Kaltura: Video Recording and Editing

Kaltura provides flexible tools for creating and editing instructional videos. Faculty can record using Kaltura Capture, Express Capture, or upload existing media using Media Upload. Once in Kaltura, videos can be edited using built-in tools or exported for advanced editing in Adobe Creative Cloud applications like Premiere Pro and After Effects.

Introduction to Kaltura Capture

Kaltura Capture is a desktop application that allows you to record videos using your webcam and computer screen. It's perfect for creating tutorials, demos, presentations, or capturing any on-screen activities.

The software includes screen annotation features like drawing or adding text to make your videos more engaging. After recording, you can edit your videos and easily upload them to your video portal or Canvas.

Launching Kaltura Capture

Go to My Media or Media Gallery in Canvas.
Click Add New → Kaltura Capture.
The application will then launch on the computer for you to start your recording. If it is not installed, you’ll be prompted to download the application.

Supported Platforms

Follow the installation instructions

Windows: ➤ Install Capture for Windows
Mac: ➤ Install Capture for Mac

Kaltura Capture is not supported on mobile, tablet, Chromebook, or virtual desktop environments (e.g., Citrix, VMware).

Mac users: Make sure your system's privacy settings allow the app to access your screen, camera, and microphone.

Windows users: If you encounter error messages, you may need to adjust system access settings.

If the download fails, contact the IT Help Desk to check the firewall or security settings.

Recording with Kaltura Capture

Once installed, Kaltura Capture opens with a simple interface showing:

Record button - Only one click to record!
Screen - Select the screen device you want to record from the drop-down menu (in case of multiple devices) or click on the screen icon to disable screen recording.
Camera - Select the camera device you want to record from the drop-down menu (in case of multiple devices) or click on the camera icon to disable your camera recording.
Audio - Select the audio device you want to record from the drop-down menu (in case of multiple devices) or click on the audio icon to disable your audio recording.
Manage - This opens up the management window, which contains tabs for Library, Settings, and Information.
Record your screen - Select the screen from the drop-down menu that you want to record from if you have more than one device connected.
Screen area - Select to record the Full Screen (default) or choose Select Area to record a specific area of your screen.

Step-by-Step Recording Configurations

✅ Record Camera and Screen

Camera: Enabled by default. Click the arrow next to the camera icon to open input settings. Select your desired camera from the drop-down menu.
Screen: Enabled by default. Click the arrow next to the screen icon to choose your screen. To record a specific area, follow the steps in “Record Specific Area of Screen.”
Audio: Click the microphone icon to mute/unmute. Click the arrow to select your audio source.

✅ Record Camera and Audio Only

Set up your camera and audio as above.
Click the screen icon to disable screen recording.

✅ Record Two Cameras

Click the arrow next to each input icon.
Select different camera sources from the drop-down menus.

✅ Record Two Screens

Set up your first screen.
Click the arrow next to the camera icon and select your second screen.

✅ Record Audio Only

Disable both screen and camera inputs.
Click the arrow next to the microphone icon and select your audio source.

✅ Record Specific Area of Screen

Click the arrow next to the screen icon.
Select your screen from the drop-down menu.
Choose Select Area.
A cropping window appears.
Resize and position the frame over the area you want to record.
Click Confirm. The frame turns red.
Begin recording.

To cancel and return to full screen, toggle Full Screen under screen selection.

Get to Know the Recording Tool

When you click the Record Button, the interface changes. It now provides the following options.

Stop - When you stop, a warning message displays: Are you sure you want to stop this recording? Choose 'Yes, Stop it' to stop the recording and go to the entry page. Choose 'No' to return to the previous state (paused or recording).
Pause / Resume - Click to pause or resume your recording at any time.
Cancel - Click the 'X' to cancel your recording. A warning message displays: Are you sure you want to discard this recording? Choose 'No' or 'Yes, Discard'. Cancelling will delete your recording.
Duration - As you record, the timer counts up from 00:00:00 so you can track your time.
Microphone - The microphone icon displays the sound levels.
Minimize - Click the underscore to hide the recording menu. The Capture icon with a red dot indicates recording.
Annotations - Use the various tools to annotate your screen during recording.

