To record your screen and webcam at the same time, use a tool with a combined screen-and-camera mode, such as Loom or Clipchamp, or add screen and camera sources to one OBS scene. Before you record, choose the intended screen, camera and microphone, allow the required permissions, and make a short test to check the picture and sound.
The right choice depends on what you need next: a quick walkthrough to share, an editable project, or control over how the screen and camera are arranged. A Mac’s built-in screen recording can capture the display and microphone audio, but Apple’s instructions do not describe a webcam overlay in that workflow.
Choose a recorder for the task
A combined recording has two visual sources: the screen or application window, and the camera image. The recorder either provides a mode that captures both, or lets you place both sources in a scene. The microphone is a separate input; having a camera image does not guarantee that narration is being captured by the microphone you intended.
| Approach | Useful when | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Loom’s Screen and Camera mode | You want to record a walkthrough and share it using Loom’s workflow | You have less scene-layout control than building a scene in OBS, and its monitor guidance says to select one display before recording |
| Clipchamp screen-and-camera recorder | You want to record within Clipchamp’s editor workflow | You need to grant camera and microphone access, and choose devices if the defaults are not right |
| OBS scene | You want to position and manage screen and camera sources yourself | You need to add and arrange sources, then verify audio inputs in OBS |
| Mac built-in screen capture | You need a screen recording with optional microphone audio | Apple’s documented workflow does not include a webcam overlay |
These tools do not provide identical editing, sharing or layout features. Loom documents editing and sharing after capture; OBS is built around scenes and sources; Clipchamp offers recording within its editor. Check each tool’s current instructions for the workflow you need rather than assuming that one tool’s post-recording options exist in another. For Apple’s documented built-in capture steps, see how to record the screen on your Mac.
A quick walkthrough of an application may need only your screen, a small camera image and a clear voice track. A tutorial that needs a consistent layout may suit an OBS scene, where you can arrange the camera and screen sources. If the goal is to capture a Mac screen with narration but no face camera, the built-in workflow may be enough.
Think about where the file needs to go, too. A local recording is useful if you plan to edit or archive the file yourself; a hosted recording workflow may make sharing easier, but its exact features depend on the product and account. If your eventual project is a YouTube broadcast rather than a one-off recording, first separate the recording task from the ongoing stream setup; this guide to hosting an always-on podcast stream on a VPS for YouTube covers a different, continuous-broadcast problem.
Set up screen and camera in Loom
Loom’s documented capture choices include Screen and Camera. Start by choosing that mode, then select the display or capture area you intend to show. Choose the camera and microphone you want to use before you begin, particularly if a laptop has both an internal camera and a USB camera, or if a headset is connected alongside the built-in microphone. Loom’s screen recorder page describes its screen-and-camera workflow and post-capture editing and sharing.
Once the preview looks right, start the recording and work through the demonstration at a pace that lets viewers follow your cursor and the camera image. Stop the capture when you have finished, then review the resulting recording before sending its link or using it elsewhere. Check that the beginning is not cut off, that the camera remained visible, and that the narration is present. Do not treat a successful start indicator as proof that every input was captured correctly.
If you use more than one monitor, decide which display contains the material before recording. Atlassian’s Loom support says its capture cannot record two monitors at once or switch monitors during a recording. Its multiple-monitor guidance is worth checking if you are presenting across displays. For a lesson that needs both screens, you may need to adjust the material onto one display or use a different recording approach, rather than expecting a mid-recording switch.
The camera bubble should not obscure a button, menu or text that viewers need to see. Move it to an empty part of the captured area if the controls allow it, and make sure your face is large enough to be useful at the final viewing size. If the layout cannot be adjusted as you want, consider whether a scene-based recorder will suit this particular walkthrough better.
Set up screen and camera in Clipchamp
In Clipchamp, open the screen-and-camera recorder. The exact entry point can change, so use the current in-app recorder rather than relying on an old screenshot or a remembered menu. Its camera and microphone settings instructions explain that the recorder asks for camera and microphone access and selects defaults automatically. If multiple cameras or microphones are connected, use the device dropdowns to select the intended inputs.
Allow access when the recorder requests it. Then check the screen or window selection, camera preview and microphone input before pressing record. If the camera preview is blank, check that the camera is not already being used by another application and that the correct device is selected. If the microphone is wrong or silent, change the input in the recorder and make a short test before you capture the full explanation.
Clipchamp places this recording workflow within its editor. That can be convenient if your next step is to work on the recording in that environment, but do not assume its editing and sharing options match Loom’s or OBS’s. After capture, look at the result in the context in which you will use it: verify the screen content, camera placement, and narration, and confirm that the file or project is saved where you expect.
For a Windows desktop application, browser-based site or store app, permission controls may differ. A camera permission being allowed for Clipchamp does not automatically mean that every browser site has permission, or that another application can use the camera. If a permission prompt was dismissed earlier, check the relevant Windows or browser controls rather than repeatedly pressing record.
Build a combined scene in OBS
OBS uses scenes containing sources. For a combined recording, create or select a scene, add a display capture or window capture source for what you want viewers to see, then add a webcam source. The display source captures the desktop or a selected application window; the webcam source supplies the camera image. The OBS Project’s Quick Start Guide describes adding sources and checking audio devices.
Arrange the sources in the preview. The webcam can sit in a corner over the screen capture, but position it where it does not cover the controls or information being demonstrated. Resize it with the preview controls and check the edges of the captured area. If the camera source is behind the display capture, it may be hidden; source ordering and visibility matter. A blank or black preview is a reason to inspect the source selection and visibility before recording, not to assume the output will correct itself.
