Recording Video with the Panopto Recorder Software

The Panopto Recorder application allows you to record audio, video, PowerPoint slides, and your computer screen to create videos for your course. After each recording, Panopto automatically publishes it to your Moodle course inside the Panopto Block.

Download the Panopto Recorder Software

You will need the Panopto Recorder program to get started. You can download the Recorder program from the Panopto block within Moodle. Download the program and install it on your computer.  Classroom computers should already have the Panopto Recorder installed, so you can skip this step if you are using an ITS computer.

1. Launch the program from your computer and click on "Sign in" on the top right of the window

2. Make sure the server name "swarthmore.hosted.panopto.com" is selected from the drop-down menu

3. Enter your Swarthmore username and password when prompted

Creating a Panopto Recording

After launching and signing into the Panopto Recorder follow the instructions below to create a recording.

1. Click on the "Create New Recording" button  

2. Under "Folder", select your course name.  

3. Under "Session" you can specify a name for the recording. 

4. Configure your recording settings: you can record a screen capture, video from a webcam or external camera, and audio from internal or external microphones. Depending on your needs, you can enable or disable any of the audio/video sources.  

5. When you are ready, click "Start Recording". You can pause the recording at any time. When done, click "Stop Recording".

6. The resulting recording will be automatically uploaded to Panopto's servers. It will take some time to process the recordings. Allow a few hours for a class-length recording. When the processing is complete, the recording will appear as a link in the Panopto block in Moodle.

Configuring Panopto Recorder Settings

Panopto has several options for recording your screen capture or video. The list below further explains each option in more detail.

• Confirm you are recording into the correct course folder

  • Panopto should default to your selected Moodle course but it is always good to double-check. You can access other courses available to you through the Folder drop-down menu.  

• Name your recording

  • Panopto automatically makes the default name the date and time of the session. For searches, the default session name is best. For classes, it is helpful to add a topic description to the date and time default name.  

• Select your primary sources

  • Make sure you select the correct audio source; Panopto requires audio. If you want to record a video, select the correct video source from the drop-down menu. Different classrooms have different audio and video options. We also have web cameras available for checkout. Contact Classroom and Conferencing Technologies at avbox@swarthmore.edu if you have questions about the options in your classroom. 

• Select the appropriate option for slides

  •  If you are using either Powerpoint or Keynote make sure either the PowerPoint or Keynote box is checked.

• Select the screen recording option

  • If you are using other software applications in addition to PowerPoint or Keynote in your presentation such as Word documents, Excel Spreadsheets, or web pages, recording your computer screen may be a good option. By default, your built-in computer screen is selected. If you do not want to include anything from your screen, beyond PowerPoint or Keynote, change the source option to None.

• Press record

  • Once you have set the Panopto Recorder options as desired, click the red Record button to record.

Additional Panopto Support Pages