Using Annotation Tools During Recording

Kaltura Capture includes built-in annotation tools that allow you to draw on your screen during a recording. These tools are especially useful for highlighting key concepts, guiding attention, or emphasizing specific areas of your presentation.

The Annotations toolbar can be accessed by clicking the pencil icon in the Recording Tool after you start a screen recording. It remains visible until you click the icon again to close the annotations menu.

Annotation tools are only available when screen recording is enabled. If you are recording only your camera or audio, the toolbar will not appear.

If you do not need the Annotation tools, consider using Express Capture instead. It is browser-based and does not require all the setup for Kaltura Capture.

Annotation Tool Options

Arrow tool - Use to draw an arrow to point out a specific element on your screen.
Text tool - Use to type text anywhere on your screen (maximum 500 chars). You can type special characters, add links, use different languages, and copy/paste text.
Select color - Select pencil color: white, red, blue, black, yellow, and green.
Line size - Increase or decrease the line size of the annotation.
Drawing tool - Use to draw freely on your screen.
Cursor tool - Switch your cursor back to normal after using the notation tools.
Select tool - Select an area on the screen or select an annotation you created to move it on the screen.
Whiteboard - Open a new whiteboard for additional annotations.
Clear annotations - Clear all the annotations on the screen.

Best Practices for Using Annotations

Plan: Know which parts of your screen you want to annotate and keep your notes concise.
Avoid clutter: Use annotations sparingly to maintain clarity.
Use contrasting colors: Ensure your annotations stand out against your background.
Practice beforehand: Familiarize yourself with the tools to avoid fumbling during a live recording.

Important: Annotations are recorded as part of the video and cannot be edited or removed after recording. If you need editable overlays or advanced effects, consider using Adobe Premiere Pro or After Effects after exporting your video.

Managing Your Recordings

Once Kaltura Capture is installed and launched, you can access the Recording Management window, which helps you organize and edit your recordings.

You will also be automatically directed to the Edit Page for the video in the Library when you finish a recording to set the title, description, and tags.

Accessing the Recording Management Window

On the recorder user interface, click Manage.

The window has three main tabs:

Library Tab

In the Library, you have the following options:

Delete media from your library.
Start a new recording and return to the Capture recorder.
Click on an entry to open the Edit page in the Management window. If the recording has already been uploaded, you won't be able to edit it on this page.
Click the link to open the media in My Media if it has been uploaded.
Delete all uploaded media files from your local storage.
Re-upload media: If a file was corrupted during upload or deleted from the portal, you can re-upload it. The re-uploaded file is treated as a new entry.

For very long uploads, you may get logged out of your computer before the upload finishes. This can cause the upload to fail. Make sure to monitor your computer during the upload process to prevent this from occurring.

Edit Page

From the Edit page, you can:

Edit the title, description, and tags (only if the recording hasn’t been uploaded).
Delete media from your local library.
Access your media in your video portal using the provided link if the media was uploaded.
Playback the video.
Save or Save & Upload the video with the title, description, and tags you set.
- Click Save & Upload if you want to immediately upload the entry to My Media.
- Click Save if you want to save the entry in the recording library (and then upload or delete later).
- Click Delete if you don't want to save the recording.

By Default, the titles for all new Recordings will start with Kaltura Capture recording and then contain the date and time of the recording. To make your recordings easier for you and your students to search, please give the videos more descriptive titles.

Finalizing a Recording

When you click Save & Upload, the new video will appear at the top of the Library tab of the recording management window. It will remain there until you delete it. After clicking to upload a video, a pending status will display next to the entry.

When the upload has started, a message displays: Started uploading to your media.

When the upload has finished, a message displays: Recording was successfully uploaded to your media.

You can close the application during an upload, and your recording will continue uploading in the background as long as you're logged into the computer. You can lock the computer, but don't sign out. Uploading will pause if you log off.

