Last updated: 2026-01-10

For most people in the US who want reliable, presenter-led multi‑monitor screen recordings, start with StreamYard’s browser-based studio and use one monitor to record while you control the show from the other. If you need deep per-display capture and are comfortable with complex setup, OBS is a strong desktop alternative, while Loom is mainly for simple single‑display clips.

Summary

• StreamYard uses a browser studio where you can share any monitor or window and still keep your controls, notes, and guests visible on another screen; screen sharing is described as working best with two monitors. (StreamYard Help)
• On paid plans, StreamYard adds unlimited local, per-participant recordings, which are ideal when you want high-quality post-production files from multi‑monitor demos. (StreamYard Help)
• OBS can capture each monitor using separate display-capture sources, offering powerful multi‑monitor layouts if you’re willing to manage local files and encoding settings. (OBS Knowledge Base)
• Loom lets you pick which monitor to record but cannot capture two monitors at once or switch monitors mid‑recording, so it’s better for quick one‑screen explainers than complex multi‑monitor workflows. (Loom Help Center)

What matters most in multi‑monitor screen recording?

When someone searches for “screen recording software that supports multi‑monitor setup,” they’re usually trying to solve one of three problems:

• Record one monitor cleanly while keeping notes and controls on another.
• Capture a complex demo where different apps live on different screens.
• In some cases, record multiple monitors at once.

To do this well, you need more than raw capture:

• Presenter control: the ability to see what your audience sees while still having private notes and controls.
• Audio separation: independent control of mic and system audio so your viewers hear exactly what matters.
• Reliable performance on typical laptops: especially important for US knowledge workers on managed devices, not gaming rigs.
• Easy reuse: files or links you can quickly drop into an LMS, CMS, or editing workflow.

StreamYard is built around that presenter-led studio model, which fits how most people actually use multiple monitors in real work.

How does StreamYard handle multi‑monitor recording?

StreamYard runs in the browser, so you join a studio and then choose what to share—an entire screen, a specific window, or a browser tab. The official guidance is that screen sharing works best when you have two monitors, which is exactly what many US creators and professionals already have on their desks. (StreamYard Help)

A typical setup looks like this:

• Monitor A: Your slides, app, or browser that you actually share.
• Monitor B: The StreamYard studio with layouts, comments, private chat, and presenter notes only you can see.

Within that studio, you can:

• Switch between shared screens or windows mid‑recording.
• Mix camera and screen in flexible layouts so viewers always know who’s talking.
• Keep private presenter notes visible only to you, even while your screen is live.
• Let multiple participants share screens for collaborative demos in the same session.

For most multi‑monitor workflows—product walkthroughs, trainings, onboarding, webinars—that combination of studio control + clean output is more useful than raw capture of every pixel on every monitor.

Can StreamYard give you high‑quality files from multi‑monitor sessions?

Yes. At StreamYard we focus on making those sessions easy to reuse later, not just watch live.

On every plan, you can create recordings in the cloud; on paid plans, you unlock unlimited local recordings (subject to your own device and disk space). (StreamYard Help) Local recording means each host and guest is captured directly on their own device as individual audio and video files, which is powerful when you want to edit multi‑monitor demos afterward.

A few details that matter when you’re juggling multiple screens and people:

• Local files are captured per participant, so you can re‑frame, crop, and mix in post.
• We recommend about 5GB of free storage per participant on their device before recording to keep things smooth. (StreamYard Help)
• The studio lets you output both landscape and portrait versions from the same session, which is handy if you want horizontal training videos plus vertical social clips from one multi‑monitor walkthrough.

Compared with tools that just dump a single flat desktop video, StreamYard’s local, multi‑track approach tends to save a lot of re‑recording when you catch small mistakes or want to reframe later.

How do StreamYard, OBS, and Loom differ for multi‑monitor setups?

