Last updated: 2026-01-10

For most virtual events in the United States, your default screen recording setup should be a browser-based studio like StreamYard that records your screen, camera, and guests with both cloud and local files. If you need highly technical, hardware-tuned capture or quick one-off async clips, options like OBS and Loom can play a secondary role alongside that core studio.

Summary

• Use StreamYard as your main recording studio for presenter-led virtual events with guests, layouts, and branded visuals.
• Lean on cloud recording plus local multi-track files so you can repurpose sessions into webinars, clips, and social content.
• Consider OBS when you need deep encoder control on a powerful computer; consider Loom for lightweight async team updates.
• Prioritize tools that are fast to learn, run in the browser, and produce high-quality, reliable recordings on typical laptops.

What actually matters in screen recording software for virtual events?

Most people searching for "screen recording software for virtual events" don’t want another complex tool to babysit—they want a reliable way to:

• Hit record without worrying about settings.
• Show slides or a product demo while staying on camera.
• Include remote guests or panelists.
• Capture high-quality video and audio they can reuse later.
• Share recordings quickly with attendees, teams, or social channels.

That’s why the first decision isn’t "which app has the longest spec sheet" but "which workflow will reliably capture my event without drama?" In practice, that usually points to a browser-based studio plus sensible backups, not just a raw screen recorder.

How does StreamYard handle screen recording for virtual events?

At StreamYard, we built our recording studio around presenter-led virtual events: webinars, summits, product demos, internal town halls, and live workshops.

Key capabilities for this workflow include:

• Presenter-visible screen sharing with controllable layouts. You can record your screen and camera together with customizable layouts, so you decide whether slides are full-screen, side-by-side, or picture-in-picture. StreamYard
• Independent control of audio sources. Screen audio and microphone audio can be managed separately, which is crucial when you’re sharing videos, browser tabs, or live demos during an event.
• Local multi-track recordings per participant. Local recording stores an individual audio file and an individual video file with audio for each person, giving you clean tracks for post-production. (StreamYard Help Center)
• Landscape and portrait from the same session. You can frame your content to work for traditional webinar replays and vertical social clips without re-recording.
• Live branding as you record. Overlays, logos, and visual elements are applied in real time, so much of your "editing" happens during the event instead of afterward.
• Presenter notes only the host can see. You can keep talking points, CTAs, and timing cues in view without broadcasting them to your audience.
• Multi-participant screen sharing. Multiple presenters can share their screens, which is helpful for technical walk-throughs, joint demos, or panel-style sessions.

On paid plans, local recording is unlimited, while the free plan includes 2 hours of local recording per month. StreamYard Help Center That makes StreamYard a practical default for recurring virtual events where you care about both reliability and flexible editing later.

How does StreamYard compare to Loom for virtual-event recordings?

Loom is widely used for quick async communications—think product feedback, internal walk-throughs, or short status updates. It records your screen with a webcam bubble and link-based sharing, and its Starter plan in the US is free with a 5-minute screen recording limit and 25 videos per person. Loom

For virtual events, there are a few practical differences:

• Length and structure of content. Virtual events often run 30–90 minutes or more, with multiple segments. Loom’s Starter plan caps standard screen recordings at 5 minutes, so you either upgrade or stitch multiple clips together, which is awkward for live-style sessions. Loom
• Live, multi-participant studio vs. solo async clips. We provide a studio for live-style events with multiple guests, stage layouts, and audience-ready scenes. Loom centers on solo or small-group async videos that you send as links, not on running a full event.
• Pricing model for teams. In StreamYard, paid plans are priced per workspace, not per user, which often makes more sense when you have several presenters sharing one virtual-event studio. Loom’s Business and Business + AI plans are billed per user per month in USD. Loom

If your main goal is to host and capture real-time virtual events, StreamYard is usually a clearer fit. Loom can complement that setup for quick follow-up clips or internal recaps rather than acting as the primary event recorder.

When does OBS make sense instead of a browser-based studio?

OBS Studio is free, open-source software for video recording and live streaming that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. OBS Studio It allows you to build complex scenes from multiple sources—windows, displays, images, webcams, capture cards—and mix them into a single output. OBS Studio

For virtual events, OBS can be useful when:

• You want fine-grained control over encoders, bitrates, and formats.
• You’re running everything from a powerful local machine and are comfortable managing CPU/GPU load.
• You plan to route OBS into Zoom, Teams, or another platform using its virtual camera feature. OBS Features

However, there are trade-offs:

• You must install and configure OBS; there is a steeper learning curve, and the reliability of your recording depends completely on your hardware and settings. OBS System Requirements
• There is no built-in cloud backup or sharing; you manage large local files yourself.

A practical pattern for US-based teams is to use StreamYard as the main recording and live studio, with OBS reserved for niche scenarios where you truly need that deep hardware-level control.

How should you think about pricing and value for teams?

Because most virtual events involve more than one person behind the scenes, pricing structure matters.

For StreamYard in the US:

• The free plan is free to start.
• Paid plans are priced per workspace, not per user, which lets multiple presenters share one studio without multiplying subscription seats.
• For new users billed annually, the Core plan starts at $20/month for the first year and the Advanced plan at $39/month for the first year, and there is a 7-day free trial with periodic special offers for new users.

For Loom:

• The Starter plan is $0 but limited to 25 videos per person and 5-minute screen recordings. Loom Starter FAQ
• Business and Business + AI plans are billed per user per month in USD, with unlimited recording time and storage. Loom Plans

Teams that primarily run live virtual events often find a per-workspace model more predictable, because you can rotate hosts and producers through the same studio without expanding your license count.

How do you build a simple, reliable recording workflow for virtual events?

Here is a straightforward framework many US event organizers use:

1. Use StreamYard as the primary studio. Host your event in the browser, bring in speakers, and use screen sharing plus layouts to keep the experience presenter-led and visually clean. StreamYard
2. Enable local multi-track recording. Capture separate audio and video files per participant so you can fix small issues or re-cut segments later without re-recording. StreamYard Help Center
3. Design with repurposing in mind. Frame your content so it works as a full replay, a few short clips, and potentially a vertical highlight reel.
4. Add Loom or OBS only where they add clear value. Loom is helpful for post-event follow-ups and internal debriefs; OBS is useful for highly customized, hardware-tuned capture setups.

This approach avoids over-optimizing for rare edge cases and keeps the focus on a smooth, repeatable event recording process.

What we recommend

• Start with StreamYard as your default screen recording studio for any multi-participant virtual event.
• Turn on local multi-track recordings so you always have clean files for editing and repurposing.
• Add Loom for short async updates and OBS for specialized, technical capture only when those needs are clear.
• Prioritize tools your presenters can learn in minutes, not weeks—your audience will feel the difference in every event.