(Newswire.net — April 23, 2018) — Microsoft has added several new features to Skype over the last year, and it recently announced that Skype will soon allow users to record calls when its new ‘Content Creator’ mode rolls out. The new feature may not be exactly what many people expect it to be.
Based on what is known so far, Microsoft won’t build-in recording software into its Skype app, but instead will help streamline recording via third party recording software for Mac and Windows. Users will be able to switch their Skype to the new Content Creator mode and then use third-party NDI-enabled software that will integrate with it.
On Skype’s blog it states that the feature will provide clean feeds of all group video call participants to the third party software that is used. In theory that should eliminate issues of quality that content creators have had to contend with in the past if recording a call using conventional screen recorders. The calls that are recorded can then be imported into other apps for editing.
In addition to recording calls, the Content Creator mode will also enable them to be livestreamed on Twitch and YouTube. It will provide the ability to customize the look and feel of the call when streaming to further streamline the process and make it more convenient for content creators.
Currently the new feature is in ‘preview’ and Microsoft is starting to test it with a select group of users. It is only slated to be fully released sometime in the summer of this year, so it might be a while before users are able to try it out. Closer to its release it is likely that more details will be made known.
Although it is designed to benefit content creators such as vloggers, streamers, and podcast creators most; reporters and businesses are likely to find it useful as well. It is an important addition to Skype’s toolset for collaboration, and comes on the heels of the ‘Gallery’ feature that it added to its desktop app recently which allows users to more easily retrieve shared content from a chat session.
Microsoft seems to be focusing on specific-use cases to enhance the popularity of its desktop version of Skype, as it has struggled against other platforms. Last year it introduced Skype Interviews that was designed with features to make it easier to interview and test candidates.
For Skype users who were hoping for a native call recording feature built into the app itself however, the Content Creator mode does not seem to offer that. Still the fact that Skype is finally beginning to support call recording after over a decade of being released is certainly a positive step in that direction.
Considering Skype’s user growth has plateaued in recent years, Microsoft seems to be replying on updates such as this to appeal to new users. Due to the increased competition from other desktop clients such as Google Hangouts and Zoom that include built-in call recording of their own, it isn’t clear how successful it will be.