Last updated: 2026-01-08

If you want shortcut keys for screen recording, start by turning on and customizing Hotkeys inside a StreamYard studio so you can control layouts, screen share, and recording without hunting for buttons. If you primarily do offline desktop captures or gameplay, use Loom or OBS shortcuts as a backup option for those more specialized workflows.

Summary

• Use StreamYard Hotkeys to control recording, layouts, and screen share from a browser studio.
• Map only a few high‑impact actions at first: start/stop, mute, screen share, and scene/layout changes.
• Loom and OBS both support keyboard shortcuts, but they require local installs and a bit more setup.
• For most people on typical laptops, browser‑based StreamYard Hotkeys balance speed, reliability, and quality.

How do shortcut keys actually help your screen recordings?

Shortcut keys (or hotkeys) are keyboard combinations that trigger actions like start/stop recording, mute, or switching layouts. Instead of mousing around, you press a key and keep your eyes on the content.

In screen recording, that matters because:

• You avoid capturing awkward cursor wandering and menu clicks.
• You can fix mistakes faster (quickly pausing or restarting a take).
• You look more confident on camera because you stay focused on teaching, not on the UI.

In practice, the sweet spot is a small set of shortcuts that you can remember under pressure. That is where StreamYard’s in‑studio Hotkeys and simple recording controls are designed to be practical for everyday creators. (StreamYard Hotkeys)

How do you set up shortcut keys in StreamYard?

StreamYard lets you configure Hotkeys right inside the studio, so you don’t need to touch your operating system settings or install extra software.

Here’s a simple workflow:

1. Open a StreamYard studio
   Create a recording studio from your dashboard and enter it like you would for a live stream or local recording.

2. Go to Settings → Hotkeys
   Inside the studio, open Settings, then select Hotkeys. You’ll see a list of common actions you can control, such as toggling mute, switching layouts, or triggering banners. (Hotkeys on StreamYard)

3. Assign keys to your most-used actions
   Click into an action and press the key (or combination) you want to assign. A practical starter set:

   • Start/stop recording (or start/stop broadcast)
   • Mute/unmute mic
   • Show/hide screen share
   • Switch between your main layout and a slides‑focused layout

4. Test before you go “on air”
   Do a quick dry run recording. Make sure the browser tab with StreamYard has focus so the Hotkeys fire reliably.

5. Control recording with Hotkeys
   If you’re using StreamYard’s recording controls, you can trigger pause, resume, and cancel via Hotkeys so you don’t have to reveal the UI in the recording. (Recording controls)

Because the whole workflow lives in your browser, there’s no need to tune encoding settings or worry about GPU load. You get presenter‑visible screen sharing, layouts, local multi‑track recording for post‑production, and branding overlays in the same session—your Hotkeys simply sit on top of that studio. (StreamYard pricing overview)

How do StreamYard Hotkeys compare to Loom and OBS shortcuts?

When you care mainly about recording what’s on your screen, your practical options tend to fall into three buckets:

• Browser studio with built‑in layouts and guests → StreamYard
• Quick one‑off async videos → Loom
• Heavy desktop/gameplay capture → OBS

Here’s how shortcut keys fit into each.

StreamYard (browser‑based studio)

• Hotkeys are configured per studio via Settings → Hotkeys and tied directly to on‑screen actions (layouts, overlays, screen share, recording). (Hotkeys on StreamYard)
• Recording controls like pause/resume/cancel can be triggered by Hotkeys, which keeps your cursor off the UI. (Recording controls)
• At StreamYard, we support local multi‑track recording, presenter‑only notes, and branded overlays in the same environment, so one set of shortcuts can run your entire show.

