How to Create High-Quality Screen Recordings for Your Online Course

Creating screen recordings is one of the most effective ways to teach online. Whether you're explaining software, walking through a presentation, or demonstrating a workflow, the clarity and quality of your recording directly impact your students’ learning experience.

Here's how to make sure your screen recordings are clean, professional, and engaging.

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1. Plan Before You Hit Record

Know Your Audience and Objectives

Before you start recording, clarify who you're teaching and what you want them to learn. Are your students beginners or advanced learners? What skills or knowledge should they walk away with after watching your video? Planning your content around clear goals helps you stay focused and makes your recordings more effective.

Script or Outline Your Content

You don’t need to write a full script unless you prefer to, but having a clear outline is essential. It keeps you organized and ensures you hit all key points without rambling or forgetting something important. For complex topics, scripting can also help you sound more polished and reduce “umms” and “uhhs.”

2. Choose the Right Tools

Screen Recording Software

There are plenty of tools out there, and your choice depends on your needs and budget. Here are a few popular ones:

• Camtasia (paid): Great all-in-one tool with built-in editing.

• OBS Studio (free): Powerful, open-source, and highly customizable.

• Loom (free and paid tiers): Easy to use with fast sharing.

• ScreenFlow (Mac-only, paid): Smooth performance with editing features.

• Snagit (paid): Great for quick tutorials and annotations.

Microphone

Audio quality matters just as much as video. Use an external USB microphone or lapel mic instead of your built-in laptop mic. Good options include:

• Blue Yeti

• Audio-Technica ATR2100x

• Rode NT-USB

Make sure to test levels and eliminate background noise before you record.

Webcam (Optional)

If you want to show your face while explaining, invest in a decent webcam (1080p minimum). Lighting is key—use natural light or a ring light to avoid shadows.

3. Set Up for Success

Clean Up Your Desktop

A cluttered desktop or dozens of browser tabs is distracting. Close unnecessary apps, clean up your desktop icons, and use a neutral wallpaper. This keeps the viewer focused on the content, not the chaos.

Adjust Display Settings

Record in 1080p (1920x1080 resolution) at minimum. Set your system to scale text and icons to a readable size—especially important if you’re demonstrating software. On Windows, that’s usually 125-150%; on Mac, use “Default for display.”

Use a Quiet Environment

Background noise kills professionalism. Record in a quiet space, turn off fans or noisy appliances, and silence phone notifications. If you’re in a noisy environment, use software like Krisp or NVIDIA RTX Voice to filter noise.

4. Recording Techniques for Clarity

Speak Clearly and Naturally

Your tone should be confident but conversational. Avoid sounding robotic or reading directly from a script unless you're very practiced. Imagine you're explaining something to a friend.

Use Zoom and Highlight Features

Most screen recorders let you zoom in on sections or highlight your cursor. Use these features to guide attention where it’s needed. Don’t go overboard—too much movement can be distracting.

Keep Segments Short and Focused

Long monologues can bore or overwhelm viewers. Break your recording into digestible chunks. If you’re teaching a multi-step process, introduce each step, demonstrate it, and summarize before moving on.

Pause and Re-Record When Needed

Messed up a sentence? Just pause and redo that section. Most editing tools let you cut out mistakes easily. Don’t start over from the beginning unless it’s really necessary.

5. Edit for Quality and Engagement

Trim the Fat

Cut out long pauses, “uhhs,” and off-topic rambling. Your viewers’ time is valuable—get to the point. Good editing can take a decent video and make it great.

Add Titles and Callouts

Insert titles at the beginning of each new section or topic. Use annotations or callouts to emphasize key points. Keep fonts readable and styles consistent.

Include Background Music (Optional)

Light, non-distracting background music can make your videos feel more polished. Just make sure it’s royalty-free and low enough not to drown out your voice.

Include Subtitles or Captions

Captions improve accessibility and help with retention. Many screen recorders or platforms offer auto-captioning, but always proofread for accuracy.

6. Optimize for Learning

Reinforce Key Takeaways

At the end of each segment, briefly recap the main points. This helps reinforce learning and gives the viewer a sense of progress.

Encourage Interaction

Prompt your viewers to pause and try things themselves. Ask them to reflect, write something down, or test a concept. Engagement leads to better retention.

Keep it Visual

Use diagrams, screen highlights, or animated elements when possible. Visuals speed up understanding, especially for complex ideas.

7. Export and Share

Choose the Right Format

Export your recording in MP4 format for maximum compatibility. Set the resolution to 1080p and use a medium-to-high bitrate to maintain quality without massive file sizes.

Upload to a Course Platform

Most online course platforms like LMS Portals support video uploads directly. If you’re using a hosting service like YouTube or Vimeo, set privacy settings accordingly (e.g., unlisted or private if it's paid content).

Test Before Publishing

Watch the full recording before you upload. Check for audio sync issues, awkward cuts, or sections where your voice is too quiet or too loud. Ask a friend or colleague for feedback.

8. Keep Improving

Gather Feedback

Once your course is live, ask your students what they think of the videos. Were the instructions clear? Was the pace too fast or slow? Use this feedback to refine your approach for future recordings.

Analyze Engagement

If your platform offers analytics, check where people drop off or rewatch. These insights tell you what’s working and what needs tightening up.

Stay Updated

Tools evolve quickly. New features, plugins, or better mics come out all the time. Keep an eye on updates and always look for ways to upgrade your setup or workflow.

Final Thoughts

High-quality screen recordings aren’t about having the most expensive gear or being a professional voice actor. It’s about being clear, focused, and intentional. Plan well, record smart, and take the time to polish. The better your recordings, the better your students will learn—and the more confident you’ll feel teaching online.

About LMS Portals

At LMS Portals, we provide our clients and partners with a mobile-responsive, SaaS-based, multi-tenant learning management system that allows you to launch a dedicated training environment (a portal) for each of your unique audiences.

The system includes built-in, SCORM-compliant rapid course development software that provides a drag and drop engine to enable most anyone to build engaging courses quickly and easily. 

We also offer a complete library of ready-made courses, covering most every aspect of corporate training and employee development.

If you choose to, you can create Learning Paths to deliver courses in a logical progression and add structure to your training program.  The system also supports Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) and provides tools for social learning.

Together, these features make LMS Portals the ideal SaaS-based eLearning platform for our clients and our Reseller partners.

Contact us today to get started or visit our Partner Program pages