Record a Video with Snagit

In this tutorial:

Video Capture Overview

When a screenshot isn’t enough, record a video of the screen as an MP4 file. You can choose to record microphone audio, system audio, and a webcam. Use Snagit videos to:

• Record a demonstration or a how-to video.
• Record a presentation with Picture-in-Picture video of the speaker.
• Provide visual feedback in a video.
• Record and narrate a set of images with the Create Video from Images option. See Turn Your Screenshots into a Video.
• Highlight important information on your screen as you record with Screen Draw.

Record a Video

1. In the Capture window, select the Video tab. To learn about the settings on this tab, see Video Capture Settings.
   
2. Click the Capture button or press Print Screen (Windows) or Control+Shift+C (Mac).
   
3. The orange crosshairs appear. Click and drag to select the area to record on the screen or click the Fullscreen button to select the entire screen. For more information about selecting the recording area, see Recording Dimensions (Resolution).
   
4. To edit the selected area, complete any of the following:
   • Drag the handles to adjust the selection.
   • To enter a specific size, type the dimensions in pixels into the Width and Height fields.
   • To move the selected area on the screen, click within the highlighted area and drag the selection to the desired location.
     
     

     Tip: Show video selection guidelines.

     Press G to show the video selection guidelines while selecting an area to record. See Recording Dimensions (Resolution).

5. The Video Recording toolbar appears. Click a button on the toolbar to turn the option on or off before or during recording.
   
   • Webcam: Record live video from the connected or built-in webcam. Click the dropdown to select the camera device and Picture-in-Picture or Fullscreen webcam options. See Record a Picture-in-Picture Video.
     
   • System Audio: Record the sound from your computer such as application alerts or the audio playing from your computer speakers.
     
   • Microphone audio: Record the audio from your computer’s built-in microphone or from a connected USB microphone.
     
   • Webcam: Record live video from the connected or built-in webcam. Click the dropdown to select the camera device and Picture-in-Picture or Fullscreen webcam options. See Record a Picture-in-Picture Video.
     
   • System Audio: Record the sound from your computer such as application alerts or the audio playing from your computer speakers.
     
   • Microphone audio: Record the audio from your computer’s built-in microphone or from a connected USB microphone.
     
   • Webcam: Record live video from the connected or built-in webcam. Click the dropdown to select the camera device and Picture-in-Picture or Fullscreen webcam options. See Record a Picture-in-Picture Video.
     
   • System Audio: Record the sound from your computer such as application alerts or the audio playing from your computer speakers.
     
   • Microphone audio: Record the audio from your computer’s built-in microphone or from a connected USB microphone.
     
6. To begin recording, click the Record button or press Shift+F9 (Windows) or Command+Shift+Space (Mac).
   
7. To highlight important information as you record, click the Screen Draw button and select the desired drawing tool. To learn more see Screen Draw.
   
8. To pause recording, click the Pause button or press Shift+F9 (Windows) or Command+Shift+Space (Mac).
   
9. To stop the recording, click the Stop button or press Shift+F10 (Windows) or Option+Shift+V (Mac).
   

The capture opens in Snagit Editor where you can preview, edit, and share the capture.

Recording Tips

• The recording toolbar may be hidden or minimized when recording in full screen:
  • If you have one display, use hotkeys to pause, stop, or restart the recording. See Snagit Hotkeys Guide.
  • If you have two displays, drag the recording toolbar to the screen you are not recording.
• For videos requiring minimal screen interaction such as clicking links or typing while recording, use Screen Draw during recording. Disable Capture Cursor in the Capture window before selecting a recording area.
• For videos with frequent screen interactions, enable Capture Cursor in the Video Capture Settings rather than using Screen Draw during recording.
• Limit video recordings to one hour or less. Recording longer than one hour can lead to problems with the video or a failed video capture.

Video Capture Settings

Screen Draw

Highlight important information on your screen as you record a video. To learn more, see Screen Draw.

1. Toggle Screen Draw on or off.
2. Click the arrow to set a fade time in seconds for Screen Draw objects. This determines how long drawn objects remain on-screen.

Recording Dimensions (Resolution)

To create quality videos, you should consider the recording dimensions before starting the video recording. It is important to select the appropriate dimensions for where you plan to share the video with your audience. Snagit provides several ways to help you select the appropriate dimensions for your video recordings.

Select the Video Recording Area

Snagit offers the flexibility to record custom dimensions, a 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio, the entire screen, a region, or a window. Frame the screen content by selecting a recording area that only includes the relevant screen content.