This is a beta feature available on the Professional plan and above. For now, we recommend using it only with the latest Google Chrome.
We’d love your feedback as we continue to improve it. 🚀
Capture each participant and their sources locally in high quality. Recordings are automatically uploaded to Restream and available for the host to download after Live or Record Only sessions.
What are local recordings?
Unlike cloud recordings that record the entire stream video, local recordings capture individual video and audio tracks from every participant and source — including cameras, microphones, screen shares, and local videos.
Each track is recorded directly on the participant’s device and then uploaded to the host’s account afterward. This ensures clean, reliable files that remain unaffected by internet issues. Local recordings are perfect for post-production and editing, especially for high-quality formats like podcasts.
How to enable local recordings
From your home screen, click + New Stream and choose Studio.
💡 If you have already created a Studio stream, click on it in your list of streams to open the setup.
At the top of the Studio, click the Record button.
Toggle on Local recordings.
Choose whether to capture Video & Audio or Audio only.
When you’re ready, click Go Live or click the arrow next to it to choose Record only mode if you’re not broadcasting.
💡 Unlike Cloud recordings, Local recordings must be manually enabled before each stream or recording session. If you forget, you can enable them once the stream starts, but you won’t be able to turn them off until it ends.
How to download local recordings
After your stream or recording ends:
Click the Download button at the top of Studio.
Select Download and open the Local Recordings tab. You’ll see a list of participants and their recorded sources.
Choose your preferred format to download individual video and audio tracks for each participant and source.
WebM files are available instantly.
MP4 (for video) and WAV (for audio) files are also available, but may take a few minutes to prepare.
💡 After leaving Studio, you can find all Local + Cloud recordings in your Video Storage. For live streams, recordings also appear under Past streams.
Requirements
A Professional plan or higher is required.
Use the latest version of Google Chrome (or another Chromium-based browser like Arc) on desktop. Support for additional browsers will roll out after beta.
The maximum recording length varies by plan. Check the pricing page for more details.
Local recordings are available only for Studio, not streams sent via an encoder, though most encoders offer their own way to record locally.
During beta, participants joining from mobile devices will not be included in the local recording.
Local recordings can be enabled before or during a session, but can’t be turned off once started. Enable them before the stream if you want full control.
💡 If your internet or device is limited, select Audio only to lighten the load.
For the best quality, we recommend that each participant:
Uses the latest version of Google Chrome and closes other apps
Has at least 2 GB of free storage on their device
Has a 500 Mbps or higher internet connection
Keeps hardware acceleration enabled in Chrome
Disables Incognito / anonymous mode and any VPNs
FAQ
What is and isn’t recorded?
What is and isn’t recorded?
Local recordings capture each participant’s individual tracks:
Camera (webcam or external)
Microphone or external audio source
Screen share
Local video sources
What isn’t recorded: RTMP sources, Studio layouts, backgrounds, overlays, or temporary sources (images, presentations, videos from your storage).
Why do I need to download a recording that was recorded locally?
Why do I need to download a recording that was recorded locally?
Unlike desktop apps like OBS, browser-based apps like Restream cannot save files directly to your device. Local recordings are captured on the participant’s device, uploaded in small chunks, and then assembled for download — ensuring your files are safe even if the browser crashes.
Are participants recorded when they are backstage?
Are participants recorded when they are backstage?
No. Recording captures each participant and their sources only while they are toggled on in the stream - anything backstage won’t appear in the final recording.
What happens if a participant disconnects?
What happens if a participant disconnects?
If a participant leaves and then rejoins, a new upload track is created. The final recording will include each segment as a separate file.
If someone leaves early and their recording didn’t fully upload, the host would receive only partial recordings. To resolve this, they can visit this page using the same device and browser to complete the process.
💡 Incomplete recordings can also be downloaded as WebM; to get MP4 or WAV files, all segments need to finish uploading.
Can I pause local recordings?
Can I pause local recordings?
Yes. When you resume, recording continues, but a new WebM file is created for each track, with the correct timestamp in its name to make editing and assembly easier.
Can guests download local recordings?
Can guests download local recordings?
No. Only the host can download recordings. For shared access and more collaboration options, consider using Organizations & Workspaces.
💡 Turn your local recordings into highlights you can share on social media.