How to Record YouTube Live Stream Video Free 7 Ways
How to Record YouTube Live Stream Video Free [7 Ways]
Learn how to record YouTube live stream on your Windows PC, Mac, mobile devices, and online. 7 YT live recorders are covered herein.
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Alin Updated on Jun 23, 2025
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Are you looking for how to record YouTube live stream? This article covers the seven best YouTube recorders for PC, Mac, iPhone, Android, and online.
| Methods | Devices | Features |
|---|---|---|
| EaseUS RecExperts | Windows, Mac | Record a YouTube livestream with video, system audio, mic sound, and webcam for free. Support schedule and auto recording. |
| QuickTime Player | Mac | Record YouTube live with mic sound directly. Require additional plug-on to capture internal audio. |
| VLC Media Player | Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android | Play and record a live stream on YouTube with a screen and audio via URLs. |
| OBS Studio | Windows, Mac, Linux | Screen record live on YouTube with advanced recording parameters. |
| EaseUS Online Screen Recorder | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Record YouTube stream online with screen and audio for free. No extra apps are needed. |
| AZ Screen Recorder | Android | Capture YT live stream on Android phones and tablets with apps. |
| Built-in Screen recorder | iOS | Record livestream on YouTube on iPhone or iPad without downloading anything. |
You may also need:
Best Pick: Record YouTube Live Streams on Windows/Mac Perfectly
- High-quality recording to capture screen with 1080p/4K resolution, up to 144 fps, and lossless play track.
- Multiple audio track recordings to capture system sound and mic voice together or separately.
- High-efficient performance to record YouTube livestream without lag or stuttering.
- Stable recording abilities to ensure no automatic cut-off for extended live streams.
- Flexible output formats to save YouTube live in MP4, MKV, AVI, or more.
- Schedule recording to capture streams that start at specific times and a set duration.
- Watermark and ads-free recording to avoid brand overlays and intrusive advertisements
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Download EaseUS RecExperts Mac version.
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Steps for how to record live stream on YouTube on PC or Mac:
Step 1. Launch EaseUS RecExperts and select Full Screen as your recording mode. This ensures smooth capture of streaming movies, online shows, or live video content without missing any detail.
Step 2. Choose whether to record the Webcam, System Sound, or Microphone based on your needs. Then, open the streaming platform you want to record from, such as YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, or Vimeo.
Step 3. Enable the Black Screen Fix feature to bypass content protection. Once it’s turned on, the REC button will change to purple. Navigate back to your streaming video, then click the purple REC button to start capturing.
Step 4. After a 3-second countdown, the recording will begin. A floating taskbar will appear on your screen. Use the toolbar to pause or stop the recording anytime during playback.
Step 5. Once the recording ends, you’ll be taken to the preview window. Here, you can watch, trim, or edit your captured video, ideal for reviewing HD content, saving movie highlights, or sharing clips from your favorite streaming services.
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How to Record a Live Stream on MAC via QuickTime Player
QuickTime Player is a built-in media player and screen recording tool for macOS that allows users to capture their screen and audio in a full screen or customized region.
While it offers a simple and free way to record YouTube stream, it has some limitations. For example, it only captures external audio using the built-in mic or an external microphone.
If you want to screen record Mac with internal audio with QuickTime, you will need BlackHole or Soundflower as the output device. They are free to use.
Check steps to record YouTube livestream on Mac with QuickTime Player:
Step 1. Download and install BlackHole on your Mac from its official website.
Step 2. Go to “Finder” > “Applications” > “Utilities” > “Audio MIDI Setup”. Here, you can see all devices connected to your computer, including BlackHole.
Step 3. If you are using an additional external microphone and want to to capture the input, click the “+” sign at the left-bottom corner to select “Create Aggregate Device”. Then, tick the “Built-in Microphone” and “BlackHole” from the list of audio devices. (Skip this step if you only capture the internal sound)
Step 4. To capture the system sound with Black Hole, click the “+” sign at the left-bottom corner to select “Create Multi-Output Devices”. Then, tick the “Built-in Output” and “BlackHole” from the list of audio devices.
Step 5. Navigate to “Finder” > “Applications” > “QuickTime Player” > “File” > “New Screen Recording”.
Step 6. Click Options and choose the microphone device and “BlackHole” to record the YouTube live with mic sound and system audio if needed.
Step 7. Click “Record Entire Screen” or “Record Selected Portion” and drag to fit the YouTube player.
Step 8. Open the YouTube live stream you want to record. Click “Record”, then play the live stream. Let QuickTime capture the stream for as long as needed.
Step 9. Click the “Stop” button in the menu bar (or press Command + Control + Esc) when done.
Step 10. Go to “File” > “Save”, choose a destination, and save your recording as a MOV file.
