Loom lag is a common problem users mention in Reddit discussions and Loom product reviews. It refers to audio lagging behind video during playback, but can also manifest in the form of…
- Grainy videos
- Low-quality audio
- Permanently lost recordings
On this page, we’ll explain what Loom lag is, where it comes from, and how you can fix it. We’ll also explain why it’s often unfixable - and what your best Loom alternative is if you want to avoid lag at all times.
What is Loom lag?
On a basic level, Loom lag refers to audio and video falling out of sync. This is usually audio noticeably falling behind video during playback.
Loom lag can make videos hard to watch and understand. This is especially true during screencasts. Audio being a second or two behind video can make it impossible to understand what’s happening on-screen.
There are other ways Loom lag can often affect your recordings. Specifically, in videos with Loom lag:
- Audio might be ahead of video
- Audio could be choppy, robotic, or low-quality
- Video can get fuzzy or grainy
- Uploads can take a very long time (another kind of lag). Sometimes, this means they get stuck completely. If this happens, it can be impossible to retrieve your video, i.e. permanent video loss.
All of these problems make affected videos unusable. Even worse, there’s no surefire way to know if you’re going to get lag on your recording or not. These problems only show up once you’re finished with your video and play it back.
Why does Loom lag happen?
There’s a large list of reasons why Loom lag happens. Here are some notable examples based on user experiences described on Reddit, Twitter, etc.
High system resource usage. Having a lot of open windows or apps can cause Loom to malfunction. This can happen while you’re recording as well as during the upload stage. In extreme cases, high system resource usage can mean videos don’t upload and get lost.
Low Internet quality. Slow Internet, or intermittently available Internet, can cause Loom lag.
Hardware issues. Switching devices while recording can cause Loom lag. The same applies to using specific types of hardware. Users on Reddit complain about specific headphones, like the Airpods, causing lag.
Network disruptions. Any network disruption that happens while you’re recording can cause Loom lag and related problems. This includes switching VPN servers, connecting to proxy servers, or simply losing a WiFi connection.
In other words, you need high-quality hardware, high-quality Internet, and no interruptions to your connection or electricity current to avoid lag and related problems.
How to prevent Loom lag
When using Loom, here’s what you need to prevent lag consistently (source):
- An uninterrupted Internet connection with a minimum upload speed of 5 MBps.
- A device that is connected to a power source (also without interruption)
- No unnecessary apps and browser tabs open while you record.
- No server or network switching while recording or uploading.
- Potentially recording in lower resolutions.
- Potentially upgrading your computer’s RAM so it can perform better while you record.
This is, for most people, a difficult - if not impossible - list of requirements. On the plus side, if you get all of the above right, you’ll have Lag-free Loom videos with fast uploads.
On the other hand, you may find this to be an impossible list of requirements to fulfill! Not everyone has access to a power source and high-quality Internet every time they record.
Why you can’t always fix Loom lag
Many of the problems on this page appear to happen for a single reason. The reason is, Loom was specifically designed to work with fast online connections and abundant processing power.
This is an issue that was addressed by company representatives as early as 2020 - but does not appear to have been resolved (to our knowledge).
Loom is so geared towards online recordings it doesn’t store full video files locally. There’s no way to download them once you’re done recording. Even recovering partially uploaded videos isn’t always possible; these are always lost.
Since Loom doesn’t make use of local storage well, it tries to upload everything - audio and video - immediately. If this isn’t possible, problems like lag, quality loss, and video loss can happen.
Sendspark: a Loom alternative that doesn’t lag
Sendspark is a newer video recording application that doesn’t have the same lag issues that Loom does.
The main reason is that we specifically wanted the ability to download and store files locally. We built this feature into the app from the very beginning; you can easily download any Sendspark video with one click of a button.
What this means is, your video won’t be affected by a low-quality or interrupted connection. Even if you’re completely offline, you can download your Sendspark video and upload it later using our website!
Disconnected mid-upload? Choppy connection? Computer running out of battery?
No worries. So long as you manage to complete your recording, just hit that “download” button. Your video will be fine.
The one thing we can’t fix is missing audio. Always make sure that your microphone is turned on and recording smoothly by doing a quick “mic check” recording!
Try Sendspark for free!
Want a video record that doesn’t lag? Make a free Sendspark account today and forget about lost videos, low quality, and laggy audio for good!
