Panopto – How to make a Panopto recording: Audio and screen

If you’re new to Panopto or would like to refresh your memory, this page will explain how to use the Panopto Recorder for Windows.

Visit our Mac or Mobile pages if you are not using a Windows PC.

Panopto Mac Recorder Panopto Mobile Apps

This page explains how to capture your voice and screen. There are separate instructions if you would like to capture video and your screen or audio and a whiteboard/blackboard.

How to make a Panopto recording: Video and screen How to make a Panopto recording: Audio and whiteboard / blackboard

Pre-requisites

Install Panopto

Panopto is pre-installed in all our lecture theatres. Just search for Panopto in the Start Menu.

To install Panopto on your University Windows staff PC use our guide Installing Panopto on a University Windows PC

To install Panopto on your non-University Windows computer the same guide, but select “Installing Panopto on a non-University Windows PC” near the end of the article.

Provision a Blackboard course (Staff only)

Each year you will need to activate Panopto within your Blackboard course. This gives you an area within Panopto to make recordings. For each course follow the guide How do I provision Panopto in Blackboard.

Alternative to using a Blackboard course

Everyone has a “My Folder” that they can record Panopto content into. You can record into this folder without provisioning a Blackboard course but no-one, except yourself, will be able to view it.

Logging in

  • Click on the Start menu (or press the Start key on the keyboard).
    The Windows Start Menu, closed, highlighted
  • In the search box that appears type “Panopto” (or find Panopto within “All programs”).
    Start menu, search field says Panopto. Next to shutdown button
  • An icon will appear saying “Panopto [current version]” click on this icon.
    Programs, 4. Panopto 5.3. Shortcut icon.
  • Tick the “I have read, understood, and agree with the guidance contained in the QA Handbook regarding Lecture Capture” tick box and press “Launch Panopto”.
    Panopto Prelauncher app. Staff PCs says Launch Panopto, lecture theatre PCs say Launch Panopto via Blackboard
  • If you are not signed in to Panopto you will be directed to Blackboard to sign in.
    Blackboard website asking for username and password
  • Log in with your normal University username and password.
  • Your web browser will attempt to load Panopto, you should say “yes” or “allow” or “open”. Panopto will open in the background.
    Example in Microsoft Edge:
    Did you mean to switch apps, yes, no
    Example in Chrome:
    Open Panopto Recorder, Open Panopto Recorder, Cancel

Primary Source: Audio

Panopto videos must have a primary source. Otherwise, they will never finish processing after the video has uploaded.

From the “Audio” drop-down menu select the microphone you wish to use. If you have just connected a USB headset (or another microphone), it should be pre-selected.

Panopto primary source window with a microphone selected, quality standard, level at 60% and 4 green bars lit up

The most important step in Panopto is to ensure that your microphone a) works and b) is set to the correct volume.

Speak into your microphone and adjust the recording volume slider so that your voice fills the green bar when speaking at a conversational volume and doesn’t light the last red square when talking loudly.

Level meter with arrows drawn on showing it moves left and right

If you wish to capture the sound coming out of the computer (e.g. capturing the words said by a speaker over Skype), also tick “Capture Computer Audio”. Leave it unticked unless you have a particular reason to capture the audio from the computer.

When recording audio and screen only, ensure Video is set to “None”.

Secondary Sources: PowerPoint and Screens

When recording your screen select Capture PowerPoint and Capture Main Screen.

If using a laptop connected to a projector you may find that PowerPoint shows your presentation on the second screen. In this case select tick “Capture Second Screen”.

Secondary capture sources. Capture powerpoint ticked, capture primary screen ticked, capture screen 2 not ticked

Choose your recording folder

Click on the drop-down “Folder” list near the top of the Panopto Recorder.

Session Settings, Folder and name. Folder is highlighted.

Select a folder in one of these three ways

  • If you have recently recorded in your course, select it from the Quick Access area
  • If your course isn’t in the Quick Access area, select it by navigating through the folder list
  • Search for your course by typing in the first few characters of its name

If you wish to record into the BIOL3048-20500-16-17 Blackboard course you’ll need to click on the arrows next to “BIOL” then “BIOL3048” then click on the name “BIOL3048-20500-16-17: 16-17-Neurodegenerative Disease-20500”.

Choose folder at top. 4 quick access folders below. All folders below. Biol, BIOL3048 have arrow highlighted to the left. BIOL3048-20500-16-17 highlighted

If you do not have any Blackboard courses to record into, choose “My Folder” from the Quick Access area.

Recording and Pausing

Recording

When you are ready to record

  • Press “Record” on Panopto
    Record red circle
  • Start the slideshow in PowerPoint (if required)
    PowerPoint buttons for starting. From beginning and From current slide are clickable
  • Once you have finished your recording press the Stop button
    Stop button (red square) next to a pause button
  • You will then be given the opportunity to rename your session or add a description
    Recording complete, session name (text box), Located in folder (in this case Panopto training) Enter a description. Two buttons: Upload and Delete and Record again

Pausing

Pressing pause does not stop Panopto from recording. Instead it automatically tells the editor to remove the paused section before making the session available to students.

Uploading

The progress bars show the recording uploading to Panopto. Once the bars disappear, the recording is being processed by the server.

Two progress bars on one line. The top is at 95% and the bottom at 0%.

If your material is confidential, you may wish to wait until the upload has completed and select “Delete Local” to remove the local copy of the presentation from computer’s hard drive.

Two buttons. Delete Local and Set Offline

If using a lecture theatre PC, Panopto will continue to upload the presentation even if you log out of the computer, although you should not turn off the computer. If you are not on a lecture theatre PC, you will need to wait for the upload to finish before logging out.