Your recordings are saved to a folder on your computer, not inside OBS itself

When you stop recording in OBS, the video file goes to a specific folder on your hard drive — OBS does not keep recordings inside the program. By default, OBS saves to your Videos folder, but you can change where it saves. The first step is to check OBS settings to see the exact location, then navigate there using your file explorer.

If you recorded something and cannot find it, the file is almost certainly on your computer already. It is just a matter of knowing where OBS was pointed to save it. Most people find their recordings within a minute once they know the path to check.

Key Takeaways

  • OBS saves recordings to your Videos folder by default on Windows and Mac, but you can change this location in settings at any time.
  • The fastest way to find your recording is to open OBS, go to File menu, then Show Recordings, which opens the folder directly.
  • If you cannot find a recording, check the OBS settings under Output to confirm the file path, then search your computer for the file name.
  • Recording files are usually MP4 or MKV format and can be played in any video player once you locate them.

Use the Show Recordings button in OBS to jump straight to the folder

The simplest way to find your recording is to let OBS take you there. Open OBS, click the File menu at the top, then select Show Recordings. This opens a file explorer window showing the exact folder where your videos are stored. Your most recent recording should be visible there.

This method works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. If the button is grayed out or does not appear, it means you have not recorded anything yet in that session, or OBS is not configured to save to a valid location. In that case, move to the next section to check your settings.

Check your recording path in OBS settings

If Show Recordings does not work, or you want to change where OBS saves files, open OBS and click Settings in the bottom right corner. On the left side, click Output. Under the Recording tab, you will see a field labeled Recording Path — this shows exactly where OBS is saving your files.

The path might look like C:\Users\YourName\Videos on Windows or /Users/YourName/Movies on Mac. Write down or copy this path. Then open your file explorer (File Explorer on Windows, Finder on Mac) and paste the path into the address bar to navigate directly to that folder. Your recording should be there.

If you want to change where OBS saves recordings, click the folder icon next to the Recording Path field, choose a new location, and click Select Folder. OBS will save all future recordings to that location instead.

Search your computer if the file is not in the default location

If you checked the recording path and the file is not there, the recording may have been saved somewhere else. This can happen if you changed the path in the past and forgot, or if OBS crashed before finishing the save. Use your computer's search function to find the file by name.

On Windows, click the search icon in the taskbar and type the file name — it usually starts with the date and time, like 2024-01-15 14-30-45. On Mac, click the Spotlight icon in the top right and search the same way. The search will show you every location where a file with that name exists on your computer.

If you do not remember the file name, search for *.mp4 or *.mkv — these are the file types OBS uses. The search will take longer but will show all video files on your computer. Look for the one with the most recent date.

Understand the file format OBS creates

OBS saves recordings as either MP4 or MKV files, depending on what you chose in settings. MP4 is the most common format and plays in almost any video player — Windows Media Player, QuickTime, VLC, or your web browser. MKV is a more advanced format that preserves higher quality but requires a player that supports it, like VLC.

When you find your recording file, you can double-click it to play it when ready. You can also right-click and choose Open With to pick a specific player. If your default player does not work, read VLC — it plays both formats without any setup.

Move or rename your recording after you find it

Once you locate your recording, you can move it to a different folder, rename it, or share it. Right-click the file and select Cut or Copy, then navigate to wherever you want to store it and paste it there. You can also right-click and choose Rename to give it a more descriptive name than the default timestamp.

If you plan to edit the recording, keep it in a folder you can easily find again. Many video editors like DaVinci Resolve or CapCut can open MP4 and MKV files directly, so you do not need to convert the file first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I find my OBS recording anywhere?

Check the Recording Path in OBS settings to confirm where it is saving. If the path points to a folder that no longer exists, OBS may have failed to save the file at all. Try recording a short test video and when ready check the folder while OBS is still open. If the test file appears, your next recording should too.

Can I change where OBS saves recordings after I start recording?

No — you must set the recording path before you hit Record. If you change the path while recording, OBS will finish saving to the old location. Stop the current recording, change the path in settings, then start a new recording to use the new location.

What if my recording file is corrupted or won't play?

If the file exists but will not open, try playing it in VLC instead of your default player — VLC can often recover partially corrupted files. If it still does not work, the recording may have been interrupted when OBS crashed. Check your OBS logs in Settings > General > Logs to see if there was an error during recording.

How much disk space do OBS recordings use?

A one-hour recording at 1080p resolution uses roughly 3 to 5 gigabytes of space, depending on your frame rate and bitrate settings. Higher resolutions and frame rates use more space. Check how much free space you have on your hard drive before recording long sessions.

Can I recover a recording if I accidentally deleted it?

If you deleted the file recently, you may be able to recover it using a file recovery tool like Recuva on Windows or Disk Drill on Mac. The sooner you try, the better your chances. If you emptied the Recycle Bin or Trash, recovery becomes much harder but is sometimes still possible.