Tip: If you find this way complicated, use EaseUS RecExperts for Mac for free to record YouTube live streams with system audio and mic.
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How to Record YouTube Live Stream VLC
VLC is not only a free and open-source cross-platform video player with speed control but also a wonderful YouTube live stream recorder that supports screen recording live stream videos on your YouTube for free. This tool is compatible with most computer OS, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Here’s how to record a YouTube live with VLC:
Step 1. Open your YouTube Live stream and copy the URL where you want to record videos from.
Step 2. Open VLC and go “Media” > “Open Network Stream” on the left-top corner.
Step 3. A new window will pop out. On the “Network” tab, paste the URL from YouTube Live, then click “Play.”
Step 4. Click the red “Record” button to start screen recording. Then, hit it again to stop capturing the YouTube Live stream.
Step 5. When you finish recording, you can choose the “Media” button and click on the “Open Recent Media” button to watch the YouTube streaming video on your computer offline.
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Record Live YouTube Stream with OBS Studio
Another screen recording software for YouTube live streams is OBS. This tool is famous as a free and open source screen recorder for video recording and live streaming that applies to Windows, Mac, and Linux. This all-in-one video & audio recording software supports capturing screen and sound in high quality. OBS is an excellent choice for recording a YouTube Live stream on Mac to make things easier and faster.
Steps for how to save YouTube live stream video with OBS:
Step 1. Go to the OBS Studio website and download the Windows, macOS, or Linux version. Install and open OBS Studio.
Step 2. Click the “+” button under the “Sources” panel. Select “Display Capture” (Windows) or “Screen Capture” (Mac). Name it (e.g., YouTube Live Recording) and click OK. Choose the screen where YouTube is playing and click OK.
Step 3. Click the “+” button in the “Sources” panel. Select “Audio Output Capture” (Windows) or “Application Audio Capture (BETA)” (Mac). Name it (e.g., System Audio) and click OK. Select the correct audio device:
- Windows: Choose “Default” or the specific output device.
- Mac: OBS does not capture system audio by default—you need BlackHole (recommended) or Loopback to reroute audio.
Step 4. Click “Settings” (bottom right). Go to “Output” > “Recording” tab. Choose:
- Recording Format: MP4 or MKV (MKV prevents data loss if interrupted).
- Encoder: H.264 (for high-quality recording).
- Bitrate: 5000-10000 kbps (higher for 4K).
Step 5. Open the YouTube live stream you want to record. Click “Start Recording” in OBS. Let OBS record the stream in the background.
Step 6. Once the stream ends, go to OBS and click “Stop Recording”.
Step 7. The recording is saved in the “Videos” folder (default location). You can edit or convert the file as needed.
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How to record YouTube Live Stream Online Free
If you are looking for a download-free way to record YouTube stream, try EaseUS Online Screen Recorder. This web-based YouTube live recorder:
- Require no downloads, installations, and sign-ups. Completely free to use.
- Record screen with system audio, microphone sound, and webcam overylay.
- Save recorded file in MP4 format, easy for editing and sharing.
- Compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera, and almost all modern browsers.
Steps to recording YouTube live stream online for free:
Step 1. Visit EaseUS Online Screen Recorder with a web browser on PC or mobile phone.
Step 2. Click “Start Recording” in the banner section. Grant recording permission to your cameras or microphones if needed on the popup.
Step 3. Open the live stream on YouTube you want to record, select what to share (a tab, window, or entire screen), toggle “Also share tab audio” if you need to capture audio, and click “Share”.
Step 4. Turn on System Sound, Microphone, or Webcam. Click “Record” to start recording. Click “Done” to end the session when done.
Step 5. You can preview the recording. Then, select “Save Video” to download the recording to your device or choose “Record Another” to start over.
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How to Record YouTube Stream on Android
If you use an Android mobile phone to watch and record YouTube Live stream, we suggest AZ Screen Recorder is a good choice. With a ton of features like screen capture, screen video recorder, video editor, live stream screen, this screen recording app provides you an easy way to rip YouTube Live stream.
How to Record YouTube Live Videos on Android:
Step 1. Run YouTube and open the live stream that you want to record.
Step 2. Launch AZ Screen Recorder, click the “Recording” button and choose the “START NOW” option on a new window.
Step 3. When you need to pause or stop recording, you can pull down the window on the top of your screen and tap the relevant buttons.
Step 4. The recorded YouTube Live stream videos will be displayed on the top of your screen.
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How to Capture YouTube Live Stream Video on iPhone
iPhone users are allowed to record screens with the embedded iOS screen recorder. So you can record a YouTube Live stream on your iPhone without downloading any application. All you need to do is just a few clicks on your screen.
Steps to Record YouTube Live on iPhone:
Step 1. Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to open “Control Center”. Tap the “Screen Recording” button (a dot inside a circle) to start recording.
