Screen Recorder Windows: How to Choose a Screen Recording Software
There are a lot of options for screen recording software out there. Some of them free, some commercial, some that are desktop apps, others that are web-based. It can be difficult to know what to look for when you are trying to find a screen recorder app.
As you make your way through the options, how do you know which is the best screen recorder? In this post, we'll help you navigate some of those questions.
What is screen recording software?
Sometimes, you want to capture the footage on your screen to a video. In order to do that, you need special software called a screen recorder. If you also want to record audio, either from the microphone or the built-in sound, you'll need a screen recorder with audio capabilities. Aside from free screen recording software, most screen recorders come as part of a larger package: this package is usually a video editor. An example of this is MultiCam Capture, the screen recorder built into VideoStudio video editing tools.
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How to choose screen recording software
The best screen recorder app will be the one that suits your specific needs best, so it's a good idea to look at what those needs are. Let's take a look at six steps you can use to find the ideal computer screen recorder for you. Each step in this list will help you narrow down your list of candidates further.
- Determine your budget — The first thing to do is to determine what you'd like to spend. If the product you are looking at is outside of your budget range, then it can be cut from the list immediately without any further examination.
- Examine your skill level — Your skill level will tell you how easy-to-use you need the software to be. Keep in mind that many products, such as VideoStudio, are designed to be easy to use as well as powerful, so there isn't always a tradeoff to be made.
- Think about your current needs — The features you need now are hard requirements. Do you need software that can record from the microphone? Do you need editing capabilities as well? When you have your list of immediate needs, you'll be able to compare the features list of the software you are considering against those needs.
- Think about your future needs — Anytime you pay for software, you should try to get something that you should grow into. The types of features you may need in the future aren't dealbreakers if they are missing, but they are certainly worth trying to find.
- Narrow down your list — Now that you have an idea of the type of software you can afford and the types of features you'll need, you can start narrowing down your list of options to only the software that fits your requirements.
- Try out the options — Almost all windows screen recording software comes with a free trial. Once you've got your shortlist made, it's time to start downloading the free trials for the software on that list and comparing them using hands-on experience. This is the best way to find out which software meets your needs and that you are comfortable using.
Conclusion
Only you know how seriously you need to take the decision of which screen recorder to use. Is this something you will be using once and then deleting, or is this something that is going to become a vital part of your workflow? Tailor the time you take making your decision to the amount of use you expect to get out of the product. A good tool, like VideoStudio, will allow you to grow from a hobbyist who screen records every once and a while to a professional who creates screen-recorded classes or webinars on a daily basis.
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Download a free 30 day trial now!