To edit stream recordings with Streamlabs Desktop Highlighter, set a capture hotkey and clip duration before you go live, use the hotkey to save moments during the stream, then return to the Highlighter tab to arrange and trim clips into a reel. You can add transitions, an intro or outro, and background music, preview the result, and export it for your chosen social channel. This guide follows the Highlighter tab workflow specifically; Streamlabs’ separate Replay app and Video Editor are different tools.
Before you go live: set up Highlighter
- Open the Highlighter tab. In Streamlabs Desktop, select Highlighter from the left panel.
- Choose a hotkey. Set the key combination you will use to capture a moment while streaming. Pick one you can press reliably without disrupting your game or triggering another shortcut.
- Set the replay duration. Choose how much of the stream each capture should include. Set this before going live so the moments you save use the intended clip length.
Streamlabs’ guide does not name a universally best duration or hotkey. Choose a duration that gives each moment enough context without capturing more surrounding footage than you want to review.
Capture moments during the stream
Go live as usual in Streamlabs Desktop. When something worth keeping happens, press the Highlighter hotkey you configured. Repeat this for each moment you want to consider for the reel. The documented workflow relies on those capture settings, so check the key and duration before the broadcast rather than assuming the tool will automatically select highlights.
Build and edit the highlight reel after the stream
After ending the stream, return to the Highlighter tab to open the clips you saved. Use its reel controls to shape the sequence:
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- Reorder clips to create a clear beginning, progression, and ending.
- Toggle clips on or off to include or exclude a clip from the assembled reel without deleting it.
- Trim a clip: hover over it, choose Trim, then drag the clip’s edges to shorten the selected portion.
- Set transitions and their length between clips if you want a smoother change from one moment to the next.
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- Add background music if it suits the video and you have the rights to use it.
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Preview, export, and upload
- Preview the assembled reel. Check that the selected portions make sense in sequence, transitions do not interrupt key action, and the opening and ending feel intentional.
- Click Export and choose the export settings offered in the app.
- Upload the downloaded reel to your chosen social channel and review its playback there.
The Highlighter guide does not establish a single best export preset, aspect ratio, or bitrate for every destination. Choose settings appropriate to the platform and format you intend to publish; do not assume one configuration is optimal for every social channel.
Know which Streamlabs editor you are using
This workflow is specifically for the Highlighter tab in Streamlabs Desktop. Streamlabs also uses the name Replay for a separate app and has described Replay as “formerly Highlighter.” The Replay material discusses capabilities such as automated recording, subtitles, and horizontal or vertical exports, but those details should not be assumed to describe the Desktop Highlighter tab.
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Streamlabs’ separate Video Editor is a broader option for imported media: its guide covers timeline editing, splitting and trimming, filters, and local export, with an option to publish to YouTube drafts. That is an adjacent workflow, not a requirement for making a quick reel from clips captured with Desktop Highlighter. Check Streamlabs’ current plan and feature details if you are considering paid Video Editor features.
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