If you’re in search of a professional or semi-professional screen recording software for making a tutorial, explanatory video or screencast you might want first to make a list of what features will be most useful for your activity.
For all of the above, you need a good tool that gets the job done at high quality, quickly and efficiently.
Let’s see what one usually needs to look for in your search for the best screen recording and video capture software:
- First, the interface of the software has to be intuitive and user-friendly. You don’t need a steep
learning curve and you don’t want to spend a lot of time finding where to find the options you need for
your work. So, the software has to come with a simple interface, where settings are not that complex
and you find out fast where each button is, and which one does what. - Second, you might want your videos to be high-resolution. It adds clarity to the video, and you can share the video on platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, Google drive, etc. Some tools go to that point of providing retina resolution (maximal resolution at this time), so why not select software that gets the job done
perfectly. - Third, you need multiple options as to what part of the screen can be recorded: you might need to
record the whole screen, only a window or a certain part of the screen. Most of the screen recording software comes with these options, so pay attention to choose one that has them all within the
package. - Then, audio. The screen recorder should have some settings related to audio that should accompany your demonstrations. You may either record your voice or insert music in the background, however, your screen recorder has to include audio capabilities.
- And not to forget, webcam. Some screen recorders offer you the possibility to record a webcam (especially useful for video tutorials where you want your explanations to be fully understood by watchers). This feature will split the screen, and complete the video with additional signals that make the video better fulfill its purpose.
- There’s such a thing as record and pause recording. With some screed recorders, you can pause the recording and get back to it any time afterwards. It’s useful for multitasking and it might help a lot in
creating better videos (at your own pace). - Depending on what you need the screen recorder for, you might want basic or complex video editing features. Most of the times, some basic editing features will do. However, for advanced options such as
cut and trim, add effects, adjusting the intro and outro of the video, you might need a more complex solution. In this article, we’ll cover some tools that have exactly these options. - We’ve mentioned it earlier but again pay attention to the export options. Look for software that makes the exporting process smooth and easy, so you can easily add your videos to platforms where people who need your video will get it.
- You should decide if you want a free screen recorder versus a paid one. Some free tools are good for basic video recording, and you can upgrade any time, if you further need more complex functionalities.