Jun 27, 2019 While there are several paid Mac “screen recording apps” on App Store, there are only a handful of FREE & “best mac screen recorders” out there. As you continue reading this post, you will discover several apps and cross-platform software (open source software that functions on Windows and Linux) that will make relatively easier to record your Mac screen. Jun 01, 2020 When saving your recording automatically, your Mac uses the name ”Screen Recording date at time.mov”. To cancel making a recording, press the Esc key before clicking to record. You can open screen recordings with QuickTime Player, iMovie, and other apps that can edit or view videos.
- How To Screen Record On Apple Mac Computer
- Screen Recording Application Mac
- Screen Record On Mac Application
- Screen Record On Apple Mac
- How To Screen Record Mac
Get Capto for screen recording
Screen grabs and screenshots are useful for sharing information, of course. And sometimes, that is all we need. But there are other times when we need to talk to people, or record something so that someone else, maybe thousands of miles away, can easily understand what we need to say.
How to record Mac screen with sound
To narrate what’s happening on your Mac, you oftentimes need to record your computer screen with audio. Macs don’t have the built-in tools for it so in this article, we explain how you can easily record desktop with voice over using a few third-party apps.
A quick overview: We’ll explain how to use Apple’s native QuickTime, which many don't realize comes with the screen, video, and audio recording capabilities — so it’s not just an app for watching videos. If you’re here for a more advanced toolkit you could use to record voice-overs and edit videos, we’ll show how to do it with Capto, CleanShot X, and Dropshare.
Record your screen with audio on macOS
To record audio and screenshots or moving screen grabs at the same time, you can use a small app named Capto. Available from Setapp and easy-to-use. It has a whole range of capturing features to create a detailed and informative screen capture with blocks of text, highlights and even a FaceTime camera recording.
If you are in a hurry and need to get something to a colleague or client quickly, but want it to look professional, record video what you need, give it a quick edit then email it across. Plus you’ve got the ability to mute, fade in, or fade out of the audio recording tracks to get professional sound without clicks and keyboard noise.
How you record audio and screenshots using a screen recording app
- Launch Capto or similar screen recorder and find Record button
- Check the boxes to make sure you are picking up audio and recording the screen (or portion of the screen)
- Choose to record FaceTime camera, setup recording time limit, and choose the second menu (small dots below) to hide files on your desktop
- Hit the Record button
- Once you are done, press the red button in the menu bar or shift + command + esc
- Edit as needed in the Video section, then upload as an attachment or publish online
It is as easy as that. And, if you have a little more time, use the controls on the left to tweak the sound, trim, add annotations, highlight specific areas, adjust the size and placement of the camera video, and make any other changes as needed.
Make a voice over video of your screen
Another app that lets you create a narrated screencast is Dropshare. It was originally created as a super-easy cloud sharing app because sharing files is a chore. Dropshare solves it by instantly giving you secure links and drag-and-drop file uploads of ready screencasts.
Making a screen record with voice over
- Launch Dropshare (it's free with Setapp subscription).
- Click a circular icon in the menu bar to record the screen.
- Choose a microphone to record system audio and audio from your microphone.
- Hit the red button to start recording.
- Hit it again to stop recording.
- Pack up the file and send it anywhere.
Other times, you may need to record calls made through your Mac. Either this is for training purposes, to demonstrate something to a colleague, or it is an interview that needs recording.
Ultimate screen capturing on Mac
If you deal with screenshots and screen recordings often, you don’t want to be juggling different apps all the time. In this case, CleanShot X is pretty much all you need. This screen capturing app covers 50+ different features — from creating optimized GIFs to scrolling captures to video recordings. So if you’re looking for a universal thing, this is the right choice.
The great thing is CleanShot X lets you tweak lots of small things while recording video. You get snappable resize controls, can choose to display recording time on a video, highlight mouse clicks, or disable notifications in a click. All the options are right at your fingertips.