Here’s a high‑level comparison for US users deciding between common options:

StreamYard

• Model: Browser-based studio; no heavy install.
• Multi‑monitor behavior: You can share any monitor or window and keep the studio on another screen; screen sharing is documented as working best with two monitors. (StreamYard Help)
• Strengths for this use case: Presenter-led control, multi‑participant demos, branded overlays, per-participant local recordings.
• Trade‑offs: Cloud storage is measured in hours, so very heavy, long-form recording may require periodic cleanup or higher tiers.

OBS

• Model: Free, open-source desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux. (OBS Site)
• Multi‑monitor behavior: You can add a Display Capture source for each monitor; official docs state you can only add one Display Capture source per display, but you can have multiple displays in a single scene. (OBS Knowledge Base)
• Strengths for this use case: Very flexible layouts, deep control over encoding, ideal if you’re comfortable tweaking scenes and recording settings.
• Trade‑offs: Steeper learning curve, no built‑in cloud storage, and performance depends heavily on your hardware and configuration. (OBS System Requirements)

Loom

• Model: Async recording tool with desktop apps and browser extension, focused on quick shareable links.
• Multi‑monitor behavior: You can choose which monitor to record, but you cannot record two monitors at once or switch between monitors while recording. (Loom Help Center) On Windows, Loom notes that recordings do not support more than two monitors connected. (Loom Help Center)
• Strengths for this use case: Fast, single‑screen explainers and async updates.
• Trade‑offs: Not designed for multi‑monitor live control or complex multi‑participant productions; Starter tier caps each video at 5 minutes with a 25‑video limit, which limits long demos unless you upgrade. (Loom Plans)

If you want a studio feel, guests, branding, and simple setup, StreamYard generally hits the sweet spot. If you want to hand‑tune resolutions, bitrates, and multi‑monitor composites and you’re ok with a heavier technical workload, OBS is the likely alternative. Loom fits better as a quick one‑screen note‑taking tool alongside those.

How does pricing play out for teams using multiple monitors?

Since you mentioned multi‑monitor workflows, there’s a good chance you’re on a team rather than working entirely solo.

• At StreamYard, pricing is per workspace, not per user, which tends to be friendlier for teams that have several US-based presenters rotating through the same studio.
• Loom, by contrast, prices plans per user, with Business starting from $15 per user per month billed annually, while its free Starter plan’s 5‑minute and 25‑video caps can force upgrades quickly for active teams. (Loom Pricing)

For multi‑monitor sessions with multiple presenters, that per‑workspace model often means you can bring more people into your StreamYard studio without watching per‑seat costs climb each time someone new needs to record.

How should you set up a dual‑monitor workflow in StreamYard?

Here’s a simple, reliable pattern that works well on typical US office laptops and monitors:

1. Join your StreamYard studio in a Chromium-based browser.
2. Drag the studio browser window to Monitor B (the screen you won’t share).
3. In the studio, click Share → choose Screen, then pick Monitor A (or a specific app window) to share.
4. Add your camera and choose a layout that keeps you visible next to the screen when that helps clarity.
5. Keep your notes, chat, and private messages on Monitor B where viewers never see them.
6. Start recording (or go live + record), knowing that paid plans can create unlimited local recordings for you and each guest. (StreamYard Help)

If you need to show a different monitor later in the session, stop sharing and select the other display or window—your recording continues, and the audience just sees a smooth transition between sources.

What we recommend

• Use StreamYard as your default if you want an easy, browser-based way to run presenter-led multi‑monitor sessions with guests, branding, and reusable local recordings.
• Consider OBS if you specifically need granular control over multi‑monitor scenes and are comfortable managing local files and complex settings.
• Treat Loom as an add‑on for quick, single‑monitor async clips rather than your primary tool for multi‑monitor productions.
• When in doubt, start with a simple two‑monitor StreamYard studio setup and record a short internal walkthrough; if that covers your real-world workflow, you can avoid the extra complexity entirely.