8 Popular Desktop Recording Software

David Wilson
2023-04-20 19:43:39 • Filed to: Creative Recording Tips

The pandemic has forced a majority of the workforce to stay confined to their homes and the workflow has completely shifted to the virtual setup. There are some essential tools that you must know about so that you find the shifting easy. Among a wide range of tools, the one that's quite important is a screen recorder. Not only the professionals, students are also taking their classes online and there are times when they need to save a lecture for future reference. The easiest way to do that is to install desktop recording software and save everything that happens on the screen.

These recorders are also significantly helpful to the creators who have an online audience and they are trying to create a guide or tutorial for them. A majority of these apps are also equipped with annotation tools that will help in better interacting with the audience. Users will also get to add the mic and camera to record themselves so that the guide is able to establish an even better connection with the audience.

1. What is the best desktop recording software?

To get some positive results in the search for a better tool, you will find a range of options. Recording software that you are going to settle for should be able to record the screen in crisp quality and the one that does it the best is Wondershare DemoCreator. It's a paid tool that offers a plethora of features and you will get to create high-quality content with its help. The interface that you will get here is highly intuitive and user-friendly.

record screen with webcam

The app will also provide you with an integrated editor that will allow you to do a few small tweaks to the video that you have just recorded. The dashboard/control center that you will get will offer you a plethora of options in terms of setting up the parameters and configuring them according to the requirements. There are also various stickers and caption tools along with a number of template designs to help the creators in giving a perfect look to the produced content.

Key features

  • Supports record computer screen, webcam and audio
  • Integrated with AI face recognition in webcam recording
  • Game recording mode to detect running games
  • Built-in video editing tools to crop, rotate, add text annotation etc.
  • Numerous video templates for business, education and game videos

2. Which is the best recording software with voice and desktop recording for free?

A majority of Windows users try to find just the right tool that can offer them a good quality screen recording. If you believe that there will be no app that you can find that has the capability to offer good features free of cost, you are wrong. You must have heard of VLC Media Player and it's an extensive tool that you can put to use to record the screen and export it in a number of formats. If you are on the task of just recording what's happening on the desktop, we can't recommend any better tool than this feature-rich media player.

vlc media player

The interface that you will get is also quite user-friendly and the only area where you might face a bit of challenge is the settings section that is technical. The on-screen instructions will help you go through the settings without any hassle. Make sure that the Capture Mode is set to Desktop and the frame rate is also set in accordance with the content that you are recording. The app will also support a number of formats when it comes to exporting it to local storage.

Key features

  1. A media player integrated with screen recording
  2. VLC lets you set up the frame rate before recording.
  3. Full-screen recording
  4. Users can also directly stream the desktop online.
  5. Multiple transcoding options to enable multiple device support
  6. Can also add the mouse pointer in the video by placing the mouse .PNG file in the VLC Program Files.

3. What is the desktop screen recorder to record screen up to 30 minutes free?

Though the VLC Media Player offers a free screen recording tool, it can't be just declared as the best desktop screen recording software. There are still numerous options that you can go for and the one that offers a plethora of options and is also an open-source platform is Open Broadcaster Software (OBS). The app is widely used by content creators who want to stream live to their online audience. The interface that users will get here might feel a bit complicated for beginners. It will allow you to add as many sources and scenes as you want.

Along with it, there will also be a wide range of settings that you can tweak to get the look that you want. The Mixer section will let you play with the audio settings. You will get the option of adjusting the microphone and system volume.

obs studio

There will also be a transition section where you can add an effect that will play every time the scene changes on the live stream. The black screen that you are getting is basically a preview of the recording that the OBS will render. It's an open-source platform and hence, all the features that you will get here are absolutely free.

Key features

  1. Can add multiple sources, e.g. a couple of cameras along with multiple mics
  2. A wide range of configuration options
  3. Users will get a few themes that will enhance the video quality
  4. Thanks to its open-source platform, OBS is completely free.
  5. Across OS support and the installation is also quite easy.
  6. Will be able to export in multiple formats.

4. Which desktop screen recording software allows post audio recording and editing?

You are here and that translates to the search for a tool that can offer you a good quality screen recording feature. The one that we are going to discuss here will let you adjust the audio even after the recording and it's also a free app so that you get to use it without any investment.

Screencast-o-Matic will give you the capability of recording the screen along with your webcam and the mic. Adding these elements to the app will allow you to establish a better connection with the audience. The interface is quite intuitive and the features that you will get here are also highly functional.

screencast o matic

The app comes with a restricted time and it only offers a continuous screen recording up to 15 minutes at once. This desktop screen recorder software will also let you select the preferred resolution for the final result. The free version of the app will also restrict you to just add narration and if you also want to capture the system sounds, you will need to upgrade the plan.