The video will now be in your My Media, and you can click on the link to navigate to the entry in your video portal.

Settings Tab

From the Settings tab, you can:

Change the camera recording quality.
Change the screen recording quality.
Enable or disable system audio (Windows only).
Change the recording name prefix.
View the current recording directory where recordings are saved locally.
Enable cursor highlighting during recordings.
Set auto-minimize behavior when recording starts.
Upload app logs for troubleshooting. A token is generated for support tickets.

If your camera or screen resolution is lower than the selected recording quality, Kaltura will automatically adjust to the highest supported resolution.

Information Tab

From the Information tab, you can:

View the version information.
View the connected user.
Important Note for Shared Computers: If more than one instructor uses Kaltura Capture on the same computer, another instructor may be signed in. Always check the Connected User setting to ensure your videos are uploaded to your account. If needed, sign out and relaunch the app.
Sign out and reconnect to your account.
View the connected site URL.

Using Express Capture

Express Capture allows you to quickly record webcam videos directly in Canvas—no software installation required. To use Express Capture, follow these steps.

Access Express Capture
- Go to My Media or Media Gallery in Canvas.
- Click Add New → Express Capture.
- The Record Media page will appear.
(Optional) Adjust Camera and Audio Settings
- By default, Express Capture uses your computer’s webcam and microphone.
- If you accidentally block access to your camera or microphone, and Express Capture won’t load, refer to:
  ➤ [What to do if you get locked out of Express Capture]
Select Your Devices
- Click the arrow next to the camera or audio icon to:
  - Choose a different device (if available).
  - Toggle the camera or microphone on/off.
- Note: You cannot turn off both the camera and audio at the same time.
Enable Screen Capture (if needed)
- Screen capture is only available when both camera and audio are enabled.
- Click the arrow next to the screen icon to:
  - Select the screen to share.
  - Toggle screen sharing on/off.
Start Recording
- Click the red record button.
- A 3-second countdown will begin.
- A timer will appear on the left side of the screen during recording.
Stop Recording
- Click the red stop button to finish.
- A preview window will appear with the following options:
  - Record Again – Discard and re-record.
  - Use This – Upload the video to Kaltura.

If you recorded both your camera and screen, the preview will show each stream stacked vertically with identical playback controls.

➤ See also: Create a recording with Express Capture

Uploading Media from Your Desktop

If you recorded your video using Zoom or Microsoft Teams—for example, during a live class session or meeting with students—you can upload the resulting file directly to Kaltura.

ITS is working to have scheduled Microsoft Teams recordings automatically uploaded to Kaltura.

Zoom and Teams recordings are typically saved to your OneDrive or your computer, depending on your settings. If you're unsure where your recordings are stored, contact the ITS Help Desk for assistance.

You can also upload video files you've already recorded using other devices, such as a smartphone, DSLR, or high-resolution camera. Like the Recording Studio at the CETL, which uses a professional camera and lighting setup. These tools offer higher-quality alternatives to webcam recordings.

Or, could use the Media Upload option to add footage you've edited using advanced tools like Adobe Premiere Pro or After Effects to add transitions, titles, graphics, animations, or other effects.

To upload your video:

Go to My Media or Media Gallery
Click Add New → Media Upload

Drag and drop your file.

OR
Select a file from your computer
Enter a Title, Description, and Tags
Click Save

➤ See: Upload Media

Editing Kaltura Videos

The Kaltura video editor is a simple yet powerful tool for editing any video uploaded to Kaltura. You can trim, clip, chop, and splice your videos.

Combining two videos isn't supported in the video editor—use Media Stitching for that.

You can’t change a video’s title directly from the video editor unless you’re saving your changes as a new copy.

If the editor button is greyed out or the trimming tool isn’t available, the source file may be missing.

Accessing the Editor

Option 1: From the Media Page

Click the three dots menu under the player.
Select Launch Editor.

Option 2: From the Edit Media Page

Access the My Media page.
Choose one of the following methods:
- Click the pencil icon next to the desired media.
- Click on the thumbnail or title of the desired media, then choose Edit from the ACTIONS drop-down menu.

