You know that screen recording is a useful tool for a number of reasons. They can help streamline collaborations, increase productivity, and share information through different perspectives. Once you get a computer screen recorder, learn how to turn screen record on, and have your recording ready, the next question is, how do I share it?
Sharing is vital in collaboration, especially when you use a screen recorder to distribute information or highlight a tutorial. Sharing these files is the only way to make sure your screen recordings achieve their purpose and get into the right hands.
There are a number of different ways to efficiently share screen recordings. Different platforms have a variety of tools that can help you share depending on your needs. Sharing screen recordings can be a little stressful without the right tools, especially when you have large video files that cannot be sent through email.
Once you record your screen, what is the best way to share the recording? We’ll review the advantages and disadvantages of five different sharing tools to help you decide which one is the best fit for you.
A workspace for backing up and storing all of your files
Pros
- Dropbox lets you access your files from any device. The application has both a Mac and a Windows download as well as an online browser. Dropbox also has apps for your cell phone.
- A great feature that Dropbox has is an automatic back up of all of your stored files, meaning you’ll never lose any of your shared videos and photos. The application has automatic file sync and file recovery, so you’ll never have to worry about losing any of your recordings.
- When sharing a file, Dropbox creates an easy-to-send link that you can then share through email, text, or chat, and best of all, the people you share your files with don’t need to have a dropbox account to view your recordings.
Cons
- Dropbox offers a very limited amount of free storage space (2 GB); to be able to store more using their application, you need to buy a subscription. The more storage space you want, the more you have to pay.
- Dropbox does not allow for easy collaboration on shared files. Without the ability to edit in real-time, the application wouldn’t be a great choice for those looking to use Dropbox to streamline feedback on your shared screen recordings.
A video sharing and hosting platform
Pros
- YouTube allows you to manage who can and can’t see your uploaded videos. These choices vary from public to private, and unlisted, meaning that only those who have the link to your video can access it.
- YouTube videos have a comments section, allowing viewers to actively comment on your shared screen recordings. The comments section also allows you to communicate with commenters and respond to questions.
- Hosting a video on YouTube also allows you to categorize your videos depending on keywords. Users also get to add their videos to playlists creating a collection of related videos.
Cons
- Large videos and files often take a long time to upload to the site, especially depending on your internet connectivity.
- Hosting your videos on YouTube also allows for advertisers to play ads either at the beginning of your video or throughout it. You may not want advertisers who you don’t know to be connected with your video and brand.
- YouTube is not geared toward enterprise clients that need identity and access management tools like SSO from Okta.
Computer screen recorder, screencast, and file sharing tool
Pros
- Droplr includes a desktop video recorder so you can both record and share that recording in the same app. Screen recording length is unlimited on every plan except the Pro plan, so no need to ask, “how long can you screen record?”
- Droplr has multiple privacy settings for your files. With Droplr, you can set to have anyone view your shared screen recording. Droplr also allows you to manage viewing settings by letting you pick between public, private, or just your team.
- Droplr also has four different extensions. These include a Mac download, a Windows download, a Chrome extension, and a Microsoft Edge browser extension, making Droplr easily accessible for individuals working on different platforms. You can also download mobile apps for iOS and Android.
- When using Droplr to share a video file, you don’t need to download the files to view them. Droplr’s online cloud sharing service lets you preview and view the file on their site without needing to save it to your computer first.
- Droplr is also for enterprises and includes industry-leading security, certification, and compliance along with SSO.
Cons
- Droplr is a paid service and therefore requires a subscription to use the application. You can start with Droplr’s free 3-day trial, however.
- Droplr is also an application that you need to download to utilize its services. For those who prefer to use online-only applications, Droplr offers a Chrome extension that can be used on a Window or Mac computer
Store your files and access them anywhere
Pros
- Similar to Droplr, Google Drive allows you to change who you share your stored screen share recordings with. The application allows you to share your files with both individuals and large groups.
- Google Drive allows you to access all of your stored recordings from anywhere with their easily accessible cellphone and tablet applications. This allows you to streamline and organize all of your screen recordings.
- Google Drive lets you upload a number of different file types, including photos, videos, and documents. Letting you share both screenshots and screen recordings with anyone.
Cons
- Although Google Drive does give you storage space to upload your files to, this storage space is limited for free users (15 GB). To increase storage space, users need to pay. This gets a little tricky when you have a large number of videos to store since longer videos usually equal larger files.
- To fully utilize all of Google Drive’s resources, it is best to have a Gmail account, as other email accounts have a harder time integrating files into Google Drive.
An organized email alternative to streamline communication in workgroups
Pros
- Slack allows you to integrate a number of different applications, including Droplr and Google Drive, to help share files. This can help speed up your ability to send files and have recipients view them.
- Slack’s use of ‘channels’ lets you decide how and who you want to share your screen recordings with. Channels let you filter who you send your photos, videos, or file links to.
- When sharing a file in Slack, the application also gives a small ‘preview’ of the shared file. Allowing other people to see what file you’re sharing without needing to click on it or download it first.
Cons
- With Slack, there is a limited amount of data that you can host, or essentially send in the application. To increase that amount of data, users need to pay for the application.
- Messages often times get lost in Slack, depending on how large your channel is and how many people you are sharing your screen recording with. Due to this, it’s often hard to comment on and collaborate on shared files.
A video email platform
Pros
- Covideo lets you record videos for email. These videos are embedded into your email. You can record videos directly from Gmail or Outook with Covideo’s email add-ons.
- Covideo includes unlimited cloud storage so you can upload and store all of your screen recordings, including those you made using a different app.
- You can host your video on a custom landing page that viewers will be redirected to when they click on your video.
- You can also use Covideo to send videos over SMS or through a CRM platform.
Cons
- Covideo costs begin at $49/user/mo, though custom pricing is available for teams of 5+ users.
- Covideo can only be used to store and share screen recordings, not screenshots or other files.
How to Access Screen Recordings
If you want an easy to use and straightforward tool for managing all of your screen recording files in one place, considering using Droplr’s dashboard feature. When using Droplr, all users have access to a dashboard where you can organize and sort through all of your shared files. You can manage file privacy settings, find short links, and add files to customized boards. Users can also use markup tools in Droplr’s dashboard to edit and markup images. With Droplr, you’ll never have to ask yourself, “where do I find my screen recordings?”.
Depending on your file-sharing needs, the tool you’ll use to share your screen recordings will differ. These platforms vary from cloud storage services to video hosting sites, to link sharing sites. Some of these applications let you share files with a simple drag and drop and others let you send files through communication platforms. Mobile apps and internet extensions along with cloud storage solutions are a great way to send large video files. Almost all of the options above have applications that work on multiple platforms, so you can turn on your computer screen recorder, make a video, and share your screen capture video on Windows, Mac, as an extension, or on mobile apps.
When using screen recording tools, finding a good video hosting application is just as important as learning how to get a screen recorder. Make sure to check out our recommended applications and start sharing your files!
Learn More
For everything you need to know screen recording 101, make sure to check out our review of every feature you need in a screen recorder. You can find our comprehensive list of screen recorders with audio here. For more information on how to share large files over the internet, click here.