From a long session to a short video
MKV is the format many people choose in OBS Studio for gameplay and stream recordings. The reason is safety: if the game or the computer crashes, the MKV recorded so far is still readable. The result is usually a long file, one or two hours of play, with only a few minutes worth showing. Turning it into a highlight video is the main job of the MKV editor:
- zoom the timeline in so seconds become easy to see;
- split before and after each good moment;
- delete the parts in between with ripple delete, so the highlights close up;
- add a cross fade or a fade through black between the moments, if you want smooth changes.
The project is saved in the browser as you go. Recordings larger than 1 GB are not stored with it, so after a reload you add the file again and it is linked back to the timeline.
Facecam, overlays and text
Stacked video tracks let you place one video over another. If your webcam was recorded as a separate file, put it on the upper track, scale it down and move it to a corner. You can choose its size and position freely and snap it to the centre. A channel logo, a still picture or a text label for the score, the level or the player name work the same way. Text clips can have an outline and a shadow, so they stay readable over a busy game picture.
Sound in MKV files
OBS can record several audio tracks into one MKV, for example game sound, microphone and music separately. The editor uses the main audio track of each file. If your voice is on another track, save that track as its own audio file in your recording program and add it to an audio track here. Music can go on its own audio track with a lower volume and a fade at the end, and a clip that is too loud can be turned down for that part only.
Choosing the export
The export starts with MKV, which media players and media servers such as Plex and Kodi handle well. For YouTube, social networks, editors and phones, MP4 is the better choice. Fast games benefit from keeping 60 fps in the project settings, while 30 fps is enough for strategy games and commentary. A 1440p or 4K session can be exported at 1080p to save time and space. For a smaller copy afterwards, use the MKV compressor. If you only need to change the container of a finished file, MKV to MP4 is faster. For automatic cuts to the beat of a song, try the montage maker.
Long, high-resolution recordings take time to export on an average computer, but they never leave it.