Selective Recording in Streamlabs Desktop lets you choose whether each source appears in the live stream, the local recording, or both. Enable it in the Sources panel, set the destination for each source that needs different treatment, then check the views and make a short test recording before relying on the result.
That is useful when an alert or other live overlay should be visible to viewers but absent from a clean recording. It is per-source routing, not an automatic way to separate every element: you need to review and set up the sources you want handled differently.
What Selective Recording changes
A scene is made from sources: for example, a game capture, webcam, image, browser-based alert box, or text overlay. Ordinarily, a source included in the scene appears in both the live output and the recording. Selective Recording gives you destination controls so a source can be sent to the stream, the recording, or both.
Think of it as two versions of the same scene rather than a second independent production. If your gameplay and webcam belong in both versions, leave them routed to both. If the alert box should appear only to live viewers, route that source to the stream alone. If you need an extra label visible only in the saved file, route that source to the recording alone.
Streamlabs says sources default to both outputs in its Selective Recording instructions. Do not assume enabling the feature has already made a clean recording: the destination of each relevant source still needs attention. A missed source can leave an unwanted element in the file, while a source excluded from the wrong output can disappear from the live scene.
The feature is especially useful if you make highlights or reuse footage elsewhere. A gameplay recording can be kept clear of alerts that appeared during the live session, while the live audience still sees them. The same idea can apply to a music or study stream with a temporary stream-only notice, though the value depends on what you want viewers of the saved file to see.
Turn on the feature in Sources
Open your Streamlabs Desktop editor and locate the Sources panel. Streamlabs’ documentation describes enabling Selective Recording from the Studio tab’s Sources window. Look for the Selective Recording control there and turn it on; the destination icons should then appear beside sources.
The names and placement of controls can shift as the application changes, so if the icon is not where you expect, consult Streamlabs’ current support article rather than guessing from an old screenshot. The official recording functionality guide also describes where the feature fits into the Studio and Sources workflow.
Once enabled, inspect the source list before changing anything. Identify which sources are essential to both outputs, which belong only in the live version, and whether you have a recording-only element. This simple inventory matters in a scene with nested groups or several browser sources, where a label such as “overlay” may not tell you what is actually inside it.
Avoid changing every destination in a hurry just before going live. Start with one obvious source, such as the alert box, and confirm what the icons or context menu say about its current output. If you are preparing a long-running channel, a written note of the intended routing can help when you revisit the scene after an update or after switching between live formats.
Choose each source’s output
For every source whose routing needs to differ, use the output icon beside it or right-click the source and choose its destination from the context menu. The available choices correspond to the stream, the recording, or both. Set them source by source; the controls do not infer your intended clean version from the source’s name or role.
A practical way to work through the list is to start with the background content and main programme. A video, game capture, or webcam that should be present to viewers and in your saved file normally remains assigned to both. Next, inspect overlays: an alert box may be live-only, while a title card could belong in both. Finally, consider any source added for later editing, such as a discreet note or marker, and decide whether it should appear in the recording alone.
| Intended use | Stream output | Recording output | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared programme element | On | On | Gameplay or a background video needed in both versions |
| Live-only element | On | Off | Alert box that you do not want burned into a clean recording |
| Recording-only element | Off | On | A note or visual marker intended for later review |
The table describes the intent, not a guarantee that every element will behave as expected in every scene. Check the selected destination in the application and verify both results. Where a source is nested, duplicated, or part of a group, take care to route the actual source responsible for the visible element; changing a similarly named item elsewhere may not affect the version you are checking.
Selective Recording is also distinct from separate audio tracks. Routing a listed source between outputs is not the same job as recording different audio mixes for editing. Streamlabs discusses those as separate capabilities in its recording guide. If your goal is to adjust music, microphone, and game audio independently later, investigate the audio-track settings as a separate workflow rather than expecting source routing to create those tracks.
Keep stream-only elements out of a clean recording
Suppose you stream a game with an alert box. Viewers benefit from seeing a new-member or donation alert while it happens, but the alert can cover important action in the saved gameplay footage. With Selective Recording, keep the alert source on for the stream and off for the recording, while leaving the game capture routed to both.
The same arrangement can help if your recording will become a highlight or a clip for another platform. The live version can retain the context and interaction that belongs to the broadcast; the local file can avoid an overlay that would be distracting when watched later. This is a choice about the intended audience for each output, not a promise that editing will no longer be needed.
Check that the alert is a distinct source and that the visible alert is not also being added through another source or scene composition. If the alert is part of a grouped or duplicated arrangement, a single routing change may not remove every visible copy. Examine the source list and the preview rather than relying only on the name of the item you clicked.
