July 8, 2022
What Screen Recorders Do YouTubers Use?
Dominic Kent
Hey there, budding content creator 👋
At the start of your YouTube journey, you’ve probably got idols and people you want to emulate.
If you want to create content that looks and feels as good as theirs, you need to use the same setup, right?
In this post, we’ll specifically cover what screen recorders a handful of different YouTubers use.
What program do YouTubers use to screen record?
Options for screen recording include:
Jumpshare
Soapbox
Clip
Bubbles
Volley
Camtasia
Bombbomb
Sendspark
CamStudio
CloudApp
ScreenFlow
Flashback
Screenity
Zest
Hippo Video
Snagit
VEED
OBS
Screencast-O-Matic
Now, that’s a lot of choice. So, how do you choose which screen recorder is right for your YouTube channel?
What better way to answer this question than by asking YouTubers themselves?
Let’s start with some big hitters…
What screen recorder does TommyInnit use?
As a gamer and one of the fastest-growing YouTubers of all time, TommyInnit must have something going for his setup, right?
Aside from being one of the most contagious YouTubers on the planet, his gameplay and screen recording always looks 👌
So, what does he use?
According to GearHelper, Tommyinnit uses OBS with a GoXLR mixer for streaming and recording.
OBS is popular with gamers and streamers as it has built-in support for the most popular streaming platforms (like Twitch and YouTube). It’s also both open source and easy to learn the basics.
That said, it takes some playing around with to get it spot on. Several posts on the OBS forum suggest the stream quality is fine in preview mode, yet poor when pushed live.
TommyInnit’s uses the GoXLR mixer to keep his audio clear and crisp. It has an average of 4.5 stars on the Helicon site but does come in at over $400.
What screen recorder does Flamingo use?
In some of Flamingo's videos, you can see the logo for Nvidia ShadowPlay.
Ideal for high-resolution gameplay and recording and replaying, ShadowPlay’s DVR-style Instant Replay feature is a hit with fast-motion gamers and streamers.
If your YouTube channel is likely to feature scenes from Call of Duty, Star Wars, or Street Fighter, Nvidia Shadow Play is recommended.
There are specific system requirements so make sure you have these in place first:
Operating system: Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10.
RAM: 2GB system memory.
Disc space needed: 1 GB.
Check out which games are supported here.
Shubham Sharma
YouTube channel: Shubham SHARMA
Subscribers: 61,000+
Screen recorder used: Tella
In Shubham’s videos, you can see he’s a big user of Tella features like custom backgrounds, channels in the video library, captions, and clip splitting.
Shubham says he chooses Tella when screen recording for YouTube because of the customisation and editing possibilities. He also loves how easy it is to share videos outside of YouTube (one-click sharing or download options).
Another benefit outside of YouTube that Shubham mentions is the ability to embed Tella videos in Notion and emails. Adding a personalised video to projects without coding makes it hassle free.
Check out this video of Shubham running through how to use Tella:
Best Price Nutrition
YouTube channel: Best Price Nutrition.com
Subscribers: 41,000+
Screen recorder used: Screencast-O-Matic
At about $15 for the year, Screencast-O-Matic is an attractive price.
Best Price Nutrition eCommerce Manager, John Frigo, says Screencast-O-Matic is very easy to use and allows you to record your screen, your camera, or a combo of the two.
It includes a built-in editor for cutting or editing anything ready for the final video.
John says they also use Canva’s built-in video tool for projects that start in Canva. But the majority of videos that make it to YouTube get recorded on Screencast-O-Matic.
Connor Finlayson
YouTube channel: Connor Finlayson
Subscribers: 6,000+
Screen recorder used: Tella
In the past, Connor used OBS for YouTube videos but says he finds Tella allows him to configure layouts a lot easier. He especially likes being able to export clips and says this function has sped up his editing workflow significantly.