Loom (desktop app & Chrome extension)

• Loom exposes quick keyboard shortcuts like Cmd+Shift+L on Mac and Ctrl+Shift+L on Windows to start and stop recordings in the desktop app. (Loom keyboard shortcuts)
• You can review or override shortcuts in the app (Settings → Preferences) and manage extension shortcuts from your browser’s own shortcuts page. (Loom keyboard shortcuts)
• The free Starter plan limits standard screen recordings to 5 minutes and 25 stored videos, so frequent shortcut‑driven recordings typically require a paid plan. (Loom pricing)

OBS Studio (installed desktop app)

• In OBS, you configure hotkeys from Settings → Hotkeys, assigning keys to actions like Start Recording, Stop Recording, and scene switches. (OBS hotkeys guide)
• Most recording actions have no default keys; you must configure them yourself before they work. (OBS hotkeys guide)
• OBS can act on global hotkeys (even when it’s in the background), but behavior depends on your OS, focus settings, and permissions—on some Linux Wayland setups, for example, background hotkeys may not function at all. (OBS forum discussion)

For many US‑based creators on everyday laptops, StreamYard’s browser‑first model avoids the heavier setup and hardware tuning that OBS asks for, while its per‑workspace pricing can be more predictable for teams compared with Loom’s per‑user pricing. (Loom pricing)

How can you use StreamYard Hotkeys with a Stream Deck and other controllers?

If you already use an Elgato Stream Deck or similar macro pad, you can pair it with StreamYard’s Hotkeys for almost button‑free recording.

A straightforward setup looks like this:

1. In a StreamYard studio, assign simple key combinations to important actions via Settings → Hotkeys.
2. In your Stream Deck software, create buttons that “press” those same key combinations.
3. Label the buttons with the actions—"Start/Stop", "Mute", "Screen Share", "Next Layout".

This mapping lets you trigger StreamYard’s browser‑based studio actions from physical buttons, which is particularly handy when you’re juggling screen shares, portrait/landscape layouts, and multi‑participant demos. (Stream Deck integration)

What’s the right number of shortcut keys to start with?

The biggest mistake new recorders make is assigning too many shortcuts. You don’t need a full control room on day one.

A simple starter preset for StreamYard:

• R – Start/stop recording or broadcast
• M – Mute/unmute microphone
• S – Toggle screen share
• 1 / 2 – Switch between two core layouts (e.g., you + screen, and screen‑only)

In Loom, you might rely just on the default start/stop shortcut, then use the on‑screen controls for anything else. (Loom keyboard shortcuts)

In OBS, set keys only for Start Recording, Stop Recording, and your most important scene switch; leave niche actions for later once you’re comfortable. (OBS hotkeys guide)

As your comfort grows, you can layer in shortcuts for overlays, banners, or camera toggles in StreamYard, which helps when you’re running more polished presenter‑led sessions.

Why do screen recording shortcuts sometimes stop working?

If your hotkeys suddenly fail mid‑recording, it’s usually something small, not a broken app. A few common causes:

• Wrong window is focused – In browser‑based tools like StreamYard, the tab must be active for Hotkeys to register.
• OS‑level conflicts – Your OS or another app might already own that key combo.
• Permission or admin mismatches – In OBS, running the game as admin but OBS as a regular user (or vice versa) can block hotkeys from firing globally. (OBS forum discussion)
• Platform constraints – On some Linux Wayland setups, global hotkeys simply aren’t available for OBS. (OBS forum discussion)

If a shortcut misbehaves, first simplify: close extra apps, make sure the recording app has focus, and temporarily swap to a simpler key combination to rule out conflicts.

What we recommend

• Use StreamYard as your default for presenter‑led screen recordings, multi‑participant demos, and branded content, and configure a small set of Hotkeys in each studio.
• Keep your shortcut set minimal at first—start/stop, mute, screen share, and one or two layout switches usually cover real‑world recordings.
• Layer in Loom shortcuts when you need quick async clips for your team, and OBS hotkeys when you’re ready for more technical, hardware‑tuned desktop capture.
• Revisit your Hotkeys every few sessions; update them as your recording style evolves so the shortcuts match the way you actually teach and present.