3 min read

How to Record Your Live Performances with GigScroll

GigScroll is a lyrics teleprompter for iPad. But it also has a built-in video recording feature that many users do not know about. Here is how to set it up and use it during a live performance.

Turning It On

Video recording is disabled by default. To enable it, go to Settings and find the Video Recording section. Turn on the Enable Video Recording toggle.

The first time you do this, GigScroll will ask for three permissions: camera, microphone, and photo library. You need to grant all three. If you accidentally deny one, you can fix it later in the iPad Settings app under Privacy & Security.

If your iPad has an older processor, you may see a performance warning. You can still record — the quality options will just be more limited.

Configuring Your Defaults

All video settings live in Settings > Video Recording. There are four things to configure before your first gig.

Default Camera. Choose front or rear. Front is useful if your iPad faces you on a music stand. Rear works if the iPad faces the audience or stage.

Quality. This depends on your hardware. Newer iPads with A14 or M-series chips can go up to 4K at 60fps. Mid-range iPads (A12, A13) top out at 4K at 24fps. Older models max out at 1080p or 720p at 30fps. The app picks a sensible default for your device, but you can change it.

Flash. Options are Off, On, or Auto. The default is Off, which is usually what you want on stage.

Audio Input. This lists every available audio source — built-in mic, Bluetooth devices, USB audio interfaces. If you run a USB microphone or an audio interface into your iPad, it will show up here.

Using It During a Performance

When video recording is enabled, a camera button appears in the top-right corner of Performance Mode. Tap it to open the camera preview.

The preview has two modes. Maximized shows the full camera view with all controls. Minimized shrinks it to a small draggable thumbnail in the corner of your screen, so your lyrics stay visible. You can drag the thumbnail to whichever corner is least distracting.

In maximized mode, you have access to several controls:

  • Flash toggle — a bolt icon that turns yellow when active.
  • Flip camera — switch between front and rear.
  • Lens selector — on iPads with multiple rear lenses, a frosted glass control shows your zoom options (0.5x, 1x, 2x, and so on). This only appears when using the rear camera on multi-lens devices.
  • Quality selector — change quality for the current session.
  • Audio input selector — pick a different mic or audio source.

Tap anywhere on the preview to set the focus point. A crosshair appears where you tapped.

Recording

Tap the large red button at the bottom center to start recording. You will see a pulsing red dot and a duration counter. The microphone selector hides while recording is active, so you cannot accidentally switch audio sources mid-take.

Tap the red button again to stop. The video saves automatically to your Photos library.

If you minimize or close the preview while recording, a red status dot appears next to the camera button on the main Performance screen. This way you always know recording is still running.

Safety Features

GigScroll watches your storage and battery while you record.

  • Storage warning at 500 MB remaining. A message lets you know space is getting low.
  • Auto-stop at 50 MB remaining. Recording stops and the video is saved before your device runs out of space.
  • Battery warning below 10%. If your iPad is not plugged in and the battery drops below 10%, you get a heads-up.
  • Auto-stop on background. If you press the Home button, switch apps, or receive a phone call, recording stops and the video is saved.

These safeguards exist so you do not lose footage. But they are not a substitute for checking your storage before the gig.

The Free Tier Limit

The free version of GigScroll includes 20 video recordings. After that, you need to upgrade to GigScroll Pro to keep recording. Videos you have already saved to Photos are not affected — the limit only applies to new recordings.

Practical Tips

Test during soundcheck. Open the camera preview and do a short test recording. Check that the right camera, audio source, and quality are selected. Delete the test clip afterward.

Check storage before the gig. A two-hour 4K recording takes a lot of space. Open your iPad Settings and look at available storage. If you are tight on space, drop the quality to 1080p — it still looks good and uses far less storage.

Pick your audio source deliberately. The built-in iPad mic is fine for casual recordings, but if you want better audio, plug in a USB mic or audio interface and select it in the audio input setting.

For a full walkthrough of every setting and control, see the user guide. You can download GigScroll on the App Store.

If you are setting up GigScroll for the first time, start with the step-by-step teleprompter guide. For hands-free control while recording, see the Bluetooth foot pedal setup guide.