How to make a YouTube tutorial from a screen recording

Short answer: write a short script, record your screen with your microphone, let each click become a close-up, label the steps, add captions and chapters, and export a 16:9 MP4 in H.264 with AAC audio, the format YouTube recommends. Then reframe the same recording to 9:16 for a Short.

Step by step

1. Plan one task per video. "How to send an invoice reminder" beats "Everything about invoices". Write the steps down before you record.
2. Script it. Girato's teleprompter scrolls your script at the speed you set while you record. It sits in the Girato window, so it stays out of the shot when you record another window or an area.
3. Record with your mic on. In the desktop app Girato also records your clicks and keystrokes, which drive the zooms and the typing effect.
4. Check the zooms. The desktop app places a close-up on each click; adjust any of them on the timeline, or add one with Zoom.
5. Label the steps. Press Text for a short title at each step, such as "Step 2: send the reminder".
6. Add captions and chapters. Captions are made on your computer, in Audio. Girato turns the transcript into a chapter list to paste into your YouTube description; YouTube needs the first chapter at 0:00, at least three chapters, and each at least 10 seconds long.
7. Make the thumbnail. Move to a good moment and press the camera button next to Export to save that frame as a PNG.
8. Export. 16:9 MP4 at 1080p, at the frame rate you recorded. YouTube recommends MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio at 48 kHz, and uploading at the original frame rate.
9. Cut a Short. Switch the format to 9:16 and export again from the same recording.

What keeps viewers watching

• Show the result in the first few seconds, then how to get there.
• One action, then a short pause, so the viewer sees what changed.
• Readable text: zoom in on the part of the screen you are talking about.