Last updated: 2026-01-15

For most people in the U.S., the fastest way to record a live stream with screen recording software is to use StreamYard’s browser studio, turn on screen share, and record locally or to the cloud in the same session. If you need deep encoder control and are comfortable with technical setup, OBS can sit beside StreamYard to handle advanced local recording while you stream.

Summary

• Use StreamYard as your main studio to capture your screen, camera, and guests in one place, with layouts and branding applied live.
• Turn on local recordings in StreamYard when you want separate, high-quality files for each participant you can edit later. (StreamYard Help)
• Add OBS only if you need very specific encoding or recording formats while streaming to platforms like YouTube or Twitch. (OBS Help)
• Treat Loom as a simple option for quick screen-only recordings, not for true live streaming. (Loom Live Screen Recorder)

How do you record a live stream the simple way (with StreamYard)?

If you want an easy, presenter-led screen recording that doubles as a live stream, this is the basic StreamYard workflow:

1. Open a StreamYard studio in your browser. No installs needed; just log in and create a new live stream or recording session. (StreamYard Pricing)
2. Add your camera and mic. Choose your webcam and microphone, and test audio levels.
3. Share your screen. Use StreamYard’s screen-sharing to show your entire display, a specific window, or a browser tab during the live stream or recording. Screen sharing works for both live streams and record-only sessions. (StreamYard Screen Sharing)
4. Control layouts live. Put your camera next to the screen, picture-in-picture, or go full-screen on the content. You can also layer in branded overlays, logos, and other visual elements while you present.
5. Start the live stream and recording. On paid plans, you can automatically record your live stream in the cloud with per-stream caps (10 hours on most plans, 24 hours on Business). (StreamYard Storage)
6. Download and reuse. Afterward, download the recording as a single file—or, if you enabled local recording, as separate files per participant.

This approach covers what most creators in the U.S. need: clear voice, clear screen, and a recording that’s ready to clip and reuse without digging through technical settings.

What’s the difference between cloud recording and local recording in StreamYard?

Think of cloud recording as your safety net and local recording as your high-quality master.

• Cloud recording: When you go live on paid plans, we can automatically record the full show in the cloud, up to 10 hours per stream on most plans (24 hours on Business), until you hit your storage hours. (How Many Hours Can I Stream and Record)
• Local recording: We also support local recordings that capture each host and guest on their own device, generating separate audio and video files per participant. Free has a 2-hour/month limit for local recording, while paid plans remove that cap. (Local Recording of your Live Stream)

In practice:

• Use cloud-only if you just need a backup or a quick replay.
• Use cloud + local when you care about post-production: podcasters, course creators, and B2B teams who want clean tracks for editing.

Because the local files are tracked per participant, you can fix volume differences, cut crosstalk, and crop each person individually later.

How do you record your screen and camera while live streaming?

For presenter-led sessions (demos, webinars, tutorials), you usually want three things: your camera, your screen, and good audio.

In StreamYard, the workflow looks like this:

1. Join your studio with camera and mic on. Set your main camera resolution based on your plan; local recording resolution follows the studio resolution. (Local Recording Resolution)
2. Click “Share” → “Share Screen.” Choose whether to share your full desktop, a single app, or a browser tab.
3. Decide what the audience sees. Put your screen full-width with a small camera tile, or flip it so your face is larger while you talk through slides.
4. Control audio independently. You can bring in system audio (for a video demo) while keeping your mic at a comfortable level.
5. Add notes only you can see. Keep presenter notes visible to you, but hidden from viewers, so you can stay on script without cluttering the screen.
6. Start the live stream and recording. Whether you’re streaming to YouTube, LinkedIn, or another destination, you’re recording the same polished layout you’re sending live.

Because StreamYard is browser-based, this works on typical U.S. laptops without needing a powerful GPU or complex install, as long as your network is stable.

Can you record a live stream locally while streaming to YouTube?

Yes. There are two ways U.S. creators commonly handle this:

1. StreamYard with local recordings turned on.

   • You stream to YouTube from StreamYard and simultaneously generate local recordings per participant. (Local Recording of your Live Stream)
   • You end up with: the YouTube VOD, a cloud recording of the whole show, and per-guest local files.

