A live stream recorded session can be shared with people who were unable to attend and can be edited into shorter videos or used as content for other social media channels.
The best software to record and live stream comes in many forms, from free tools to browser-based platforms to professional production software. But the right one for you depends upon the type of content you’re creating and also on the level of control you want over the broadcast and recording.
Which Software Can Record and Stream at the Same Time?
Many live stream recording software programs support recording and live streaming in the same session, but they do not all handle recording the same way. Some save recordings directly to your computer, while some use cloud storage, or you can get both options too.
The perfect choice for you also depends on what you are producing. A gaming stream, a webinar with several speakers, and a multi-camera live streaming and recording software setup may all need different types of platforms.
Software | Best Suited For | Recording While Streaming | Recording Type | Plans & Pricing (USD) |
OBS Studio | Custom streaming setups | Yes | Local | Free & Open Source |
Streamlabs Desktop | Gaming and creators | Yes | Local | Offers free and paid plans |
Ecamm Live (Mac) | Mac users | Yes | Local | Offers paid subscription plans (with a free trial) |
vMix (Windows) | Professional productions | Yes | Local | Offers perpetual lifetime licenses and subscription plans (with a free trial)
|
StreamYard | Interviews, webinars, and panels | Yes (on supported plans) | Cloud/Local | Offers free and paid subscription plans
|
Restream | Multistreaming | Yes | Cloud/Local | Offers free and paid subscription plans |
Riverside | Podcasts and remote interviews | Yes | Local/Cloud | Offers free and paid subscription plans |
Wirecast | Broadcast and event production | Yes | Local | Offers paid subscription plans and perpetual licenses (with a free trial) |
Beyond the basics of recording and streaming at the same time, you should also consider
- Recording Quality
- Storage Space
- System Requirements
- Production Features
- Production Control
OBS Studio: Best Free Option For streamers
OBS Studio is the most popular choice for recording. It is free, open source, and available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Add cameras, mics, screens, images, browser windows, and other sources to your scenes and stream that production while recording it locally at the same time. OBS also lets you control the recording quality, format, encoder, and where your recordings are saved.
One particularly useful feature is that your recording settings can be different from your streaming settings. However, recording at a higher quality than the stream can also put demands on your computer.
For recording, OBS recommends the MKV format, as it is less likely to make the entire recording unusable if you stop it unexpectedly.
The primary disadvantage is the learning curve. OBS allows you a lot of control, but you have to do a lot of the setup yourself. So it’s perfect for creators, educators, streamers, or anyone looking for a flexible setup without the expense of production software.
Streamlabs Desktop: Good for Gaming and Creators
Streamlabs Desktop is one of the best tools for gamers and creators.
It has
- Overlays
- Alerts
- Widgets
Along with other visual elements, the above features can create a more engaging live stream. You can also record locally while you are streaming, so you will have a separate video file for later editing or reuse.
If you like a creator-centric interface and want built-in streaming capabilities, Streamlabs can be easier to approach than building an entire setup from scratch.
Ecamm Live
Ecamm Live is a real-time application for Mac users.
It features support for:
- Camera
- Microphones
- Screen sharing
- Layouts
- Guests
It’s also useful for interviews, presentations, podcasts, and live shows, as you may be able to record your production as you broadcast it.
One of its main advantages is its Mac-centric design. If you’re a Mac user and want dedicated live production software without constructing a complicated set-up, Ecamm Live is worth a look.
vMix: For Professional Productions
vMix is geared toward more advanced live production software and operates on Windows.
For professional productions, this is a powerful live broadcasting application for Windows that gives the user complete control over complex video setups.
- Handles everything all at once: Easily mix multiple cameras, microphones, guest callers, presentations, and live graphics.
- Great for big shows: Great for multi-camera shows, corporate conferences, live sports and professional streams.
- Steep learning curve: It takes time to learn & setup
Works in your favor if you want pro control over every little detail of your show. The problem is vMix can be a bit of a learning curve. If you want more control over your live stream, it’s a good option, but if you just want to get streaming quickly, it might be easier to use a browser-based tool.
StreamYard: Good for Webinars and Interviews
StreamYard provides a simple browser-based solution to live streaming and recording. Add guests to a studio via a link. From your browser, you can control:
- Layouts
- Branding
- Screen sharing
- Comments
It can be especially good for interviews, panel discussions, webinars, podcasts, and business presentations.
Local recordings can help maintain higher-quality copies of your video and audio, even when the internet connection affects the live stream.
If you are hosting webinar-type events, ease of use is more important than complex production controls; this feature can make StreamYard a viable option.
