Record a YouTube Live Stream Before It’s Gone
Record a YouTube live stream straight from your browser tab, so you keep the video even after YouTube ends or removes the stream. It uses ScreenApp’s Chrome extension to record the tab you are watching, along with its audio. The same recorder captures a live stream on any site, not just YouTube.
Start recording before or during the broadcast and stop when it ends. The file saves to your ScreenApp account, ready to watch later, share as a link, or download as an MP4 on a paid plan.
Tab video and audio
Captures screen, window, browser tab, microphone and camera, with system audio.
Sharp recordings
Quality is up to 4K, depending on the computer, following the stream.
No watermark
There is no watermark on any recording or export.
Free to try
The free plan includes 2 transcriptions of recordings up to 45 minutes each. Pro records up to 2 hours.
How to Record a YouTube Live Stream
- Open the stream and start ScreenApp: Open the YouTube live stream in one browser tab, then open the ScreenApp recorder in another using the Chrome extension or the web app.
- Select the tab and record: Choose the YouTube tab as the capture source. ScreenApp records the tab’s video and audio together.
- Stop and save: Click stop when the broadcast ends. The recording saves to your account to watch later or share as a link. Downloading the MP4 needs a paid plan.
Recording quality follows the source: a stream already broadcasting in HD with a stable connection gives you a clean recording, and a choppy or low-resolution broadcast will show it in the file too.
Do not miss the start
Open the stream early
Have the tab ready before it goes live.
Share the tab audio
Pick the YouTube tab, with its audio, as the source.
Stop after it ends
Give the stream a minute to finish before you stop.
Free recordings stop at 45 minutes. For a long stream, check your plan first.
Record a Live Stream to Watch Later
The usual reason to record a live stream is a replay you control. The recording is yours in your library, so it does not matter if the channel later sets the video to private or deletes it. You also get a transcript, so you can search what was said instead of scrubbing a three-hour stream.
Up to the channel
A replay stays only as long as the channel keeps it public. Live streams can be set to private or removed after they end.
Up to you
The recording stays in your library, with a transcript you can search and a share link for colleagues.
What It Can and Cannot Do
Good at
- Recording a live stream in the browser
- Video and audio together in one file
- A transcript to search the recording
- No watermark on any plan
Not built for
- Phones: tab capture needs a desktop browser
- Free downloads: Paid plans only
- Long streams on the free plan: recordings stop at 45 minutes
- Rights to the content: respect the channel and its copyright
YouTube Live Recorder vs Other Apps
| Feature | ScreenApp | OBS Studio | EaseUS RecExperts | VLC Media Player |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free version | 2 transcriptions, up to 45 min each | Free and open source | Free version, exports capped at 1 minute | Free and open source |
| Watermark | no watermark on any recording or export | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Paid plan | $19/month annual | Free forever | $119.95 lifetime | Free forever |
Sources, checked 2026-09-12: ScreenApp pricing, recorder.easeus.com/questions/is-easeus-screen-recorder-free.html, recorder.easeus.com/buy/recexperts.html
- vs OBS Studio: OBS Studio is free and open source, and it can build full scenes from multiple sources, not just a single tab. It requires installing desktop software and setting up scenes before you record. ScreenApp records straight from a browser tab with no installation.
- vs EaseUS RecExperts: EaseUS RecExperts costs $119.95 for a lifetime license, and its free version caps exported clips at 1 minute. ScreenApp’s free plan covers 2 transcriptions of recordings up to 45 minutes each.
- vs VLC Media Player: VLC is free and open source, but it is a desktop media player, and its own site does not document a live-stream recording feature. ScreenApp records the stream you are already watching, in the same browser tab.
Who Uses the YouTube Live Recorder
Content creators
Study competitor live streams and premieres for format and pacing.
Journalists and researchers
Save press conferences before a channel takes them down.
Students and educators
Keep live lectures, guest talks and webinars after the event ends.
Music and event fans
Save concert streams an artist may remove after the broadcast.
Business teams
Record launches and industry webinars for colleagues who missed them.
