How to Use Hybrid MP4 in OBS Studio

OBS Studio recently added Hybrid MP4 in version 30.2, which is a recording format that combines the compatibility of regular MP4 with the crash resistance of fragmented recording formats. It became the default recording format for new profiles in OBS Studio 32.0. So if you have been avoiding MP4 formats up until now, it's worth seeing what the format offers because it's quite a useful feature to be using.

What Is Hybrid MP4 in OBS Studio?

Hybrid MP4 is designed to give you the compatibility of MP4 while making your recordings more resistant to crashes and interruptions. For example, regular MP4 recordings need to be finalised when you stop recording. If OBS crashes or your PC shuts down before you click stop, there's a very high chance that the entire recording is corrupted.

In comparison, Hybrid MP4 records differently by writing the file in a fragmented format while you record. When you stop the recording normally, OBS finalises it so it can be used like a standard MP4 file. It basically just chops things up into smaller parts, then stacks them all at the end so you only potentially lose the last fragment that was interrupted, not the entire track.

OBS made Hybrid MP4 the default container for new profiles in version 32.0 for a very good reason, it has all the benefits of MKV without any of the annoying incompatibilities. MP4 is one of the most supported, if not the most supported video format, so using it makes life easier and saves a lot of time.

How to Use Hybrid MP4 in OBS Studio

Hybrid MP4 is already the default recording format for new OBS profiles on Windows and Linux, but you can check your settings manually. If you haven't clean-installed OBS recently and are using custom settings, there's a good chance that it is still using whatever old format you had configured.

• Open OBS Studio.
• Click Settings.
• Select Output.
• Open the Recording section.
• Find Recording Format.
• Select Hybrid MP4.
• Click Apply and then OK.

Hybrid MP4 vs MKV

MKV has traditionally been the recommended format for OBS recordings because it is very forgiving if a recording is interrupted. It also supports every audio and video encoder available in OBS. But the downside of MKV is that it isn't well supported by editing software, so you may need to remux the recording into another format before editing.

While MKV is a great format, it's super annoying to have to convert your recordings into a totally different format using something like HandBrake. It can take ages if you have a long recording.

What Codecs Does Hybrid MP4 Support?

Hybrid MP4 supports all the usual common video and audio codecs:

• H.264
• HEVC
• AV1
• AAC
• Opus
• FLAC
• ALAC

There are some differences between Hybrid MP4 and Hybrid MOV in codec support. Hybrid MOV also supports ProRes, while Hybrid MP4 supports AV1. The main thing is that you choose the right codec for the software you plan to use for editing or playback. Some editing software hates dealing with certain formats.