Screen Recording Explainer Video: What to Prep & Cost
Learn how to script a screen-recorded explainer, set up a safe demo account, and decide what to record yourself or hand off for editing on Hylance.
Key takeaways
- A screen-recorded explainer works best when you write the steps before recording: one goal per video, with a clear starting point and end point.
- Set up a demo account with dummy data, turn off notifications, and increase on-screen text size before you hit record.
- Record the screen and voice yourself if you know your product well, then hand off cutting, zooms, titles, and subtitles to a specialist.
- On Hylance, editing a short screen recording starts at around SAR 55 (about $15) at the time of writing, and your payment stays on hold until you confirm delivery.
Before you record a screen-based explainer, you need three things: a written list of steps for one task, a clean demo account with dummy data, and a clear decision about what you will do yourself and what you will hand off to an editor. Once those are ready, recording becomes the shortest part of the job, and editing on Hylance costs a small amount compared with the time your customers lose to repeated questions.
This guide is for anyone who runs a software product, store, or digital service and wants to show customers or staff how to do something: place an order, activate an account, or export a report. Screen recording means capturing whatever appears on a computer or phone screen as video, with or without your voice.
When do you need a screen-recorded explainer video?
You need one when the same question keeps coming up. If you have written the same reply to customers ten times this month, a video can answer it once and keep working for you. Common examples:
- How to place an order or pay in your store for first-time buyers.
- How to activate an account or subscription in software you sell, step by step.
- How to train a new employee on an internal system instead of repeating the same explanation every time.
- How to explain a new feature you added and publish it with the feature announcement.
- A short lesson in a tool you know well, such as spreadsheets, design, or accounting, to build trust with your audience.
You may not need a video if the task is just one clear step. Sometimes a single screenshot with an arrow is enough and faster to read.
Write the steps before you press record
Most long, boring explainer videos happen because the person started recording while still thinking. Before anything else, write these elements on paper or in a short file:
- The goal in one sentence: “After this video, the customer will be able to add a new product to their store.”
- The starting point: where is the viewer when they begin? On the home page? Inside their account?
- Numbered steps, with each step being one click or one input, using the exact names shown on screen.
- The end point: what should the viewer see when they succeed? A confirmation message? A new page?
- The common mistake people make in this task, so you can point it out at the right moment.
A practical example: “Change password” might look like this: 1) Open the menu from your profile picture, 2) choose “Settings,” 3) click “Security,” 4) enter your current password, then the new one twice, 5) click “Save” and wait for the success message. Five steps usually means a short video that needs very little editing.
Prepare your screen and demo account before recording
The screen is the only visual in the video, and your customers will see everything on it. Set aside ten minutes to prepare it:
- Use a demo account with dummy data: made-up customer names and unreal order numbers. Do not record from your real account if it includes customer data or balances.
- Turn off notifications and chat apps. One message popping up in the corner can reveal a name or ruin the shot.
- Close extra tabs, and hide browser bookmarks and desktop icons.
- Increase the font size or page zoom. Most people watch on mobile, and small text is hard to read.
- Choose a clear recording resolution, such as 1080p, meaning 1920 by 1080 pixels, and keep the window size fixed so it does not change from one shot to another.
- Move the mouse slowly, and pause for a second before each click so the viewer can see where you are about to click.
Audio: record it with the screen or after?
Clear audio matters more than perfect visuals in an explainer video. Viewers can tolerate an ordinary screen, but not echo-filled sound. You have three options:
| Method | Best when | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Voice and screen recorded at the same time | You know the product well and speak comfortably | Any stumbling or long silence will need to be cut afterward |
| Screen first, then voice over the video | You prefer reading from a written script | The sentences must match the timing of the actions on screen |
| No voice, with written titles | The video is very short and will often be watched without sound | The on-screen text must be short and large |
Whichever method you choose, record in a small room with furniture and curtains, keep the microphone or phone headset close to your mouth, and test ten seconds first and listen back before recording everything.
What should you do yourself, and what should you hand off to an editor?
The most cost-effective split is usually this: you do the recording, because you know your product better than anyone, and you hand off the editing to a specialist because they will be much faster at it than you. What an editor usually does in an explainer video:
- Cut mistakes, pauses, and page-loading time.
- Zoom in on the area you click so viewers can clearly see the button on mobile.
- Add arrows or a highlight box around the important button, plus a short title for each step.
- Clean up background noise and level the audio.
- Add a short intro with your logo and an ending that tells the viewer what to do next.
- Add subtitles if you want the video in a second language or for people watching without sound.
What stays your responsibility is the accuracy of the steps. The editor does not know whether the button you clicked was the right one. Review the final video as if you were a new customer, and follow the steps with it.
Common mistakes in explainer videos
- Explaining three tasks in one video, so viewers cannot quickly find the part they need.
- A long intro before the first step. Start with the result, then the steps.
- Real customer data or account numbers appearing in a corner of the screen.
- Recording on an old version of the software whose buttons no longer match what the customer sees today.
- Moving the mouse too quickly and drawing random circles around the screen while talking.
- Forgetting to update the video after the interface changes. Keep a list of your videos and the date of each one.
How much does explainer video editing cost on Hylance?
The price depends on the length of the raw recording and how much work is needed. Simple cutting costs less than cutting plus zooms, arrows, titles, and subtitles. At the time of writing, editing a short screen recording into a polished explainer on Hylance starts at around SAR 55 (about $15), adding burned-in subtitles to a short video starts at around SAR 40 (about $11), and animating your logo as an intro starts at around SAR 90 (about $24). The exact price in your currency appears on the service cards below.
You pay from your Hylance wallet, and the amount stays on hold until you receive the video and confirm delivery. If you cancel the order before delivery, the amount returns to your wallet. If the delivery does not match what you agreed on, you can open a dispute from the order page. And if this is your first order on Hylance, you get 10% off.
Video services that help with your explainer video
Screen recording editing up to 5 minutes into a clean walkthrough
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Embedded Arabic subtitles for a video up to 5 minutes
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Animated Logo Intro for Up to 5 Seconds
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Checklist before you send the recording
- One written goal in a sentence, with numbered steps using the button names exactly as shown.
- A demo account with dummy data, notifications off, and larger text on screen.
- Audio you tested and listened to before the full recording.
- The raw recording file in the highest resolution, with editing notes marked by timestamp.
- A final review where you follow the steps yourself while watching the finished video.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a screen-recorded explainer video be?
Keep each video focused on just one task, and it will usually stay short. If the task needs more explanation, split it into a series of short videos, one for each main step, so viewers can quickly find what they need.
Should I record my voice while recording the screen or after?
Both work. Recording both together is faster and feels more natural, while recording the voice afterward gives you cleaner audio because you can read from a written script over the silent video. If you stumble while talking on screen, record the actions first and the voice after.
What should I send an editor for an explainer video?
Send the raw recording file in the highest resolution, your written step list, the timestamps of mistakes you want removed, the places that need zooms, arrows, or titles, and your logo and brand colors if you want them in the intro.
Ready to put this into practice?
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