To use Instant Replay in Streamlabs Desktop, enable Replay Buffer in Output settings, add an Instant Replay source to your scene, and assign a hotkey to save and play the recent footage. Set the buffer to the number of seconds you want to capture—30 seconds is one example, not a requirement—and start the buffer before you need it.
Set up Instant Replay in Streamlabs Desktop
- Enable and configure Replay Buffer. Open Settings > Output, enable Replay Buffer, and choose its duration. Streamlabs setup examples use 20 seconds and 30 seconds; choose a duration that gives you enough lead-in without keeping a longer buffer than you need. Longer replay buffers require more memory, and Streamlabs does not specify an exact memory requirement in these setup guides. Streamlabs’ April 25, 2025 setup guide and its November 10, 2025 support guide describe the setup.
- Choose whether the buffer starts with your stream. Open Settings > General and enable Automatically start replay buffer when streaming if you want it to start whenever you go live. If you leave this off, remember to start the buffer yourself.
- Add the replay source. In the scene where you want the clip to appear, add a source and select Instant Replay. Resize or reposition it in the scene to control where the saved clip appears.
- Assign a save hotkey. Open Settings > Hotkeys and set a key combination for saving a replay. You can also assign hotkeys to show or hide the Instant Replay source or switch to a dedicated replay scene. Streamlabs’ hotkey guide recommends using at least two keys in a combination to reduce accidental activation: Streamlabs Desktop hotkeys.
- Start and test the buffer. Before going live, click Start Replay Buffer in the Streamlabs Desktop window, then test the save hotkey. With automatic start enabled, Streamlabs says the buffer starts automatically when streaming. The buffer can also be started manually when you are not live.
- Trigger the replay when needed. Press the save hotkey. The saved interval plays through the Instant Replay source in your scene. Check that the source is visible in the scene when you want viewers to see the playback.
Choose the right replay workflow
Pick a buffer duration
The buffer holds the recent interval you selected in Output settings. A shorter duration uses less memory; a longer one preserves more of the lead-in before the moment you want. Streamlabs’ recording guide documents replay capture durations from one second to two minutes, but you do not need to use the maximum. Treat the duration as a practical choice based on the moments you want to catch and your system’s capacity.
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Use automatic or manual startup
Automatic startup is useful for live streams because it reduces the chance that you will forget to start the buffer. Manual startup lets you decide when to begin capturing, including when you are not live. Either way, verify the buffer is running before relying on it to capture a moment.
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Replay live or edit a clip later
Instant Replay is the scene source that plays a captured segment during your stream. It is different from Streamlabs’ Replay/Highlighter workflow, which is for reviewing saved clips, trimming or reordering them, and exporting a finished video. See Streamlabs Desktop recording for that clip-editing workflow.
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Optional: trigger replay with a Stream Deck
A Stream Deck is not required. If you use one, assign its button the same hotkey you set in Streamlabs Desktop. The Streamlabs hotkey remains the action that saves the replay; the device simply gives you a physical button to trigger it.
Troubleshoot Instant Replay
- Nothing plays after pressing the hotkey: Check that Replay Buffer is enabled in Settings > Output, start it with Start Replay Buffer or turn on automatic startup, and confirm the hotkey is assigned correctly in Settings > Hotkeys.
- The replay does not appear on stream: Confirm the scene contains an Instant Replay source, that the source is visible, and that it is positioned where you expect in the scene.
- You miss moments after going live: Enable Automatically start replay buffer when streaming in Settings > General, or make starting the buffer part of your pre-stream check.
- A longer buffer strains your system: Reduce its duration in Settings > Output. Streamlabs warns that longer replay buffers require more memory but does not publish an exact RAM figure in the cited setup instructions.
- A Stream Deck button does not trigger a replay: Check that the device action matches the hotkey assigned in Streamlabs Desktop.
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Instant Replay captures moments from your Streamlabs Desktop session; it is not a way to keep a pre-recorded YouTube stream running after your computer is off. For an always-on YouTube stream made from uploaded videos, StreamNeo runs the loop from the cloud: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live.
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