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Selective Recording lets you choose which sources appear in your live stream and which appear in your local recording. To set it up, open the Sources panel, enable Selective Recording, then assign each source to the stream, recording, or both. Check the results in Projector views and make a short test recording before using the setup on an important stream.
What Selective Recording does
Selective Recording routes sources separately to your live output and local recording. For example, you can show an alert box to viewers while keeping it out of a clean gameplay recording, or include a source in the recording that you do not want in the live stream. This can make footage easier to use for highlights or other edits.
Think of it as a destination setting for each source, not as a separate recording mode for each scene. Streamlabs says sources default to both outputs. After you enable the feature, output icons appear beside the sources, and you can change a source’s destination with those icons or its context menu. See the Streamlabs Selective Recording support article.
Set up source routing
- Open Sources. In the Streamlabs Desktop editor, open the Sources panel. Streamlabs’ recording guide describes this as the Sources window in the Studio tab.
- Enable Selective Recording. Click the Selective Recording icon in the Sources panel.
- Choose a destination for each source that should differ. Click the output icon beside the source, or right-click the source and choose the intended destination: stream, recording, or both. Leave sources that should appear in both outputs unchanged.
- Check each output. Right-click a source and open the relevant Projector view to inspect what is being sent to the stream and recording.
- Make and review a test recording. Record a short sample, then play the saved file and confirm that overlays, alerts, and other sources appear or stay hidden as intended.
The available labels or interface placement may change between Streamlabs Desktop versions. If the icon or context-menu option is not where expected, use Streamlabs’ current recording functionality guide alongside the support article.
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Example: stream alerts, record clean gameplay
- Enable Selective Recording from Sources.
- Find the alert box source and set it to appear in the stream but not the recording.
- Check the stream and recording Projector views so the alert is present in the live output and absent from the recording output.
- Record and review a short sample before relying on it during a longer broadcast.
You can use the same process in reverse if a source should be recording-only. Streamlabs describes the alert-box use case as keeping the alert visible in the live stream while hidden from the video recording.
Limitations and related recording features
Horizontal and vertical output
Streamlabs’ Selective Recording support article says the feature works only with horizontal sources, disables the vertical output scene, and cannot be displayed with Dual Output while Selective Recording is active. These are version-sensitive limitations; check Streamlabs’ current guidance if your workflow depends on vertical or simultaneous dual output.
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Separate audio tracks are a different feature
Selective Recording controls which sources go to each output. It is not the same as recording multiple audio tracks. Streamlabs’ recording guide says users can record up to six audio tracks and that multiple tracks require MP4 or MKV; the default FLV format does not support multiple tracks. These audio-track settings are relevant if you plan to adjust sound separately in editing, but they are not required to route visual sources selectively. See the Streamlabs recording guide.
Troubleshooting
- A source appears in both outputs. Its destination may still be set to both, which Streamlabs says is the default. Reopen its output icon or context menu, set the intended destination, and verify with Projector views.
- An overlay is missing from the recording or stream unexpectedly. Check the source’s assigned destination, then make another short test recording. Verify the saved file itself rather than relying only on the editor preview.
- The vertical output scene is unavailable. Streamlabs documents that Selective Recording disables the vertical output scene. If vertical output is essential, consult current Streamlabs guidance for the available workflow rather than assuming both can run together.
- Dual Output is not displayed. Streamlabs says Dual Output cannot be displayed while Selective Recording is active. Check the current product guidance if you need both functions.
- A program or screen element is absent from a capture. Streamlabs’ general PC recording guidance notes that some programs may require special screen-recording permissions and some may prevent elements from being captured. This is general capture advice, not a Selective Recording-specific failure. See the Selective Recording article and the PC screen recording guide.
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Selective Recording is for deciding what goes into a Streamlabs live output and local recording. If your separate goal is keeping a prerecorded YouTube stream running 24/7, StreamNeo runs uploaded videos or playlists from the cloud: upload a video, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; each slot streams your upload at its original quality up to 4K 60fps for one flat price, with automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month. Start your free StreamNeo day.
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