“I enjoy Tella because it gives me that sweet middle ground between a convenient screen recorder like Loom and a fancy editing tool like Final Cut.”
Alexandra Cote
YouTube channel: Alexandra Monica Cote
Subscribers: 3,400+
Screen recorder used: Free Cam
Free Cam is (obviously) free so the barrier to getting started on YouTube is low. Included in the free version is watermark removal and an unlimited recording time.
Alexandra says she uses Free Cam because “It's a free and super easy-to-use solution that allows me to quickly put together and edit videos.”
She says her favorite feature is how easy it is to cut or mute sections of her videos.
But there is a slight drawback with the free version. You can’t record with your camera while screen recording and annotations must be unlocked in the pro version. Recording quality is limited to 760p in the free version too.
The pro version costs $227/year which is comparable with the Tella pricing.
Svenja Rossig
YouTube channel: Sveni
Subscribers: 1,000+
Screen recorder used: Tella
Svenja runs a video marketing agency and uses Tella for all her videos.
Svenja says she uses Tella because it lets her customise recordings, brand her videos, and allows her to get really creative with the layout.
“It's so much more fun watching a video catered towards the audience of the creator than a boring old version.”
Svenja mentions her favourite feature is clip editing:
“I like most that it comes with in-app editing and a super-handy Chrome extension.”
What screen recorders should you not use for YouTube?
A general rule of thumb is to use a purpose-built screen recorder. That means software that is designed for recording screens and uploading videos to YouTube or other video platforms.
For example, Rupert Squires says he records webinars on Microsoft Teams then uploads to YouTube. However, he says this leads to a poor viewing experience both during live webinars and when watching back later.
“I have to block out the attendees and the position of my head (and my co-presenter) can move about.”
Rupert also shares that he’s since tried using Descript.
“I've found that it can lose the sync between mic and screen/camera recording. Although you can fix it by separating voice and video tracks and shifting them (a bit of a faff).”
The same is true for most video conferencing platforms (think Zoom, Webex, etc.). While they offer a free way to record your screen, they aren’t designed for this purpose. This means the audio and video don’t get optimized for watching back once uploaded.
How do YouTubers record their screen and themselves?
Tools like Tella offer recording of both your screen and yourself.
Here’s how you can get started with Tella (for free!):
In the top left-hand corner, click New Video.
Your screen will then populate with your camera footage and several options along the bottom of the screen.
It’s here you can choose what kind of recording you’re about to make.
Options include:
Mute
Stop video
Share screen
Present
Show notes
Start recording
Choose whether you want yourself in the video and whether you need audio.
Then click Share screen to…share your screen. You’ve got options here, too.
You can choose to record your entire screen, a window, or a tab.
Choose Entire screen if you’ll be flicking between different apps.
Choose Window if you don’t want everything (your taskbar, for example) to be included.
Choose a specific tab if you only need to record one tab (currently Chrome only).
Which recorder is best for YouTube videos?
We (obviously) vote for Tella. And here are 10 reasons why we believe that:
You can add interchangeable backgrounds to keep viewers' attention. Every time the background changes, their eyes get stimulated by something new on the screen.
Captions get automatically created. YouTube views increase by 13.48% in the first 14 days when you add captions.
In-app editing makes post-production simple. Tella has extensive editing capabilities, meaning you don’t need to buy extra editing software.
You can share your video in one click. If editing isn’t your thing, send the link to an editor without waiting for your video to download.
It’s free to try. You don't even need to enter your credit card details.
The free version is actually awesome. You get 10 videos with unlimited recording time and instant sharing.
You can combine video clips. Made a video you think will work better as an intro? Merge clips when you’re done recording instead of re-recording.
You can import slides for a professional touch; if that’s your thing.
You can create thumbnails (even GIF thumbnails) without extra software.
Video recording time is unlimited. So no more 40-minute cut-offs like in Zoom.
Sounds pretty good, right?
Then what are you waiting for?