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Using MacOS Ventura 13.5

Is there a Terminal command for macOS to specify a custom saving directory for QuickTime player videos?

For screenshots I use:

defaults write com.apple.screencapture location "<path></path>"

What would be the equivalent for quick time videos/recordings?

ps aux | grep com.apple.quick yields these paths for QuickTime:

  • /System/Applications/QuickTimePlayer.app/Contents/XPCServices/com.apple.quicktimeplayer.SharedPrefsVendor.xpc/Contents/MacOS/com.apple.quicktimeplayer.SharedPrefsVendor

  • /System/Library/Frameworks/QuickLookThumbnailing.framework/Support/com.apple.quicklook.ThumbnailsAgent

Tried to modify it to my needs:

defaults write com.apple.quicktimeplayer.SharedPrefsVendor location "~/Desktop/video_recording"

to no avail.

Using the UI. Upon each screen recording I have to select the custom target folder regardless of having clicked on "Remember Last Selection". The 2nd time I try to record the screen, it no longer saves the recordings in the specified folder.

Steps to activate "Remember Last Selection"

QuickTime Player > File > New Screen Recording > Options > Remember Last Selection

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4
  • Your edit makes things even more confusing. To set a defaults you need the app's BundleID, not the path to the executable. You then, of course, need to know what defaults it will accept… You wouldn't expect an app that presents a save dialog to have a defaults save location, only a last location.
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Aug 9, 2023 at 9:56
  • The "Remember last location" is also skewed, after setting it it duplicates the recording in my target folder and the default Desktop folder.
    – Eugen Sunic
    Commented Aug 9, 2023 at 10:20
  • I still don't see any 'remember last location'. Where is that?
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Aug 9, 2023 at 10:24
  • Apologies, it's "Remember Last Selection" which is visible when you click on "Options"
    – Eugen Sunic
    Commented Aug 9, 2023 at 10:25

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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As @Tetsujin pointed out, there's only one location for "Screen Captures" on Macs, no matter if it was captured as Screenshot or -recording. Therefore

defaults write com.apple.screencapture location "<path></path>"

is the correct command for BOTH. You could probably write a script which moves your recordings to a different location afterwards.

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16
  • OP seems to be using the old Quicktime Player for this, rather than the Screenshop app. The Player app doesn't have a default location, it has a 'live' Save file-picker dialog.
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Aug 9, 2023 at 10:09
  • @Tetsujin exactly, am using QuickTime Player defaultly shipped with MacOs.
    – Eugen Sunic
    Commented Aug 9, 2023 at 10:19
  • There is also a location-last key, which stores the ... last used location. (Used by the "Remember Last Location" setting.
    – benwiggy
    Commented Aug 9, 2023 at 10:22
  • Where is everybody seeing this "Remember Last Location"???
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Aug 9, 2023 at 10:24
  • 1
    Last selection is not last location, btw. I've just tested this on two Macs, one Mojave which doesn't have that option & the other Ventura… which I just discovered presents the same interface as cmd/shift/5 - the old QT screen recorder is completely gone.
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Aug 9, 2023 at 10:47

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