Here’s how to record screen with CleanShot X:
- Click Record Screen in the menu bar
- Pick whether you want to capture video or GIF
- Drag to select a custom area on the screen
- Enable/disable audio recording
- Customize settings (area size, system notifs, mouse click highlighting, etc.)
- Once you’re ready, hit the Record button
- Trim the recording outputs from the Overlay Menu in the end.
How to record calls on your Mac
On a Mac, the three most popular ways to make calls are Skype, FaceTime - which comes with a handy feature that allows you to start a call on an iPhone and continue on a Mac (Handoff) - and WhatsApp. Here is how you record those calls using your Mac.
How to record a Skype meetings
Skype, even before Microsoft bought it, has never included a native way to record audio and visuals when on a call. Making it somewhat of a nuisance when important information is being conveyed and you’ve got to make notes quickly or ask for an email follow-up to clarify points.
For making screenshots during a call, you can use the following commonly-used Mac shortcuts :
⌘ + Shift + 3 to grab the entire screen
⌘ + Shift + 4 to capture a selected area
⌘ + Shift + 4 + press Space to take a screenshot of a selected window.
To record your Skype calls with video and audio you could use Capto, or another third-party app, such as Dropshare that we mentioned earlier. Just make sure you get the permission of the person you want to record, to put you on the right side of the law and to be polite. If you are experiencing issues connecting to call, follow these tips to use Skype on a Mac desktop.
Screen record FaceTime and Handoff with audio
One of the most effective ways of recording a FaceTime call is using a QuickTime recorder. How to start recording your FaceTime calls:
- Open QuickTime on your Mac
- Click File in the Menu bar
- Select New Screen Recording
- Choose the Internal Microphone in the list of audio input options
- Open FaceTime to make your call (or use Handoff to transition a call from an iPhone to your Mac)
- Click the Record button and Screen to record the full screen, or click and drag the capture option to limit the recording to the call screen
- Once the call is over, press Stop to end the recording
- Then go to File > Save
How to record WhatsApp calls
Similar to FaceTime and Skype, you can make calls using WhatsApp on your Mac and record them using QuickTime, Capto or other third-party apps.
Either download WhatsApp Video Call or use the WhatsApp Web application to make a call. Once you are ready, pick the app you are going to use to record the call. For a quick unedited audio recording, QuickTime should suffice. If you want the ability to record in more detail, and make edits, then Capto or Dropshare are ideal for that purpose.
The default way of QuickTime recording doesn’t give you many options in terms of editing, captions, extra info, additional images, etc. Using Capto allows for a more complete experience if you need a bit more creative freedom with your call recordings.
Plus, both Capto and Dropshare are available as a part of Setapp subscription. If you have Setapp, you get their full functionality + 170 more handy Mac utilities in one suite. There’s a 7-day free trial, so give it a go. Anyways, we hope this guide has been of help, have a lovely day!
Print Screen has its own dedicated keyboard button on most Windows computers, but what about when a still image doesn’t cut it? After all, it would be really hard to make a tutorial, stream a game, or film a lesson if you couldn’t capture a screen recording.
Using an external camera is clunky and difficult, so instead, we have compiled a list of built-in methods and available third-party software that will do the trick instead. It may not be as simple as pressing “prt sc”, but these tools are more than capable of doing the job.
Are you on a Mac? Also read: How to Record Screen on Mac
Quick Summary
Method 1: Windows Built-In Screen Recorder (through the XBOX app)
How To Screen Record On Apple Mac Computer
Windows 10 has a built-in screen recorder you can use without installing anything extra. However, it’s only available if you have a graphics card with Intel Quick Sync H.260 (2011 models or later), Nvidia NVENC (2012 models or later), or AMD VCE (2012 models or later except Oland), so if you’re having trouble, make sure your computer is up to spec.
For those who do have the proper hardware, here’s how to do it. Now, this feature is meant for gamers, but it can be used with any screen material.
First, press the WINDOWS and G keys. Then, in the pop up choose “Yes, this is a game”.
From there, recording is simple. You can use the red button on the bar to start and stop a recording, or use the settings menu to set an automatic cut off time for your recording.
