Best software for shooting video tutorials

To shoot ‘How-To’ videos for your blog, website or proprietary products, you may need to capture a computer screen and add voiceovers, visual elements and annotations. While this task seems simple, it may be difficult to make an informed choice. Screen capture products allow for recording any portions of your screen, add text and audio, integrate interactive buttons into your videos or upload your live streams on YouTube and Twitch in real time. At the same time, there is no single ‘best’ software solution, and your choice may depend on your needs and resources as well as the overall convenience of each programme. Some products are free, while others may cost several hundreds of dollars and are used by your favourite bloggers and educators. The final decision is absolutely up to you, but below are mentioned five most popular software products for shooting video tutorials.

ScreenFlow

ScreenFlow was first presented in 2008 and remains one of the most popular video editing and screencasting products. It allows users to quickly create marketing and educational content and add annotations, callouts and motion to it. Unfortunately, ScreenFlow is only available for Mac users and the developers are not planning to add PC support. This product is available at $129, but the company offers a 30-day trial period with full functionality at the expense of the watermarks added to exported videos.

Camtasia

Camtasia is frequently considered an ‘industry standard’ and is used by such companies as Johnson & Johnson, eBay, Accenture as well as many famous bloggers and tutorial developers. It has a highly intuitive interface and a number of integrated functions for creating educational content such as callouts, animations, object behaviours, etc. Several illustrative and successful examples can be viewed here. There is also a 30-day free trial and very good support from both the developers and community forum users. However, Camtasia is a top-of-the-line professional solution, which is reflected in its price of £226.79.

OBS Studio

The Open Broadcasting Software (OBS) Studio is a powerful freeware solution allowing users to professionally record multiple sources and create high-quality educational videos in real time. It also includes a native support of the most popular streaming services including Facebook Live, Twitch and YouTube, which may be valuable for organising online seminars and broadcasts. Unfortunately, OBS Studio does not currently allow you to add annotations and callouts to your videos. However, the lack of these functions can be compensated by its outstanding video recording functionality as well as its free distribution model making it an optimal choice for starters.

Icecream Screen Recorder

If you look for maximal simplicity, the Icecream Screen Recorder offers a highly intuitive interface allowing users to quickly produce screen capture videos and add arrows, text and other visual elements. This software also has a zooming function and the opportunity to record on a timer. You may try a free version with limited export options and 10 minutes of recording time or go for the commercial version offering the full product functionality for £19.95.

Filmora Scrn

Filmora Scrn is natively adjusted to the needs of YouTube video creators and is capable of recording multiple video and audio sources with a wide range of settings. It is possible to record in 15-120 FPS, export to more than 50 file formats and add annotations, effects and other elements to enhance watching experiences. The developer offers good support including a dedicated Learning Centre and editing tips, which may substantiate the full price of $19.99 for a yearly subscription or $29.99 for a lifetime license.

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Author Bio

Anna Clarke is the owner of online writing company 15 Writers. She is a successful entrepreneur with over 20 years’ experience in both freelancing and academic writing industries, specialising in Business, Economics, Finance, Marketing and Management.