If you’re planning a webinar that will also be streamed live, you can read Airmeet’s How to Set Up a Live Streaming Webinar: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide.
Restream: Best for Multistreaming
Restream is best known for multistreaming, where users can send a live broadcast to multiple locations.
The studio works in a browser and provides tools for live production without the need for traditional desktop broadcasting software. Right now, the studio states that local recording can capture individual video and audio tracks from participants and sources and then upload the recording to the host’s account.
This makes Restream useful when targeting several platforms, which is more important than having the detailed production controls that desktop applications like OBS or vMix offer.
Riverside: Best for High-Quality Remote Recording
Riverside adopts a recording-first approach that works particularly well for podcasts, interviews, and remote video productions.
The platform helps in recording participants in high quality and has the capability to live stream. This is handy if the live broadcast is just part of the content you want to create.
You could, for instance, live stream a remote interview and then use the higher quality recording to create clips, a podcast episode or other content.
Wirecast: For Broadcast and Event Production
Wirecast is another option for professional production on Windows and Mac. For more demanding multi-camera video and broadcast applications, it is intended for more complex broadcasts that involve multiple cameras, video sources, graphics, audio and other production elements.
This dual recording and streaming software also allows you to record the program while you are streaming it, making it a good option for conferences, corporate broadcasts, live events and other productions where a local recording is important.
It is more suited toward users that need advanced production capabilities than someone that just wants the simplest possible streaming setup.
How to Choose the Right Software?
A single solution may not work for all types of live broadcast.
If you are looking for a free tool and don’t mind learning the setup, OBS Studio is a great option. Ecamm Live is an option if you’re on a Mac, but Streamlabs is a better choice for gaming and creator content.
For more complicated productions with multiple cameras and sources, vMix and Wirecast provide more control over the production. For interviews, webinars, and panel discussions, using a browser-based platform like StreamYard can make life a lot easier.
If you want to get on multiple platforms at once, Restream is designed for that purpose. And if the quality of the recording is just as important as the live broadcast, then a recording-focused platform like Riverside might be a better fit.
It’s important to go beyond the basic question of whether the software can record and stream at the same time. Also think about what happens to the recording and how much work goes into preparing your live session.
What Should You Check Before Recording and Streaming?
First off, know where you want to save the recording. Local recording means you’ll have a file on your computer, but cloud recording makes it easier for you to access the session after the event. Both options are available on some platforms.
Your computer also needs to be able to handle both tasks at the same time. Recording and streaming together can use a lot of your computer’s resources when you record in high quality. If your recording and live stream use different quality settings, your computer may need to work even harder.
Another area to test before going live is the audio. A stream might appear to be perfect, but if your microphone or audio source is not set up correctly, you can end up with a poor recording.
Storage, too, is easy to overlook. Long events recorded in high quality can create large files, so it’s better to make sure you have enough space available before you start.
Conclusion
You can record and live stream at the same time, so you don’t have to lose out on a recording of the event if you want to reach a live audience. What is the best software? It all depends on what you are producing.
OBS Studio is a nice, free and flexible option, and Streamlabs is good for gaming and creators. StreamYard is great for interviews and webinar-style productions, Restream is great for multistreaming and Riverside puts more emphasis on high-quality recordings. For larger and more complex productions, vMix and Wirecast offer more advanced production controls.
Platforms like Airmeet let you host the event, interact with your audience and record the session in one place. When choosing a platform, look at more than just the streaming features. Check how it handles recordings, where the files are saved, what your computer can handle and what you want to do with the recording later.
FAQs
Yes. Software such as OBS Studio, StreamYard, Restream, Riverside, vMix and Wirecast can all support recording and live streaming in the same workflow, though the exact features and plan requirements will differ.
OBS Studio is one of the best free options.
Yes. OBS specifically supports recording at the same time as streaming. You can also configure recording settings independently from your stream.
Yes. If you are streaming and recording at the same time, this can put some additional strain on your computer, especially if you are using high quality recording settings or software encoding. Several webinars and streaming platforms let you record a session while it broadcasts. The exact recording options depend on the software and plan.
Neither is automatically better. Local recording gives you direct access to the file and you choose where to save it. Cloud recording is generally more convenient, because the file is saved online and is usually available after the session.
Some software allows for high-resolution recording locally, but the quality is software, hardware, plan, encoder, and recording settings dependent.
Multistreaming platforms such as Restream are designed to distribute a broadcast to multiple destinations. OBS can also be connected to services such as Restream when you need more advanced production control.
You can publish it as an on-demand session, edit it into shorter videos, create social media clips, extract audio for a podcast, create training material, or reuse parts for future content.