Click the Launch Editor button.

Editor Layout

The editor has three main areas:

Left pane – Displays your media details. You can minimize it by clicking the open/close button (1).
Right pane – Includes the following:

Player (2) to preview your timeline changes
Real-time input field (3)
Play, pause, skip to start, and skip to end buttons (4)

Bottom pane – Contains the timeline and its tools and functions, including:
Split (scissors icon) allows you to cut the video at the point where the real-time marker is placed.

Set In / Set Out lets you crop your video from the start or end, for example, wherever the marker is placed, clicking Set In will set that as the new starting point.
Audio levels provide a visual guide for where to trim or clip the entry, such as during silent moments or pauses between sentences.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Right arrow (→): 1 second forward
Left arrow (←): 1 second backward
Alt + →: 10 seconds forward
Alt + ←: 10 seconds backward

Trim or Clip

Trimming edits the original video’s start or end and saves the change permanently. While clipping a video creates a new copy of the video with a different start or end, it keeps the original intact. The procedures are the same, but to Trim you Save the video, and to Clip you instead Save a Copy.

If the editor button is greyed out or the tools aren’t available, it might be because the source file is no longer available.

Only the owner or co-editor of a media entry can create clips.
➤ Transfer media ownership or add collaborators

Set the start and end times using any of the methods listed below:

Use the zoom function to enhance display granularity. Adjust the segment's length with the handlebars to set the exact points you want.

Click on the timeline to activate the handlebars, then drag the handlebars to the start and/or end point with your mouse.

Enter a start or end time in the real-time input field, and then press Enter. The real-time marker will position itself on the timeline at that time. You can then click the set in / set out icon.
Move the real-time marker to the desired position. Drag the handlebars to snap to the real-time marker.
Play the recording, and pause at the desired time. The real-time marker will automatically position itself at that time. Either drag the handlebars to snap to the real-time marker or click the set in / set out icons to select the beginning and end of the range.
Once you're happy with the start and end times, preview your edits by clicking the play button below the video.

Trim

To trim the video, click Save.
- A confirmation message displays: You are about to permanently change this media entry. This action cannot be undone. This Process may take a while. Are you sure you want to continue?
- Click Save to continue.

Don't forget that Save will alter the original media permanently, and any deleted segments are gone for good.

If you wish to preserve the original file, use Save a Copy. This will save all your edits as a new Clip.

Clip

To clip the video, click Save a Copy
A window displays. You can either use the suggested title (indicating that this video is a clip) or enter a new title for your clip.
Click Create.
A success message displays: Your media, [title of media], has been saved in My Media. Go to Media Page / Go to My Media
Click OK.
You can go to My Media to confirm the clip has been created.

Saving may take some time, especially for longer videos. You can leave the browser window or tab open and check back later. Your edited video will be saved in My Media.

For very long uploads, you may get logged out of your computer before the upload finishes. This can cause the upload to fail. Make sure to monitor your computer during the upload process to prevent this from occurring.

Chop and Splice

Chopping cuts and removes a section in the middle of a video. Splicing joins the remaining sections together, and Kaltura does this automatically, so you don't need to move the cut segments yourself.

The timeline always reflects the original video's timespan. White gaps show where content was removed but do not indicate pauses.

Click the timeline and drag the real-time marker to where you want to cut the video.
Click the scissors icon to split the video.
Drag the real-time marker to where you want your cut section to end and click the scissors icon again.
Click on the section you want to remove (it will have a yellow border around it. If it doesn’t, click on it). Click either the trash icon or press the delete key to remove it.
The section disappears. Kaltura automatically splices the remaining segments, so you don't need to drag them together on the timeline.

Fade Effects

Click on the segment that you want to apply a fade effect to.
Click the fade in / out icon and enter the seconds you want to fade in or out of the segment.
Click anywhere outside the window or press Enter to confirm your changes and close the fade-in/out window.

