Record a Demo in OpenShot 4.0, Email It with n8n

You want to send prospects a short video walkthrough of your service, but recording, editing, and emailing it manually every time eats an hour. OpenShot 4.0 (released 30 August 2026) added a free, built-in screen and webcam recorder — so you can record a polished demo without paying for separate software. Pair it with n8n (a free automation tool) and the email goes out automatically the moment you drop the finished video into a folder.

How it flows

Download OpenShot 4.0 and open the Recording View

OpenShot is a free, open-source video editor that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Version 4.0 adds a built-in Recording View — a panel where you choose what to capture (your screen, your webcam, your microphone, or all three) without needing separate recording software. Download it from openshot.org, install it like any normal app, then open it. To reach the Recording View, click the View menu at the top of the screen and select Recording View (or press Alt+Shift+3).

OpenShot 4.0 · View menu

1 Open the View menu

View

2 Switch to the recording workspace

EV Edit ViewCV Color ViewRV Recording ViewAV Analysis View

Record your screen and voice

Inside the Recording View you'll see toggle buttons for each input source. Click the Screen toggle to capture your desktop, and the Microphone toggle to capture your voice. A live preview shows what will be recorded. When you're ready, click the red Record button. OpenShot saves each source (screen footage and audio) as its own separate file in your project — so you can trim mistakes later without re-recording everything.

OpenShot 4.0 · Recording View panel

1 Toggle your inputs

ScreenOn

MicrophoneOn

WebcamOff (optional)

System audio (optional)

2 Start recording

Record

3 Stop when done

Stop

Trim and export the video

Switch back to the Edit View (View → Edit View). Your recordings appear automatically in the Project Files panel on the left — they are stored as project assets, so you don't have to hunt for the files. Drag the clip onto the Timeline at the bottom. Trim any dead air at the start or end by dragging the clip's edge. When it looks good, click File → Export File. In the export dialog, choose MP4 (H.264) from the profile list and click Export Video. Save the file with a clear name like `demo-august-2026.mp4`.

OpenShot 4.0 · Export dialog

1 Choose an export format

M( MP4 (H.264)W WebMM MOVM MKV

2 Export the finished video

Export Video

Create a dedicated Google Drive folder and upload the video

Google Drive is Google's free cloud storage. Open drive.google.com, click + New → New folder, and name it something like `Demo Videos`. Upload your exported MP4 into that folder by dragging it in, or clicking + New → File upload. Once it's uploaded, right-click the file, choose Share, and set the access to Anyone with the link can view. Copy that shareable link — you'll paste it into the email body later. This folder is also what n8n will watch for new files.

Google Drive · New folder setup

1 Create the watched folder

+ New

2 Choose what to create

NF New folderFU File uploadFU Folder uploadGD Google Docs

3 Copy the shareable video link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/YOUR_FILE_ID/view?usp=sharingCopy

Build the n8n workflow: watch the folder

n8n is a free automation tool — think of it as a series of steps that run automatically when something happens. Sign up at n8n.io (a free cloud account works fine). Click + New Workflow, then click the + button on the canvas to add your first step. Search for Google Drive Trigger and select it. In its settings, set Trigger On to File Created, set Watch to Specific Folder, and use the folder picker to choose your `Demo Videos` folder. This node will fire every time a new MP4 lands there.

n8n · Google Drive Trigger node

1 Add the trigger node

Google Drive Trigger

GDT Google Drive TriggerTrigger

GD Google DriveAction

2 Configure the trigger

Trigger OnFile Created

WatchSpecific Folder

FolderDemo Videos

Include Items from Subfolders — leave off

Add a Send Email node and write the message

Click the + button after the Google Drive Trigger node to add a second step. Search for Send Email and select it. This node uses SMTP — a standard way for computers to send email. Fill in the To field with your lead's email address. Give it a Subject like `Here's your personalised demo`. In the Message body, paste your Google Drive shareable link and a short note. Set Email Format to HTML so the link is clickable. Connect your SMTP credentials (Gmail App Password works — see the callout below).

n8n · Send Email node

1 Add the email step

Send Email

SE Send EmailCore node

G GmailGoogle

2 Fill in the email details

Tolead@example.com

SubjectHere's your personalised demo

Email FormatHTML

3 Set up your SMTP credentials

In n8n, click Credential → Create New → SMTP. For Gmail: host = smtp.gmail.com, port = 465, username = your Gmail address, password = a Gmail App Password (generate one at myaccount.google.com → Security → App Passwords). Send Email node docs →

Test it end-to-end and activate the workflow

Click Test Workflow in the top-right corner of n8n. n8n will check the `Demo Videos` folder for any file created since you connected it. You should see the Google Drive Trigger fire and the Send Email node run — check that the email lands in your inbox. If it does, click the Activate toggle (top-right, it turns green). From now on, every time you drop a new MP4 into the folder, n8n automatically sends the email. You never have to touch the workflow again.

n8n · Workflow canvas

1 Run a test to check everything works

Test Workflow

2 What a successful run looks like

Workflow executedSuccess

Trigger1 file detected

EmailSent ✓

3 Go live

Workflow statusActive

Activate toggle — flip it green

What you get

You end up with a free, always-on pipeline: record a demo in OpenShot 4.0, drop the exported video into a Google Drive folder, and n8n instantly emails the shareable link to whoever you've set as the recipient. No monthly subscription, no manual copy-pasting. Rough effort: ~2 hours to set up, free (OpenShot is open-source; n8n Cloud free tier; Google Drive free tier).