Once you’re done, the file will be saved as an MP4 in your VideosCaptures folder. For more information on using the Game Bar for screen recording, you can check out this youtube video:
Method 2: Using Microsoft Powerpoint
Happen to have Office PowerPoint on your computer? Then you can use the program to create screencasts, not just presentations.
Normally, this will embed the screen recording on a slide, but you can also choose to save it as a file. Here’s how to do it.
First, open Microsoft PowerPoint. Then choose the Insert tab and ScreenRecording.
Next, choose which part of your screen you want to record with the SelectArea tool. If you’re using Office 2016 or later, you can also use the hotkey WINDOWS + SHIFT + A. Click and drag the cross hairs to select your recording area. If you do not want to record audio, press WINDOWS + SHIFT + U to toggle it.
Once you’re ready, press the Record button.
The small control panel will disappear unless pinned, but you can make it reappear by moving your mouse to the top edge of the screen.
After you’re done, press the Record button again. The video will be automatically embedded in your slide, and you can choose FILE > SAVEAS to save your presentation. If you only want to save the video, choose FILE > SAVEMEDIAAS and then choose the destination folder and video name.
Note: If you are using PowerPoint 2013, you’ll need to follow some special instructions for recording and saving your video. You can find the official tutorial here.
Screen Recording Application Mac
Method 3: OBS Studio
If you’re not a fan of PowerPoint or want a dedicated tool for regular screen recording, OBS Studio is a great video recording software. It’s open source, doesn’t watermark or place time limits on your content, and offers many powerful editing features as well. It also supports live streaming at 60FPS and is a popular choice for this as well.
Before you get started, you’ll need to download OBS Studio from their website here. Since this is a very full-featured program, you’re going to want to run through some basic setup and settings before you get started.
This means you should check out all the settings such as enable/disable automatic recording, streaming setup, bitrate, audio sampling rate, hotkeys, and file naming format among others. What you choose for these will depend on where you plan to show your videos and the capabilities of your computer.
Alternatively, OBS studio does offer an auto-setup wizard that can choose some things for you.
After all the setup, you can get started with a basic screen capture. First, put OBS in “Studio Mode” so that the left side says ‘preview’ and the right side says ‘live’.
To set up a screen capture, choose Sources > + > WindowCapture > CreateNew. In the drop down list that appears, choose the window you want to record.
This should place your window in the ‘preview’ panel. If it looks the way you want it to, click transition in the center of the screen. If it doesn’t, drag the red corners until the preview is adjusted to the size you would like.
Then, click Start Recording and StopRecording to create your video. By default, these are saved as flv files in the user/videos folder, but you can alter this path and save type in the settings.
OBS Studio is a very powerful software, and perhaps one of the best free programs for creating screen recordings or streaming. Its features extend far beyond the simple setup shown here. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a lot of tutorial materials so you’re going to need to find most of your resources from the online community. Streamers may find that a good place to start is this tutorial from Youtube.
Method 4: FlashBack Express / FlashBack Pro
If you’re looking for a dedicated software that can do both the recording and the editing, FlashBack might be a good choice. You can use their free version just for doing basic captures, but the paid option will allow you to make use of editing tools, save in a variety of formats, and add special content to your videos. It’s also one of the best screen recording software we’ve reviewed.
Here’s how to get started with FlashBack. First, download FlashBack from their site (choose “Express” if you want to start for free).
This will download an exe file. If this makes you uncomfortable, consider a different software. Next, click through the installation process.
When you reach this startup screen, choose “Record Your Screen”.
You’ll then have the option to change some settings for your recording, such as the audio source and capture size.
Screen Record On Mac Application
You can also decide whether to capture a window, a region, or the entire screen. If you select region, you’ll see some red cross hairs that you can drag to create a selection.
Then, press “Record” and do everything you need to. While recording, you should see a small bar on the bottom with “pause” and “stop” buttons. This bar can be hidden or shown at will.
