OBS Studio Cheat Sheet
Free screen recording and live streaming. Scenes are layouts; sources are what goes in them (screen, camera, images, browser). Most global hotkeys are empty by default; set them in Settings → Hotkeys.
On this page
Preview Shortcuts (select a source first) #
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Ctrl + E | Edit transform (exact size / position) |
Ctrl + R | Reset transform |
Ctrl + F | Fit to screen |
Ctrl + S | Stretch to screen |
Ctrl + D | Center on screen |
Alt + drag an edge | Crop the source |
Shift + drag | Resize freely (ignore aspect ratio) |
Arrows | Nudge 1 px |
Ctrl + C / Ctrl + V | Copy / paste a source (reference) |
Delete | Remove the source |
| Right-click → Filters | Add filters (chroma key, noise suppression, color correction) |
Hotkeys Worth Setting #
| Hotkey | Use |
|---|---|
| Start / stop recording | Record without opening OBS |
| Pause recording | Skip parts |
| Start / stop streaming | Go live quickly |
| Mute / unmute mic (push-to-talk) | Audio control |
| Switch to scene X | Change layouts live |
| Save replay buffer | Clip the last N seconds |
| Toggle the visibility of a source | Show / hide the webcam |
Common Sources #
| Source | Captures |
|---|---|
| Display Capture | Your whole monitor |
| Window Capture | One application window |
| Game Capture | A game (best performance, Windows) |
| Video Capture Device | Webcam / capture card |
| Audio Input / Output Capture | Mic / desktop sound |
| Browser | A web page or an alert overlay (URL) |
| Image / Media Source | Logos, videos, background music |
| Text (GDI+ / FreeType) | Text overlays |
Recommended Settings #
| Setting | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Recording format | MKV or Hybrid MP4 (survives crashes); File → Remux Recordings converts MKV to MP4 |
| Encoder | Hardware: NVENC (NVIDIA), AMF (AMD), QuickSync (Intel) |
| Recording quality | CQP/CRF ~ 18–23 (lower = better quality, bigger file) |
| Streaming bitrate (1080p60) | ~ 6000 kbps (Twitch); higher for YouTube |
| Base / output resolution | Your monitor / what you want to publish |
| FPS | 30 for tutorials, 60 for games |
| Audio | 48 kHz, add Noise Suppression (RNNoise) to the mic |
Useful Features #
| Feature | Where |
|---|---|
| Auto-configuration wizard | Tools → Auto-Configuration Wizard |
| Studio Mode (preview before going live) | Studio Mode button |
| Replay Buffer | Settings → Output → Replay Buffer |
| Virtual Camera (use OBS in Zoom / Teams) | Start Virtual Camera |
| Stats (dropped frames, CPU) | Docks → Stats |
| Scene collections & profiles | Top menu, for different setups |
Command-Line Options #
| Flag | Action |
|---|---|
--startrecording | Start recording on launch |
--startstreaming | Start streaming on launch |
--startvirtualcam | Start the virtual camera |
--scene "Name" | Open with a specific scene |
--minimize-to-tray | Start hidden |
Tips #
- Black screen with Display Capture on a laptop? Set OBS to the same GPU as the display in Windows Settings → Display → Graphics.
- Test with a 10-second recording before every important session.
Nothing on this sheet matches “”.