Loom is a video-making platform that is designed to help businesses facilitate better and more efficient workplace communication through video and screen recording. It empowers users to use a web-based interface that supports screen recording and screen capture, shared via a link for easy viewing.
Segment |
|
---|---|
Deployment | Cloud / SaaS / Web-Based, Desktop Mac, Desktop Windows, Mobile Android, Mobile iPhone |
Support | 24/7 (Live rep), Chat, Email/Help Desk, FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base, Phone Support |
Training | Documentation |
Languages | English |
The popularity of remote and hybrid work is increasing at an incredible rate. Since the pandemic, around 16% of companies worldwide have gone fully-remote, while 62% of companies allow their staff to work remotely on occasion.
The distributed nature of the workplace today means companies need to invest in new tools to keep their staff aligned and connected. Whether you’re sharing messages in Slack, or video conferencing in Microsoft Teams, you’re probably already investing in tools that will support the change landscape of work.
Loom is quickly emerging as one of the most valuable platforms in remote and asynchronous work. It focuses on allowing users to capture video content, screenshots, and other information for recipients to watch whenever they choose. This can be a lot easier for teams looking to communicate when other staff members aren’t available for a real-time video call.
Today’s Loom review will explore everything you need to know about leveraging this video and screen-capture tool for the age of asynchronous and remote work.
Loom is the leading video communication platform for asynchronous work. Designed for speed and simplicity, the solution allows you to record, share, and interact with videos. Over 14 million people across 200,000 companies use Loom to work more collaboratively.
The primary features of Loom include:
One of the things that makes Loom so compelling to modern workforces is how easy it is to use. It only takes a few seconds to sign up with Loom using your Google, Slack, or Apple ID. You can also create an account with an email address or SSO.
Once you’ve created an account, you can simply install your application onto your device. Downloads are available for Windows and Mac, and you can get the iOS or Android app directly from respective app stores. There’s also a Chrome extension for Loom.
After installing the application, you’ll have to make sure you enable permissions for recording from your microphone, webcam, and screen. The desktop application will appear in your system tray or menu bar, so you can start recording with one click. There’s also the option to set up keyboard shortcuts.
When you’re fully setup, you can start recording your videos instantly. By default, the app records your screen with a webcam overlay, but you can also choose to record your face or screen individually. The iOS version of Loom does not allow for recording both your webcam and your screen at once, however.
Before you begin recording, you’ll be able to reposition and resize the webcam overlay, and choose whether you want to capture a portion of your screen or the whole thing. You can also decide whether to record system audio alongside your voice.
When you’re done recording, the entire video will automatically upload to the Loom cloud environment, and be accessible through your account. Here, you can edit the video in various basic ways, such as stitching different pieces of content together, cutting out the parts you don’t need, and adding “call to action” buttons which popup for users after the video finishes.
Notably, every video created with Loom is automatically made “public”. You can share the link to anyone, and they’ll be able to watch it without signing up for an account. The share button also offers one-click sharing for social media, and access to code for embedding videos on a website. The Chrome Extension will also automatically convert videos into embedded content for Google Doc, JIRA, Gmail, and GitLab.
Users viewing your video can speed up playback, react with emojis throughout the viewing process, see an automatic transcript, and leave comments.
Loom’s pricing structure is relatively straightforward. There are 3 primary plans to choose from, starting with an attractive free package.
Options include:
Price: Free
The Starter plan is free for anyone who wants to record quick videos (less than 5 minutes) and share them with colleagues quickly. You can use this package with up to 50 creators, and create 25 videos per person, with access to features like:
Price: $8 per user per month
The Business plan comes with all the free features of Loom for unlimited creators, and 50 Creators “Lite”. You can create as many videos as you like with unlimited recording lengths. As well as the features in the Starter pack, you also get:
Price: Custom
Designed for companies with specific recording needs and privacy requirements, the Enterprise plan gives you more advanced admin and security settings. You can also set up unlimited members, videos, and record for as long as you choose. Along with all the features in the Business plan, you’ll also get access to:
If you’re a teacher in the digital world, you can access a specialist plan specifically for education. Loom offers qualified educators access to premium features and unlimited recordings for free. You also get advanced HD videos, up to 45 minute recording lengths, and unlimited viewers.
