OBS Studio keyboard shortcuts
OBS Studio is the free, open-source standard for live streaming and screen recording. Unlike most apps it ships with very few global hotkeys: streaming, recording and scene switching are all unassigned by default so they never clash with your games. The defaults below cover what is actually bound out of the box, plus the standard bindings most streamers assign in Settings under Hotkeys. This cheat sheet covers 29 default shortcuts for Windows and Mac.
Source Editing (Defaults)
| Copy selected source | Ctrl+CCmd+C |
| Paste source (reference) | Ctrl+VCmd+V |
| Remove selected source | DeleteDelete |
| Undo | Ctrl+ZCmd+Z |
| Redo | Ctrl+Shift+ZCmd+Shift+Z |
| Edit transform dialog | Ctrl+ECmd+E |
| Reset transform | Ctrl+RCmd+R |
| Fit source to screen | Ctrl+FCmd+F |
| Stretch source to screen | Ctrl+SCmd+S |
| Center source to screen | Ctrl+DCmd+D |
| Nudge selected source (preview focused) | Arrow keysArrow keys |
| Crop source while dragging bounding box | Alt+DragOption+Drag |
| Move source up in list | Ctrl+Up ArrowCmd+Up Arrow |
| Move source down in list | Ctrl+Down ArrowCmd+Down Arrow |
| Move source to top | Ctrl+HomeCmd+Home |
| Move source to bottom | Ctrl+EndCmd+End |
Recommended: Stream & Record (assign in Settings > Hotkeys)
| Start / stop recording | Ctrl+Shift+RCmd+Shift+R |
| Pause / resume recording | Ctrl+Shift+PCmd+Shift+P |
| Start / stop streaming | Ctrl+Shift+LCmd+Shift+L |
| Save replay buffer | Ctrl+Shift+BCmd+Shift+B |
| Screenshot output | Ctrl+Shift+GCmd+Shift+G |
Recommended: Audio (assign in Settings > Hotkeys)
| Mute / unmute microphone | Ctrl+Shift+MCmd+Shift+M |
| Mute / unmute desktop audio | Ctrl+Shift+DCmd+Shift+D |
| Push-to-talk (hold) | `` |
| Push-to-mute (hold) | Shift+`Shift+` |
Recommended: Scenes & Studio Mode (assign in Settings > Hotkeys)
| Switch to scene 1 through 4 | Ctrl+1 / Ctrl+2 / Ctrl+3 / Ctrl+4Cmd+1 / Cmd+2 / Cmd+3 / Cmd+4 |
| Toggle studio mode | Ctrl+Shift+TCmd+Shift+T |
| Studio mode transition (preview to program) | Ctrl+Shift+SpaceCmd+Shift+Space |
| Show / hide selected source | Ctrl+Shift+HCmd+Shift+H |
Put your top OBS Studio shortcuts on real keys
The five OBS Studio actions most worth binding to a physical macropad key:
Ctrl+Shift+RCmd+Shift+R Start / stop recording The number one OBS action; a physical key with an LED doubles as a recording indicator.
Ctrl+Shift+MCmd+Shift+M Mute / unmute microphone The panic button every streamer needs within instant reach.
Ctrl+Shift+BCmd+Shift+B Save replay buffer Captures the last highlight the moment it happens, mid-game, without alt-tabbing.
Ctrl+Shift+SpaceCmd+Shift+Space Studio mode transition One press to push the preview scene live, exactly like a hardware vision mixer.
Ctrl+1Cmd+1 Switch to scene 1 Dedicated scene keys turn a macropad row into a stream deck.
I hand-build small-batch programmable macropads (QMK/VIA) in Barcelona. One press, any shortcut, any app.
OBS Studio shortcut FAQs
Why do my OBS Studio hotkeys not work out of the box?
OBS ships with almost no global hotkeys assigned by design, so nothing conflicts with games or other software. Open Settings, then Hotkeys, and assign keys for recording, streaming, scene switching and audio yourself.
How do I make OBS hotkeys work while a game is focused?
OBS hotkeys are global and work in the background on Windows by default. On macOS you must grant OBS Accessibility and Input Monitoring permissions in System Settings under Privacy & Security for hotkeys to register while another app has focus.
What is the best hotkey setup for push-to-talk in OBS?
Assign a key you can rest a finger on, such as the backtick or a mouse side button, under Settings, Hotkeys, in your mic's Push-to-talk row. Add a small release delay in Audio settings so word endings are not clipped.
How do I resize a source to fill the screen in OBS?
Select the source and press Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on Mac) to fit it to the screen while keeping its aspect ratio, or Ctrl+S (Cmd+S) to stretch it to fill exactly. Ctrl+E opens the full transform dialog for precise values.
Can I use the same key to start and stop recording in OBS?
Yes. Assign the same key combination to both the Start Recording and Stop Recording rows in Settings, Hotkeys, and it will act as a toggle.