipient can open it and that its visibility matches the content.

Keep source footage until you have verified the export and completed your normal storage process. For a finished lesson, add clear written steps with our tutorial planning guide. For a customer response, include a concise explanation of what the recording shows.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to show my webcam throughout the recording?

No. Choose when it helps the explanation. Rehearse the supported show/hide or editing workflow and verify that narration continues as intended.

Can I remove an overlay after exporting?

You can edit the rendered picture, but that does not recover screen detail hidden behind a camera in a flattened output. Keep separate footage when independent layout changes are required.

What if I only need to record the screen?

On a Mac, Shift + Command + 5 opens Screenshot controls, which QuickTime’s New Screen Recording also uses. Apple’s instructions cover capture regions, saving and microphone selection; the Include System Audio option is specified for macOS 27 Golden Gate or later. On Windows, Xbox Game Bar records an app with Windows + Alt + R and toggles the microphone with Windows + Alt + M. Neither adds a webcam overlay. For sound setup, see screen recording with internal audio; for narration added later, see screen recording with voice-over.

How do I know the recording captured sound correctly?

Record speech and any required app sound in a short sample, then play the saved file. Check voice and computer audio separately. A microphone permission or moving meter alone does not prove the output contains every required source.

Should I record at the camera’s highest resolution?

Use supported settings and test the result. The important question is whether the face and screen are useful in the final layout; a larger camera resolution does not establish that the screen text is readable.

For video support workflows, explore Screendesk. Whether you use a support recorder or an OBS scene, a useful layout keeps the task visible and the explanation clear.