Assign keyboard shortcuts to control playback, insert timestamps, and capture screenshots without leaving the editor

What you will learn

In Capture a Study Note from a Lecture you built a study note with timestamps, screenshots, and a media clip using the mouse. If you haven't tried that tutorial yet, it covers the basics of each capture tool.

Here you will assign hotkeys to the same commands so playback, timestamps, and screenshots all work from the keyboard without leaving the editor.

Steps

You can click any timestamp in this page to jump straight to that moment in the lecture in Media Extended, like 0:12.

Set up playback hotkeys

Open Obsidian's settings and select Hotkeys in the left sidebar. Type Media Extended in the filter box to show only this plugin's commands.

Find these four commands and assign the hotkeys. Click the button next to each command, then press the key combination.

These specific hotkey combinations are for demonstration purposes. If any of them conflict with your existing hotkeys, feel free to pick different ones. Any binding you choose will work the same way.

Command	Hotkey
`Play/pause`	`⌘Ctrl` + `M`
`Rewind 5s`	`⌘Ctrl` + `←`
`Forward 5s`	`⌘Ctrl` + `→`
`Fast forward at 3x by holding hotkey`	`⌘Ctrl` + `Shift` + `→`

Close settings when you're done.

These hotkeys work even when your cursor is in the note editor. You don't need to click the player first.

Set up note-taking hotkeys

Open the hotkey settings again and assign these two commands:

Command	Hotkey
`Insert timestamp snippet to note`	`⌘Ctrl` + `Shift` + `T`
`Add screenshot to note`	`⌘Ctrl` + `Shift` + `S`

In the capturing tutorial you used the button and the right-click context menu for these. The hotkeys do the same thing, they just keep your hands on the keyboard.

Reopen the ECG lecture

Click the button in the ribbon. The ECG lecture from the capturing tutorial appears under Recent. Press Enter to reopen it.

Click the button at the top-right corner of the player tab and select Open media note. The media note opens in a split pane beside the player. Place your cursor at the end of the note.

Navigate with playback hotkeys

Press ⌘Ctrl + M. The video starts playing — your cursor stays in the editor.

Press ⌘Ctrl + ← a couple of times. The video jumps back 5 seconds each time. Press ⌘Ctrl + → to skip forward.

Now hold ⌘Ctrl + Shift + →. The video speeds up to 3x while you hold the keys. Release them and it drops back to normal speed.

Timestamp a key concept

Use ⌘Ctrl + → to skip forward to around 7:40, where the video introduces the six limb leads.

Press ⌘Ctrl + Shift + T. A timestamp snippet appears at your cursor. Type the rest of the line:

- [07:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIZQRjkwV9Q#t=460) Six limb leads: I, II, III, aVR, aVL, aVF

Capture a screenshot

Fast-forward to 8:53, where the video shows a diagram of the normal ECG waveform. Press ⌘Ctrl + M to pause on the frame.

Press ⌘Ctrl + Shift + S. The plugin saves the frame and inserts an image embed:

![[attachment/mx-img-…-pt533s.webp]]

Type a caption on the next line:

![[attachment/mx-img-…-pt533s.webp]]
Normal ECG waveform — P, QRS, T waves labeled

Review

Your note now has additional entries captured entirely from the keyboard. Click a timestamp link to confirm the player jumps to the right moment.

Next steps

Next tutorial: Read Along with a Transcript — download a transcript, skim, search, and copy passages into your notes
Commands — the full list of commands you can assign hotkeys to
Hotkeys — single-key shortcuts that work when the player is focused
Template System — customize what gets inserted when you press your hotkeys

Set Up Note-Taking Hotkeys