StreamLive Pro

Keyboard shortcuts in the browser studio

Keyboard shortcuts for the browser studio: Space to take, Enter to cut, numbers to Preview, overlays, mute, B for black, and a profile with F1 to F8 like vMix.

Updated · 4 min read

The browser studio can be run from the keyboard. Space takes Preview to Program with the chosen transition, Enter cuts at once, the number keys put an input in Preview, and Shift with a number turns an overlay on or off. Press ? (or Ctrl+/ on Windows, Cmd+/ on a Mac) in the studio to see the full list for the profile you use. There are two profiles: StreamLive (the default) and Like vMix, which puts the overlays on F1 to F8.

The keys below are the ones the studio lists itself. Where a key says Alt, a Mac uses Option; where it says Ctrl, a Mac uses Cmd.

Switching

KeyWhat it does
SpaceTake: Preview goes to Program with the chosen transition
EnterCut: Preview goes to Program at once, with no effect
1 to 9Puts input number N in Preview
Left / Right arrowPuts the input to the left or right in Preview (default profile)
BFade out: viewers see black. Press B again to bring the picture back
Double-click a tileOpens that input's settings (it does not go on air; the in-app "?" list still says Take)
Drag the T-barA manual transition. Held half way it is a mix; Take or Cut completes it

Preview and Program are explained in Preview, Program, Take and Cut explained. Clicking a tile only prepares it in Preview. Nothing changes on air until you Take or Cut.

Overlays

KeyWhat it does
Shift+1 to Shift+8Overlay N: if it is on air, it goes off; if it is off, its last input (or the input in Preview) goes on
Alt+1 to Alt+8Prepares overlay N so that it goes on with the next Take
Right-click a number on a tilePrepares that overlay with this input

In the Like vMix profile the overlay keys are F1 to F8, and Shift+F1 to Shift+F4 take overlays 1 to 4 off. If the browser keeps an F key for itself, Shift and the number does the same. More on overlay channels: Add a logo and overlays to your live stream.

The selected input

Click an input on the Preview monitor to select it, then:

KeyWhat it does
MMutes or unmutes the selected input (or the input in Preview)
Alt+arrowsMoves it. With Shift, five times as far
Alt+= and Alt+-Makes it larger or smaller
Alt+0Resets position and size
Alt+Shift+0Resets the crop
Hold CCrop by dragging a handle

Ctrl+0 is left to the browser, where it resets the page zoom.

General keys

KeyWhat it does
Shift+MMutes your own speaker. What viewers hear does not change
Ctrl+KSearch
? or Ctrl+/Opens the list of studio keys
Ctrl+Shift+LThe ready check before going live
EscCloses windows and clears the selection. It never changes Program

Steps

  1. Open the studio. Go to Live stream and choose Browser Studio. Add at least two inputs so there is something to switch.
  2. Click in the studio once. Space and Enter only act after you have been working in the studio in the last few minutes, so a key pressed elsewhere on the page does not switch the picture.
  3. Open the list. Press ? (or Ctrl+/, Cmd+/ on a Mac). The list shows every key of the active profile, with the vMix name of each action next to it.
  4. Choose a profile. At the top of the list pick StreamLive (default) or Like vMix. The studio confirms which keys are on.
  5. Practise before the broadcast. Put an input in Preview with a number key, press Space to take it, and press B twice to see the fade to black and back.

When a key does nothing

Anywhere in the dashboard

Outside the studio, / or Ctrl+K opens search, and G followed by a letter jumps to a page: G then H for Home, S for Live stream, C for Publish everywhere, L for Shorts, A for Analytics, P for Connections. The rest of the studio bar is described in The studio bar: Outputs, Workspace and the other menus. People coming from vMix may also want Coming from vMix? Feel at home.

Frequently asked questions

What is the shortcut to take Preview to Program?

Space. It uses the transition you chose. Enter does a cut with no transition.

Can I use F1 to F8 for overlays like in vMix?

Yes. Press ? in the studio and switch the profile to Like vMix. F1 to F8 then turn overlays on and off, and Shift+F1 to Shift+F4 take overlays off.

Why does Space not switch the camera?

Space only acts after you have worked in the studio in the last few minutes, and never while you type in a field or while a dialog is open. Click on the studio and press it again.

Do the shortcuts work in the podcast studio?

The same studio keys apply where the podcast studio shows a Preview monitor. The ? list in each studio shows the keys that work there.

On a Mac, which key replaces Alt and Ctrl?

Option replaces Alt and Cmd replaces Ctrl. The list in the studio shows the Mac names when you open it on a Mac.

Keep reading

Use the OBS or vMix virtual camera in the browser studio

Bring an OBS or vMix scene into the browser studio as a camera: start the virtual camera, pick it in Add camera, add its sound, and fix a black or missing virtual camera.

Control the browser studio with an Elgato Stream Deck

Run the browser studio from an Elgato Stream Deck with Hotkey keys: Take, Cut, inputs to Preview, overlays, fade to black and mute, with the studio window in focus.

Live stream checklist: before, during and after

A printable live stream checklist: test broadcasts, stream keys, sound check, backup internet, what to do if the stream drops, and the work after it ends.

Overlay channels 1 to 8 and their keys (F1 to F8)

Overlay channels 1 to 8 in the browser studio: what each one holds, how to put an input on and off air with clicks or keys, staging, order, and the F1 to F8 profile.

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