YouTubeTV has grown into a major provider of live entertainment, and this streaming service is increasingly competing with mainstream TV stations. Despite its soaring popularity and increasingly great programming, it remains less universally known to the average user, so people are unaware of what can or can’t be done with content viewed through this digital channel.
How to Record on YouTube TV
Specifically, recording content from YouTube TV is something that nearly every viewer should know how to do, except for sceenshot YouTube videos online. While YouTube TV offers the possibility to save content in the cloud, this is only available to paid subscribers. That’s not too much of a problem since the content is already in a digital format so it’s only logical that it can be recorded and saved locally with third-party tools.
Since the exact procedure depends on the type of smart device used to connect to the online service, a comprehensive guide is needed to teach users how to quickly accomplish this simple task.
Table of Contents: hide
Record on YouTube TV with a Windows/Mac Screen Recorder
How to Record on YouTube TV from a Windows PC
How to Record on YouTube TV from a Mac Computer
How to Record on YouTube TV from a Mobile Device?
Record on YouTube TV with a Windows/Mac Screen Recorder
Probably the best way to record content from YouTube TV is to install a good screen recording software such as Gemoo Recorder. This app works both on Windows and MacOS, and its main features are very intuitive and easy to use. Since this app is free to download and can deliver solid video and audio quality along with some advanced functionalities, it represents a common choice as a screen recorder. When used to record content from a browser-based application, it can produce excellent videos that look exactly like the original material without any loss of resolution. There are key features of Gemoo Recorder:
- Capture your screen with ease, free from any watermarks, time limits, or distracting background noise. Whether you’re recording gameplay, streaming music from Youtube, attending virtual meetings, or simply capturing a live stream, our screen recording software has got you covered.
- With our intuitive interface, you can customize your recorded video and add annotations to suit your needs. Highlight important points, add text, or draw attention to specific areas of the screen with ease.
- It is compatible with most computer models, including Mac, Windows 11/10/8, and even low-end PCs. So no matter what device you’re using, you can rest assured that our screen recording software will work seamlessly.
Here is how you can capture multimedia content from a YouTube TV stream using Gemoo Recorder:
Step 1. Download Gemoo Recorder to your computer and log into your Gemoo Recorder account. Activate the Recording feature, such as Screen Only.
Gemoo Recorder Interface
Step 2. Select the Window Capture mode. Choose a window with active YouTube TV stream to capture its content. Select System audio as the audio source before you start recording.
Select the Window Capture mode
Step 3. When you are finished, save your recording to an online library or your computer.
Gemoo Library
How to Record on YouTube TV from a Windows PC
There might be an even simpler method for recording from YouTube TV on a Windows-based PC. It doesn’t require any software downloads, and relies purely on the built-in screen recording function that you can quickly activate with a combination of hotkeys. This function is called the Xbox Game Bar and is intended primarily for recording gameplay, but it will work just fine with a browser-based app such as YouTube TV. While this method may not allow too many editing and annotation options, it can still produce solid results when you just want to grab the video stream.
Here are the steps you should complete to capture the content you are watching on YouTube TV with Xbox Game Bar:
Open the Xbox Game Bar
Step 1. Run a web browser and start watching the YouTube TV broadcast in a separate window
Step 2. Click on the full-screen button in YouTube TV interface
Step 3. Press Windows logo button + Alt + R to start the app and click on the red dot icon to start recording from the screen
Step 4. Press Windows logo key + Alt + M to switch on microphone recording
Step 5. After you press Windows + Alt + R again, the recording will end and an MP4 video will appear in the appropriate folder on your PC.
Further Reading: Can You Record on Peacock >
How to Record on YouTube TV from a Mac Computer
A huge number of people use a Mac to watch YouTube TV programming, so if you are one of them you might be interested in learning some Mac-specific tools suitable for this purpose. As you might have expected, Apple made sure to include some handy screen recording tools in its OS, so you won’t have to search for any external tools and can use the Screenshot app to complete this task. The native recording tool in iOS (also known as the Screenshot app) can do a decent job if you just need a simple recording.