Password protected videos, call-to-action buttons, search functionality, and system audio tools are also included as part of the package.
Loom is an excellent tool for rapidly creating and sharing video content and screens with your colleagues. It’s easy-to-use, packed full of useful features, and relatively affordable compared to some other options. However, there are other solutions out there.
Some of the most compelling alternatives include:
Slack Clips is the native screen recording feature built into Slack. If you’re already using the Slack service for asynchronous collaboration, it might make sense to choose this product over Loom. With Clips, you can not only capture screen information, but also add voice overs to something, and implement your webcam too.
The Slack Clips feature doesn’t work outside of Slack, so you will need an account to start using the service. Clips can also only be shared in channels or through Slack direct messages. There’s also a five minute limit with no way to increase your recording options.
You’ll also need a paid account with Slack to access this service. Clips is not included as part of the Slack free package.
If you’re using Dropbox for storing and managing files in the remote working world, you can also tap into one of the most recent features introduced by Dropbox. “Dropbox Capture” automatically uploads the videos you create directly into your Dropbox folder, which makes it ideal for sharing with distributed team members.
Though still relatively new to Dropbox, the Capture function offers many of the same features as Loom, including the option to take a screenshot, record your screen, or combine your screen recording with a view of your webcam. You can also record audio, or make a gif this way.
All of the content you produce will be saved to the Capture folder in your Dropbox account. You’ll also be able to hover over the capture to collect an URL to share with colleagues. The “Markup” feature allows you to draw on your content and add annotations.
Another option for those who already have a dedicated productivity and collaboration tool in place with their team, Asana comes with a range of “add-on” features for screen recording and video. One of the most common options is the “Coview” service, which allows you to create detailed videos and screen recordings with a couple of clicks.
You can also use Coview as part of your customer service strategy, allowing customers to capture information and code-level insights into any problem they’re having. All of the content is stored to your Asana account, where you can export screenshots and recordings as Asana tasks.
While the features aren’t exactly the same as the ones you’ll get from Loom, they’re pretty straightforward, and ideal for customer service teams.
If you want to avoid adding any more apps to your workplace, or you need to keep your budget as low as possible, Mac and Windows devices also have some of their own screen capturing options. You can capture an entire screen, window, or portion of a screen on a Mac by pressing shift, command, and 3 together on your device.
The QuickTime player on Mac also allows you to capture video recordings of your computer screen. Simply open the QuickTime player, then click on “File”, then “New Screen Recording”. You’ll be able to control exactly which portion of the screen you want to record, and decide whether you want to include your pointer in the recording.
On Windows, the best way to capture screen recordings is with the “Game Bar”, built for Xbox consoles. You can access this feature by going into “Settings > Gaming > Xbox Bar”. From there, enable the Xbox Game Bar, and you’ll be able to start recording videos or taking a screenshot with the click of a button. You can also trigger the game bar with shortcuts.
You should be able to record activity in most windows and applications with Game Bar, and there are various tools for allowing you to adjust your recordings, adding audio, and reducing the size of your screen.
For capturing asynchronous video messages, screenshots, and screen recordings, Loom is one of the simplest tools on the market. It’s ideal for beginners who want to be able to capture quick videos to share with colleagues in an instant. The fact that other people don’t need an account to watch your videos can make it much easier to collaborate with Loom.
Share your experiences with the Loom app in the comments below, and let us know if you prefer any of the alternative options available today.
Loom is very easy to use. The features are not complicated. Such a very helpful tool.
I haven't found anything I don't like about it yet, might not find anything at all.
Loom makes sharing instructions easier for me and my team.
It is so easy to record a short 10 second clip or a longer instructional video
Nothing, it is everything I need for what I do.
It allows me to record how to do something and share with anyone quickly instead of hoping on a call or posting in Slack
There is little to no learning curve and videos can be made quickly. Therefore making "how to" videos for my customers does not disrupt my day to day work. For me Loom is an invaluble tool I didn't know I needed.
I always forget to move the video controls (stop, pause, confedete, ect) off the screen before I start recording. If there was an auto hide, that would be great.
Loom allows me to make quality support videos for my customers instead of creating written documentation. This frees up more time for me to focus on my day to day work.
