Screen recording is becoming a popular way for individuals, businesses, education systems, and developers to share information. This feature continues to gain the limelight as a powerful way of sharing the information you have on your screen.
So, what is screen recording?
What is screen recording?
Screen recording is simply capturing a video of what is happening on your device's screen. It is an easy way to save any content that is on your screen. You can screen record anything, including a video call, a streaming video, or even a presentation.
Why should you record your screen?
In a world where businesses are always looking for faster, easier, and more efficient ways to share information, screen recording emerges as a great way to reach a large audience of employees or even partners. A presenter only needs to pull up the information or presentation and share it with a computer wirelessly. Even traveling professionals find it convenient as they can share video footage without the need for connecting cords or wires.
Screen recording is also a useful feature for application developers, especially during the developmental and final stages of creation. They can easily capture how their app is functioning and the error notifications it may be receiving or display exactly how the application works while explaining the features.
Also, the developer can easily capture the application after creation to show how it operates in real life. Such a presentation results in more app downloads since the users can see the benefit of the actual application working via an easy step-by-step tutorial.
Other people who greatly benefit from screen recording are tutors. They can create instructional tutorials and share them with their learners to ensure everyone is on the same page. But this function is also useful for education systems, presentations, webinars for businesses, and crucial meetings.
Common uses for screen recording
The screen record feature has many different uses. For instance, you can use the feature to:
Record a webcam video
Webcams were popular for casual chatters in the past but now have become business tools. Modern-day devices such as computers, laptops, and smartphones allow people to hold interactive video communication sessions. Luckily, if you need to keep the conversation for future reference, you can just record your screen.
Record a PC gameplay
If you are an enthusiast gamer, you know the joy it comes with capturing a PC gameplay that you played like a pro. If you also want to record the gameplay on a PC to create a gaming tutorial, screen recording helps you create high-quality footage of the gameplay. The gaming influencers you find on Twitch or YouTube can testify that screen recording is the feature that keeps them at the top.
Record a presentation
Presenting involves displaying an idea, product, or service with appropriate narration, concise text, and graphic images. Whether you are presenting a report data to a team or you want to record yourself presenting a PowerPoint, screen recording has several benefits. It allows you to capture yourself in real-time, so you only need to share the video footage with your audience.
Record a streaming video
Screen recording a streaming video has various benefits. With screen recording, you can continue engagement after a live event is over, have a copy of the footage for your archive or use recordings for advertisements, promo reels, etc. You can screen capture a streaming video to generate revenue through an on-demand video.
Record a webinar
There is a lot of valuable content created during a webinar, but it is usually a one-time show. When you screen records a webinar, you can use the content several times and thus benefit more from the same amount of effort. Attendees can watch the webinar again, while non-attendees have the opportunity to learn what it was about.
Record your own instruction video
If you are creating an instructional or tutorial video, such as a how-to video to post on a platform such as YouTube, you can show your audience how to complete each stage. Screen recording allows you to show the steps as you narrate in the background.
Why screen recordings need to be edited
Once you capture a screen recording, there is a need for editing. Let's look at the reasons why you need to edit screen recordings:
Saves time for your viewers
You must ensure your screen recording is concise but carry all the important information you need to pass. When a video takes longer than your viewers anticipate watching, or if it becomes monotonous, they may fail to watch it until the end. Editing allows you to bring the critical and more informative sections of your screen recording together.
Reduces upload time
Many people often watch videos while on the go from their mobile devices. If it takes time to load, they might opt to do something else with their time, leaving you without the views you hoped to get. Large file sizes often take longer to upload, and editing will help you reduce the upload time of your video significantly.
Eliminate dead space or duplicate content
Another reason why you should edit your screen recordings is to remove dead space or duplicate content. For example, if you are screen recording a video game to create a tutorial but die the first several times, you may not want the screen record you share with your viewers to have those sections.
Another example is when you are screen recording a webinar, but there is a lot of dead time in the final video due to the times when nothing is happening. You should edit your screen record to remove the dead spaces. They are monotonous and could make your viewers leave. Additionally, the dead spaces can reduce the overall perceived value of your content and extend the file size.
What to look for when choosing screen recording software
Once you capture video footage on your screen, you need software to spruce up the screen recording and add customization. Screen recording software allows you to do several things, including adding text to your videos to include more information and removing the content that you don't want to appear in the final footage.
