Live recording controls

The Recording Bar changes state across the session and disables actions that would be unsafe while capture starts or files finalize.

Recording phases

Phase	Meaning
Idle	No recording is active.
Countdown	The configured delay is running.
Starting	Beam is opening and synchronizing selected sources.
Recording	The session is actively capturing.
Paused	The active session is paused.
Finalizing	Beam is closing tracks and preparing the project for editing.

Visibility preference

Mode	Behavior	Platform default
Always visible	The bar stays visible throughout capture.	Windows and macOS
Auto-fade	The bar fades and returns on hover.	Not the default
Hidden until hovered	The bar remains hidden until the pointer reaches it.	Linux

Action availability

Action	Disabled during
Pause / Resume	Countdown, Starting, Finalizing
Stop	Finalizing
Cancel and delete	Finalizing
Microphone / Camera / System audio	Countdown, Starting, Finalizing
Linux system audio	The complete active session; choose it before start

Stop compared with cancel

Stop keeps the capture and enters Finalizing before the project opens. Cancel and delete abandons the active recording and removes the unfinished session. These are deliberately separate actions.

Cancellation deletes the unfinished session

Use Stop when you want to keep what has already been recorded. Use Cancel and delete only when the current take should be discarded.