In this blog post, I'm walking you through how to record yourself and your computer screen using Canva—no fancy tools or subscriptions needed!

Yes, you read that right: Canva’s got a feature that lets you record for free, no premium plan required. While there are some limitations, like the absence of system audio capture, Canva's screen recording features offer some creative flexibility, and I’ll take you through the two different methods you can use.

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Canva Recording: The Basics

The beauty of recording on Canva is that it’s available to both free and Pro users. However, a key limitation is that Canva won’t capture your computer’s audio. This is crucial if you're planning to record a YouTube video or any media that has sound—you’ll need to rely solely on your microphone for audio input. Unfortunately, Canva also limits these recording features to the desktop version, so mobile users will need to hop on their computer to make it work.

I also want to mention the length restrictions. Free Canva users can record up to 30 minutes per video, while Pro users can record up to two hours. Canva doesn’t give a concrete time limit in its documentation, but these limits are tied to download times.

Method 1: Present and Record

The first method to record on Canva is the "Present and Record" option, which is ideal for presentations. With this option, you can record your content, and as soon as the recording is complete, you’ll receive a shareable URL link to easily distribute your video.

If you’ve got a listing presentation or some slides ready, this feature lets you go through them while recording yourself in a little bubble at the bottom corner of the screen. I used a real estate listing presentation as an example (by the way, I sell templates just like it on my Etsy shop—check it out HERE if you’re interested!).

1. Get Started: To start, click on the Present button and select Present and Record. Canva will pull up the Canva Recording Studio, where you can connect your camera and microphone settings.

2. Recording and Limitations: While recording, you’ll notice a couple of quirks. For example, the “bubble head” (that’s you on camera) can’t be moved around, which can be a bit limiting. Canva also doesn’t allow any post-editing of these recordings, so any little pauses or hiccups will stay. But you can always download the recording, upload it back to Canva, and make basic edits.

3. Automatic Captions: After the recording is complete, one very cool thing Canva offers is automatic captions, which are surprisingly accurate. This is handy if you want to make your videos more accessible to your audience.

Method 2: Record Yourself with the Full Screen Display

The second method gives you even more freedom to record your entire screen and adjust your bubble head’s position on the screen, perfect for tutorial-style videos where you need to switch between tabs or show various graphs, data, or websites.

1. Locate the Tool: First choose a video doc type on the home page of Canva. To access this, go to Uploads on the left panel, then click on Record Yourself. Choose Camera and Screen if you want both your screen and your bubble head recorded.

2. Recording Options: You can choose to record a single browser tab, a window, or your entire screen. Before recording, you can move your bubble head around or even resize it, making it ideal if you need a more dynamic setup.

3. Editing Your Video: Once your recording is done, Canva automatically saves it to your uploads section. You can edit right there—Canva saves both your screen recording and bubble head as separate video files, which gives you more control over your final video. You can add transitions between clips, reposition your bubble head, and even overlay intros and outros on the video timeline. Watch the video above to learn how I edit videos on Canva.

Wrapping Up

That’s Canva’s free screen recording functionality in a nutshell! With these tools, you can create engaging video content, whether it's a detailed real estate presentation, a market update, or a step-by-step tutorial. Give these features a try, and don’t forget to check out my Etsy shop for templates that’ll make your presentations pop! Whether you’re recording for client presentations or making content for YouTube, Canva has you covered with its easy-to-use, free recording tools. Happy recording, my Friend!