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Screencasting (Screen Recording)

With Mediasite's Desktop Recorder, you can create, edit, and share your own screencasts. This eliminates the need to purchase and install expensive third-party desktop software.

A screencast is a digital recording of a computer screen's output, often accompanied by narration. Many of the instructional videos in this Mediasite documentation, including the video below, would be considered screencasts. To understand what a screencast is, think of the word as it compares with the word screenshot. A screenshot is a single picture of a computer screen, so a screencast would be like a "movie" of the computer screen, usually with audio narration captured by your computer's microphone.

Instructional videos are obviously one reason to screencast. Another popular reason is displaying a PowerPoint presentation. This way, you can lecture to an audience of one to one thousand (or more!) from the comfort and convenience of your own desk.

Using Mediasite's Desktop Recorder to Make a Screencast

Click here to reveal a very short one-time process that you must complete before proceeding.

Creating a Screencast

  1. Log in to MyMediasite and click "Create Presentation," and then choose "Record Desktop."

  2. The Mediasite Desktop Recorder software will launch on your computer. You may wish to explore the Overview, otherwise click "Record" to begin a new recording.

  3. Give your presentation a name. This is how you'll identify it in MyMediasite later, when you go to manage and share it. Choose whether or not you want to record the screen with supplemental video from your webcam and microphone, or just the screen with supplemental audio from your microphone. (In this example, 'Screencast + Video' is selected.)

  4. The Recorder software will give you the chance to preview and test your equipment. Since 'Screencast + Video' was chosen in the last step, the screen below is showing a preview of the webcam. Otherwise, check your audio levels, and click "Next."

  5. Prepare your screen for the recording... close any unneeded or extraneous windows, clean up your Desktop, and prepare to do whatever you're going to do. If you're going to present a PowerPoint presentation, open it and get it ready (but do not launch it yet), and then click "Next."

  6. Determine which areas of the screen you want to record. Put a check mark next to "Select the entire desktop" if you're presenting a full-screen PowerPoint presentation. Otherwise, follow the instructions on screen, and click "Next."

  7. If you selected custom areas of the screen rather than the entire desktop in the last step, you'll see red brackets that frame the portion of your screen you're about to record. Otherwise, click "Record" to begin. A countdown will start, counting down from 5.

  8. Use the countdown time to launch your PowerPoint presentation. Then, record your presentation. Advance through your slides or conduct your business on-screen while narrating into your computer's microphone and/or webcam.
  9. Depending on whether you are recording video+audio or just audio, you might see a small window like this appear. It is safe to minimize this so that it is out of the way. This is where you'll click "Finish" to end your recording.

  10. Once your recording is finished, a small pop-up will appear in the lower right portion of the screen. Click "Open Presentaion" to be taken to the presentation as it exists in MyMediasite, where you can change it's details, edit the video, sharing permissions, and generate a sharable URL others may use to view your recording.


If you wish to "clean up" your screencast (consider removing yourself clicking the "Finish" button, for example), use the links in the navigation menu at right for instructions on editing videos with MyMediasite.


Watch a Video Demonstration