Screen Recording Mac: A How to Guide

If you’re looking for a screen recording Mac guide, you’ve come to the right place. Mac has its own internal built-in features for screen recording, but there are pros and cons to this. We cover all the different methods, including the best third-party recording tools, so that you have all the best options to choose from when recording your videos. Let’s jump in. 

Screen Recording on Mac with Built-In Tools

We’ll start first with the native recording tools found on Mac devices. Here are the ones to know. 

Using the Screenshot Application

This method requires macOS Mojave version 10.14 or later, so keep that in mind. Here’s how it works: 

1. Open the Screenshot application by pushing Shift + Command + 5 at the same time

2. From there, an onscreen toolbar will appear.
3. There are controls that will allow you to take a screenshot or recording of your screen. These include just capturing a still of your screen, recording the entire screen or just recording part of your screen. This last option lets you choose which portion to record by adjusting and dragging borders.

4. You can select Options within the toolbar if you want to adjust the settings of the recordings. Here’s what to know: 

• • The microphone lets you record audio or your own voice along with the screen recording.
  • The recording timer allows you to choose the number of seconds before recording officially starts, once you select record. This gives you the chance to get ready before recording officially starts.
  • Show Mouse Clicks will create a black circle when you click, so you have better visibility.
  • You also have the option to save your recording to various locations on your computer. The default save is to your desktop, but you can adjust this.

5. When you’re ready to start recording, select Record. When you’re finished, just choose the square Stop button, or you can press Command + Control + Esc.

There will be a thumbnail of the finished recording in the corner of the screen, which you can select if you want to make edits. You can also edit the saved version at any time. There are several helpful keyboard shortcuts to know when using the Screenshot app, and while they are more for actual screenshots versus entire recordings, they are useful to know: 

• To take a screenshot of the entire screen, press Shift + Command + 3.
• To just take a screenshot of part of the screen press Shift + Command + 4. This will turn your mouse pointer into a crosshair that you can drag to select the area you want to capture. When you let go of your mouse/trackpad button, it will automatically take a picture. Pressing escape will cancel this. This is especially handy if you have a split screen open and only want to capture part of it.
• Pressing Shift + Command + 4 + Spacebar lets you take a screenshot of a menu or window.

Using QuickTime Player

Another useful screen recording Mac method is through QuickTime Player. This is another application that is native to Mac, making it easy to find and use. Here’s how: 

1. Go to your Applications folder.
2. Open QuickTime.
3. Using the menu bar, select File.
4. Choose New Screen Recording. You can also press Control + Command + N.

5. A Screen Recording window should open. You can select the arrow beside the record button to adjust the settings. Some options include: 

• • Microphone allows you to record your voice or audio along with the screen recording. There is a volume adjuster to get levels to your preferred volume.
  • Show Mouse Clicks in Recording is an option to create a black circle around the pointer when clicking.

6. When ready to record, choose the red circle Record button. From there, you can drag your pointer to choose the area you want recorded, or you can just click anywhere to record the whole screen.
7. When you’re finished recording, select the square Stop button, or you can also push Command + Control + Esc.
8. When recording is done, the QuickTime Player app will automatically open your recording so that you can share, play, or edit it.

Helpful Recording Tips to Know

• Your saved recording will default to Screen Recording [date] at [time].mov. You can change this title when you edit your video.
• Some applications may not allow you to record their windows, so if you try to screen record and it doesn’t work, try another app to see if that was the problem.
• Your screen recordings can be opened with iMove, QuickTime Player, or other video editing applications.
• To cancel the action of recording, just push Esc before you start recording to get out of the app.

Mac Screen Recording With Third-Party Tools

There are numerous third-party tools that are compatible with Mac for screen recording. Here are some of the most well-respected, versatile options currently on the market. All of these are available to purchase either on the Mac App Store, or through the software developer directly. 

Because there are so many different tools and products, learning how to use them will depend on which one you choose. Fortunately, they all have great learning resources and support, so users will be able to pick up how to use them pretty quickly. Here’s a quick comparison table before we dive into each one:

TechSmith Snagit

This screen recording tool is available for both Mac and Windows and has many happy user ratings. You can capture and record your screen, add context and visuals, and record audio as well. There are plenty of advanced features, such as scrolling capture, as well as the ability to share across multiple platforms or applications with ease.

Pros: 

• Wide compatibility
• Extremely customizable
• 15 day free trial

Cons: 

• No free tiers
• Not as many video editing tools as some platforms

Camtasia

Also by TechSmith, Camtasia is one of the favorites for users who need to make a lot of screen recordings. It has some of the most advanced and numerous editing and recording tools on the market, and while it is expensive, you can get a lot for your money, such as subtitling, advanced audio and text animation. If you have the budget, you won’t need to look any further for a great screen recorder. 

Pros: 

• Screen capture recording and video editing tools all in one
• AI assistive tools, such as background removal and AI voice generation
• Free trial

Cons: 

• More expensive than many third-party screen recorders
• You can only use it on two computers

ScreenFlow

ScreenFlow is not only catered for Mac users, it is also catered for beginners who want a ton of great editing and recording tools without the headache of learning complex instructions. They even have online training for users who need a little extra help as well as a free knowledge base.

Besides learning resources, they have some of the best quality audio and video on the market, along with streamlined media management and lots of publishing options. 

Pros: 

• Made specifically for Mac devices
• iOS recording for iPhones and iPads
• Stock media of over 500,000 images
• Easy to learn user interface

Cons: 

• Somewhat expensive
• Only available on Mac, so users who need multiple platforms are out of luck

OBS Studio

OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software) is an open-source software for live streaming and video recording. There is a reason why it is a favorite among Twitch streamers. It’s free, it’s reliable, and it works.

If you have a lot of business recording needs or high demands that require all the bells and whistles, this may not be for you. But if your screen recording needs are more simplistic or you have the tech skills to really make the most out of OBS Studio’s functions, this is not only a great software choice, it’s a free one too. 

Pros: 

• Free to use
• Available on Mac, Windows, and Linux
• Hotkeys for customizations

Cons: 

• Limited features compared to pay-to-use providers
• Can be a bit tricky to learn

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common screen recording Mac questions you may find helpful. 

• Why does my Mac screen recording have no sound?

A common reason for this is not selecting an audio source. This is usually found in Options or a similar function. Other possible culprits: 

• Make sure the microphone is selected as the audio input device
• Make sure the app has permissions to use your microphone
• Make sure the speaker or microphone volumes aren’t too low to be captured on the recording
• Make sure your app is up to date

• How do you screen record on Macbook Air?

You can screen record natively on any Mac product, so long as it is macOS Mojave version 10.14 or later or has compatibility with the third-party app you may be using. You can use QuickTime Player, the Screenshot application, or any other software that works with your Mac version. The steps should be similar to what was already covered in this guide. 

• What’s the best way to screen record with internal audio on Mac but avoid external noise?

If you only want internal audio for your screen recording and don’t want any external or ambient noise, be sure that you choose “None” as your microphone source so that you don’t accidentally record the audio around you along with the screen recording. Also, many third-party apps excel at features to emphasize audio and microphone controls, so if you are having difficulties with the apps native to Mac, consider looking into third-party options, especially if they are free or have a free trial. 

• What’s the best free third-party screen recorder for Mac?

OBS Studio seems to be the most well-respected open-source screen recorder that is compatible with Mac. There are other free recorders out there, but many require your finished video to have a watermark with their logo, or they simply aren’t available for Mac. Of course this will likely change as options expand, but for now, OBS Studio is pretty hard to beat for free screen recording on Mac.