Here is the exact sequence of actions you need to execute to capture video from YouTube TV on a Mac:
Step 1. Open QuickTime Player on your Mac computer.
Step 2. Go to “File” and select “New Movie Recording”.
Quicktime Player Interface
Step 3. Select the window in which YouTube TV stream is playing
Step 4. Click on the red record button in QuickTime Player to start recording.
Step 5. When you’re finished recording, click on the stop button in QuickTime Player to stop the recording.
How to Record on YouTube TV from a Mobile Device?
Accessing YouTube TV from a smartphone or tablet is a convenient way to watch your favorite content while you are on the move. Users who prefer mobile access can still record the content, as there are several reliable screen recording apps that work on Android and iOS. MNML Screen Recorder is one example of a simple recording app that can be installed on any phone and used to capture the content of the screen while a YouTube TV stream is in progress.
The procedure you need to follow is quite simple and involves just a few steps:
Step 1. Install MNML Screen Recorder to your phone and run it
Step 2. Go to Settings menu to manually control frame rate, video and audio quality, etc.
Step 3. Go back to Home page of MNML Screen Recorder and tap on the Record button
Step 4. Start YouTube TV app and play the program you want to record
Step 5. When the program ends, go back to MNML and tap on the Stop button
MNML Screen Recorder
Pro Tip. How to Record Your Screen with Auto Zoom Effects
FocuSee is a versatile recording tool ideal for various needs, from tutorials to demos. It offers flexibility to record full screens, custom areas, or specific windows. Its auto-zoom and mouse highlight streamline recording, ensuring efficiency. FocuSee also simplifies selfie and voiceover capture, meeting diverse recording requirements with a seamless experience.
Adjust the Zoom Effect
Features:
- Automatic Zoom-In: FocuSee automatically follows the cursor movement and applies dynamic zoom-in effects to enhance the video.
- Customization Options: You can choose from different cursor styles, and layouts for the selfie and screen, customize the appearance with camera frames and filters, and add backgrounds, rounded corners, shadows, and padding to make the video more appealing.
- Multiple Export Options: It offers preset sizes for social media platforms and allows the export of videos up to 4K resolution or high-quality GIFs.
- Easy Sharing: The recorded videos can be shared via links or embedded on websites, with interactive elements like quizzes and call-to-action buttons.
Pros:
- Rich customization options, such as cropping the video, changing the background, cursor style, and camera filters.
- It works well both on macOS and Windows.
Cons:
- Major updates may require additional upgrade fees.
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Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube TV Recording
Is it possible to capture the original audio from YouTube TV along with video?
All of the methods described above allow the user to capture system audio together with the video feed, which is particularly important when recording streaming media. If you use an advanced tool such as Gemoo Recorder, there should be no loss of audio quality compared to the original stream.
Can I save my recordings from YouTube TV in the cloud?
In most cases, that will be possible but you will need an active internet connection and enough storage space on a dedicated cloud service. Some screen recording tools allow you to save the recording directly to an online location, but you could also use a personal iCloud or Google Drive account for this purpose.
Is it possible to edit video recordings made from YouTube TV and use them to create multimedia?
Simple screen recording tools recommended in this article allow only for limited annotation and editing actions. However, the recordings can be imported to other an external video editor if there is a need to perform more sophisticated editing operations or to merge multiple recordings into a longer video.
Final Words
Users without a paid DVR service need an alternative way how to record on YouTube TV, and regardless of the type of device they use there are some good options available. Furthermore, the level of technical knowledge needed to create sharp-looking videos with clear sound is minimal, which means practically anyone can do it. Knowing this, US residents interested in switching to YouTube TV online service have another reason to take this possibility very seriously. Digital streaming services are becoming better and better by the month, and since the content can be recorded they have almost no downside compared to traditional television.