Step 2. After a 3-second countdown, the recording begins. Quickly navigate to the video you want to capture. A red dot in the status bar confirms the recording is active.
Step 3. To stop recording, tap the red status bar at the top of the screen and select “Stop”.
Step 4. Access and edit your recording in the “Photos” app.
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Conclusion
To wrap up, 7 YouTube live recorders to capture YouTube Live streams on different devices are covered in this post. You can choose any of them per your actual situation. As for those who want to know how to record YouTube live stream on a PC or Mac, we highly recommend EaseUS RecExperts since it offers the most features you desire.
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How to Record YouTube Live Stream FAQs
In this part, we collect several relevant questions to record a YouTube Live stream and offer answers, respectively. We hope they can benefit you more or less.
1. Can you record a live stream from YouTube?
Yes, you can record YouTube live Videos with EaseUS RecExperts. Follow those steps to capture the video you want to save.
Step 1. Launch this recorder on your device.
Step 2. Select “Full Screen” or “Region” to select the recording area. You can record part of the screen as well as full screen.
Step 3. Choose a suitable sound source and click on the “REC” button to start recording.
Step 4. Click on the “Stop recording” button when you want to save the video you captured.
2. How do I record a live video on YouTube?
YouTube does not have a recording feature to capture videos. You can use some screen recorders on your computer to record and save a video. Then, you can upload the video to YouTube. If you have a mobile device, you can record videos with your phone’s camera and upload them with the YouTube app.
3. How long can I live stream on YouTube?
There is no duration limit for streaming a Live to YouTube. The only limitation is for the live stream recording on YouTube itself. When you live stream, a single public archive will be generated for up to 12 hours.
4. Can you have a private YouTube Live stream?
The answer is YES. YouTube has three different options for live streaming – Public, Private, and Unlisted. YouTube’s Private streaming allows you to share your video with 50 different people at once. Private videos will not appear in any of the search results or video recommendations.
5. Can YouTube Live be pre-recorded?
Yes, you can pre-record a video and stream it as a YouTube Live broadcast. This is called a “Premiere” or “Simulated Live Stream”. Here’s how you can do it:
Option 1. Use YouTube Premiere (Built-in Feature)
Step 1. Upload your video to YouTube Studio.
Step 2. Choose “Premiere” instead of a regular upload.
Step 3. Set a date & time for the “live” broadcast.
Step 4. Viewers can watch and interact via live chat as if it’s a real-time event.
Option 2. Use OBS or Streaming Software for Simulated Live
Step 1. Open OBS Studio, Streamlabs, or other live streaming software.
Step 2. Add your pre-recorded video as a media source.
Step 3. Start streaming to YouTube Live just like a real-time broadcast.
One-click to capture anything on screen!
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How to Record YouTube Live Stream on PC, Mac, Mobile [2024]
Live streaming on YouTube has blown up huge, with zillions of people broadcasting live events, Q&As, gameplay videos, and more every day. While you can catch the streams live, they vanish into thin air once the broadcast wraps. Fortunately, there are some best screen recorders to capture and save YouTube live streams so you can view them again later or share them with peeps who missed out.
In this post, we’ll show you how to record YouTube live streams on whatever you use – Windows 11/10/7, Mac, iPhone, or Android. With a few simple YouTube live recorders and techniques, you’ll be stashing away your favorite YouTube live streams in no time.
1. How to Record YouTube Live Stream on Windows and Mac
To record lives streams from other YouTube channels, we need help from a decent screen recorder – VideoProc Converter AI. It’s a versatile video processing program built with an HD screen recording tool for Windows and Mac. It gives you full control over the recording area, sound settings, and output format for all needs. Another benefit of using an offline recorder is that it won’t interfere with the ongoing YouTube lives, thus delivering a smooth recording. Meanwhile, you can use its built-in downloader to download streaming lives, videos, playlists, M3U8, and music from 1000+ sites with ease.
VideoProc Converter AI – Best YouTube Live Recorder on PC/Mac
- Preserve the original quality of 4K, HD 1080p live streams.
- Custom recording area: full screen, certain tab, or draw a region.
- Record screen with audio, webcam, or multiple screens connected.
- Smooth recording process without lagging or frames dropping.
- Edit, convert, compress, fix, and download videos in one stop.
Excellent 
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Step 1. Open the live stream on YouTube on your computer.
Step 2. Launch VideoProc Converter AI. Select “Recorder” on the main UI.
Step 3. Click “Screen” on the top bar. Then click “Crop”, and drag and drop a rectangle that includes the live stream playback windows. Also, you can play the stream in full-screen mode and let VideoProc Converter AI record the entire screen.
Step 4. Smash on the REC button. When the show ends, click the red button again to stop recording. The live stream recording will be saved in the right column. Click the file icon to open and view it.