But when you get to the market to search for a screen recording software, the choices available may overwhelm you. Unfortunately, some software may not give you the best experience.
Here's what you should look for when choosing a screen recording software to ensure you have picked the right one for your needs.
Screen-recording features
Many of the screen recording tools available in the market today focus on different features. Some can only record a specific area, while others can capture your entire screen. But you can also find tools that do both and give you options on how you want to capture the screen. Therefore, it is wise to check out these options before committing to a particular tool.
Another screen recording option you should note is the audio. Some tools do system audio recording, while others record from the microphone. Some don't record sound at all. You don't want to choose a tool only to find that it does not support audio.
Other recording features include checking whether the tool can capture a webcam feed over screen record. Such an option is crucial if you're recording a documentary over your screen and want to include a face to the voice.
Lastly, you can check whether the software allows you to add a watermark and place restrictions on the time you can record. You cannot overlook the importance of confirming the exact recording capabilities of a screen recording tool.
User-friendly interface
When choosing a screen recording software, you should go for one that is convenient and easy to use. Consider whether the software is suitable for an inexperienced user. But if the software requires one to have prior knowledge to use it, consider the duration you may need to learn how to navigate it. In short, you must understand what you are getting yourself into before choosing. Of course, you don't want software that forces you to enroll in a course or pushes you to the customer support platform every now and then.
Editing capabilities
After recording your screen, you need to refine your footage for many reasons, including those mentioned above. Therefore, the editing capabilities of a screen recording software is one of the features you must seriously consider before settling for one. Confirm that the functionalities present meet your needs. You don't want to choose a tool only to realize its limitations when editing.
Some screen recording applications have an entire built-in editor, while others have specific editing tools. Other tools give reviews of the screen recording and allow editing, while others do not offer any of those features. Having software that has all the editing functionalities, from trimming to adding text, enhances your screen recording experience.
Luckily, Pinnacle Studio has all the editing features you'll need and is one of the best screen recording software on the market today. Pinnacle Studio combines multiple features to enhance your screen capturing experience.
Sharing
Sharing is a critical factor to look for when choosing a screen recording software unless you are capturing the screen for your references only. Once you are through with your recording, you may need to save the video footage as an MP4, GIF, or any supported video file format and upload it to your Dropbox, Google Drive, YouTube, or any other platform. You need a screen recording software that allows you to do all this.
Some tools even allow you to upload the video footage to the cloud in real-time and get a sharing link of it. You may encounter sharing incompatibility if you fail to do your due diligence.Payment policy
Before choosing screen recording software, know whether it is free or premium, and find out if there are hidden features behind a paywall. While some software tools may offer a free trial period, there is often a catch. For example, you won't access some features until you pay for them, or your videos will have a length limit, or both. When you add the total cost of the common features you need, you may realize that such a tool is overly priced.
However, you can also find a tool with a free trial, but is more clear-cut and gives limitless usage of every feature present. Therefore, you should be aware of all terms and conditions when signing up for a free trial. Some screen recording software won't limit the trials period as the time passes but on the number of videos you record. The bottom line is to ensure you understand the pricing policy beforehand.
Customer support
Even if you choose a screen recording tool that has all you need, at some point, you may need to reach out to the support team. You cannot underestimate this feature in any software. Reaching out to customer support to seek expert advice is necessary when you find yourself in a fix. It is more convenient than spending time browsing forums, YouTube, and the web for help.
Reviews
While you look for the screen recording tool's features and capabilities, find out what other users are saying about the software. People who have already used software will give their reviews either on the platform itself or other places. Check their consensus on whether the tool is worthwhile or lacking. Look for major complaints and know whether they are already solved. Doing some deep-dive into product reviews and descriptions prior to choosing software can save you a lot of energy, time, and money. Of course, not all reviews may be genuine, and some could be exaggerations. However, reading up on people's opinions of something is better than leaving everything to chance.
Pinnacle Studio users love the software's interface because it's very user-friendly, and our competitive pricing for tons of editing and color-correcting tools.
Conclusion
You can do a lot with screen recording. From recording PC gameplays and webinars to webcam videos, streaming videos, and presentations, the possibilities are endless. But for the best experience, you need a great screen recording software that allows you to edit your work and make your videos stand out. Knowing the features to look for can help narrow down your selection.