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 |
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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.
It helps literally every department that I consult with as a strategic operations Program Manager. I can find use cases for it all across the organization and I look forward to getting my "Looms" in by the end of the day. Helps tremendously across timezones and busy schedules!
Absolutely nothing! This is an amazing program that assist in every way possible.
Combatting busy schedules and trying to find a time that works for everyone, sending longer and more in-depth messaging through Loom vs. arduous Slack messages and for scalable learning and training videos.
Loom is a crystal ball!!! It allows me to get recordings from my agents who show me where they are running into issues so I can see where they are stuck. It's also great for me to record quick software tutorials
Sometimes the extension for chrome is buggy
Crystal ball into what my users are experiencing. No more blurry screenshots
I love how easy it is to use, we save a lot of time, and instead of meetings or reports, we use Loom.
Sometimes it's buggy or takes a while to load.
Most of our team is remote and with Loom we are able to communicate effectively and also train new team members or share easily new software updates.
It was easy to learn. The tools are simple and quick to pick up. I can create quick training tutorials to answer questions and easily share them with the staff or agents at the company. It's simple to edit out the bloopers when I'm finished with the recording.
I wish there were a few more tools that I could use to highlight or emphasize portions of my screen. I also have not found a way to add text to the screen if I want to type words to reinforce what I'm showing on my screen.
Some questions get asked of me and the best way to answer is by showing. Loom allows me to demonstrate the answer to questions. Seeing the steps reduces the number of follow-up questions and allows our staff and agents to refer back to the video anytime they need a refresher.
Loom is amazing. I use Loom every day with many applications. Internally showing a teammate how to do something, make a Loom. Seeing a bug in our platform, show the bug with.context with a Loom. Need to show a customer something in our platform, make a Loom.
Honestly I can't think of much that I dislike about Loom. I use it every day and it saves me so many meetings along with personalizing communication to our customers.
Loom helps my workflow in many ways. Need to show our Product Support team a bug? - make a Loom to show with context. Need to show a customer a new feature or how to do something in our platform - make a Loom Making a new knowledge base article? - attach a Loom Personalize a meeting follow up - make a loom And my favorite, avoid
Loom saves me countless minutes a week. Rather than scheduling phone calls, I’m able to provide feedback or ask questions while sharing my screen and audio seamlessly.
My camera function does not always work.
Time saving, project management, team management, client management, feedback, questions, decision management.
What I like about Loom is the easiness to record the screen and share it. I don't need to wait for a long time for the video to be uploaded or manually upload it from my side and then share it.
Loom fails from time to time. You suddenly want to start to record but it doesn't. In addition to it, you cannot minimize the Window, you either open it or close it, but cannot minimize it, you just can hide it in the system tray.
Loom helps me to share bug reports with my team, explain the features or characteristics of the system we built, and make them questions. It is also useful for asynchronous presentations of our progress.
I love that I can quickly record my thoughts and share feedback visually with my team.
There are a number of what seem like extra clicks to get the video to start recording.
Collaboration between my product and engineering team.
How easy it is to use. I use to screen record, then download the video, edit it and send. That process takes a very long time. Loom cuts all that time!
Nothing really. There is nothing I DON'T like.
I work with many free lancers, primarily developers and some illustrators. It is very important to be as descriptive and clear as possible when giving information and Loom makes this process very easy for me.
It's a great tool that helps me create "how to" videos that I can easily share with a link to anybody.
Even with a decent computer, it can bog it down. You also need a very good internet connection to record in high definition.
I can easily make quick tutorials that I can share with a simple link.
You don't need to record a video locally, upload it to a server, and then share the link with someone else. Loom does that for you quickly, so you just have to worry about recording an excellent video.
Sometimes it fails. I cannot minimize a Windows, it gets hidden, so I have to look for the icon in the system tray. Apart from that, it is a very helpful tool to record videos.
I can record videos to explain a feature, ask questions, explain a problem and ask for help. I also can record the reproduction steps of a bug with detailed information in the video.
It's super easy to used and has great collaboration features
One more additional software to use and pay for.
Async collaboration.
Loom is a platform for creating and sharing videos online that is easy to use and has a lot of useful features. I can use Loom to record my computer screen, my webcam, or both at the same time, and it also has tools to help me save time, like faster recording speeds and pre-set recording settings. One of the best things about Loom is how easy it is to collaborate with others and share your videos. I can use Loom with other popular tools like Slack, and Gmail, which makes it easy to share your videos with my team or clients. Overall, Loom is a great tool for creating and sharing videos quickly and easily, and it's a popular choice for teams who need to work together remotely.
While Loom has many great features, there are a few potential drawbacks to keep in mind. For example, Loom's editing options are limited compared to more advanced video editing software, so users who need more editing capabilities may find it lacking. Additionally, Loom's free plan offers only limited storage space, so users may need to upgrade to a paid plan if they need more storage. Another potential issue is that Loom requires a stable internet connection to function properly, so users with slow or unreliable internet speeds may experience difficulties. Lastly, Loom's recording time is limited to 45 minutes per video, which may be a drawback for users who need to record longer videos. Despite these potential drawbacks, Loom is still a great tool for creating and sharing videos, and many users find that its benefits outweigh any limitations.
Loom is a powerful video creation tool that offers many benefits. One of the key problems it solves is time and efficiency, as it allows me to create and share videos quickly and easily. Additionally, Loom's collaboration features make it easy for me to work together with my team and provide feedback, which can improve communication and productivity. Loom's cloud-based platform also makes videos easily accessible from any device, giving me the flexibility I need to work from anywhere. Furthermore, the platform's recording options and editing tools provide a great deal of flexibility, allowing me to customize my videos to specific needs. Lastly, Loom's free plan is a cost-effective solution for individuals and small teams, making video creation more accessible to everyone. By solving these problems, Loom is helping to make video creation and sharing more efficient, productive, and cost-effective.
Coworkers aren't always available to chat, and questions/concepts aren't always easy to break down via text. Loom allows me to quickly and easily capture what I need to share.
I haven't run into any issues with Loom.
It saves time It makes it easy to ask complex questions It makes it easy to share issues I'm experiencing so they can be solved quickly It's great for creating quick tutorials/instructions
Having it as an extension in chrome, and it so easy to start recording And that it upload the fike automatically
The 5 minutes limitation... Which is mostly more than enough.... I suggest allowing more than 5-minutes videos, with deducting the extra time from the allowed video count.
Describing a web page behavior or problem to a user or a developer.