Backdrop Cam
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OBS · Mac
A video background in OBS, on your Mac, without a green screen
Updated October 2026 · checked against OBS Studio's own documentation
Short answer
OBS can do it with a plugin and a scene you build by hand. The simpler route on a Mac is to add Backdrop Cam as a Video Capture Device: you arrive already cut out and in front of your video, so the scene is one source.
What OBS Studio supports on its own
| Your own video | Your own image | Blur |
|---|---|---|
| Partly | Partly | Partly |
Needs a third-party background-removal plugin plus a looping Media Source layer and the virtual camera.
Source: OBS forums: Background Removal plugin, checked October 2026.
How to use a video background in OBS Studio
Pick your video in Backdrop Cam
Click the Backdrop Cam icon in the menu bar, then the background thumbnail. Add a clip with +, from Photos, or by dragging a video file in. Click a tile to use it.
Add Backdrop Cam to your scene
In OBS, under Sources, click + → Video Capture Device → Device: Backdrop Cam.
Stream or record as usual
Backdrop Cam sends 1280×720 at 30 fps. Switch backgrounds from the menu bar while you're live.
The usual OBS recipe, and why it's heavy
The common setup stacks a camera with a background-removal filter over a looping Media Source, then starts OBS's virtual camera for calls. It works, but a full broadcast studio runs for one effect, the scene is built by hand, the virtual camera has to be started before each call, and the webcam stays on while OBS is open.
What Backdrop Cam does instead
Backdrop Cam is a native macOS camera extension: no scene, no plugin, nothing to start. Your webcam runs only while an app is using Backdrop Cam, and the cut-out runs on the Neural Engine.
Questions
How do I get a virtual background in OBS on a Mac without a green screen?
Either install a background-removal plugin and build the layers yourself, or add Backdrop Cam as a Video Capture Device: it already contains you in front of your video.
Do I still need OBS's virtual camera for Zoom or Meet?
Not for backgrounds. Choose Backdrop Cam directly in the meeting app. Use OBS only if you also want overlays or scenes.