Last updated: 2026-01-10

For most people searching for a "screen recording app with built‑in music library," starting with StreamYard gives you simple screen capture plus a ready‑to‑use background music and sound effects library in one browser‑based studio. If you mainly need raw system audio capture or deep local control of audio files, Loom or OBS can play a more specialized role alongside or instead of StreamYard.

Summary

• StreamYard offers built‑in background music and sound effects inside a full screen‑recording and live studio, all from your browser. (StreamYard Help Center)
• You can also upload your own music and short sound effects, with file size limits that vary by plan. (StreamYard Help Center)
• Loom is useful when you just need quick screen shares with system audio and instant links for async updates. (Atlassian Support)
• OBS is powerful for local recording with your own audio files, but it does not include a preloaded music library. (Hollyland)

What are people really asking for with “screen recording app with built‑in music library”?

When someone types this phrase into Google, they usually don’t want a bare‑bones recorder. They want three things bundled together:

1. A simple way to record their screen (plus their face and mic) without wrestling with settings.
2. Background music or sound effects they can trigger instantly, without digging through folders or editing timelines.
3. An easy way to reuse and share recordings across YouTube, social, or internal channels.

That combination is exactly the workflow we design for at StreamYard: presenter‑led screen recordings, live or off‑air, with layouts, overlays, and audio elements all handled live so you spend less time in post.

How does StreamYard’s built‑in music actually work?

StreamYard includes a background music feature directly in the studio, so you can add ambience while you record or stream. The music plays in sync for everyone in the studio and in the final recording, and hosts/co‑hosts control volume and when it starts or stops. (StreamYard Help Center)

On top of that, there is a built‑in sound effects panel with a small curated library (13 short effects) plus the option to upload your own files. (StreamYard Help Center)

A few practical implications for creators in the U.S.:

• You don’t have to open a video editor just to add a music bed. You can do it live, while you present.
• You can keep your hands mostly on your content, not your software. Music becomes one more “scene element” you toggle, like a logo or overlay.
• Everything happens in the browser. That’s a big deal on typical work laptops or Chromebooks where installing heavy apps (or extra audio drivers) may not be allowed.

If you outgrow the default tracks, you can upload your own music files; self‑serve plans support uploads up to 30 MB per file, which comfortably covers most looping background tracks. (StreamYard Help Center)

How strong is StreamYard as a screen recorder beyond the music?

A music library is only useful if the underlying recorder is solid. For this specific intent—clean, presenter‑led screen recordings—there are a few capabilities that matter more than raw specs:

• Presenter‑visible screen sharing and layouts. In StreamYard, you see exactly how your screen, camera, and any guests are framed while you record, and you can switch layouts live.
• Independent control of screen audio and mic audio. You can keep your mic front‑and‑center while letting system audio or music sit quietly in the background.
• Local multi‑track recording. On all plans, we support local recordings per participant (with a small monthly cap on the free plan and unlimited on paid plans), so you can pull separate audio/video files into an editor later if you want. (StreamYard Help Center)
• Landscape and portrait from the same session. That makes it easier to cut full‑screen demos for YouTube and vertical clips for Shorts or Reels without rerunning the session.
• Branding live instead of in post. Overlays, logos, and lower thirds can be applied as you record, which is where a lot of teams win back time.
• Multi‑participant screen sharing. If you’re co‑presenting a product demo or onboarding, multiple people can bring their screens into the same recording.

For most users who just want to “hit record, look professional, and get a file they can share,” this combination usually matters more than having maximal codec control.

How does StreamYard compare to Loom for this use case?

Loom is popular in U.S. workplaces for quick async updates, especially because it’s easy to share a link right after you finish recording. Loom can also capture internal or system audio—either from a single Chrome tab via the browser extension or from any app via the desktop app. (Atlassian Support)

However, Loom does not provide a built‑in music library in the way StreamYard does. You typically rely on:

• Whatever sound is already playing on your system (e.g., a music app in the background), or
• Adding music later in another tool.

That’s totally fine for short feedback videos or bug walkthroughs. But if your main goal is repeatable, branded screen presentations with music baked in, Loom’s strengths (link‑first sharing, inline comments, AI summaries on higher tiers) are less central than StreamYard’s live‑studio approach.

Pricing also lines up differently for teams. Loom charges per creator seat on its paid tiers, while at StreamYard, pricing is per workspace instead of per user, which can be significantly more economical once you have a few presenters recording regularly. (Loom Pricing, StreamYard Pricing)

A pragmatic pattern we see: many teams use Loom for quick, informal check‑ins, and use StreamYard whenever the recording itself needs to look like a show or a polished walkthrough.

How does StreamYard compare to OBS when you care about music?

OBS Studio is a powerhouse for local recording and live streaming, particularly for technically confident users. You can add background music by creating a Media Source in your scene that plays a local audio file, and you can route multiple audio sources with fine‑grained control. (Drip Help Center)

But OBS does not ship with a preloaded music or sound effects library; you have to bring your own files. (Hollyland)

For some workflows, that’s perfect. If you already maintain a local library of licensed tracks, and you’re comfortable managing scenes, audio mixers, and encoding settings, OBS gives you a huge amount of control.

For many everyday creators and teams, though, the trade‑off is time and complexity:

• You install and maintain a desktop app on each machine.
• You handle local storage, backups, and sharing of large files yourself.
• You configure audio routing and scene layouts manually.

StreamYard takes the opposite approach: a lighter, browser‑based studio with simpler controls, built‑in music and sound effects, cloud recording, and optional per‑participant local files for higher‑quality post‑production.

How should you evaluate screen recorders with music libraries?

If you’re comparing tools this year, it helps to rank your criteria in this order:

1. Can I record clear, presenter‑led screen videos without a big learning curve?
2. Does the app include ready‑to‑use background music or sound effects, or do I have to assemble my own stack?
3. How easy is it to reuse content for multiple formats and platforms?
4. What does it take to share or collaborate on these recordings with a team?

From that lens:

• StreamYard emphasizes ease of recording plus built‑in music and effects, while also giving you local multi‑track files and branded layouts.
• Loom emphasizes speed and async sharing; you handle music separately or via system audio.
• OBS emphasizes depth of control; you handle both music and file management yourself.

An illustrative scenario: imagine you’re launching a weekly live product demo that you also want to repurpose as a tutorial playlist. With StreamYard, you can:

• Go live or record only.
• Bring in your screen, camera, guests, and built‑in music.
• Capture per‑participant local tracks for editing later. (StreamYard Help Center)
• Export vertical and horizontal cuts from the same session.

You end up with a show that feels produced—even though your workflow stays simple.

What we recommend

• Start with StreamYard if you want a browser‑based screen recorder that includes a built‑in music and sound effects library, plus layouts and branding tools.
• Layer in Loom if your team relies heavily on quick async explainers and link‑based sharing, and you’re comfortable adding music separately.
• Use OBS selectively when you truly need deep local audio routing and are ready to manage your own music library and file workflow.
• Whichever route you pick, keep your focus on clarity, consistency, and ease of reuse—those matter more to your audience than any single technical spec.