Bonus Tips: Record YouTube Live Streams via URLs
By recording, you have to stay on the live stream. And any action on the screen might get into your recording. If you want to leave it recorded and use other apps, VideoProc Converter AI can save live streams with just the link address. Here’s how.
- Open VideoProc Converter AI and choose “Downloader” on the main UI.
- Click “Add Video”. Paste the URL and analyze.
- Select a resolution. Also, you can save the live chat in the Subtitle option.
- Click download and start recording.
2. How to Record YouTube Live Stream Online
In addition to screen recording programs installed on your computer, you can use online screen recorders to record YouTube live streams on your web browser. It seems more convenient but actually has more limitations, such as short recording time, fewer output format options, watermarks, and so forth. If you want to give online tools a try, here we’ll demonstrate how to use ScreenApp to record YouTube live videos, which is available on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Opera.
Step 1. Open a web browser on your computer. Go to youtube.com to play a streaming video.
Step 2. Visit screenapp.io. Click Record now for free on its homepage.
Step 3. Select Screen Only and choose Browser Audio. Click Start.
Step 4. Select the tab that includes the YouTube live show. Play the streaming video in full screen on YouTube. Click the record button on ScreenAPP.
Step 5. Click the record button again to stop recording. After it finishes generating the video, you can share and download the YouTube live stream with a registered ScreenAPP account.
Note: The online YouTube live recorder only records for 1 hour for free. The final video you get is stored in WebM that might not be supported on some apps or devices and you have to convert WebM to MP4 on your own.
3. How to Record YouTube Live Stream on iPhone
While you are watching a live video on YouTube, you can enable the built-in screen recorder on your iPhone. It also works in the same steps to record YouTube live streams on iPad.
Step 1. Open the YouTube app or its web version on Safari. Play the live stream that you want to save on your iPhone.
Step 2. Open Control Center. Tap the recording icon. Then you’ll see a 3-second countdown.
Step 3. Back to the live stream on YouTube. Now just stay in the video until you want to stop recording.
Step 4. Tap the red icon on the top left corner and stop it. The YouTube live stream recording is now saved to the Photos app
4. How to Record YouTube Live Stream on Android
Similar to iPhone, Android comes with a built-in screen recorder since AndroidOS 11 and lets you capture anything on the screen with internal audio. If your OS is too old to do so, you can download a third-party screen recorder, e.g. AZ Screen Recorder and Mobizen Screen Recorder. Below we’ll show you how to record a YouTube live stream with the native screen recording tool on Android.
Step 1. Play a YouTube live stream on your Android device.
Step 2. Pull down from the notification shade on the top of the screen. Tap the built-in screen recorder.
Step 3. Allow it to record your screen and media sounds.
Step 4. When it starts recording the screen, get back to the live on YouTube. Now minimize the recorder toolbar.
Step 5. When you want to end, tap the stop button on the toolbar.
FAQ
How to record a YouTube live stream with VLC?
Firstly, copy the link to a YouTube live stream. Then, open VLC, navigate to Media > Open a Network Stream > Network. Next, paste the link to it and click Play. Get back to the video playback UI, and click View > Advanced Controls. And now click the record button.
How do I record a live channel on YouTube?
VideoProc Converter AI offers two solutions to record a YouTube live channel. First, you can record the screen while you are watching the live on a YouTube channel with the Record feature in VideoProc Converter AI. Second, copy the URL of a live channel, and paste it to the Download module in VideoProc Converter AI. It will analyze and fetch the live show via the link.
Does YouTube save your streams?
Yes, YouTube saves streams of less than 12 hours for streamers automatically. You can find the archived live in Past Live Streams. Then click Broadcast > Past, click the three-dot icon, and choose View on YouTube.
How long do live streams stay on YouTube?
YouTube keeps your streamed live forever, as long as the recording is enabled. To some extent, it becomes another standard uploaded video on your channel.
How do I record on YouTube TV?
To record a live stream on YouTube TV, just pause the live you are watching, select the plus icon, and ADD TO LIBRARY. Then recording is kicked off. To record other shows, search for them one by one on YouTube TV, and select the +Add to library next to its name to start recording the show on YouTube TV. Open the library tab, and you can see all the recorded shows on YouTube TV.
About The Author
Cecilia Hwung is the editor-in-chief of Digiarty VideoProc. With over a decade of experience, she specializes in delivering insightful content on AI trends, video/audio editing, conversion, troubleshooting, and software reviews. Her expertise makes her a trusted ally in enhancing users’ digital experiences.
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Digiarty Software, established in 2006, pioneers multimedia innovation with AI-powered and GPU-accelerated solutions. With the mission to “Art Up Your Digital Life”, Digiarty provides AI video/image enhancement, editing, conversion, and more solutions. VideoProc under Digiarty has attracted 4.6 million users from 180+ countries.
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