Screen Record On Apple Mac
Once you’re done, you’ll be asked to either review, discard, or save your recording. In Express, you will see a limited editor that will allow you to trim and crop the video as needed. Pro users will have a more full-featured video editor.
When you’re done editing, you can use the “Save” feature to save your video in a program-specific format. Or, you can use the export feature to save it as a normal file.
There are quite a few options, such as WMV, AVI, and MPEG4. Additionally, you can choose to export directly to YouTube instead by going to File > Share.
FlashBack Express is a simple solution with a lot of potential for screen recording and editing. It’s very easy to get started, and if you want to get more out of it you can buy a pro license just once (there’s no monthly subscription).
How To Screen Record Mac
Method 5: APowerSoft Online Screen Recorder
If you prefer a web-based solution, APowerSoft offers an online recorder. The name though, appears to be a bit misleading – when attempting to try the software, we found that it does ask you to download a small package. However, the functionality comes completely from the website.
To use this tool, you’ll need to go the APowerSoft Screen Recorder website. Then, just click the “Start Recording” button in the middle of the screen.
Agree to any prompts that appear, such as “Open APowerSoft Online Launcher”. If you choose not to create an account, you’ll also see the following warning before you get started:
Creating an account is simple enough if you want to remove the watermark, but you can get started without one. Just click the “x” in the top right and you’ll see a new recording window appear. From here, you can resize your capture zone, move it around, or adjust special settings such as hide/show the toolbar, hotkeys, and etc.
To start and stop recording, just press the red button. When you’re done, you’ll be shown your video clip.
You can use the save icon to save your screencast as a video file or as a GIF, or use the share icon to upload it to YouTube, Vimeo, Drive, or Dropbox.
APowerSoft is a very lightweight program. It does give you some flexibility – for example, you can capture audio from the system, microphone, both or neither – but it is limited as far as editing capabilities unless you buy the paid version. You’d need to use a separate program on your computer if you plan to do any kind of edits. On the other hand, the tool is very quick to use and could be great in a pinch or if you don’t need to make any fancy changes before sharing them.
Alternative Methods
YouTube Live Streaming
If you have a YouTube channel, you can take advantage of the YouTube Creator Studio to film a screen recording. This requires using the live stream feature, so it’s not a great fit for everyone, but it could work out in some cases. To get started with using YouTube for screencasting, check out this tutorial.
Filmora Scrn
Filmora Scrn is a dedicated screen recording software made by Wondershare. It offers dual camera recording (screen and webcam), plenty of export options, and editing tools. Some people prefer it because the interface is a lot cleaner than some competing applications, but as this isn’t a free software, it’s not quite as accessible as some of the other methods listed here. However, if you’re interested in an easy-to-use and specialized screen recording software, you can check out Filmora here. We’ve also reviewed Filmora with more details.
Camtasia
Unlike many of the more specialized programs, Camtasia is a full-featured video editor first and a screen recording software second. It offers the most editing and production capabilities, which makes it a great choice if you want to do more than just record your screen or plan to produce several kinds of videos. The interface is very clean and easy to use. You can check out our full review of Camtasia here.
Snagit
Snagit is a program made by TechSmith, the same company that makes Camtasia. However, Snagit is not an all-in-one tool, and instead is only meant for screen recording. It offers some interesting features such as a magic selection tool that can automatically detect areas to record as well as an editing panel that will let you annotate your final videos. You can learn more about it here or read our detailed Snagit review here. Note: Snagit is a paid software.
CamStudio
CamStudio is a free software, but it’s an older and less well supported software compared to some alternatives. The program is maintained primarily by one individual and definitely has a few bugs that are still being worked out, but if you’re interested in trying it’s worth giving a shot. CamStudio may not be as “shiny” as some alternatives, but it is free and available here should you be interested in it.
Conclusion
Whether you’re making videos for a small classroom, thousands of subscribers, or for your own enjoyment, learning how to record screen on Windows 10 can make a huge difference. Depending on what features are important to you, there’s a variety of options that can meet your needs and no reason why you shouldn’t succeed in making a great video.