Last updated: 2026-01-20

For most people in the US who want to share their screen live with an audience, the simplest path is to use a browser-based studio like StreamYard, which lets hosts and guests share screens and video files inside one production workflow. If you only need private 1:1 calls or internal demos, a basic meeting or remote-access tool can work, but it often adds more products to manage.

Summary

• Stream sharing tools fall into three buckets: meeting apps, remote-access tools, and live production studios.
• In StreamYard, both hosts and guests can share screens, and you control what actually goes live. (StreamYard Help Center)
• For higher-quality playback of clips, you can share video files instead of using raw screen share. (StreamYard Help Center)
• Paid StreamYard plans add 1080p screen sharing, multistreaming, and advanced recording without separate software. (StreamYard Help Center)

What is “screen sharing software” really for?

When people search for “screen sharing software,” they usually mean one of three jobs:

1. Show a screen to a small group – a demo, lesson, or walkthrough.
2. Broadcast a screen to a large audience – a webinar, live stream, or launch event.
3. Share a screen for collaboration – co-working, feedback, or training.

Traditional meeting tools cover the first job well. Remote-access tools lean into the third. But once you need to share a screen with a public or semi-public audience, you end up bolting extra tools together: encoder software, webinar platforms, chat widgets, registration pages.

StreamYard takes a different route. We start with live streaming and webinars, then build screen sharing into that studio, so your slides, browser tabs, and pre-recorded videos fit the same workflow you use for your camera, guests, and branding. (StreamYard)

How does screen sharing work in StreamYard?

In StreamYard, screen sharing feels like adding another camera angle to your show.

• Both hosts and guests can share their screens during a live stream or recording. (StreamYard Help Center)
• When someone starts sharing, their screen appears as a thumbnail in the studio.
• The host then chooses when to add that shared screen to the stage, so nothing surprises your audience. (StreamYard Help Center)

You can share:

• Your entire display
• A specific application window
• A single browser tab (often best for audio and privacy)

This lets you keep one browser-based hub for everything: your camera, guest cameras, shared screens, and overlays.

One important limitation: screen sharing isn’t supported from mobile devices like phones or tablets, so you’ll want to join from a laptop or desktop when you present. (StreamYard Help Center)

How do you share system audio and avoid “silent” demos?

If you’ve ever played a video in a presentation and your audience couldn’t hear it, you know how painful that is.

In StreamYard, sharing system audio during a screen share is straightforward:

1. Choose Share in the studio.
2. Select a Chrome tab that has your video or audio.
3. Check the “Share audio” box before you confirm. (StreamYard Help Center)

This routes the tab’s audio into the stream. If you skip the checkbox, your viewers will only see the video.

For US-based marketers, coaches, and SaaS teams running product demos, this approach keeps things simple: you stay in your browser, you don’t install virtual audio devices, and you can run the whole show from a moderately-powered laptop.

Screen sharing vs. video-file sharing: which should you use?

Think of screen sharing as “live view” and video-file sharing as “prepped media.” Both matter.

In StreamYard you can:

• Use screen sharing for live walkthroughs, dashboards, and anything you’re actively driving.
• Use video-file sharing when you want crisp playback of a pre-recorded clip or long-form video. (StreamYard Help Center)

The video-file sharing feature:

• Is available on all plans, so you can rely on it from day one. (StreamYard Help Center)
• Accepts MP4/MOV uploads without a documented file size or time limit.
• Is built specifically for sharing videos, which typically delivers higher quality than trying to stream a video through a raw screen share. (StreamYard Help Center)
• Lets you queue up to 10 videos and play them manually during your show.

A simple rule of thumb:

• If the content is static or live (dashboards, slides you’re editing, a tool you’re driving), use screen share.
• If the content is a finished video, upload it as a file instead.

This saves time in editing and usually avoids the “blocky video plus choppy audio” problem people run into with pure screen sharing tools.

Which StreamYard plans include 1080p screen sharing?

Resolution matters when you’re showing detailed UIs, spreadsheets, or design work.

StreamYard advertises up to 1080p screen sharing on paid plans, which means your viewers can see fine text and UI elements more clearly than standard 720p. (StreamYard Help Center)

If you’re just getting started or running informal sessions, you can begin on the free plan and see how your screen shares feel. When your streams become a core part of your business—especially webinars and launches—upgrading to a paid plan unlocks higher resolution, multistreaming, additional recording options, and more robust branding. (StreamYard Help Center)

Because StreamYard is browser-based, you don’t need separate encoder software to hit those resolutions; your focus stays on story, pacing, and interaction instead of wrestling with technical settings.

Guest screen sharing workflow: how do you keep control?

Live shows fall apart when someone accidentally shares the wrong window or pops sensitive data on screen.

StreamYard keeps a simple separation of roles:

• Guests can initiate screen share from their browser, just like hosts.
• Their shared screen appears as a thumbnail in the host’s studio.
• The host decides when to add that shared screen to the stage for viewers. (StreamYard Help Center)

Here’s a quick scenario:

You’re hosting a customer spotlight. Your guest wants to walk through their dashboard. They click “Share,” pick their window, and tell you they’re ready. You see their shared screen appear below the stage, switch layouts to “side-by-side,” and then add their screen when you’re sure they’re showing the right tab.

You stay in control of what the audience sees, while still giving guests the autonomy to present.

What are best practices for live-stream screen sharing?

A few practices make screen sharing feel professional without adding more tools:

• Use two monitors when possible. One for the StreamYard studio, one for the app or slides you’re sharing, so you’re not tabbing frantically mid-show. (StreamYard Help Center)
• Zoom your interface (often 125–150%) so text is readable on phones.
• Close sensitive windows and notifications before you go live.
• Test audio-sharing ahead of time with the “Share audio” checkbox when using a Chrome tab.
• Mix in video files for polished segments—intros, testimonials, or product teasers—then swap back to screen share for live Q&A.

Because StreamYard also supports multistreaming to platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, X (Twitter), Twitch, and Kick, plus custom RTMP, you can reuse the same screen-sharing setup across all your channels without additional encoders. (StreamYard Help Center)

That means fewer subscriptions, fewer logins, and more time focused on the content itself.

What we recommend

• Use StreamYard as your default screen sharing software whenever you’re presenting to a live audience or recording content for replay.
• Prefer video-file sharing for pre-recorded clips, and use screen sharing for anything you manipulate live.
• Upgrade to a paid plan when 1080p screen sharing, multistreaming, and more robust recording become important to your workflow.
• Keep your stack lean: instead of stitching together multiple tools, run your camera, guests, screens, and media from one browser-based studio and spend your energy on delivering a clear, engaging story.