Tech riderRev. 29 Sept 2026

Opencast

Ch 186.8of 40 Video Podcast Software

1Runs onAPI, Linux, self-hosted, Web
2CostsFree plan
3Deploymenton-premise
4Automatic captionsYes
5Searchable transcriptsYes
6LMS deliveryYes
7Live streamingYes

7 lines stated Written from the maker's own pages: opencast.org

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Overview

Opencast is a free, open-source video management system for academic institutions, designed to capture and distribute video at scale. Administrators can schedule recordings and live streams, with classroom recording also possible depending on hardware. Opencast Studio captures video in a browser without requiring an Opencast installation. Configurable workflows can generate captions, add branding and thumbnails, and deliver media at chosen resolutions and bitrates. The integrated editor handles multiple streams, subtitles, and cover thumbnails. Fine-grained permissions control viewing and editing; learning platform integrations can provide single sign-on and video delivery. Opencast uses the Paella Player by default, while the separate Tobira portal can keep videos online during Opencast maintenance. Integrations include Brightspace, Canvas, ILIAS, Moodle, Sakai, Stud.IP, BigBlueButton, Zoom recording, Matomo, WordPress, Whisper, and YouTube. It runs on one Linux server or can scale across distributed Linux servers. Demo instances are available to explore the administrative interface and portal.

Who it is for

Opencast suits academic institutions that need to record, manage, and distribute video alongside learning platforms. It can be deployed on Linux servers or explored through demo instances.

What is good

Free and open-source software
Browser recording available through Opencast Studio
Workflow options include captions and branding
Integrates with multiple learning platforms

What to know first

Classroom recording depends on hardware
Deployment and support depend on adopters and community partners

Verdict

Opencast combines scheduled capture, editing, workflow automation, access controls, and learning-platform delivery. Institutions should account for deployment and support arrangements, which depend on adopters and community partners.

Opencast plans and pricing

All plans

Opencast Free Free and open source software; deployment and support depend on adopters and community partners opencast.org · 29 Sept 2026

Compared on video podcast software

Free plan: Yesopencast.org
Deployment: on-premiseopencast.org
Automatic captions: Yesopencast.org
Searchable transcripts: Yesopencast.org
LMS delivery: Yesopencast.org
Live streaming: Yesopencast.org

Facts

Purpose: Opencast is an open-source video management system for academic institutions, built for automated video capture and distribution at scale.opencast.org · 29 Sept 2026
Scheduling and capture: Users can schedule recordings and live streams through the admin interface, or trigger recordings in classrooms depending on hardware.opencast.org · 29 Sept 2026
Browser recording: Opencast Studio records video directly in a user’s browser and can be tried without installing Opencast.opencast.org · 29 Sept 2026
Video processing: Configurable workflows can automate caption generation, apply branding and thumbnails, and deliver media at custom resolutions and bitrates.opencast.org · 29 Sept 2026
Editing: The integrated video editor supports editing multiple streams, adding subtitles, and changing cover thumbnails.opencast.org · 29 Sept 2026
Access controls: Fine-grained viewing and editing permissions are built in, and LMS integration can provide single sign-on.opencast.org · 29 Sept 2026
Player and portal: Opencast uses the Paella Player by default, and its Tobira media portal runs separately so videos remain online during Opencast maintenance.opencast.org · 29 Sept 2026
LMS integrations: The maker lists Brightspace, Canvas, ILIAS, Moodle, Sakai, and Stud.IP integrations, and says Opencast can connect to any LMS supporting LTI.opencast.org · 29 Sept 2026
Other integrations: The maker lists BigBlueButton and Zoom recording support, Matomo analytics, WordPress, Prometheus-compatible metrics, Whisper transcription, Tobira, and YouTube distribution.opencast.org · 29 Sept 2026
Security: Opencast supports access control and signed media URLs that expire after a configured period, usually one hour depending on server configuration.docs.opencast.org · 29 Sept 2026
Commercial support: Opencast lists community-vetted partner organizations that offer commercial support, development, and integration assistance.opencast.org · 29 Sept 2026
Free trial: The maker offers demo instances for trying the administrative interface and video portal without installing Opencast.opencast.org · 29 Sept 2026