Step-by-Step Guide: How to Record Live Streaming Videos in All Platforms

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Step-by-Step Guide: How to Record Live Streaming Videos in All Platforms

Last Updated: 2024. 10. 11

Streaming video is unlike any other video on social media, which allows you to replay and download. Once the livestream session ends, all valuable content will be lost instantly.

Here in this blog, we will show you the 10 best livestream recording tools working on all sorts of platforms. Pick the best one to record a streaming video for free!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Best Livestream Recording Tool for PC

Best Livestream Recording Tool for Mac

Best Livestream Recording Tool for Mobile

1. Windows Game Bar

Windows Game Bar is a built-in tool that transforms your PC into a streaming video recorder, especially for gamers. You can use it to record streaming video as well as the system audio simultaneously and control the audio level, only with a simple shortcut.

The best part of using Windows Game Bar is that it operates with low system resource usage, ensuring minimal interference with other activities. You can also use it to view CPU, GPT, and RAW usage. Keep an eye on the system performance while recording a live stream!

How to Record Live Streaming Video with Windows Game Bar

Step 1

Press the Win + G button on your keyboard to bring up the Windows Game Bar recording tool.

Step 2

Click the Start Recording button, which should be a circular dot button in the middle. Alternatively, press Win + Alt + R on the keyboard to begin recording.

Step 3

Hit the recording button again to stop recording.

Record Live Streaming with Windows Game Bar

Downsides of Using Windows Game Bar

Windows Game Bar is specially designed for recording games. It can sometimes be unreliable when recording any other type of program.

Windows Game Bar may struggle or fail to record certain Windowed apps or programs.

2. FlexClip

FlexClip is perfect for those who want their livestream recording to sparkle without any stress. Follow the simple prompts, you can use it to capture any part of your computer screen in up to 4K, and audio resources, for free! Since it is an online tool, FlexClip doesn’t ask you to download, or install anything on your computer.

What’s better, FlexClip offers you amazing editing tools. You can trim, add filters, crop, and make many more edits to your streaming video. Play with your live streaming records with great ease!

FlexClip Screen Recorder Overview

How to Record Live Streaming Video with Windows Game Bar

Step 1

Click on the Record Live Streaming button instantly to access FlexClip’s recording tool.

Record Live Streaming Now

Step 2

Select a Recording mode. To capture live streaming, you need to stick to Screen Only.

Select a Recording Mode

Step 3

You are now at the Record Settings. You can record the microphone audio, system audio, or both as you wish. FlexClip is now capturing your screen.

FlexClip Audio Recording Options

Step 4

After successfully recording the live streaming, you will be brought to the editing page. Make necessary edits such as trimming, cropping, adding filters.

Edit Live Streaming Recording

Downsides of Using FlexClip

FlexClip is primarily browser-based, its performance is largely dependent on the internet.

FlexClip sets a 60-minute free recording limitation for each session.

3. VLC

VLC isn’t just your go-to media player. It handles all the heavy lifting of recording and live streaming with high precision. Whether you are recording a gameplay, a tutorial, VLC makes the complex feel effortless.

Plus, VLC is open-source. It offers live streaming recording features for nothing at all! Additionally, you can use VLC to trim recordings, convert video formats, add subtitles. All these editing features may not be as handy as other professional video editing tools, but it is worthwhile to try them.

How to Capture Streaming Videos with VLC

Step 1

Download VLC and launch it on your computer.

Step 2

Click on the Media menu, scroll down and select Open Network Stream.

VLC Open Network Stream Option

Step 3

Copy the URL of the streaming video. Paste it into the Please Enter a Network URL box in VLC.

Paste Streaming URL to VLC

Step 4

Click the Record button to start and stop capturing live streaming.

Downsides of Using VLC

VLC may not support all streaming video URLs.

VLC automatically saves the recorded streaming video in uncompressed formats, which can result in large file sizes.

4. ShareX

ShareX is a blessing for creators who want flexibility as well as high-quality streaming recordings. It allows you to capture specific regions, full screens, or even individual windows, making it extremely adaptable to whatever you’re streaming. The highest streaming video recording quality is up to 4K, 60FPS.

Additionally, it comes with a range of advanced features like customizable hotkeys, scheduled captures, and instant sharing to cloud services.

How to Capture Streaming Videos with ShareX

Step 1

Download ShareX and launch it on the computer.

Step 2

Click on the Capture tool, and select Screen Recording.

ShareX Screen Recording Option

Step 3

A rectangular shape will pop up. That’s for selecting the recording area. Left-click on it and then the recording will begin.

Step 4

To stop recording, click on the red dot on the system tray.

Downsides of Using ShareX

ShareX has a wide array of features and customization settings. They can be overwhelming for beginners to navigate.