I like the ease of use, the Chrome extension along with easy desktop access and the ability to quickly share videos and
There are no obvious downsides for Loom that my team and I have noticed. A wish item would be for ease of anyone to comment on videos regardless of status.
Loom solves the problem of quickly providing feedback to clients or addressing concerns about projects that aren't easily addressed in email. BY using Loom, we can quickly show what the area of concern is or educate the client on how to use a specific tool function saving time and money.
We love using Loom when supporting our clients. This tool allows us to create a quick how to video or explanation to a client related question or support need. They are a great tool to use to reduce back and forth.
Loom has a free version that only allows us to record up to 5 minutes at a time while the paid version allows for a longer recording time. Other than this most features are available and needed.
We use Loom when communicating with our clients about questions or help they need navigating our services or platform. By recording a video we are able to cut support time in half and help bring a visual aspect to our support communications.
Easily make high quality desktop recordings. Even just using the free version, you can make great looking how to videos from any computer. It's very easy to just hit record and make a video without any other software.
It can be difficult to output the video so it can be editted or included in another video. The built in editting tools are not very powerful, even just to remove a stub from the beginning or end.
We often get the same question over and over asking how to do something in a piece of software. This allows us to create a one and done answer that is reusable. It's a huge time savings for us and customers can refer back to the video whenever.
Easy to use, especially when starting a video recording. Easy to share and works great also with Slack.
Time limit on starter plan but also great amount of free videos on this plan.
Avoid video calls by explaining something and sharing it to the team. Makes me more productive by saving me a lot of time.
I love how simple and organized this product is. Creation of videos is easy and straightforward. Attractive and user-friendly interface. Readily available and compatible with all devices.
At the moment none. I have not come across a dislike worth addressing.
I use it to create professional as well as attractive videos for my business and organisation.
I enjoy the ease of use when I'm on my calls, and I really enjoy how I'm able to search through the transcript almost immediately after my call has been completed. It's been absolutely instrumental!
I dislike how sometimes the audio from my other participants/other audio on the call isn't captured even if I have the proper settings enabled (as outlined in your help center docs)
Recording my remote calls hosted on other platforms & walking through my platform's Onboarding processes.
I love that I can record on my computer and my phone and share the videos quickly with a link!
I wish the Android recordings didn't show the start/pause buttons on it. it would be better if it was like ios recordings - nice and clean.
makes it easier to communicate - especially with people with a language barrier - they can connect the words with a visual at the same time.
You can connect with people in spite of their busy schedules. Video gives you a way to ensure the message is clear and correct.
None. Look has been aggressive when it comes to user feedback and developing solutions for their users.
Effective communication with parties that have conflicting schedules. I can send and explain quotes to my customers, be notified when they watch them and follow up.
Seamless and effective. I learned it within 20 minutes and was able to start saving time by recording an issue that would have normally been a 30 minute meeting.
I have honestly found no issues at the moment.
The ability to seamlessly communicate an issue without having to meet with any team members for a 'meeting'. Using Loom saves me TIME.
It's super easy to use. I always work out of Chrome. The extension is super handy. Vids are just a click away. It saves me a ton of time communitating back and forth by not only talking through content in the video, but also displaying what I'm seeing on screen.
The only downside is that the video and audio settings dont "stick." Every time I click into the chorme ext, I have to reselect my Yeti & Razer camera. It would also be helpful if loom indicated that audio isn't catching. I have recorded a few videos with no audio becuase that selection wasn't sticky.
Teaching customers how to use our product in an easy way. I send videos to our support team to help troubleshoot bugs and tech-issues. I also send intro videos to people for a personal touch!
The amount of features and ease of use. Has great sharing and organizational options.
Nothing. The tool does not have cons in my opinion.
Trainings for my team, corresponding with clients, course recordings, etc.
I can create videos, host my videos, share the link for the video, upload videos, insert links, and get responses back from viewers of my video. I can set accessibility. It transcribes my video and can correct word fillers.
The free version is very limited in the number of videos you can do and the features available. Sometimes what is in the desktop app in terms of features might not be available in the app for tablets or mobile phones.
Ease to create videos and host the videos at the same time. I don't have first to create them and upload a video; I can do it all at once easily in Loom. It saves me time and headache.