2. OBS as a sidecar for advanced local capture.

   • OBS is a free desktop application that supports simultaneous streaming and local recording and even different encoders for each. (OBS Help)
   • You can send your camera into StreamYard, stream from StreamYard, and run OBS locally to record a custom view or higher bitrate version of your screen.

For most workflows, StreamYard’s built-in local recordings are enough. OBS becomes helpful if you need highly customized formats or you want to record a separate “clean feed” of your screen-only view while your audience sees a branded layout.

How do you record separate audio tracks for editing?

Separate audio tracks give you more control in post-production: easier noise removal, leveling, and cutting interruptions.

• In StreamYard, enabling local recording means each participant gets individual audio and video files recorded on their device. That’s effectively multi-track audio without extra routing, and it’s available on all plans (with 2 hours/month on Free, unlimited on paid). (Local Recording of your Live Stream)
• In OBS, you can assign different sources (mics, apps) to separate audio tracks and save them in one container file, but this requires manual setup and local disk management. (OBS Standard Recording Guide)

If your goal is a multi-guest show you can clean up in a video editor, StreamYard’s per-participant local files give you the outcome most people want without configuring virtual cables or mixing buses.

What are StreamYard local recording limits on Free vs paid plans?

Here’s what matters when you’re deciding how heavily to rely on StreamYard for recording:

• Free plan

  • Local recording: 2 hours/month total across your account. (Local Recording of your Live Stream)
  • Storage: 5 hours of recordings in the cloud before you need to delete or upgrade. (What is Storage)
  • Live streams are not auto-recorded in the cloud; you must rely on local recording or platform VODs. (Free Plan Limits)

• Paid plans

  • Local recording: effectively unlimited (no hour cap from us; you’re limited by your device and disk). (Local Recording of your Live Stream)
  • Storage: starts at 50 hours included, with higher tiers and add-ons for teams that archive a lot. (What is Storage)
  • Per-stream recording length: up to 10 hours on most paid plans, 24 hours on Business. (What is Storage)

If you’re recording the occasional webinar or product demo, Free can cover you. If you’re running weekly shows, interviews, or multi-hour events, paid plans are where StreamYard turns into a long-term recording hub.

Can Loom record a live screen and stream at the same time?

Loom is built for quick, async videos: you hit record, capture your screen and camera bubble, then share a link. It does not offer live streaming; it records your screen in real-time and uploads the video for later viewing. (Loom Live Screen Recorder)

On the free Starter plan, Loom limits standard screen recordings to 5 minutes, with a 25-video limit per person in a workspace. (Loom Starter FAQ)

Because of that, Loom is a solid “explain this quickly” option, but not a replacement for StreamYard or OBS when you need multi-hour live streams, multi-guest shows, or flexible layouts.

How do StreamYard, OBS, and Loom compare for live-stream recording?

When you zoom out, this is how the three tools line up for U.S. creators and teams:

• StreamYard

  • Browser-based studio for live streaming and recording with layouts, branding, multi-participant screen sharing, and both cloud and local recordings.
  • Local recording per participant on all plans, with a small cap on Free and unlimited on paid tiers. (Local Recording of your Live Stream)
  • Pricing is per workspace rather than per user, which tends to be more efficient for teams than per-seat tools like Loom. (Loom Pricing)

• OBS

  • Free, open-source desktop software that gives you deep control over encoding, formats, and scenes; suitable for power users. (OBS Studio)
  • Great when you need very specific local-recording settings, but you’re responsible for hardware, storage, and configuration.

• Loom

  • Async screen recording with instant share links, oriented toward short explainers and updates, not multi-destination live streams. (Loom Pricing)

For most people asking “how do I record a live stream with screen recording software?”, StreamYard becomes the default choice: it runs in the browser, manages your guests and layouts, records both locally and in the cloud, and keeps your setup simple while still letting advanced users pair it with OBS when needed.

What we recommend

• Start with StreamYard for live streams that need presenter-led screen sharing, guest support, and reliable recordings you can reuse.
• Turn on local recordings whenever you plan to edit your content later or repurpose it into podcasts, shorts, or courses.
• Add OBS only if you have highly specific local-recording needs and the technical comfort to configure it.
• Use Loom alongside StreamYard for quick, async follow-ups or feedback videos—not as your primary live-streaming solution.