3 Effective Tools to Record and Save YouTube Live Streams

Sunny Wen 29/08/2025

CleverGet Recorder

4,100 views

Nowadays, watching live stream has been a significant form of entertainment. From gaming events to breaking news, casual chats, millions of people around the globe tune into YouTube every day. But you may sometimes feel annoyed when you can’t view an entire live stream. That’s where recording comes in handy. Can you record a YouTube live stream? Read on to learn how to record YouTube live stream with three tools.

How to Record YouTube Live Stream with CleverGet Recorder?

CleverGet Recorder is a free recording tool designed to capture videos and live streams from popular platforms such as YouTube, Netflix and Disney+. It supports you to record on both windows and mac in high output quality, providing a straightforward solution for saving YouTube live streams.

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• CleverGet Recorder

  Free streaming video recorder to record online on-demand video and live streaming video without quality loss and cost.

  • 100% free to use.
  • Record movies, TV shows, game streams, lectures, live concerts, etc.
  • Record up to 4K video with 60FPS in MP4 or MKV.
  • Schedule recording upon preset recording length.
  • No watermark, no time limit, and ad-skipping (beta).
  DownloadDownload

The steps of recording a YouTube live stream with CleverGet Recorder are given below:

Step 1: Set Recording Preferences

Download CleverGet Recorder and open it. Click the 3-dot icon on the top-right corner and choose “Settings” option. In this table, you can set output quality such as video resolution, frame rate and audio channel under "Record" option. After finishing, click “Save” and quit the “Settings”.

Step 2: Play the Live Stream

Open the live stream you want to record within CleverGet Recorder. Click the “REC” button next to the address bar to invoke the recording toolbar at the bottom.

Step 3: Other Settings on Toolbar

On the toolbar at the bottom, you can increase recording speed by setting higher playback speed, and set up ad filter and recording scheduler features.

Step 4: Start Recording

After setting up, click “REC” button right in the middle. During the recording, you can view entire process on the recording toolbar.

Step 5: Check Recordings

As the recording ends, click the "Library" button on the top-right corner. Under the “Library” list, all the recordings are available to be found and played.

How to Record YouTube Live Stream with OBS?

OBS Studio is a free and open-source program. It is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux, and provides a flexible and customizable platform for capturing video and audio content. OBS supports recording the full screen, a specific application window, or a selected area, making it suitable for a wide range of recording scenarios, including YouTube Live streams. Here are steps of recording YouTube live stream with OBS:

Step 1: Set Recording Preferences

Install OBS Studio and open it. Click “Settings” on the bottom right corner. Under the “Output”, set a recording path and other adjustments like recording format and recording quality.

Step 2: Play the Live Stream

Open the YouTube live stream you want to record. And then go back to OBS Studio interface.

Step 3: Choose the Recording Screen

Click the “+” button under the “Sources” panel at the bottom of the interface. Select “Window Capture” to record only the YouTube browser window. Set a name of it and click OK. Choose the screen where YouTube Live Stream is playing and click OK.

Step 4: Start Recording

Click “Start Recording” on the top of “Settings”. Go back to the YouTube live stream window. OBS will record the live stream automatically in the background.

Step 5: Stop Recording

Go back to OBS and Click “Stop Recording” when you want to end the recording process.

Step 6: Check Recordings

You can find and play your recordings in the folder you set before.

How to Record YouTube Live Stream with Xbox Game Bar?

Xbox Game Bar is a built-in tool on Windows 10 and Windows 11 that allows users to record screen activity without installing extra software. With a simple shortcut (Win + G), you can record your screen without leaving your program. It’s quick, convenient, and works well for recording live stream on YouTube. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Play the YouTube Live Stream

Open the YouTube live stream you want in your browser.

Step 2: Open Xbox Game Bar

Press Win + G on your keyboard to open the Xbox Game Bar. The game bar will show up at the top of your screen.

Step 3: Start Recording

Click the camera icon to open the Capture window. Click the Record button to start recording.

Step 4: Stop Recording

Click the Record button again to stop recording. There will be a note showing that your video has been recorded.

Step 5: Check the Recording

Click “See my captures” in the Capture window to view your recording.

As you can see, recording a YouTube live stream is not a difficult task with tools like CleverGet Recorder, OBS Studio, and Xbox Game Bar. For those who want to record live stream on YouTube for free in a straightforward way, CleverGet Recorder provides the most accessible option among them.

Conclusion

Recording YouTube Live streams is a practical way to avoid missing valuable or time-sensitive content, especially when replays are not available. The three tools discussed are all effective with distinct abilities. OBS is powerful but complex, Xbox Game Bar is convenient yet limited to Windows users, while CleverGet Recorder strikes a balance with its ease of use and reliable quality across platforms. CleverGet Recorder proves to be a solid choice and is certainly worth trying for straightforward live stream recording. No matter which tool you use, remember that you should only record them for personal use.