Problems
The recording file is too large
Screen recordings are large because they are high resolution and long. A 4K screen produces roughly four times the data of a 1080p one for the same duration.
Record a window or tab, not the whole screen
A tab on a 4K monitor is a fraction of the pixels of the full display. This is the single most effective change, and it usually improves the recording anyway — tab recording explains why.
Lower your display resolution first
Capture happens at your screen’s native resolution. Dropping a 4K monitor to 1080p before recording cuts the file dramatically and makes on-screen text more legible in the result.
Record shorter clips
Several short recordings are easier to share, easier to watch, and far less likely to fail than one long one.
Compress afterwards
HandBrake or ffmpeg will typically shrink a screen recording substantially with no visible loss, because screen content compresses well.
Read next
- How long can a browser screen recording be?
There is no time limit, but there is a practical one — and it is about memory.
- How to record a single browser tab
Tab recording, which is the cleanest option and the only one that reliably captures audio.
- Screen recording has no sound
The four reasons a screen recording comes out silent, in the order worth checking.