Bandicam guides

Bandicam is a screen and game recorder for Windows that supports three recording modes: Screen Recording (full screen, window, or custom area), Game Recording (DirectX, OpenGL, Vulkan games), and Device Recording (webcam, HDMI capture, IPTV). The guides below walk you through each use case.

If you have not installed Bandicam yet, start with the Download page for system requirements and installation steps. If you run into issues during or after recording, see Troubleshooting and FAQ.

How to record your screen

Use Bandicam's Screen Recording mode to capture your desktop, a specific window, or a custom rectangular area. Ideal for tutorials, software demos, and online lectures.

1. Open Bandicam and click the Screen tab (monitor icon) in the top toolbar.
2. Choose the capture area: Full screen (entire desktop), Window (a single window that you select), or Rectangle on a screen (drag to define a region). For multi-monitor setups, pick the monitor you want from the dropdown.
3. Set the output format (MP4 or AVI) and quality in Settings → Video. For smaller file sizes, use MP4 with H.264; enable hardware encoding (NVIDIA NVENC, Intel Quick Sync, or AMD) if your PC supports it.
4. Click the Record button or press F12 to start. Press F12 again to stop. Your recording is saved to the folder set in Settings → General → Video folder.

Tip: Use Rectangle on a screen to record only part of the screen (e.g. a browser tab or one panel), which keeps file size down and focuses viewers on what matters.

How to record only a specific window

In Screen Recording, choose Window instead of Full screen or Rectangle. Click "Select a window to record" and pick the window from the list (e.g. "Chrome - YouTube" or "PowerPoint - Presentation"). Only that window will be captured; moving or resizing it may affect the recording area. This is useful for recording one app without showing the rest of the desktop.

Multi-monitor recording

If you have more than one monitor, Bandicam lets you choose which display to capture. In the Screen tab, use the monitor dropdown to select "Monitor 1," "Monitor 2," etc. for full-screen capture, or use "Rectangle on a screen" and pick the monitor first, then draw the region. You can record one monitor while using another for other tasks.

How to record gameplay

Game Recording mode hooks into DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan so you can record gameplay with minimal FPS impact. It supports high frame rates (up to 480 FPS) and 4K.

1. Open Bandicam and switch to the Game tab (gamepad icon).
2. Launch your game in full screen or windowed mode. Bandicam will detect it automatically; a green FPS overlay appears on the game when it's detected.
3. If the game is not detected, click Select a window to record and choose the game window from the list, or run the game in windowed/borderless mode and try again.
4. Press F12 to start recording (the overlay turns red). Press F12 again to stop. Recordings are saved to your configured video folder.

For best performance, enable Hardware encoding (NVENC, Quick Sync, or AMD) in Settings → Video so the GPU handles encoding and your in-game FPS stays high. See Features – Hardware encoding.

How to record with webcam overlay

You can add a webcam (or other video device) as a picture-in-picture overlay on your screen or game recording. Useful for vlogs, tutorials, and streaming-style videos.

1. Connect your webcam and ensure it works in Windows (Settings → Privacy → Camera).
2. In Bandicam, go to the Screen or Game tab. Open Settings → Video and find the Overlay webcam (or similar) option.
3. Select your webcam device and choose the overlay position (e.g. corner) and size. You can show or hide the webcam during recording with a hotkey if supported.
4. Start recording with the Record button or F12. Both the screen/game and the webcam will be recorded in one video.

For webcam-only recording (no screen), use the Device tab and select your webcam. See Features – Webcam & device.

How to upload recordings to YouTube

Bandicam saves videos in MP4 or AVI. YouTube accepts MP4 (H.264) directly, so you can upload without re-encoding in most cases.

1. Record your content with Bandicam. Use MP4 and H.264 in Settings → Video for best compatibility.
2. Optional: Use Bandicam's built-in Upload to YouTube if available (check the main window or right-click menu). You may need to sign in with your Google account once.
3. Alternatively, open youtube.com/upload, drag your recorded file into the page, and fill in title, description, and visibility. Click Publish when ready.

Large files (e.g. long 4K recordings) can take a while to upload. Using hardware encoding (NVENC, Quick Sync, AMD) and a reasonable resolution (e.g. 1080p) keeps file size smaller and uploads faster. Bandicam can also upload directly to YouTube without opening the browser in some versions.

Hotkeys and settings

Bandicam uses F12 by default to start and stop recording. You can change this and set other hotkeys (e.g. pause, screenshot) in Settings → Hotkeys. In Settings → Video you can set frame rate, quality, and codec; in Settings → Sound you can enable system and microphone audio. For more options, see Features and FAQ.

How to reduce file size

Smaller files save disk space and upload faster. Use these tips:

• Enable hardware encoding. In Settings → Video, use H.264 (NVENC), H.264 (Intel Quick Sync), or H.264 (AMD). Hardware encoding often produces smaller files at the same quality than CPU encoding.
• Use AV1 (GPU) if available. AV1 can give roughly 15–18 MB per minute at 1080p 60 FPS instead of ~59 MB with H.264. Check Settings → Video for AV1 option.
• Lower resolution or FPS. Record at 1080p instead of 4K, or 30 FPS instead of 60 FPS. You can also set video size to "Half" in Settings → Video.
• Lower quality. In Settings → Video, reduce the quality slider (e.g. from 80 to 60). Test with a short clip to see if the result is acceptable.
• Record a region instead of full screen. Use "Rectangle on a screen" in Screen Recording to capture only the area you need.

See Features – Hardware encoding and FAQ – File size.

How to record with system and microphone audio

To record both game/screen sound and your voice:

1. Open Bandicam → Settings → Sound.
2. Enable Record system sound and select the correct playback device (e.g. default speakers).
3. Enable Record microphone and select your microphone.
4. Adjust volume sliders if needed. Test with a short recording.

If you get no sound or out-of-sync audio, see Troubleshooting – No sound.

How to use scheduled recording

Scheduled recording (registered version) starts recording at a set time daily or weekly. Open Bandicam → Settings → Schedule (or similar). Set the start time and repeat (daily/weekly). Choose the recording mode (Screen, Game, or Device) and ensure the target window or game is open at that time. Scheduled recording is useful for capturing live streams, webinars, or recurring content. The free version does not include scheduled recording.

Recording tips and best practices

• Use Game Recording for games, not Screen Recording, for better performance and fewer black-screen issues.
• Save recordings to an SSD or fast drive with enough free space.
• Close other heavy apps (browsers with many tabs, other recorders) to reduce lag.
• Set Windows power plan to High Performance when recording games.
• Do a short test recording before long sessions to check sound and quality.