How to Automatically Split Recordings in OBS Studio

Managing massive video files can be difficult for your computer to process and increases the risk of losing footage due to crashes. OBS Studio includes a built-in feature that automatically divides a continuous recording into smaller, segmented time chunks. This guide will show you exactly how to enable and configure this setting so your long recording sessions are safely and systematically saved into distinct files.

Step 1: Open Settings

Launch OBS Studio on your computer. In the bottom-right corner of the interface, click on the Settings button (or go to File > Settings in the top menu bar).

Step 2: Navigate to Output Settings

In the left-hand sidebar of the Settings window, click on Output.

Depending on your setup, your Output Mode at the top of this window will be set to either Simple or Advanced. The automatic splitting feature is available in both modes.

Step 3: Configure Automatic File Splitting

Follow the instructions below based on your selected Output Mode:

If your Output Mode is set to “Simple”:

Scroll down to the Recording section.
Locate the Automatic File Splitting option.
Check the box next to Split by time (or Split by size if you prefer to segment by megabytes/gigabytes).
Set your desired interval. For time-based splitting, enter the duration in minutes or hours (e.g., 00:15:00 for 15-minute segments).

If your Output Mode is set to “Advanced”:

Click on the Recording tab at the top of the window.
Scroll down until you find the Automatic File Splitting section.
Check the box to enable Split by time.
Input your preferred time chunk duration in the format of Hours:Minutes:Seconds.

Step 4: Apply and Save

Once you have set your preferred time interval, click Apply in the bottom-right corner, and then click OK to close the Settings menu.

When you start your next recording, OBS Studio will seamlessly split the video file into your specified time chunks without pausing your stream or interrupting the recording process.