This guide helps you evaluate which tool is most suited (there are benefits and drawbacks to each) to both record and edit your videos. This often involves evaluating editing features, exported video formats, what is able to be recorded, and compatibility with certain platforms. If you are looking for how to record content, see this guide on how to self-capture (and share) course content. If you have course content or are looking to record content that needs to be edited, consider participating in the remote editing process.
There are many video editing software with capabilities ranging from basic editing to a full editing suite. This guide looks at the following four options to both record and edit videos:
- PowerPoint
- QuickTime Player
- Microsoft Photos (replaces Windows Movie Maker)
- TechSmith Snagit (Recommended)
- TechSmith Camtasia
The tools on this table are what we are describing as "light" editing options - if you're looking for more robust options, or have a particularly complex project (or are just really into video editing), you may want to consider Adobe Premiere Pro or Da Vinci Resolve. You might also consider a software tool that is intended for live streaming, but can also work as a recording option, Open Broadcaster Studio, OBS.
Microsoft Photos |
TechSmith Snagit |
TechSmith Camtasia | |||
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Tool in brief | Part of your Office 365 subscription, provides ability to record audio over slides as you are presenting | Screen, audio, webcam recorder with basic video editing functionality | Basic video editor with a wide selection of basic post processing tools. | Screen recorder that offers some basic video editing functionality | Light media editing suite that can screencap your display, record audio and video, and provide editing tools for post production. |
Editing capabilities | None - can record audio over slides | Trim, split, cut, copy, paste, delete, mute, flip |
Trimming, cutting, splitting, basic video effects, basic audio manipulation, transitions and text overlays |
Trim, cut | Trim, split, cut, copy, paste, delete, mute, stitch, annotations, transitions, animations, audio manipulation |
Cost | Included with U of T’s Office 365 subscription; login using Utoronto.ca email required | Free | Free, part of Windows’ built in photo viewing tool (Replaces previous Windows editing tool, Windows Movie Maker) | Licensed for all staff/faculty and students (Download SnagIt) | $234.91 CAD for education pricing |
Ideal for: | Recording slides with narration, annotating over slides | Quick edits, splicing clips together, cutting clips | Basic video creation with simple effects, transitions, and text overlays | Quick screen recordings, cutting clips | Screen, audio, and video recording, in-depth editing (annotations, transitions, animations, audio manipulation) |
Not ideal for: | Editing videos, recording anything outside a PowerPoint window | Audio manipulation, annotations | In depth manipulation of audio, visual effects, and animations, synching audio and video | Splicing multiple clips together, audio manipulation, annotations | Users with very little editing experience who want to make quick edits |
Set-up effort | Low | Low | Low | Medium | High |
Difficulty to learn | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low - High (depending on how in-depth you wish to edit) |
Supported file formats | Almost all image, audio, and video formats | Almost all video and audio formats | Almost all image, audio, and video formats | Almost all video formats | Almost all video, audio, and image formats (supported formats on Windows) |
Exported file formats | MPEG-4, WMV | MOV, M4V, MPEG-4 | MP4 | MP4 | MP4 |
Webcam recording | Picture in picture | Standalone webcam, picture in picture | No | Toggle between screen and webcam | Standalone webcam, picture in picture |
Microsoft Streams integration | Yes, able to publish directly to Stream | No; requires upload to Stream | No; requires upload to Stream | No; requires upload to Stream | No; requires upload to Stream |
Compatible platforms | Windows, MacOS | Windows (no editing capability, no longer supported by Apple), MacOS | Windows | Windows, MacOS | Windows, MacOS |
If you are looking to just record narration over a slideshow presentation, with the ability to annotate the slides as you present, recording your slideshow in PowerPoint might include all the functionality required. For more information on how to set this up, visit Microsoft’s guide on how to record a slideshow with narration and slide timings.