To edit stream recordings with Streamlabs Desktop Highlighter, set a capture hotkey and replay duration before you go live, capture moments during the stream, then assemble, trim, preview, and export the saved clips afterward. This is a quick way to turn selected moments into a highlight reel without editing the full stream recording on a timeline.
Before you go live: configure Highlighter
- Open Streamlabs Desktop and select Highlighter from the left panel.
- Set a hotkey for capturing a moment. Choose a key combination you can press while streaming without disrupting gameplay or other controls.
- Set the replay duration (clip duration) to determine how much footage each capture includes. Choose a duration that gives the moment enough context without routinely capturing more than you need.
Set both options before the stream. The documented Highlighter capture workflow relies on them; if you start without configuring them, you may not have the intended clips available to edit later. Streamlabs’ guide, How to Use Streamlabs Desktop Highlighter, was published October 17, 2025.
Capture moments during the stream
Go live in Streamlabs Desktop as usual. When something worth keeping happens, press the Highlighter hotkey you configured. Highlighter captures the selected replay duration around the moment. Continue using the hotkey for each moment you want to consider for the reel.
Assemble and edit the highlight reel
- After ending the stream, return to the Highlighter tab. Open the clips saved from your captures.
- Arrange the clips. Reorder them to create a sensible sequence. Use the inclusion toggle to leave a clip out of the reel without keeping it in the sequence, or delete clips you no longer want.
- Trim clips that start too early or run too long. Hover over a clip, choose Trim, then drag its edges to shorten the selected portion.
- Choose transitions and their length. Adjust the transition type and duration between clips to suit the pace of the reel.
- Add an intro or outro if useful. Keep these optional elements relevant to the finished video rather than letting them delay the moments viewers came to see.
- Add background music if wanted. Use audio you have permission to include, and check that it does not obscure speech or game audio.
- Preview the assembled reel. Check clip order, trims, transitions, audio, and the beginning and ending before exporting. Make further edits if anything feels abrupt or includes unwanted footage.
Export and publish the reel
Click Export and choose the export settings offered in Highlighter. Streamlabs’ Desktop Highlighter guide does not establish one best preset, aspect ratio, or bitrate for every destination, so select settings suited to the social channel and format where you plan to publish. Export the reel, locate the downloaded video, and upload it to your chosen channel.
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Before publishing, review the finished file and confirm you have the rights to all included footage, music, and other material. YouTube’s copyright and reused-content considerations depend on the content and the circumstances; simply cutting a stream into a reel does not itself establish that every included element is cleared for use.
Highlighter, Replay, and Video Editor are different workflows
This tutorial covers the Highlighter tab inside Streamlabs Desktop. Streamlabs also discusses Replay, including an AI game-highlighter app, and uses “formerly Highlighter” in material about Replay. Those references concern a separate app and do not establish that every Replay feature or screen is available in Desktop Highlighter. Follow the Desktop steps above for the interface named in this article.
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Streamlabs’ separate Video Editor guide describes a broader imported-media workflow with timeline editing, splitting and trimming clips, filters, local export, and an option to publish to YouTube drafts. That may suit a project built from imported recordings, but it is not required to make a reel from clips captured with Desktop Highlighter. Check Streamlabs’ current plan and feature information if you are considering paid Video Editor features.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Or let it run in the cloud
Highlighter is for capturing and editing stream moments; it does not keep a YouTube channel live around the clock. If your goal is to loop uploaded videos as a 24/7 YouTube stream, StreamNeo is a separate cloud service: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. The cloud keeps the stream running without a computer left on at home. Every slot streams uploaded files as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot, with automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly service is $9.99 per month. Learn more at StreamNeo, or start the free first day.
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