Last updated: 2026-01-10

For multi‑guest interviews, start with StreamYard: a browser‑based recording studio with guest links, per‑participant local files, and layouts that keep your screen share and speakers clear without complex setup. Use OBS or Loom only when you have very specific needs like deep encoder control (OBS) or quick async single‑presenter updates (Loom).

Summary

• StreamYard gives you a browser‑based studio built for multi‑guest interviews, with local multi‑track recordings and up to 10 on‑camera participants on paid workspaces. (StreamYard)
• Guests join from a link—no downloads—while you control layouts, screen shares, and branded overlays live. (StreamYard)
• OBS is powerful and free, but requires significant setup and extra tools to handle remote guests cleanly. (OBS)
• Loom focuses on quick, shareable screen recordings; it is better suited to single‑presenter videos than full interview shows. (Loom)

What actually matters in screen recording software for multi‑guest interviews?

When you move from solo videos to real conversations, your needs change. The “best” tool is the one that makes these things feel easy:

• Simple guest onboarding: Can guests join from anywhere, without installing software?
• Reliable audio and video: Does the tool give you clean recordings, even when someone’s Wi‑Fi dips?
• Multi‑track capture: Can you get separate audio and video files per participant for editing later?
• Screen‑plus‑faces layouts: Is it easy to show your screen and multiple guests in a layout that looks intentional, not random?
• Instant reuse: How quickly can you repurpose the interview into clips, shorts, and other formats?

For most creators and teams in the US, StreamYard lines up directly with this checklist: browser‑based studio, per‑participant local recording, controllable layouts, and quick exporting for reuse. (StreamYard)

Why is StreamYard a strong default for multi‑guest interview recording?

StreamYard was built around the exact scenario you are thinking about: “I want to interview several people, record everything, and not wrestle with tech for an hour beforehand.”

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Guest links, no downloads: You send a link; guests join from Chrome, Edge, or similar browsers—no installers or drivers. (StreamYard)
• Up to 10 people on paid workspaces: You can record with up to nine guests plus you as the host on paid plans, or with five guests on the free plan, which comfortably covers panels and roundtables. (StreamYard)
• Local multi‑track recording: Each host and guest gets a local audio and video file recorded directly on their device, which is ideal for high‑quality post‑production and podcasts. (StreamYard)
• Presenter‑friendly layouts: You can share your screen, keep your camera visible, bring guests on and off screen, and switch layouts without stopping the recording.
• Brand‑ready output: Overlays, logos, and backgrounds let you leave with something that already looks like a show, not a raw Zoom capture.
• Host‑only notes: You can keep presenter notes visible to you but hidden from guests and the final recording, which makes running longer interviews far easier.

On paid plans, local recording is effectively unlimited, while the free plan allows 2 hours per month of local recording—a good way to test the workflow before committing. (StreamYard)

How does StreamYard compare to OBS for multi‑guest interviews?

OBS is a desktop workhorse for people who want deep control over scenes, encoders, and local files. It is free and open source, and it can absolutely record high‑quality screen and camera sessions. (OBS)

But there are a few key differences when you specifically care about multi‑guest interviews:

• Remote guests: OBS does not include built‑in remote guest rooms. To replicate StreamYard’s “send a link, everyone appears in the studio” experience, you typically combine OBS with tools like VDO.Ninja and route each guest in as a separate source. (VDO.Ninja)
• Multi‑track audio: OBS can assign each audio source to its own recording track, which is powerful, but you must configure it track‑by‑track and use an editor that understands multiple audio tracks. (OBS)
• Setup time: You are responsible for capturing windows, browsers, overlays, and scenes manually. That flexibility is great for advanced users, but it adds friction for busy hosts.
• Hardware dependence: Everything runs on your computer. If your CPU, GPU, or disk can’t keep up, your recording suffers. (OBS)

A simple rule of thumb:

• Use StreamYard if your priority is fast, reliable remote interviews with clean separate files for each participant.
• Use OBS when you already know you need custom compositions, experimental setups, or very specific encoding requirements and you are comfortable investing more time in configuration.

Where does Loom fit for multi‑guest interviews?

Loom is designed first and foremost for quick screen‑plus‑camera recordings you can share via a link—perfect for walkthroughs, async updates, and feedback videos. (Loom)

For multi‑guest interviews, though, Loom is a limited fit:

• The core experience is one person recording their screen and camera, not running a full talk show.
• Multi‑user support tends to appear in SDKs and integrations, which typically require a paid plan and development work, not just a host sending a link. (Loom alternative article)
• Loom does not offer a full multi‑destination live studio or the kind of layout control you’d expect from dedicated interview tools.

Loom can still be useful around your interviews—for example, recording a quick prep video for guests, or sending follow‑up clarifications—but it is rarely the main studio for multi‑guest conversations.

How do StreamYard, OBS, and Loom compare on cost for teams?

When you factor in multiple guests, recurring shows, and a team behind them, pricing structure matters more than just the sticker price.

• StreamYard uses workspace‑level pricing. A free plan exists, and paid plans start at around $20/month and $39/month (billed annually for the first year for new users), with a 7‑day free trial and regular special offers. Unlike Loom, pricing is per workspace, not per individual user, which often makes it more economical for teams that have several people producing and hosting content.
• Loom prices per user: its Starter plan is free, while Business and Business + AI plans start around $15–$20 per user per month, billed annually. (Loom)
• OBS has no license fee at all; it is 100% free software, but you absorb the costs of capable hardware and storage. (OBS)

For a team that wants multiple hosts to run shows out of one shared studio, a workspace‑priced tool like StreamYard can end up more predictable and easier to manage than per‑seat licenses.

What does a simple StreamYard multi‑guest interview workflow look like?

Here’s a lightweight scenario for a four‑guest product interview:

1. Set up your studio: Open StreamYard in your browser, set your brand colors, logo, overlays, and a background.
2. Invite guests: Copy the guest link and send it to your four speakers; they join directly in their browsers, no installs.
3. Add presenter notes: Drop your run‑of‑show or key questions into your private notes, visible only to you.
4. Configure layouts: Decide when you want full‑screen screen share, when you want a grid of faces, and when you want a picture‑in‑picture layout.
5. Hit Record: Use the recording feature without going live. Each participant’s local audio and video tracks are captured on their device, while cloud recordings respect your plan’s storage limits. (StreamYard)
6. Export and reuse: Download separate files for podcast editing, vertical clips, and full‑length replays.

You walk away with production‑ready assets and minimal tech overhead.

What we recommend

• Default: Use StreamYard as your main screen recording studio for multi‑guest interviews, especially if you value browser‑based guest links, per‑participant local files, and simple layout control.
• Advanced local control: Add OBS when you need fine‑grained encoder settings or highly custom scene compositions and are willing to manage remote guests via extra tools.
• Async extras: Keep Loom in your toolbox for quick solo screen updates and feedback, not as your primary multi‑guest interview studio.
• Teams: If multiple people in your organization will run interviews, lean toward StreamYard’s workspace‑based pricing and shared studio model for predictable costs and simpler collaboration.