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A free screen recorder that captures HD video & audio

Record your screen, camera, mic and sound in a few clicks. No sign-up or download required.
HD recordings • No sign-up or download required • Works on PC and Mac

Screen recording with Riverside in 3 steps

Step 1
Select video & audio settings

Need to share your full screen or just a tab on your browser? Mic or system sound? Choose video and audio settings in a few clicks.

Step 2
Record in HD

Press “Start recording” to capture your screen, camera, and audio (system sound and mic) in HD.

Step 3
Get your recording

Access your file in seconds. Share directly with others or on social media, or download to your device.

Want more from your recordings? Sign up and get up to 4K video and 48kHz audio.

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Why Riverside’s is the best free screen recorder

If we may say so ourselves.
It’s 100% free
Record online or offline
Capture your screen and camera
Record & re-record (or re-re-record)
Get your free recording in seconds
Download and share instantly
Record sound and voice
Customize your video settings
HD studio-quality recordings
Secure recordings that are private to you

Simply sign up for a free account and record directly from your Studio.

Get started

How to screen record in 5 steps

01

Choose your recording settings

Choose between “Screen” or “Screen & Webcam” for your recording. Then click “Start recording”.
In the pop-up window that appears, select the browser tab or window that you want to capture with your recording. Or simply click “full screen” to share your screen at all times. Click “Share”.

If you have opted to share a specific tab or window, return to the screen recorder page on your browser to finalize your video and audio settings.

Video & audio settings
On the next screen, you can:
  1. Adjust your screen layout: You can move your webcam overlay anywhere within your screen. This is what the end recording will look like, so we recommend you use the default setting or move it to a place where it won’t obstruct the visibility of other screen elements.
  2. Select your video and sound input devices. Remember: If you use a wireless microphone connect via bluetooth. This will minimize the risk of your sound recording breaking up due to internet speed or quality issues.
Tip: Remember to snooze notifications before you start recording. Otherwise, any sound or visual notifications your system shows during your session will also be included in your recording.
02

Record

Click “Record” right under your recording panel. A countdown will start (this won’t be visible in the final recording). Once the counter reaches “0” you’re on!

During your session, you can easily monitor how much time has lapsed in the live counter. You can record up to 30 minutes each time, so keep this in mind while recording.

You can pause and continue your recording as many times as you wish. And if you want to restart your recording or record a new session, simply press on the stop button. (You can record as many sessions as you want. It will always be free.)

When you finish, simply tap on the stop button.
03

Get your recording

When your session stops, your recording gets converted into MP4.
You can track this progress on the page (it usually takes a few seconds or minutes, depending on the duration of your session).

Once your file has been converted, you can play your recording from start to finish, or move the cursor to a specific part to review your screen capture at that time.
04

Manage your recording

When you’ve reviewed your screen capture, you have these options on what to do next:
  • Save: Simply press “Download” to save your video on your local device. The download begins automatically.
  • Share: Click on the “Share” button. You can copy the link to the recording and share with as many people as you like (they will be able to access your recording directly in their browser).  Or click on any of the social media icons on your screen to share directly with your audience on Facebook, X or LinkedIn.
  • Retake: If you’re unhappy with the final result you can click on “Retake”.
This takes you back to step 2. You don’t need to select again which tab or window you want to share, or to click “Record”.
The countdown will start automatically and you’re all set to have another go!

Edit your video

Looking to add that extra oomph to your screen captures? From adding visual and sound overlays to removing the watermark or those awkward uhms automatically, Riverside’s text-based editor helps you create high quality videos even if you’re a beginner.

You can do it with your eyes closed (sorry, we had to). The best news is: It’s free.
Try the video editor for free

How to use screen captures

Asynchronous team meetings

No need to get everyone in the same room at the same time. Use screen recording to communicate with your team and colleagues anytime, no matter where they are in the world.

Progress updates

Let your manager, team and peers know how that big project is coming along without the need to repeat the same information every time.

Tutorials

Create practical video tutorials to demonstrate your product’s capabilities or to break down a complex process into actionable steps.

Feedback & takeaways

Share your thoughts, feedback or key takeaways with your team or stakeholders. Instead of typing hundreds or thousands of words in an email or on Slack, offer valuable input in minutes.

Introduce yourself

New to the team? Wanting to make a great first impression to a prospect or potential employer? Introduce yourself with a studio quality recording.

Demo a product 

Cover your potential and existing customers’ questions and needs with professional looking videos. Showcase your product’s interface, new features or workflows easily simply by capturing your screen and audio. 

