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How to Use Selective Recording in Streamlabs Desktop

Learn how to route Streamlabs Desktop sources separately to your stream and recording, check the output views, and test a clean capture.
Opened Runtime3 min Written byDocumentaryTube Team
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Selective Recording lets you choose which sources appear in your live stream and which appear in your local recording. To set it up, open the Sources panel, enable Selective Recording, and assign each relevant source to the stream, recording, or both. Then check the Projector views and make a short test recording.

What Selective Recording does

Selective Recording routes sources separately to your live stream and your local recording. For example, you can show an alert box to viewers while keeping it out of a clean gameplay recording, or include a recording-only source that does not appear live. Streamlabs says sources default to both outputs.

This is per-source routing, not a way to create separate audio tracks. Streamlabs’ Selective Recording support article, last updated May 14, 2025, describes the controls and current documented limitations.

How to set up Selective Recording

  1. Open Sources. In the Streamlabs Desktop editor, open the Sources panel. Streamlabs’ recording guide refers to this as the Sources window in the Studio tab.
  2. Enable Selective Recording. Click the Selective Recording icon in the Sources panel.
  3. Choose destinations for sources. Use the output icons beside a source, or right-click the source and choose its destination. Set each source that should differ between the live and recorded versions to stream, recording, or both.
  4. Check each output. Right-click a source and open the relevant Projector view to inspect what will be shown in the stream or recording.
  5. Record a short test. Review the resulting file before relying on the setup for a live broadcast, especially if the layout is important.

The control names and workflow above follow Streamlabs’ support instructions and its recording functionality guide.

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Common setups for clean recordings

Show alerts live, but remove them from the recording

Find the alert source in Sources and set it to appear in the stream, not the recording. Check both Projector views, then test-record to confirm the alert is absent from the saved file.

Keep a source only in the recording

Set that source to recording rather than both outputs. It will be excluded from what viewers see live while remaining in the local capture. Verify the result in the Projector views and the test file.

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Leave a source in both outputs

If a source should be visible live and in the recording, leave it assigned to both. Streamlabs says this is the default destination for sources.

Limitations and related recording features

Horizontal and vertical output

Streamlabs’ Selective Recording support 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 documented limits may change with software updates, so check the current support article if your version behaves differently.

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Multi-track audio is separate

Selective Recording controls source routing; it does not require separate audio tracks. Streamlabs’ recording guide, updated September 22, 2026, says recording can use up to six audio tracks. It also says multiple tracks require MP4 or MKV because the default FLV format does not support them.

Troubleshooting a source that appears in the wrong output

  • The alert or overlay still appears in the recording: Reopen the source’s output controls and check that it is not assigned to recording or both. Inspect the recording Projector view and make another short test.
  • A recording-only source appears live: Check that its destination is recording rather than both, then inspect the stream Projector view.
  • The views look right but the saved capture is wrong: Review the finished test file, not only the Projector views. Some programs require special screen-recording permissions, and some may prevent elements from being captured; Streamlabs discusses these as general screen-capture considerations in its support guidance.
  • Vertical output or Dual Output is unavailable: The Selective Recording article documents these limitations while the feature is active. If you need those outputs, consult Streamlabs’ current instructions for your installed version before changing the workflow.
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