Open File > Show Recordings in OBS to open the current recording folder. The default is Videos on Windows, Movies on a Mac and your home folder on Linux, until you change the Recording Path. To send future recordings elsewhere, open Settings > Output and use Browse beside Recording Path in your active output mode.
Open the folder OBS is using
I'd start with Show Recordings because it follows your active settings, including a folder you've moved or customised. On Windows and Linux, open the File menu in the OBS window. On a Mac, bring OBS to the front and use File in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
The command opens the base folder stored in the active profile and output mode. It doesn't collect every recording you've ever made. A profile change, a switch between Simple and Advanced, or a path change can send the next recording somewhere different.
Right after a successful Stop Recording, the status bar shows Recording saved to '...' with the file's full path. Read that message before it disappears: it identifies the file just saved, including any dated subfolder. Show Recordings can open a different folder if you've changed the output settings since that file was made.
Default folders on Windows, Mac and Linux
These are the starting locations for an unchanged Recording Path. OBS doesn't add an OBS-named subfolder to them.
| System | Default recording destination | Check this if it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | The Videos known folder, usually %USERPROFILE%\Videos | A moved or redirected Videos folder can live on another drive. |
| macOS | Movies in your home folder, usually /Users/<your name>/Movies | Read this profile's Recording Path if you chose another destination. |
| Linux | The home directory available to OBS, $HOME, commonly /home/<your name> | With a packaged or sandboxed build, trust the path shown in OBS rather than assuming its mapping. |
For an existing profile, the field in Settings > Output settles the question. The platform default won't tell you where files went after you selected a custom folder.
Change where future recordings are saved
Make this change between sessions. OBS disables output controls while video outputs are active. If Replay Buffer is running, save any history you want to keep and wait for Replay buffer saved to '...' before stopping it; stopping the buffer doesn't save its remaining history.
Choose a folder on a drive that will stay connected, is writable and has enough free space for your session. Changing Recording Path affects future recordings. Earlier files stay in the old folder until you move them yourself.
Simple output mode
- Open Settings from the Controls dock and select Output.
- Leave Output Mode set to Simple.
- In the Recording group, select Browse beside Recording Path and choose the folder.
- Press Apply, then OK.
The Recording Path field determines the recording destination. You don't need to change the encoder, recording quality or format to choose a different folder.
Advanced output mode
- In Settings > Output, leave Output Mode set to Advanced.
- Open the Recording tab and check that Type reads Standard.
- In Recording Settings, use Browse beside Recording Path.
- Choose the folder, press Apply, then OK.
Open File > Show Recordings again to check the saved destination. Simple and Advanced store separate paths. If you regularly switch between them, I'd point both at the same folder to keep new recordings together.
If the recording Type is Custom Output (FFmpeg)
Custom Output (FFmpeg) uses a separate destination. For a local recording, FFmpeg Output Type reads Output to File, and the folder appears in File path or URL. With Output to URL, the output goes to the configured URL instead. Show Recordings still opens the stored local FFmpeg folder, so that command doesn't prove that URL output created a local video.
If the recording isn't in that folder
Look in the folder used when the recording was made before changing more settings. Sort by modification date and search inside its subfolders. A recording can be in the right base folder with a name or extension you weren't expecting.
Check the profile and output mode
An OBS profile stores Output settings, including the recording destination; Scene Collections hold the scenes. Your preview can look identical after a profile switch while recordings go elsewhere. Check the active name in the Profile menu, then read that profile's Output settings.
A new profile starts with defaults. Duplicating a profile copies its settings, including its path. If you changed from Simple to Advanced, check the path stored in the previous mode too. Note the current settings before switching anything, and make those changes with outputs stopped.
Check dated subfolders and the filename
Settings > Advanced > Recording > Filename Formatting controls the name inside Recording Path. The default pattern is %CCYY-%MM-%DD %hh-%mm-%ss. It produces a date and time, so searching for the recording date can help you find a file whose title isn't descriptive.
The pattern can also contain folders. OBS's filename-formatting example uses year, month and day subfolders. A pattern such as %CCYY/%MM/%DD/%hh-%mm-%ss puts the file below the base Recording Path. Show Recordings opens the base folder; follow the dated folders inside it.
Search beyond MP4
Read Recording Format in the same Output settings used for the recording. Current fresh settings use Hybrid MP4 on Windows and Linux, or Hybrid MOV on macOS, but an older or customised profile can still use MKV or another format. Search by date across file types instead of filtering only for .mp4; include .mkv and .mov.
Check whether OBS could write the file
Bad File Path means OBS couldn't open the configured local recording folder. If that check fails before recording starts, no recording file is created. Reconnect the external drive or choose an existing, writable folder with Browse. A permissions problem can also produce a recording error, so read the dialog rather than assuming that an empty folder means a successful recording disappeared.
Insufficient disk space can stop a recording already in progress. Check the destination drive's free space and inspect any file left there; don't assume the full session was saved.
Check that you recorded as well as streamed
Streaming alone doesn't create a local recording. You need a recording started with Start Recording or the automatic recording option. To record future streams automatically, use Settings > General > Automatically record when streaming. Keep recording when stream stops lets the local recording continue after the stream ends.
Where replay clips and remuxed copies go
Replay Buffer clips use the active recording destination: the Simple Recording Path or the Advanced Standard Recording Path. The filename can include the Replay prefix and any folder pattern. Starting Replay Buffer only keeps rolling history in memory; use Save Replay or its hotkey to write a clip, then read Replay buffer saved to '...' for its exact location.
File > Remux Recordings creates a converted copy. Its suggested Target File is beside the source recording; an MKV source normally gets an MP4 target. Inspect or edit that target before pressing Remux, especially if you want the copy on another drive. The source stays in place. Automatic remuxing can also leave a second file beside the recording, so use the saved-path message and modification date to identify the copy.
Confirm the destination with a private recording
Before a session that matters, follow OBS's recommendation to check Output and make a short test recording. Record something you can keep private, then stop and read the saved path. Open Show Recordings, follow any dated subfolders and play the new file to check its picture and sound. Once that file lands where you intended, keep an eye on the active profile: changing it can change the destination again.