ShareX is lightweight, but it still causes performance issues on older computers.

5. QuickTime Player

QuickTime Player is a powerhouse in terms of recording streaming videos. It cuts out fancy settings and complicated interfaces and keeps everything simple. All you need to do is hit the record button, sit back, and wait for the 4K streaming record.

Since QuickTime Player is part of the Apple system, you can use iMovie to edit the stream recordings, or share via iCloud.

How to Record Streaming Video with QuickTime Player

Step 1

Press Command + Shift + 5 to bring up the QuickTime Player.

Step 2

Select either Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion on the screenshot toolbar.

QuickTime Player Recording Live Streaming

Downsides of Using QuickTime Player

QuickTime Player can’t directly capture system audio. You’ll need third-party plugins like Soundflower to record both video and audio.

QuickTime can’t record webcam footage simultaneously or add voiceover, text, image during the recording.

6. OBS

OBS always captures streaming video and makes it look professional and polished. It is completely free and open-source, with powerful features like customizable scenes, multiple video sources, and audio control. In a word, you get all the streaming features needed in one place - OBS.

Besides recording, OBS is also a nice streaming tool. You can capture and stream a video at the same time. To be a better streaming tool, OBS is equipped with advanced features like audio mixing, overlays, and smooth transitions between each scene.

How to Record Streaming Video with OBS

Step 1

Install and launch OBS studio from its official website.

Step 2

Click the “+” button under the Scenes tab, Give the recording project a name.

Step 3

Click the “+” button under the Sources, and select Display Capture.

Step 4

Back to the main window, click the Record button when you are ready to record the streaming video.

OBS Record Live Streaming Video Tutorial

Downsides of Using OBS

To achieve the best results, you have to manually do lots of setups, which is extremely unfriendly for beginners.

While OBS allows for basic audio management, its audio mixer lacks advanced features.

7. Snagit

The flexibility to capture any parts of the screen, and any audio sources is the least criterion of a great streaming video recorder. Snagit goes one step further. It provides a library where you can organize and manage your captures. It also offers a suite of built-in editing tools to annotate, highlight, and customize your captures.

Snagit makes saving and exporting the recorded streaming video easier than ever! You can export them directly to a local folder, a cloud service, or post to social media.

How to Record Streaming Video with Snagit

Step 1

In the main interface, switch to the Video tab. Click on the big red dot button to start recording.

Snagit Screen Record Tool

Step 2

An orange crosshairs will appear. Drag to select an area to record.

Step 3

Snagit will show you a preview of the ready-to-record window, and the recording toolbar will appear. Hit the Record button.

Downsides of Using Snagit

Snagit is extremely demanding on system resources, especially during video recording.

Some features of Snagit require a learning curve.

8. Record It

It is true that both iPhone and Android offer recording services. But we still recommend Record It because of its wonderful features. You can start recording the live streaming video in just one tap. Additionally, you can add face cam reactions to your recordings, record voice commentary, or trim the recordings instantly.

Record It App Overview

Downsides of Using Record It

Record It can be power-intensive, lending to a quicker battery drain.

Some users have reported some performance issues, such as lagging or dropped frames during recording.

9. Loom

Loom works on the computer, as well as the mobile. Yet, we love it on mobile. It is one of the easiest ways to record live streaming. After recording, you can share the recorded video via a short link. Others can easily make comments above the video.

Loom App Overview

Downsides of Using Loom

The free version of Loom has restrictions, such as a 5-minute recording limit and limited storage space.

Organizing and managing many videos can be relatively challenging, compared to other tools with categorization or tagging.

10. AZ Recorder

AZ Recorder is an excellent tool for recording live streaming. It is extremely user-friendly for both beginners and advanced users. Even though it can only record in 1080P, it doesn’t have any time limits or add watermarks to the record.

It also includes built-in editing tools so that you can trim, merge, or add background music to the live-streaming records.

AZ Recorder App Overview

Downsides of Using AZ Recorder

AZ Recorder’s free version includes ads.

AZ Recorder only supports internal audio recording on devices running Android 10 or later.

FAQs About Recording Livestreaming

1. Is it legal to record live streams?

Legality varies depending on the content and platform. Some live streams are protected by copyright, and recording or redistributing them without permission may be illegal. Always check the terms of service and local laws.

2. What should I do if my screen recorder crashes during a live stream?

If your screen recorder crashes, try restarting the app on your device. To avoid future issues, ensure your device has enough memory and close unnecessary apps running in the background.

3. How much storage do I need for recording a live stream?

The amount of storage required depends on the length of the stream and video resolution. For instance, if you are recording a one-hour live stream in 1080P, you will need at least 2 gigabytes of space.