Screen recording tools have become an essential utility for PCs and smartphones. You need a screen recorder to record your gameplay, YouTube tutorial or any other professional project. It helps you to create videos for your audience or personal record as per your requirement.
There is a common misconception that Linux users don’t have access to some of the basic apps that Windows and macOS users have, which is not true at all. So, to bust this myth, here are some of the best screen recording apps that you can use on your Linux device. And the best part is that all of these apps are either open source or completely free for individual users.
1.OBS Studio
Open Broadcaster Software or OBS Studio is a screen recording tool mainly for advanced users. You can get professional screen recording experience through OBS Studio as it allows you to easily configure the application according to your preferences and allows you to record videos using its various features.
You can edit audio via audio mixer to remove background noise. It also allows you to edit videos for color changes, screen aspect ratio and much more.
You can choose to save your recorded video in your preferred file format. And if you find something hard to understand, there’s a solid online forum and helpful community for instant help. Check out this guide on how to use OBS Studio.
To download: OBS Studio (Free)
2.vokoscreenNG
vokoscreenNG makes it easy to screencast on your Linux PC by letting you record your desktop screen as well as webcam video in full screen or selected area mode. The app also supports various video formats like WebM, AVI, MP4, etc.
vokoscreenNG allows you to set the recording duration and you can add a delay at the beginning to hide unwanted desktop details from your recording. Moreover, it also has good support available to guide its users.
To download: vokoscreenNG (Free)
3. register MyDesktop
recordMyDesktop is a powerful command-line based screen recording application. It is feature rich and not too difficult to use.
The app lets you record and edit videos in two different interfaces, and you can also add annotations. It is not a resource-intensive application and provides a seamless experience even on older Linux devices. If you have an older PC, you can install one of these lightweight Linux distros for fast performance.
You can use audio files from your device to sync with recorded videos. It is especially useful for creating guide-based videos or tutorials. Plus, the highlight footage feature lets you highlight any part of the video that you think is important.
To download: recordMyDesktop (Free)
4. Glance
Peek is a great tool for creating short videos like GIFs. You can export the recorded video to other formats like MP4 or WebM.
As with the other apps on this list, you can record the whole screen or select a specific area with Peek. It also lets you add a self-timer to the start of your recording. Moreover, you can also change the frame rate settings to optimize your video according to your needs.
To download: Preview (Free)
5.ScreenRec
ScreenRec is a user-friendly screen recording application for Linux that is quite efficient and lightweight. There is no watermark, so you can easily create professional videos. All you have to do is press Alt+S to start recording your screen in full screen mode or selected area mode.
ScreenRec provides free cloud storage up to 2GB. You can record audio from multiple streams, such as computer audio or your voice.
A webcam recording feature is also available and you can generate a link to share your recorded video with others. ScreenRec also claims to provide good security features.
To download: ScreenRec (Free)
VLC needs no introduction as it is the most popular cross-platform media player which supports almost all video formats. You must have used it on your PC or smartphone at some point.
The app also lets you record your screen using different capture modes. You can change the frame rate from the settings to optimize your recording.
VLC has the ability to stream online videos via web link. You can even save these streaming videos.
You need to do the right configurations to access the screen recording feature of the app. Go to Media > Open Capture Deviceand under the Capture device tab, you can find all relevant parameters. Here is a detailed guide on how to record your screen using VLC.
To download: VLC (Free)
7. App Screen
ScreenApp is an online screen recording app that you don’t need to download or install on your PC. You can access it from your browser, and the company recommends using Chrome or Firefox for a smooth experience.
You can record your entire screen, a window or a browser tab using ScreenApp. Once you’ve saved your video, click Download it now to access the folder.
You can subscribe to the premium version to access additional recording features such as extended recording time, unlimited downloads and backup.
To download: ScreenApp (free and premium version available)
8. Screencast
Screencastify is a web app to record your screen, which is available as a Chrome extension on the Chrome Web Store. It allows you to record screen from browser tab, desktop or webcam. You can also enable or disable the device’s microphone.
The app allows you to add annotations, emojis or shapes to your videos. Moreover, you can edit the recorded videos to cut, copy, crop or add text. It also lets you add questions to your video to engage with your audience.
Screencastify is free with some limitations, and you will need to purchase the premium version to lift these limitations.
To download: Screencastify (free and premium version available)
Record your screen on Linux with these apps
Good free screen recorders are hard to find. You can download, install and test the apps listed above to find the one that works best for you. These range from desktop apps to web apps, and some offer advanced features, while others focus more on particular tasks.
Similar to screen recording, you may need to take a screenshot of your Linux desktop. Almost all Linux desktop environments come with a default screenshot application, but most of them have different hotkeys and shortcuts, which makes it more difficult for the user to take screenshots. screen on different desktops.
