The dilemma used to trap me: Sit down with a cup of coffee, ready to capture a great scene from Prime Video, only to end up staring at a black screen or facing a frustrating error.
For someone who loves to have a collection of favorite moments or simply watch offline while traveling, this is a problem I’ve encountered more than once. I’ve tried every trick—searching forums, experimenting with various tools—and finally share my ideas in the following content.
Can You Record Prime Video?
No, at least officially no. Due to copyright protection, I'll only capture a black screen when recording shows on Prime Video, no matter which device I use.
Amazon provides an official offline option—downloading inside the Prime Video app—which comes with title, device, and time limits. Subscribers or audiences who purchased/rented a title can download it, but it's still impossible to record the downloaded videos because they're still protected.
The official download service can help some audiences who want to record videos for offline viewing, but it's useless for users who simply want to capture one moment of their favorite actor/actress and replay the clip over and over again later, like me.
So I keep digging into why and how to do it successfully.
Why Can’t You Screen Record Prime Video?
Streaming services use DRM that blocks capture at the OS and player level. Prime Video relies on systems like Google Widevine, Apple FairPlay, and often, Microsoft PlayReady.
Learn more details about DRM (how does it work? Is it possible to remove it?) by reading the post written by Kenneth Rex, our associate editor and experienced coder.
Recording Prime Video by screen capture is generally blocked by DRM. It enforces a protected video path (think encrypted delivery + secure display), so traditional methods to record the screen won't work anymore.
DRM is like a security guard. It detects and imposes obstacles to prevent all actions related to downloading, recording, or ripping. If you’ve tried to stream Prime Video over Discord or record with a tool and got audio with a black panel, you’ve met DRM doing its job.
I used to receive an email asking, "Does turning off hardware acceleration help to stop DRM?" Unfortunately no. DRM policy is not like GPU settings. It still prevents capture after the hardware acceleration is off.
My Test to Record Prime Video
I ran 3 controlled tests in September on my Windows 11 laptop (Edge/Chrome), a macOS machine (Safari/Chrome), an iPhone, and a recent Android phone.
To help more users who want to capture a favorite moment of a show, I tried third-party downloaders, the built-in recorder on my PC and phone, and a third-party recorder, OBS.
| Downloader | Built-in Recorder | Third-Party Recorder | |
| Feasibility | Almost all Prime Video shows | Some Freevee titles without DRM | Certain Prime Video titles |
| Quality | Original 1080p | Reduced 1080p | Reduced 1080p |
| Mode | Background download | Real-time download | Real-time download |
| Pricing | $23.99/mo. | Free | Free |
| Easy-to-Use | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★☆☆☆☆ |
With Professional Downloader
Several “professional downloaders” promise to record Amazon Prime Video or save it as MP4, a compatible video format. In this way, you can record the downloaded videos without worries about DRM or a black screen.
KeepStreams for Prime Video is one of the tools. It works perfectly when downloading Prime Video into MP4 or MKV on the local folder of your Windows PC and Mac. The downloaded files are accessible, and you can play them on any device. Take a screenshot, or get a clip as you like.
In fact, most third-party tools, whether it's a video downloader or recorder, work on the same principle: Locate a video and output it in the MP4 format for you. But I still recommend KeepStreams.
| Comparison | KeepStreams for Prime Video | Traditional Video Recorder |
| Highest Quality | 1080p | HD 720p |
| Video Codec | H.264, H.265 | N/A |
| Audio Codec | EAC3 5.1, AAC 2.0 | N/A |
| Download Stability | The success rate is up to 99.8% | Frequent breakdowns and high failure rates |
| Download Speed |
10x fast (2-hour film in 10 minutes) |
1x fast (2-hour film in 2 hours) |
| Free Trial | 3 full 1080p films in 30 days | The first 5 minutes of each video |
| Ad Removal | ✔ | ✘ |
| Auto-Download | ✔ | ✘ |
| Subtitle Saving | ✔ | ✘ |
| Batch Download | ✔ | ✘ |
| Language Selection | ✔ | ✘ |
Here's how you can use KeepStreams to download a title from Prime Video on your computer:
Step 1: Download and Install KeepStreams
Step 2: Find Amazon Prime Video from VIP Services
Step 3: Play the Video You Want to Download
Browse and locate the video you want to download. Nearly all content from Prime Video can be downloaded, including the Freevee videos, streaming shows, rental, and purchased titles.
