Turn Panopto and Canvas lecture recordings into notes
Updated November 3, 2026
To turn a Panopto or Canvas lecture recording into notes, play it in your browser, pick that tab in Screen Gist and press Start. Screen Gist listens to the lecturer and reads the slides as the video plays, so definitions, formulas and diagrams end up in your notes, as timestamped chapters you can review before an exam. It works behind your university login, with no download, link or captions needed. The first hour is free, and after that a 50-minute lecture costs about 35 cents.
How to do it
Open the recording
Sign in to Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard or your university's Panopto site and play the lecture in your browser.
Pick the tab and press Start
Choose the browser tab or window in Screen Gist. Make the slides the large view or go full screen, then keep watching at normal speed or faster.
Press Stop and study
Read the overview, then each chapter with its time. Ask the lecture a question, copy the notes into your notes app, or find them later in History.
What you get from one lecture
- A short overview, then timestamped chapters you can scan before an exam.
- What was on the slides: definitions, formulas, numbers from charts and code, which captions leave out.
- The full transcript underneath, to check exactly what was said.
- Answers to your questions, like "What did she say about the midterm?", with the time it was said.
- Translation of the notes or the transcript into 35 languages, for lectures that aren't in your first language.
Every slide in your notes
In most lectures the definitions, formulas and figures are on the slides and never read out word for word. Screen Gist reads the slides, so they're in your notes as text, and keeps each slide that stayed up as a full-size picture under its chapter. No pausing to screenshot, and you can save the notes with their slides as Markdown for Obsidian or Notion. The pictures stay on your Mac.
Works with the players your university uses
In Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard or Brightspace, lecture recordings usually play in Panopto, Canvas Studio, Kaltura, Echo360, YuJa or Mediasite, or come from Zoom's cloud recordings. Screen Gist summarizes whatever plays in your browser, so it works with all of them. It doesn't need a download, which matters because many universities switch Panopto downloads off for students.
Panopto, Canvas, Kaltura, Echo360, YuJa and Mediasite are trademarks of their owners. Screen Gist isn't affiliated with any of them.
What a term of lectures costs
| You summarize | Time | Costs |
|---|---|---|
| One 50-minute lecture | 50 min | about 35 cents |
| A week of three lectures | 2 hr 30 min | about $1.04 |
| A 14-week term, three a week | 35 hr | about $14.57 |
A whole term fits in one $14.99 pack of 36 hours, and pack hours never expire. The first hour is free on a new Mac, so you can try it on a real lecture first. See pricing.
Tips for clearer notes
- Make the slides big. If the player shows the lecturer and the slides side by side, make the slides the main view or go full screen.
- Let it play. The notes cover what plays while Screen Gist records, so parts you skip aren't in them.
- Record one lecture at a time. Each lecture's notes stay separate in History, easy to find before an exam.
- Boards work too. Handwriting on a board is described and clear writing is read, though neat slides work best. There's a blackboard lecture among the examples.
Questions
Can AI turn Panopto videos into notes?
Yes. Screen Gist runs alongside any Panopto recording on your Mac, listens to the lecturer and reads the slides, then writes timestamped notes that include the slides, as text and as full-size pictures under each chapter.
Do I need to download the recording?
No. Screen Gist works from what plays in your browser, so it doesn't matter that Panopto downloads are often switched off for students.
Does it work with Canvas Studio, Kaltura or Echo360?
Yes. It works with any player in your browser, including YuJa, Mediasite and Zoom recordings posted in Canvas.
Does the recording need captions?
No. Screen Gist transcribes the audio itself and reads the screen, so recordings without captions work too.
Can I watch at a faster speed?
Yes. The notes follow what plays, so you can watch at normal speed or faster.
Is it allowed?
Screen Gist only summarizes what you're already allowed to watch, and it keeps no recordings. Some universities have rules about recording or sharing lectures, so check yours before you share notes.
What if the video is protected?
A few players block screen capture. Screen Gist then tells you it can only hear the video, and you can keep listening, at the normal rate, or stop.
How much does it cost?
About $0.42 an hour, so a 50-minute lecture costs about 35 cents. The first hour is free on a new Mac.
Does it work on Windows or an iPad?
No. Screen Gist needs a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later) running macOS 26 or later.
Try it
Download Screen Gist for your Mac. Every new Mac gets its first hour of video free, with no card needed.
First hour free, no card needed. For a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later) running macOS 26 or later.