Glossary
What is Screencast?
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A screencast is a digital recording of a computer screen output, typically with audio narration, originally coined in 2004 by columnist Jon Udell to describe a screen capture plus a voiceover. The term predates the modern async-video category and is largely synonymous with 'screen recording with narration,' though it implies the educational, polished style of a tutorial rather than the quick message style of an async video.
In 2004, screencasts were 30-minute QuickTime recordings uploaded to a blog post. In 2026, they are 2-minute screen recordings sent as a Slack message, a Loom, or a Pullsy share link — but the term still has a specific connotation. A screencast is structured: there is a clear beginning, a walkthrough, a recap. An async video is unstructured: it is whatever the sender said in 90 seconds. The technical capture is the same (browser Web Capture API, system audio, microphone). The difference is intent. Tools that position themselves for tutorials and learning (Screenity, ScreenPal) lean into the screencast term; tools that position themselves for team communication (Loom, Pullsy) lean into the async-video term. Related terms: screen recording, async video, video message, SOP.