You may also want an element in the recording but not on the live stream. For instance, a production note useful to you during a later review should not inadvertently be shown to viewers. Route that source to the recording alone if appropriate, then confirm the live output does not contain it. Treat any sensitive note carefully: it will be part of the saved file and should not be included if that file may be shared.
A clean recording can be valuable for a channel that reuses long-form material, including a 24/7 YouTube music stream monitored for silence. Selective Recording does not itself decide what makes a suitable replay or remove copyrighted material; it only helps control which configured sources appear in the two outputs. Make content and rights decisions separately.
Check routing in Projector views
After setting destinations, use Projector views to inspect the output you intend to check. Streamlabs’ support instructions describe opening the relevant Projector view by right-clicking a source. The point is to look at the stream and recording versions as outputs, rather than trusting a source icon without seeing the composition it produces.
Check the live-facing view first. Confirm that the main content, webcam if used, and any live-only alert appear as intended. Then inspect the recording view: the alert should be absent if it was routed stream-only, and all essential programme content should remain. If you have a recording-only source, check that it appears only in the recording version.
Projector views are a useful routing check, but they are not a substitute for playing the resulting file. The saved recording is the final evidence of what was captured. A source may look correct in a preview while some other capture or scene issue affects the result. Streamlabs also advises making a test recording; its PC screen recording guidance covers general capture checks and permissions, which are separate from selective routing.
If the views do not match your intention, return to the Sources list and check the destination for each relevant source. Look for duplicates and nested items before assuming the feature has failed. Once the layout is clear, repeat the two-view check after material changes to the scene, such as replacing an alert widget or adding a new overlay.
One product limitation is worth checking before planning a layout around it. Streamlabs’ selective-recording article says the feature works only with horizontal sources and disables the vertical output scene; it also says Dual Output cannot be displayed while Selective Recording is active. These behaviours are version-sensitive, so check the current official feature page before depending on vertical or Dual Output workflows.
Make a short test recording
Before an important stream, record a brief sample with the same scene and routing you plan to use. Include the elements whose treatment matters: trigger an alert if that is the source you changed, show the main content, and allow any recording-only source to appear. The aim is to test the actual arrangement, not merely to produce a file with a few seconds of unrelated footage.
Stop the test, locate the saved file, and play it back. Confirm that the main programme is present, the stream-only overlay is absent, and any intended recording-only element appears. Check that the beginning and end are usable as well, since a source that appears after a transition can be easy to miss in a still preview.
If something is wrong, change one source at a time and repeat the short test. This makes it easier to identify whether the issue was a mistaken destination, a duplicate source, or an unrelated capture problem. Streamlabs notes that some programs can require screen-recording permissions or prevent elements from being captured in its general PC recording guidance; investigate that separately if a source is missing from the saved file.
Keep a note of the routing choices for scenes you use regularly. If you duplicate a scene or rebuild it, do not assume the new source list inherits every choice in the way you expect. Verify it with Projector views and another brief recording. A small check at setup time is more useful than discovering during a later edit that an alert was included throughout a long session.
This article is about a local recording made while you operate Streamlabs Desktop. If your objective is to broadcast a prepared video continuously with your own computer off, that is a different workflow from selective source routing. For example, the operational questions in running a 24/7 YouTube stream with a free-tier Oracle Cloud VM concern keeping a broadcast running, not choosing which sources a desktop recording contains.
When a long stream depends on a home computer, separate recording settings from the continuity plan. Selective Recording can shape a local file, but it does not monitor the broadcast or restart it after a disconnection. If you need a recording backup as part of an OBS-based workflow, see the considerations in protecting local backups of a 24/7 stream; the tools and procedures may differ from Streamlabs Desktop.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
How do I record gameplay without my alerts showing?
Enable Selective Recording in the Sources panel, then route the alert-box source to the stream and not the recording. Leave gameplay routed to both if it should remain in the saved file. Check the Projector views and play back a short test recording before relying on the setup.
Can I keep an overlay on stream but out of the recording?
Yes, if the overlay is an identifiable source you can assign to the stream without the recording. Check whether the same visual is also present in a group, duplicate source, or another scene element, then inspect the recording view and test file.
Where is the Selective Recording button?
Open the Sources panel in the Streamlabs Desktop editor and look for the Selective Recording control. Streamlabs’ current support article explains the control and source destination icons; interface placement may change between versions.
Does Selective Recording create separate audio tracks?
No. It routes sources between the live output and the local recording; multi-track audio is a separate recording capability. Consult Streamlabs’ recording guide if you need independently editable audio tracks, and verify the current format requirements there.