Key features

  1. The free version will only let you record up to 15 minutes of continuous video.
  2. Can record webcam and screen in PiP mode.
  3. Once recorded, you will get to add music and captions right from the app.
  4. The trimming tool will help you in cutting out the start and end sections of the video.
  5. Direct sharing to the social handles and Drive.
  6. Select a mic and you can then add narration.

5. What is the best recording software that records desktop audio and mic. Audio separately?

There are various features that you will get on these screen recording apps, however, each and every app comes with a unique feature and we are compiling this guide so that you get to choose one based on the requirements. The one that we are discussing here is Bandicam. There will be times when you want to save the audio separately and if you do it quite often, this is the right app for you. The app comes with Windows-only support and you will get a wide range of features to make everything work.

bandicam

The tool will help you in sharing a guide or a how-to with your colleague or classmate. The app will also let you select the part of the screen that you want to record. The control center will also give you wide flexibility in the annotation tool and you can use this tool to make yourself more clear while recording a guide. The con that you will get with the app is that the free version will only let you record the video for up to 10 minutes each. The interface that you will get here is highly intuitive and user-friendly.

Key features

  1. Can also record the webcam footage.
  2. The app also offers the scheduling feature to start recording at a specific time.
  3. This can record the mic and system sound simultaneously.
  4. Users can also add the mouse effect for better interaction.
  5. A wide range of options to select the recording area.
  6. For the gamers, the app will also let you set the preferred frame rate.

6. What is the best software for recording tutorials on a desktop?

As each software that we have discussed here in the blog comes with a unique feature and covers a category, the one that you should go for if you are into recording the tutorials, it's Camtasia. The app is quite easy to use and the features are made easily accessible through the single dashboard. The tool will help you in creating professional-quality content that you can share easily with your audience and they can easily understand it without any hassle.

camtasia

The app will let you add the webcam footage on the screen recording; it will be significantly helpful in establishing a better connection with your viewers. Camtasia will also let users add an external mic so that they are able to get the best audio for the tutorial. There will also be a very basic set of editing tools that will help in giving the video the look that you wanted. It will let you add a wide range of annotation tools that will help in creating a guide with better impact.

Key features

  1. An intuitive interface with features under a single dashboard.
  2. Camtasia will automatically level up the audio, no matter where you add it.
  3. It offers smooth cursor movements that will make it much easier to follow.
  4. Customizable keyboard shortcuts to execute tasks more simply and easily
  5. Multiple themes to create much appealing content.
  6. Various callout signs along with annotations.

7. Which is the best Linux desktop recorder?

Linux is the platform that is quite liked by the developers and the apps supported on this operating system are also increasing significantly. The apps that we have discussed here offer cross-platform support; however, if you want one that has Linux-only support, you can go for Kazam.

The screen recording tool is quite rich in terms of features and there is one thing that you need to keep in mind, the app is strictly limited to personal use and in no way, can be used professionally.

kazam

This Linus tool will offer high-res screen recording along with mic and system sound support. If you are writing a guide, Kazam can be put to its best use to capture screenshots. It's the feature that this tool executes much more efficiently than recording lengthy sessions. As the features that are offered here offer much better functionality than the competitors, there is still a huge scope of improvement for the developers.

Key features

  1. Can record full screen or a specific section along with a dedicated window or application.
  2. Integrated screenshot functionality
  3. Multiple keyboard shortcuts to pause/resume the recording.
  4. Multiple export formats such as .mp4, and more.
  5. Easily capture mic input and system audio.
  6. Can directly stream using YOUTUBE Live.

8. What is the best program option to record streaming video on a PC desktop?

If you are into streaming, there are not various options that you will get that can easily fit in your budget. There will be various times when the task that you are performing needs to be shared and the only way to do it is by saving it locally using a screen recorder. The gamers out there use streaming tools to live broadcast their gameplay with the online audience. Apowersoft Screen Recorder is the tool that you should go for and the high range of features will make sure that you get to use it for what it's made for.

apowerosft

If you are looking for software for recording desktop screens and also streaming it, Apowersoft is one of the best options you can go for. The app is not just a screen recorder, it also packs a wide range of radio channels for you. These channels can also be easily recorded through the screen recorder and streaming platform.

Key features

  1. The audio that's recorded from the computer will be in 1:1 format.
  2. Convert audio files to multiple formats.
  3. The Audio Editor will let you tweak the audio according to your preference.
  4. A plethora of radio stations to choose from.
  5. Install any audio file from any site online, such as YouTube, DailyMotion, etc.
  6. It only supports Windows OS.

The compilation of multiple screen recorders that you can choose from based on the requirement must have been a little bit helpful in the decision-making if you were confused. Desktop recorders have become quite an essential tool, especially in the post-Covid era. Each tool mentioned here has something unique to offer and we hope that you are able to find the right one. For those who are still confused, we would recommend going for the Wondershare DemoCreator. Yes, it's a paid app but the features that are offered here are worth every penny.