Marketing

Embed HD recordings to your website, email marketing or presentations to amplify your marketing impact.

Social media

Engage and grow your audience on social media with snappy videos. Record, add captions and share in just a few clicks.

Explainer videos

Demonstrate how you’ve approached a task, explain a workflow or process and more with an explainer video.

They also record on Riverside

Michelle Obama
& Kerry Washington
Tim Ferriss
& Balaji Srinivasan
Mark Zuckerberg
& Gary Vee
Tim Cook
& Andrew Ross Sorkin

Start creating with Riverside Turn your best ideas into your best content yet.

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Recording tips to record like a pro

Here’s Bridget, one of our superstar video producers, with her top tips on how to make every video Oscar-worthy.

The Ultimate Guide to Talking Head Videos for Beginners

FAQs

What is screen recording?

Screen recording (or screen capture) refers to both the process and the output of capturing what’s happening on your device’s screen.

To do so, you need a program that allows you to record your screen activity and save your recording in video format (MP4, AVI, MKV and more).

These recordings can be used for various purposes, from syncing with remote teams and stakeholders asynchronously, to demonstrating a product or workflow, to recording video games on your screen and much more.

Does screen recording record audio?

Most screen recorders offer audio recording capabilities nowadays. Typically, you can enable or disable audio recording from within each tool’s interface.

The flexibility around audio recording and its quality can vary significantly depending on the hardware and software you use.

Riverside’s free screen recorder allows you to capture high quality audio (44.1 kHz) from your device and your microphone. You can use your device’s built-in microphone or an external one.

All you need to do is select your sound input source(s).

What is a screen recorder?

A screen recorder is the software application that allows you to capture video and/or audio from your screen. There are free and paid options available.

There are three types of screen recorders:
  • Browser-based: These are applications that run on your browser (like Chrome or Firefox). The recordings are usually saved in the cloud.
  • Downloadable: You need to download and install the application on your computer or mobile device. The recordings are stored locally on your device.
  • Built-in: Some operating systems and devices come with pre-installed screen recording tools. For example, Windows 10 and 11 come with the XBox Game Bar. Or, if you are on a Mac, you will automatically have access to the macOS screen recorder or Quicktime.
Riverside’s screen recorder is 100% free to use without any limits on how many recordings you make.

You don’t need to download anything in order to start recording, your recordings are stored locally before they get uploaded to the cloud.

This means you don’t need an internet connection to record. And that you’re never at risk of losing your recording due to a poor internet connection.

If you’re looking for increased recording and editing capabilities, you can sign up for an account (there is even a free plan available).

Can I screen record on desktop and mobile?

Riverside’s free screen recorder works on Windows and Mac devices.

If you’re interested in learning more about capturing your screen based on device type or operating system, we have created a full guide on screen recording with sound.

Why can’t I screen record

There might be a number of reasons why you can’t record your screen. The most common ones are:
  • Your device or browser doesn’t support screen recording or your screen/mic isn’t connected to / recognized by your device
  • You need to update your operating system to the latest version
  • On a Mac or Windows device, you may need to enable screen recording from System Preferences
  • You need to restart your device (or your browser)

What is the quality of the recording I’ll get with Riverside’s screen recorder?

You get an HD video and audio recording every time you use our screen recorder.

Your screen is captured at a consistent frame rate of 24 FPS (frames per second), whether you’re connected to the internet or not. Your video resolution is 720p and you can save your recording in MP4 file format.

Your audio is recorded at 44.1kHz. You can save it in WAV or MP3.

‍Want to get FHD or 4K video? Check Riverside’s video and audio recorder.

Will there be a watermark on my screen recording?

Yes. All recordings made with Riverside’s free screen recorder include a watermark.

You can remove it automatically by signing up for an account.

Can I edit my screen capture?

The free screen recording tool allows you to add captions to your recording. So you make it more accessible and engaging in one click.
  • Sign up for a Riverside account: You can sign up for our free plan and enjoy our text-based editor and all the AI features in full. Without ever having to pay a cent.
  • Download your recording: You will need to have access to video editing software or app on your device.

Can you screen record a phone call?

No, you can’t use a screen recorder to record a phone call. While it will capture your phone’s screen it won’t capture the audio from the call. 
‍
There are specialized apps on the App Store and on Google Play, which allow you to record phone calls.
‍
In this guide, we’ve reviewed the best apps to record phone calls.
And in this one, we are showing you how to record a phone call step by step.

Start creating with Riverside

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