How to make a software demo video

To make a software demo video, pick one workflow, write a short script and prepare a demo account with sample data. Record the screen at a fixed size, then cut the pauses, zoom on each click and add a voiceover and captions. A social demo runs 15 to 30 seconds; a homepage demo runs 60 to 120 seconds.

Which kind of demo video do you need?

Decide this first, because it sets the length, the format and how much you show.

Most teams need a homepage demo and 2 or 3 social cuts of the same workflow. The product demo video page compares the 30 second and 90 second versions.

Step 1: Write the script

Write the words first, then record to match them. Recording first and narrating after leads to long pauses and drifting explanations.

Use this template for a 60 to 90 second homepage demo:

Speech runs at roughly 2 to 3 words per second. A 60 second demo holds about 130 to 160 spoken words. If your script is longer, cut a step.

Step 2: Prepare the product

• A demo account. Separate from real customers. Name it something neutral.
• Realistic sample data. Real-looking names, numbers and dates. An empty dashboard looks unfinished.
• The starting state. Know exactly which screen the video opens on. Reset to it before each take.
• No surprises. Turn off onboarding tours, upgrade banners, cookie notices and chat widgets for the demo account.
• Stable content. Avoid screens with live dates like "2 minutes ago" that change between takes.

Step 3: Record it yourself with a screen recorder

This is the do-it-yourself path. It costs nothing and works for any product, including desktop and native mobile apps.

Tools:

Recorders with a camera bubble and quick sharing, such as Loom or Tella, suit sales walkthroughs. See Loom for marketing videos and Tella vs distrorig.

Settings that make the edit easier:

• Record one browser window at a fixed size, for example 1920 x 1080 for a 16:9 video.
• Use a high-resolution screen if you have one. You will zoom in later, and extra pixels keep text sharp.
• Hide the bookmarks bar, extensions and notifications. Turn on Do Not Disturb.
• Set browser zoom to 110% or 125% so text reads on a phone.
• Move the mouse slowly and pause for 1 second after each click.
• Record each step as its own take. A mistake then costs one step, not the whole video.

Step 4: Edit

1. Cut the waiting. Remove loading spinners, typing pauses and mouse searching. Speed up long typing to 2x or more.
2. Zoom on each action. Push in on the button before the click, and pull back to show the result. On a phone screen, a full desktop window is unreadable.
3. Record the voiceover to the edited picture, or use a text-to-speech voice. Keep one voice for the whole video.
4. Add captions for every spoken word. Social videos are often watched with the sound off.
5. Add a title and an end card with the product name and the next step.
6. Make the vertical cut. For 9:16, crop to the part of the screen that matters, or record a phone layout instead.

Any editor works: iMovie, Clipchamp, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut or your recorder's own editor. Zooming on clicks by hand takes the most time. Some screen recorders add the zoom automatically from the cursor.

Step 5: Export

The video ad specs page lists each platform's limits.

Do it yourself or use a tool?

Doing this with distrorig

distrorig makes marketing videos for software: an AI agent uses your product and records it, an AI creator introduces it on camera, and an AI voice narrates. You give it the URL, a demo login and what the video should show. The agent records each step at 2x pixel density, so text stays sharp when the camera zooms, and the camera follows the clicks. The assistant writes the script with you, and voiceover and captions are added. You export 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1. See product demo videos.

It does not make interactive click-through demos, and it cannot operate native desktop or mobile apps. For those, the screen recorder path above is the right one.