Quick Answer:
You can record live streams on your laptop using the built-in Xbox Game Bar for Windows 10 and later or a third-party tool like SurFlex Online Free Screen Recorder or SurFlex Screen Recorder.
When you watch a live stream on your laptop, it’s natural to want to record the whole stream for future replay or capture a clip for sharing. With that in mind, I would like to show you how to record live streaming video on your laptop using either web-based or desktop screen recording tools.
Table of contents
How to Record Live Stream on Laptop for Free
Tool: Xbox Game Bar
Although Xbox Game Bar, the built-in screen recorder for Windows 10 and later, is primarily developed for gameplay recording, it can also be used to record any app window on your computer (except for File Explorer). Therefore, you can use Xbox Game Bar to record live streams on your laptop without the need for any third-party screen recording software or additional cost. Whether you are watching a live stream using your browser or a specific app, you can successfully record the streaming video using Xbox Game Bar recording.
Before you start, it’s necessary to go to the system settings (Start > Settings > Gaming > Captures) to customize the recording options and head to Xbox Game Bar settings (Xbox Game Bar > Settings > Widgets) to select the audio recording option. Afterward, you can follow the steps below to record a live stream on your laptop for free:
Step 1. Prepare the live stream you want to capture and make sure the browser window or app is currently focused.
Step 2. When you are ready, press Windows + Alt + R to start recording the streaming video immediately.
Step 3. Once done, press Windows + Alt + R again to end the recording.
Step 4. Go to Videos > Captures to check the recording.
How to Record Live Streaming Video on Laptop Online for Free
Tool: SurFlex Online Free Screen Recorder
If you want to record live streaming videos on your laptop online for free, SurFlex Free Online Screen Recorder is worth trying. This online video recorder works to record videos on your laptop via a browser, such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge. You can choose to record a browser tab, an app window, or the entire screen. During the screen recording (except for app window recording), you can also capture system sound, microphone voice, or both. In short, SurFlex is a handy tool for streaming video recording on your laptop or PC.
To record a live streaming video on a laptop online for free:
Step 1. Navigate to SurFlex Online Free Screen Recorder.
Step 2. Select Screen and System Sound and then click Record.
Step 3. Choose to record a browser tab or the entire screen.
Step 4. Select the live stream and click Share to start recording the live stream.
Step 5. Once the recording is done, click Stop Sharing or Stop Recording.
Step 6. Go back to the screen recorder and preview the video.
Step 7. If you are satisfied with the video, click Download to save it to your computer.
How to Record Live Streams on Laptop Flexibly
Tool: SurFlex Screen Recorder
Both tools mentioned above disallow you to customize the video quality or video format. If you want more flexibility during the live stream recording, it’s advisable to use a desktop video recorder like SurFlex Screen Recorder. It allows you to record streaming videos from various websites, such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, and more. Importantly, it enables you to set up the output settings according to your preferences. Besides, it has more advanced features compared with web-based tools. Whenever you want to record live videos or other types of content, you can let it help.
To record a live video on your laptop:
Step 1. Launch SurFlex Screen Recorder and then click Settings to customize the output options.
Step 2. Enable audio recording and choose to record System Sound.
Step 3. According to the video playing window, choose to record the full screen or a selected portion.
Step 4. Select the recording region you need and then click REC to start recording the live stream.
Step 5. After you capture the desired video, click Stop and check the video in the popup video list.
Wrapping Up
It’s without a doubt that you can also apply these tips to record a live stream on PC or Mac. Furthermore, if you need to capture other on-screen content or activities on your computer, you can use one of the powerful screen recorders introduced here to capture the video or audio file you need.