OBS QuickShare turns OBS Studio into a one-click async video recorder — records safely to MKV, auto-remuxes to MP4, and syncs to your Google Drive instantly. No subscriptions. No cloud accounts. No watermarks. Just your recording, in your Drive.
If you use a subscription-based screen recorder (like Loom) and want the same workflow running locally — fully private, unlimited, and free — this tool is for you.
| Feature | OBS QuickShare |
|---|---|
| Cost | Free |
| Screen + Webcam | ✓ |
| Google Drive sync | Automatic |
| Privacy | Stays on your machine |
| Recording limit | Unlimited |
| Watermark | Never |
| Open source | ✓ MIT License |
You click record
│
▼
OBS records to MKV ──── crash-safe format, never lose a recording
│
▼ (auto-remux on stop)
MP4 written to staging folder
│
▼ (obs-quickshare watcher)
File stability check ──── waits until file is fully written
│
▼
Moved to Google Drive folder ──── Drive desktop app uploads automatically
- OBS Studio 28.0 or newer (must be launched at least once)
- Python 3.9+ or download a pre-built binary (see Releases)
- Google Drive for Desktop (optional, for auto-sync)
pip install obs-quickshare
obs-quickshare installThat's it. The installer will:
- Detect your OBS config directory
- Select the best available encoder (Apple VideoToolbox on Mac, NVENC on NVIDIA, etc.)
- Create an optimized recording profile (CQP 23, MKV → MP4 remux)
- Create a "Screen + Webcam" scene with PiP layout
- Create a one-click launcher in
~/Applications/(macOS) or Desktop (Windows) - Detect your Google Drive folder and configure auto-sync
obs-quickshare install --yesobs-quickshare install --rclone-remote gdriveRequires rclone to be configured with a remote named gdrive.
obs-quickshare install # Full guided install
obs-quickshare install --yes # Non-interactive, accept defaults
obs-quickshare install --force # Overwrite existing config
obs-quickshare install --rclone-remote <name> # Use rclone for Drive sync
obs-quickshare uninstall # Remove profile, scene, launcher (keeps recordings)
obs-quickshare status # Show config, encoder, Drive mode
obs-quickshare watch # Start the file watcher (foreground)
obs-quickshare --version
OBS QuickShare supports three sync modes, auto-detected at install time:
If Google Drive for Desktop is installed, OBS QuickShare detects your local sync folder and moves finished recordings directly into it. The Drive desktop app handles the upload automatically — no API keys, no OAuth, no configuration required.
Supported paths:
- macOS:
~/Library/CloudStorage/GoogleDrive-*/My Drive/(Drive for Desktop ≥ v54) - macOS legacy:
~/Google Drive/ - Windows:
~/My Drive/,~/Google Drive/
Files are placed in a OBS QuickShare/ subfolder inside your Drive.
The watcher never moves a file until it is fully written — it waits for the file size to be stable for at least 6 seconds and confirms no process has the file open.
For headless machines or users without the Drive desktop app:
# Configure a rclone remote first:
rclone config
# Then install with:
obs-quickshare install --rclone-remote gdriveWhen you stop recording, OBS QuickShare will:
- Upload the file to your rclone remote (synchronously)
- Generate a shareable link via
rclone link - Copy the link to your clipboard
This is the recommended way to get instant shareable links for your recordings.
If neither Drive nor rclone is available, recordings stay in ~/Movies/OBS QuickShare/
(macOS) or ~/Videos/OBS QuickShare/ (Windows/Linux). You're informed at install time.
OBS QuickShare automatically selects the best encoder available:
| Encoder | Hardware | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Apple VideoToolbox (H.264) | ✓ | macOS |
| NVIDIA NVENC (H.264/HEVC) | ✓ | Windows, Linux |
| AMD AMF (H.264) | ✓ | Windows, Linux |
| Intel QuickSync (H.264) | ✓ | Windows, Linux |
| x264 (software) | ✗ | All (fallback) |
All hardware encoders use CQP 23 — excellent quality with minimal CPU impact.
| Setting | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Format | MKV → MP4 (auto-remux) | MKV is crash-safe; MP4 is shareable |
| Quality | CQP 23 | Near-lossless, ~50% smaller than CRF 18 |
| Resolution | 1920×1080 | Standard 1080p |
| FPS | 30 | Good balance for screen content |
| Audio | AAC 160 kbps, 48 kHz stereo | Clear voice-over quality |
The QuickShare scene includes:
- Full-screen display capture (primary display)
- Webcam PiP (320×180, bottom-right corner)
- Chroma key filter included but disabled by default — enable it in OBS if you have a green screen
You can customize the layout in OBS after installation without affecting the profile settings.
| Platform | Status |
|---|---|
| macOS (Apple Silicon + Intel) | Primary |
| Windows 10/11 | Supported |
| Linux | Best-effort |
- Login Item / startup service (auto-start watcher on login)
- Configurable resolution / FPS presets
- Homebrew formula
- Windows MSI installer
Contributions welcome. Please open an issue before submitting a large PR.
git clone https://github.com/eganc/obs-quickshare
cd obs-quickshare
pip install -e ".[dev]"
pytestMIT — see LICENSE.