OBS stores recordings in a folder you choose, and you can find them by opening that folder on your computer

When you record with OBS (Open Broadcaster Software), the video file goes to a specific location on your hard drive. By default, OBS saves recordings to your Videos folder, but you may have changed this setting. The fastest way to find your recording is to open OBS, check where it is set to save files, then navigate to that folder using your file manager.

If you recorded recently and do not remember changing the save location, start by opening your Videos folder. On Windows, this is usually C:\Users\[Your Username]\Videos. On Mac, it is in your home folder under Videos. Look for files with names like "2024-01-15 14-32-45.mkv" or similar — OBS names files by date and time by default.

Key Takeaways

  • OBS saves recordings to your Videos folder by default, but you can check the exact location in OBS settings under Output.
  • Recording files are named by date and time (for example, 2024-01-15 14-32-45.mkv) and are usually in MKV or MP4 format.
  • If you cannot find your recording in the default location, search your entire hard drive for the filename or check OBS's Output settings to see where you told it to save.
  • You can change where OBS saves future recordings at any time by opening OBS, going to Settings, then Output, and typing a new folder path.

Check OBS settings to see your recording save location

The most reliable way to find your recording is to ask OBS where it put it. Open OBS, then click File in the menu bar (on Windows) or OBS (on Mac), then select Settings. In the Settings window, click Output on the left side.

Look for the section labeled Recording. You will see a field that says Recording Path or File Path. This shows the exact folder where OBS is saving your video files. Copy this path, open your file manager (File Explorer on Windows, Finder on Mac), and paste the path into the address bar. Your recording should be in that folder.

If the path looks like a single folder name with no slashes (for example, just "Videos"), OBS is using a shorthand. In that case, it is saving to your Videos folder in your home directory. Navigate there using your file manager's sidebar or by typing the full path yourself.

Search your computer if you cannot locate the folder

If the path in OBS settings does not exist or you cannot find it, use your computer's search function to locate the file. On Windows, click the search icon in the taskbar, type the filename (or part of it, like the date of your recording), and press Enter. Windows will search your entire hard drive for matching files.

On Mac, click the Spotlight search icon in the top right corner, type the filename or date, and press Enter. Spotlight searches your Mac quickly and will show you the file and its location. Once you find it, you can see the full path by right-clicking the file and selecting "Get Info" (Mac) or "Properties" (Windows).

If you recorded multiple times and do not remember the exact filename, search for ".mkv" or ".mp4" (the file formats OBS uses) along with the approximate date. This narrows the results to video files from around when you recorded.

Understand OBS recording file formats and naming

OBS records in one of two formats: MKV (Matroska) or MP4. By default, OBS uses MKV format because it is more reliable if the recording is interrupted — if OBS crashes or your computer loses power, an MKV file is more likely to be recoverable than an MP4. You can change the format in OBS Settings under Output by clicking the Recording Format dropdown.

Filenames follow a pattern: the date, then the time, then the format. An example is "2024-01-15 14-32-45.mkv", which means the recording started on January 15, 2024 at 2:32 PM and 45 seconds. If you recorded multiple times on the same day, the timestamps help you identify which file is which. You can rename files after recording without affecting whether they play.

Change your recording save location for future recordings

If you want OBS to save recordings to a different folder going forward, open OBS, go to Settings, then Output, and look for Recording Path. Click the folder icon next to the path field, or click directly in the text field and type a new path. You can choose any folder on your computer — your Desktop, a dedicated "Recordings" folder, an external hard drive, or anywhere else.

After you change the path, click Apply and then OK to save the change. All future recordings will go to the new location. This does not move your old recordings — they stay in the old folder. If you want to organize old recordings, you can move them manually using your file manager.

If you choose an external hard drive or network location, make sure it is connected and accessible before you start recording. If OBS cannot reach the save location when you hit Record, it will either fail silently or show an error message.

Recover a recording if OBS crashed or stopped unexpectedly

If OBS crashed while you were recording, your file may still be in the save folder, but it might not play properly. MKV files are more forgiving in this situation — you can often open and play a partially written MKV file even if OBS did not close it cleanly. MP4 files are less reliable and may not play at all if the recording was not finished properly.

If you have a file that will not play, try opening it with a different media player. VLC Media Player (free, available on Windows, Mac, and Linux) can often play damaged or incomplete video files that other players cannot. If the file still will not play, you may be able to recover it using video repair tools, though recovery is not may provide.

To avoid this problem in the future, always click the Stop Recording button in OBS before closing the program. This ensures the file is written completely to disk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I find my recording even though I know I hit the Record button?

Check whether OBS actually started recording. In OBS, the Record button turns red when recording is active. If you do not see a red indicator, the recording never started. Also verify that you did not accidentally change the save location in Settings. If you are still stuck, search your entire hard drive for .mkv and .mp4 files from the date you recorded.

Can I move my recordings to a different folder after OBS saves them?

Yes. You can move, copy, or rename recording files just like any other file on your computer. Moving them does not affect whether they play. If you want to organize old recordings, create a new folder and drag the files into it using your file manager.

What if my recording file is huge and taking up too much space?

Video files are large by nature. A one-hour recording at 1080p can be 5 to 15 GB depending on your bitrate settings. If space is tight, you can delete recordings you no longer need, or move them to an external hard drive. You can also lower your bitrate in OBS Settings under Output to make future recordings smaller, though this reduces video quality.

Why is my recording in MKV format and I want MP4 instead?

You can change the format for future recordings in OBS Settings under Output by clicking the Recording Format dropdown and selecting MP4. Existing MKV files stay as MKV. If you need to convert an old recording to MP4, you can use a free tool like HandBrake or FFmpeg, though this takes time and does not improve quality.