# Command line options/scripting for start recording on startup, split recordings on time/filesize



## WhatHaveYouBecome (Feb 3, 2018)

Hi there,

I have been trying to find a script that would enable OBS to record on startup as well as to split recordings after a certain time or filesize has been reached. Sadly, there seems to be no automation to do so as for now, and the startup options are IMHO still quite limited (the closest that I found was http://jp9000.github.io/OBS/general/shortcut.html - there it starts off with streaming, and I'm not really interested in that).

I was wondering if you could take into consideration adding a startup script possibility, or the feature for adding "start recording on startup" for the command line switches? These are amongst the crucial features still a bit lacking from OBS's startup options:

- Start recording on startup (now command line selection '-start' is only for streaming AND recording, if recording is selected, on startup)
- Split recorded file automatically after xx minutes / xx MB/GB filesize (i.e.: If you start OBS with recording enabled, it'll automatically start splitting the files and recording to a new one after either a min/sec limit or filesize limit is reached)

This would make my life a lot easier, and I think lot of others would agree. Thank you in advance.


----------



## Moxy (Sep 14, 2018)

Thanks for expressing this suggestion so well.  I'd like to second this request.  It would be very helpful if OBS could record from the command line without streaming, and a mechanism to split recordings into multiple files would be great addition.   We want to continuously record and monitor a machine.  Ideally a command line option would also allow it to launch minimized.


----------



## RytoEX (Sep 14, 2018)

The startup options linked in the first post are for OBS Classic, not OBS Studio.  The command line parameters for OBS Studio _do_ include "--startrecording", which starts recording on startup without streaming.  There is also "--minimize-to-tray" which starts OBS in the system tray.

For the second part, you could use the Output Timer, but you would only ever end up with a single file.  You could probably use a script to time the stop/start recording button by calling obs.obs_frontend_recording_stop() and obs.obs_frontend_recording_start() on a timer.  You might even be able to rely on the Output Timer for stopping recording every time, and just using the timer to start recording again.  Or you could use an external script to send obs-websocket commands for stop/start.

Keep in mind that with any of these, you'll probably have small gaps in between the recordings.


----------



## SvetlanaTkachenko (Apr 1, 2022)

Awesome, RytoEX.

Would also be interested in the split by time, like dashcams do.


----------