Fade markers are indicated at the point of the segments to show where the fade-out and fade-in points begin.

Editing Media with Multiple Streams

When the editor displays content with multiple streams (for example, both screen and video capture), the timeline is loaded with the primary stream.

You can adjust how the content is displayed on the player using the screen icons that appear when you hover (see image below). Changing the display won't affect the timeline.

Click the Content Selector icon under the play button and choose the stream you want to edit from the pop-up menu.

The timeline will display the stream you selected and allow you to view where you will clip or trim the media simultaneously for each stream.
Set the range using any of the methods listed above.
When satisfied with your edits, click Save or Save a Copy.

Exit Editor

When you have finished editing, click the exit arrow in the bottom left corner to close the editor.

If you ever want to start over during editing, just click the exit arrow and then return.

Media Stitching: Combining Multiple Videos

Would you like to combine multiple videos and images into one video? It's very easy with Kaltura's Media Stitching tool. This tool allows you to easily create new, original videos by stitching together existing content.

Only videos that you are either the owner or co-editor of will appear in the stitch video menu.
➤ Transfer media ownership or add collaborators
Only VOD videos and images can be stitched.
The duration of a stitched image is 5 seconds.
Media Stitching is currently unavailable for multi-stream videos.

Go to My Media and click +Add New → Stitch Videos
The Stitch video page displays.
Enter a name in the New Video Name field (default is “My Combined Video” + date)
In the Choose media to stitch section, select media to stitch:
- Click the Add (+) button next to each item
- Use Search to locate items
- Selected items show a checkmark and move into the stitching list
- Click again to remove an item

You must select 2–5 items. The total duration of all stitched videos must be under 5 hours.

Reorder or manage items:
- Drag the two-line icon to reorder
- Use the three-dot menu to move or remove items.
Click Create
- You’ll be taken to the Edit Entry page to add metadata.

Captions are retained from each of the stitched videos.

Once saved, stitched items cannot be changed. You will need to use the Editor to make any changes to the stitched video once it has been saved.

If you delete a media entry after it has been added to a stitched video, it will remain in the stitched video.

Timeline breaks are visible between stitched videos. Fade transitions are planned for future releases.

For cleaner stitching of videos with transitions, you may want to consider the Adobe Creative Cloud tools.

Advanced Editing and Downloading Kaltura Videos

To perform advanced editing in tools like Adobe Premiere Pro or After Effects, you must first download your Kaltura video.

By default, videos uploaded to Kaltura do not allow downloading.

Only the media owner can enable downloads.

Enable Downloading for Kaltura Videos

You can allow viewers to download your media in different formats. To enable downloading of a video, follow these instructions.

Go to My Media
Navigate to the video you want to enable for download and click on its title or thumbnail.
Open the Edit Menu
On the media page, click the three dots under the video player.

Select Edit from the menu to open the edit media page.
Enable Downloading
- Click the Downloads tab in the Edit Media page.
- Check one or more of the available formats (e.g., Source, HD, SD) that you want users to be able to download.
  
  Available formats are determined by your system administrator.
- Click Save to apply your changes.

Download a Kaltura Video

Once downloading is enabled by the media owner, viewers can download the video from the media page by following these steps.

Find the Video
Go to My Media or Media Gallery and click on the thumbnail of the video you want to download.
Open the Download Menu
On the media page, click the three dots or ACTIONS menu (depending on your interface).

Select Download from the menu.

This option only appears if the media owner has enabled downloads.
Choose a Format
A list of available formats will appear. Click the format you want to download.
Save the File
The video will begin downloading to your device.

Edit with Adobe Creative Cloud

Once downloaded, you can use Adobe tools for more complex editing:

Adobe Premiere Pro: Multi-track editing, transitions, titles
Adobe After Effects: Motion graphics, animations, effects

Refer to the following Knowledge Base Pages for a list of available editing tools and instructions on how to request an Adobe Creative Cloud account.

When you finish editing your video in the external tool of your choice, you can upload it back to Kaltura.

➤ See the earlier section: Uploading Media from Your Desktop