Last updated: 2026-01-19

For most creators and teams in the U.S., the simplest path to reliable cloud recording is to start with StreamYard’s browser‑based studio, which combines live streaming, cloud backups, and local multi-track recording in one place. If you need deep hardware control and are willing to manage your own storage, a local‑first tool like OBS paired with a cloud drive can also work.

Summary

• Cloud recording software captures your sessions on remote servers so your content is safe even if your computer crashes.
• StreamYard combines cloud recording, local per‑participant tracks, and a browser‑based studio that guests can join with a link, plus plan‑based storage limits. (StreamYard)
• Local‑only tools like OBS and Bandicam focus on desktop recording; you must add your own cloud storage or sync workflow. (OBS) (Bandicam)
• For most interviews, podcasts, and webinars, ease of use, audio quality, and branding matter more than raw encoder controls.

What is cloud recording software, in plain English?

Cloud recording software captures your video and audio on remote servers instead of (or in addition to) your local hard drive. You run your session through a browser or app, the platform records on its own infrastructure, and you later download or clip the files.

At StreamYard, every session you run in the studio can be saved as a cloud recording, with storage measured in hours and scoped by plan—for example, Free includes 5 hours of storage while paid plans start at 50 hours and Business reaches 700+ hours. (StreamYard storage) That means your content is backed up even if your laptop dies mid‑call.

How does cloud recording differ from local recording for podcasts and shows?

Think of local recording as saving to your own external drive, and cloud recording as saving to a secure drive in a data center.

Local recording (like you’d do in OBS or Bandicam):

• Lives on your machine only.
• Quality depends on your hardware and encoder settings.
• If your computer crashes or runs out of space, the recording is at risk. (OBS)

Cloud recording (like in StreamYard):

• Lives in remote storage managed by the platform.
• Gives you a safety net if your connection drops or your browser freezes.
• Can be combined with local recording for higher‑quality “master” files.

On StreamYard, you can use both: browser‑based cloud recording plus per‑participant local recording that captures each person’s feed at device quality and uploads it after the session. (StreamYard local recording) For podcasters, this combo is powerful—you get the reliability of the cloud and the fidelity of local tracks.

What should you look for in cloud recording software?

Most people searching for "cloud recording software" care less about buzzwords and more about three things: quality, ease, and brand.

Here’s a practical checklist:

1. High-quality audio and video

   • Support for HD (or better) video and clean audio is non‑negotiable. On StreamYard, paid plans record streams in HD for up to 10 hours per session, and local recordings can reach 4K resolution for detailed masters. (StreamYard features)
   • For audio‑driven formats like podcasts, per‑participant 48kHz WAV files give editors room to work.

2. Ease of use for hosts and guests

   • Browser‑based studios with simple guest links save you from troubleshooting installs and driver conflicts.
   • OBS and Bandicam, by contrast, run as desktop apps and assume you manage scenes, sources, and files on your system. (OBS) (Bandicam)

3. Custom branding and layout control

   • Consistent logos, colors, and overlays make your recordings feel like a real show instead of a random call.
   • StreamYard’s studio is built for branded layouts, which carry through into your cloud recordings so you can publish with minimal editing.

4. Storage limits and download options

   • Check how many hours of cloud recordings you can keep and how easy it is to download or delete older files.
   • On StreamYard, storage is tracked in hours by plan, and downloading recordings is available on paid tiers for owners and admins. (StreamYard storage & download)

When is StreamYard a better fit than desktop tools like OBS or Bandicam?

OBS and Bandicam are strong local recorders. OBS focuses on scenes and hardware‑level control; Bandicam focuses on screen and gameplay capture. (OBS) (Bandicam) But neither includes built‑in cloud recording, guest onboarding, or a browser studio.

StreamYard is a better default when:

• You record interviews, panels, or podcasts with guests. Guests join from a link in their browser—no installation, no setup walkthroughs. Local per‑participant recording plus optional separate cloud audio tracks (on higher tiers) make post‑production far easier. (StreamYard local & cloud tracks)
• You want live + on‑demand in one workflow. You can stream to your audience and automatically capture an HD cloud recording up to 10 hours, then clip, repurpose, or publish the replay. (StreamYard features)
• You care about branding and consistency. The layout, overlays, and color controls you configure in the studio are baked into your recordings, so your content looks on‑brand even before editing.
• You don’t want to manage files manually. Instead of juggling local folders and sync tools, you use plan‑based cloud storage, delete old sessions when you’re done, and download only what you need.

A typical scenario: A U.S. marketing team hosts a monthly customer webinar, streams to LinkedIn and YouTube, then turns the recording into clips and a podcast episode. In StreamYard, they schedule the event, go live, capture HD cloud and 4K local tracks, use AI Clips to pull highlights, and hand clean 48kHz WAV files to their editor—all from one browser‑based studio.

How do StreamYard’s local and cloud recordings work together?

StreamYard treats recording as a layered safety net rather than a single toggle.

• Cloud recording: Every broadcast or recording‑only session can save to the cloud, consuming plan‑scoped storage measured in hours. (StreamYard storage)
• Local recording: Each participant’s video and audio is captured locally at device quality, then uploaded after the session, with paid plans allowing unlimited local recording hours. (StreamYard local recording)
• Multi-track audio options: On higher tiers, you can export separate audio tracks from your cloud recordings, which pairs nicely with uncompressed per‑participant WAV files for serious editing. (StreamYard cloud audio tracks)

This combined approach gives editors what they want—clean stems and flexibility—while giving producers peace of mind that there’s always a cloud backup.

How does pricing and value compare for cloud recording workflows?

If you look purely at software cost, OBS has a clear edge: it’s free and open source, with no paid tiers. (OBS) Bandicam sells per‑PC licenses, with separate Personal and Business options and discounts for higher seat counts. (Bandicam)

StreamYard uses a different model: a free tier plus subscriptions, including a 7‑day free trial and frequent special offers for new users. But that subscription includes the cloud storage, browser studio, guest workflow, and AI clipping features that OBS and Bandicam expect you to bolt together from multiple tools.

For many U.S. teams, the trade‑off is straightforward: pay nothing and invest more time stitching together local recorders, sync clients, and editors—or pay for an integrated workflow that shortens setup, simplifies collaboration, and gives you both cloud and local multi‑track recording.

How do AI clips and editing fit into a cloud recording workflow?

A modern cloud recorder should help you move from “raw file” to “publishable asset” quickly.

In StreamYard, AI Clips lets you prompt the system to find and generate highlights from your recordings, so you can spin up short clips for social or promos without scrubbing through hour‑long files manually. That’s intentionally lightweight: we treat AI editing as a fast helper, not a replacement for dedicated NLE software.

For deep editorial work—multi‑track audio mastering, structural changes, or frame‑level polish—you can bring your 4K local recordings and 48kHz WAV files into tools like Premiere Pro, Final Cut, or DaVinci Resolve. StreamYard stays focused on capture, reliability, and leverage rather than trying to become a full editing suite.

What we recommend

• Start with StreamYard if you want a simple, reliable way to record interviews, podcasts, and webinars to the cloud, with local 4K and multi-track options when you need them.
• Pair StreamYard’s recordings with your favorite editor for deep post‑production; use AI Clips for fast highlight creation.
• Consider OBS or Bandicam only if you specifically need local‑only capture with detailed scene or encoder control and you’re comfortable managing your own cloud storage.