Step 4: Customize Download Settings and Download
With Built-in Recorder
Almost all content on Prime Video is protected by DRM, but not all of it.
On Windows (Game Bar), macOS (Screenshot/QuickTime), iOS (Control Center), and Android (system recorder), the built-in record function is easily accessible. So why not give it a shot before counting on other methods? What if the content is just that one percent?
On Android mobile devices, follow these steps to record the screen:
- Find Quick Settings to locate the option for screen recording.
- Select Screen Record, following which you'll be prompted for validation. Hit Start.
- Once your recording is finished, tap the red banner in the notification area.
- Finally, open your Photos application and select the Library option to check your recorded video.
If you're using an iPhone or iPad, you can also use the Screen Recording function to record Amazon Prime Video. To enable the service, follow these steps:
- Search for Settings, then go to Control Center and select the Insert button right next to Screen Recording.
- Click the Control Center and press the Screen Recording icon, then, on the countdown of three, you can start recording.
- To wrap up your recording, open Control Center, tap the Selected Screen Recording icon, and then click Stop.
On Windows, the built-in recording button is "Win+G". On Mac, it's "Command + Shift + 5".
With Third-Party Recorder (OBS)
OBS is an open-source tool to capture, record, and stream the PC screen. It's excellent for many tasks, but not for copy-protected streams.
As the OBS community has explained for years, capturing services like Prime often yield a black window or errors. Moderators won’t help bypass protection. My result matched that: UI chrome visible, video pane black.
Other paid tools like Audials might help you record Prime Video shows successfully. They're not traditional screen recorders, but an "extractor". Audials works by detecting and extracting video information hidden in the code, and rearranging it to output an MP4 video file.
But such a third-party tool still can't catch every video on Prime Video. The failure rate is high. And the rearranging process may damage the video quality
According to my research in February 2025, Audials even gets more negative comments than KeepStreams on Trustpilot. Most 1-star comments complain about its success rate, yearly subscription fee, and slow updates.
FAQs
Q1. Is it legal to screen record Prime Video?
A1. It's acceptable to record the content you legally have access to. Based on DMCA §1201 in the US, you can only use the recorded shows for personal offline viewing. Never try to share them or use them for commercial gain.
Q2. Why does Prime Video go black when I screen record?
A2. DRM blocks unauthorized recording of protected content. Prime Video will detect the screen recorder, even if it's running in the background. When it's detected, the whole screen will turn black to prevent you from recording it, in order to protect the copyright.
Q3. Can OBS record Prime Video?
A3. No. For most Prime Video titles, OBS typically results in a black screen when trying to record them due to DRM protection.
Q4. Does Amazon Prime block screen sharing？
A4. Yes. The screen will also turn black when you cast the playing videos from Prime Video to other devices, even with Chromecast or AirPlay. The best way to share your favorite Prime Video shows with friends is by using KeepStreams to download them. Send the downloads or cast them to any device you like.
Closing Thoughts
Typical recorders—built-in tools, OBS, many third-party apps—only “see” a black box when recording most Prime Video titles. That isn’t a bug. It’s the point.
While it might seem frustrating that screen recording Prime Video is so difficult, it can be done with the help of some tools. Professional downloaders, built-in record service, and a third-party recorder are all worth trying.
If you only want to record Prime Video for later offline viewing, I strongly recommend KeepStreams for Prime Video, a powerful tool that can handle nearly all videos on Prime Video.