Check the Audio Mixer while speaking. You should see the meter respond for the microphone you mean to use. If the wrong input is active or no meter moves, open Settings → Audio and choose the intended device. Also check that the microphone is not muted in the mixer. OBS can expose more control over source placement than a simple combined recorder, but that control comes with setup: a scene that looks correct on screen still needs a test recording to confirm the saved output.
A simple workflow is to make a short recording, stop, and play it back. Confirm that the screen is legible, the camera is visible at the size you wanted, and the voice is audible without clipping or a long delay. If you are preparing a stream layout rather than a one-off tutorial, a scene with a holding screen and content sources has different needs; this OBS scene-switching guide is relevant to that separate workflow.
OBS is useful when you want to control the composition, but it may be more work than needed for a single short demonstration. If you would rather use a combined capture mode and avoid rebuilding a scene for every recording, choose a tool whose capture flow already matches the output you need. For a recurring YouTube stream based on a prepared video file, that is a different job from capturing your desktop live; StreamNeo removes the need to keep your computer running to send that uploaded file as a 24/7 YouTube broadcast.
Select devices and grant permissions
Set permissions before troubleshooting the recorder itself. A screen capture may be blocked by the operating system, a camera preview may be denied separately, and a browser recorder may also need permission from the browser for the site. Grant only the access you intend to use, and review the current official guidance if the labels in your settings differ from these steps.
On macOS, screen and system-audio recording access is managed under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording. Apple’s permission guidance explains how to allow or turn off access for listed applications. This setting is about screen and system-audio access, not proof that the camera or microphone is configured for your recorder; those inputs still need their own checks. Apple also advises considering third-party apps’ privacy practices when granting access.
On Windows, camera access is controlled under Privacy & security → Camera. Microsoft notes that store apps and desktop applications can have separate controls, including a broader desktop-app permission. Consult Microsoft’s camera app-permission guidance if an application does not appear to have access. A browser website may separately prompt for camera or microphone permission, so check the browser’s site controls if the operating system appears to allow access but the web recorder still has no preview.
Choose devices explicitly when more than one is available. A USB webcam may appear alongside a laptop camera, while a headset microphone may appear alongside the built-in mic. The recorder can select a default that is technically available but badly positioned or muted. Look at the camera preview, speak while watching the audio meter, and confirm the device name where the application provides one.
If you use an external camera or microphone, connect it before opening the recorder when practical. If it is not listed, check the connection, close another application that may be holding the device, and reopen the recorder if needed. Do not change several settings at once: change one input, then verify its preview or meter so you know what fixed the issue.
Check audio before recording
Audio is easy to overlook because the screen and camera are visible in the preview. Speak at the volume you will use during the recording and watch the recorder’s input meter. The meter should move with your voice and settle when you stop. A moving meter is a useful check that an input is active, but it does not tell you whether the voice will be clear in the finished recording, so record and replay a brief sample.
Listen for the sound you actually need. A screen-and-camera explanation usually needs your narration; a demonstration may also need application or system sound. These are separate capture choices in many workflows. Apple’s built-in Mac instructions describe screen recording with an optional microphone, not a webcam overlay, and system-audio permissions are a distinct setting from camera access. Check the current instructions for your chosen recorder rather than assuming that selecting a microphone also captures computer playback.
A practical preflight can be done in this order:
- Screen: Select the correct display, window or capture area. Move important material into view and close anything private that should not appear.
- Camera: Check the live preview, framing, lighting and placement. Make sure the camera image does not hide the detail being explained.
- Microphone: Select the intended mic, unmute it, speak and watch the meter. If using a headset, check that it is the input selected in the recorder.
- Permissions: Confirm operating-system and, if relevant, browser access for screen, camera and microphone. Respond to any recorder prompt and recheck the preview after changing a permission.
- Audio: Record a short sample and play it back. Listen for missing speech, distracting room noise, unexpectedly low volume or a delay between voice and picture.
A useful sample is not a performance test. It is a way to catch a wrong screen, hidden camera, muted microphone or permission problem while the cost of repeating the setup is small. If you will demonstrate a sequence of menus, make sure the test includes the parts of the screen viewers need to read. For a stream built from a looped video rather than a live desktop demonstration, check that the playback itself is sound before solving a different problem; this black-screen troubleshooting guide for FFmpeg YouTube streams deals with that distinct case.
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FAQ
Does a Mac’s built-in screen recorder add a webcam bubble?
Apple’s documented built-in workflow records the screen and can include microphone audio, but its instructions do not describe a webcam overlay. If you need your face in the recording, use a tool with a screen-and-camera mode or build a scene with both sources in a recorder such as OBS.
Why is my camera preview blank?
Check that the recorder has camera permission, that the intended camera is selected, and that another application is not using it. On Windows, review the relevant camera permission controls; in a browser, check the site’s camera permission as well. Reopen the recorder after changing access if the preview does not refresh.
Why does the recording have no narration?
The selected microphone may be wrong, muted or blocked by an operating-system or browser permission. Speak while watching the recorder’s meter, then make and replay a brief test recording. If the meter does not move, select the intended input in the recorder’s settings before capturing the full take.
Can Loom record two monitors at once?
Atlassian’s Loom support guidance says Loom cannot record two monitors at once or switch monitors during a recording. Choose the display you need before starting, or consider a different workflow if your presentation depends on showing both screens.