Local Recording
pMix.studio can record your program output directly to the iPad’s local storage. Recording works independently of streaming — you can record without streaming, stream without recording, or do both simultaneously.
GO LIVE and REC are separate controls, so you can record a rehearsal without streaming it, or go live without recording.
Starting a recording
- Tap REC in the output controls (or start all outputs together)
- The status bar shows a recording indicator with elapsed time
- Continue your production as normal — switching, transitions, and overlays are all captured
Stopping a recording
- Tap the Stop button for recording
- The file is saved to the iPad’s storage
Record on go-live
Record while live (in the Live Streaming settings) starts a local backup recording automatically whenever you go live, so every stream has a safety copy without you thinking about it. It’s on by default — turn it off if you manage recordings yourself.
File format
Program recordings are saved as QuickTime .mov files with an embedded timecode track. Drop clips on a timeline in DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, or Final Cut and they align by timecode instead of by hand.
Recording quality
Recording settings live under Program Recording, next to the thing they affect.
Recording no longer has to reuse the live stream’s encoder. Turn on independent recording quality and the recording gets its own encoder, codec and bitrate — so you can stream H.264 at a bitrate your uplink can carry while recording a much better file for the edit.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Resolution | Matches your configured output resolution |
| Frame rate | Matches your configured frame rate |
| Video codec | H.264 or H.265 — H.265 is the default for independent recording |
| Bitrate | Its own, independent of the stream. Presets start at 10 Mbps. |
The Quality row in output settings summarises what you’re currently set to stream and record, so you can check both at a glance before going live.
Finding your recordings
Browse Recordings… lists what’s on the iPad with a frame from each take, and gives you a tidy way to clear out false starts. You can also point recordings at an external drive. See Browsing Recordings.
Storage
- Recordings are saved as standard video files on the iPad
- Monitor available storage — 1080p at 4500 kbps uses roughly 2 GB per hour
- Ensure you have enough free space before starting a long recording
- Low-storage protection — a watchdog monitors free space while you record and warns you before the iPad fills up, instead of letting the recording fail silently
- Writer health — if the recording stops accepting frames mid-show, pMix reports the fault and how much footage actually landed, rather than counting elapsed time at you and leaving you to find the gap in the edit
Camera recording
When recording is enabled, pMix.studio can also trigger recording on connected iPhone cameras simultaneously. This camera local recording feature is enabled by default and gives you isolated camera angles alongside your mixed program recording — useful for post-production editing.
Camera recordings are built for post:
- Shared timecode — every camera’s recording carries the same session timecode as the program recording, so all your angles align on a multicam timeline automatically
- Silent-audio detection — if a camera records silent audio (a muted mic, a routing problem), pMix.studio detects it and warns you rather than letting you discover it in the edit
- Automatic fallback — if a camera’s backup recording can’t keep up, it steps aside automatically instead of endangering your program recording
Recording + streaming
Recording runs in parallel with streaming. The same program output (including overlays) is written to both the RTMP stream and the local file. This gives you a local backup of every stream.
OSC control
You can start and stop recording via OSC:
/streamit/record/start— Start recording/streamit/record/stop— Stop recording
See OSC Remote Control for the full command reference.
Tips
- Always record as backup — Even when streaming, a local recording protects you against internet drops
- H.265 for recording — If you’re only recording (not streaming), H.265 gives better quality at the same file size
- Free up space — Transfer recordings off the iPad after your production to keep storage available