Quick Answer
Use QuickTime Player for basic recording. For advanced features, try OBS or Wondershare DemoCreator. CleanShot X is great for screenshots and recording with annotations. For quick tasks, use browser extensions like Screenity. For internal audio, use Zoom with QuickTime Player.
Of all the things necessary to learn about your device, you would agree that clicking a screenshot and recording its screen are among the most useful ones. Be it for recording a tutorial on YouTube or an online demonstration for someone; screen recording comes into the clutch more often than you can imagine.
macOS is notorious for complicating things, and recording your Mac’s screen is no different. While clicking a screenshot on a Mac is relatively effortless, recording its screen isn’t much, even though several methods are available. This guide outlines the five best ways to record screen on a Mac. Read along to know more.
Table of Contents
4 Ways to Record Screen on a Mac
Sl. No. | Method | Description | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | QuickTime Player | Built-in macOS screen recorder with two methods: Keyboard Shortcut and QuickTime Player App. | Easy to use, no installation required, allows basic editing. | Limited features, no internal audio recording without additional setup. |
2a | OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) | Free and open-source screen recorder with professional-grade features, widely used for streaming. | Feature-rich, real-time video/audio capturing and mixing, supports live streaming. | Steep learning curve, might be overwhelming for beginners. |
2b | Wondershare DemoCreator | Paid screen recording software with a well-designed interface and built-in editor. | Easy to use, comprehensive editing tools, AI-powered features like background removal and noise suppression. | Not free, might be overkill for simple tasks. |
2c | CleanShot X | Popular screenshot tool with excellent screen recording capabilities. | Supports system-audio recording, notification blocker, live webcam feed, basic video editor. | Paid app, limited advanced editing features compared to others. |
3a | Screen Recorder by Scre.io | Simple browser extension for screen recording. | Free, no sign-ups, no watermarks, easy to use. | Internal audio recording might not work, limited features compared to dedicated apps. |
3b | Screenity | Feature-rich browser extension with real-time annotation and AI-powered background removal. | Free, comprehensive editor, supports internal audio recording, no sign-ups or recording limitations. | Might be too feature-packed for simple needs, potential performance issues in browser. |
3c | Awesome Screen Recorder & Screenshot | Browser extension that combines screen recording and screenshots. | Supports webcam feed, external microphone recording, real-time annotation, 4K recording. | Some features locked behind a paywall, lacks internal audio recording. |
4 | Zoom (Video Conferencing App) | Uses Zoom's screen sharing and QuickTime Player to record screen with internal audio. | Can record internal audio, no additional software required if Zoom is already installed. | Audio quality might be compromised, more complex setup than other methods. |
Official Way to Record Screen on a Mac: QuickTime Player
First up, we have the built-in way to record screen on a Mac – QuickTime Player. You might already know how to click a screenshot using the keyboard shortcut command + shift + 3; recording your Mac’s screen is just an extension of that and an equally easy one. There are two ways to screen record using QuickTime Player:
Using Keyboard Shortcut
- Similar to the screenshot shortcut, press command + shift + 5 to bring up your Mac’s screen recorder.
- A toolbar containing the necessary options should appear at the bottom. While the first three options are related to screenshots, the next two are our areas of interest.
- The fourth icon in the toolbar lets you record your Mac’s entire screen, whereas the fifth option is for recording a specified screen estate. Clicking Options in the toolbar enables you to tweak a few things, such as setting where the screen recording should get saved, input audio source, countdown timer duration, enabling pointer clicks, and more.
- Click anywhere on the screen to begin the screen recording.
- Click the stop icon in your Mac’s menu bar to stop recording your screen.
- A floating window will appear at the bottom-left corner of your screen, clicking which will open the screen recording from where you can trim, share, or delete it.
Using the QuickTime Player App
Using the QuickTime Player app doesn’t make the procedure drastically different; you’ll still have to go through the toolbar to record your Mac’s screen. Open QuickTime Player from Launchpad and select File from your Mac’s menu bar. Select New Screen Recording, after which the screen recording toolbar will show up, from where you can begin recording using the above procedure.
One hidden functionality you can enable is recording your webcam’s feed within the screen recording. While macOS doesn’t allow it by default, it’s possible.
- Open QuickTime Player from Launchpad.
- Select File from your Mac’s menu bar and click New Movie Recording.
- A webcam feed should pop up, which you can resize and place as required.
- Select File from your Mac’s menu bar again and click New Screen Recording.
- Click anywhere on the screen to begin the recording. You can set the recording parameters using the toolbar at the bottom.
- To stop an ongoing recording, click on the stop icon in your Mac’s menu bar.
You might be wondering if you can record internal audio, too, and the answer is yes. Unfortunately, it isn’t as straightforward and requires rerouting a few audio sources. But fret not; here’s how to record internal audio during screen recording on macOS.
Record Mac Screen Using Third-Party Apps
Let’s be honest: the in-built macOS screen recorder is pretty barebones, so much so that you might prefer using third-party alternatives. With a plethora of screen recorders available, all of them will certainly pack a lot more useful features. Here are the three best ones to record screen on a Mac.
1. Open Broadcaster Software (OBS)
OBS is a household name in the world of streaming. As a free and open-source screen recorder available across many platforms, OBS is quite feature-packed. It is out-and-out professional-grade software, hence involving a bit of a learning curve. A few highlighting features include real-time video/audio capturing and mixing, unlimited capturing scenes with custom transitions to switch between them, and a lot more. You can also live stream on YouTube using OBS.
2. Wondershare DemoCreator
Wondershare DemoCreator is the most feature-rich screen recording software you will ever encounter. Thanks to its well-designed and elegant interface, DemoCreator is quite easy to operate. With a built-in editor, you can edit your captures using templates, effects, transitions, and more. Wondershare DemoCreate is AI-ready, enabling you to unlock more possibilities, such as real-time background removal, teleprompting, noise suppression, and so on. It’s not free software, but it’s well worth paying for.
3. CleanShot X
CleanShot X is among the most popular screenshot tools available for Mac. Not many know that it’s an incredibly excellent screen recording software with several valuable features, such as system-audio recording, notification blocker, support for live webcam feed, and more. It even has a basic video editor that allows you to trim and annotate your screen recordings. CleanShot X is a paid app, but it is an excellent app to record screens on a Mac.
A few other recommendations include Kap, 1001 Record, and Tella.
Mac Screen Recording Using Browser Extensions
If you aren’t willing to install a full-blown app to record your Mac’s screen, you might want to take a look at browser extensions that let you do so. They are simple, easy to use, and pack most of the necessary features required for a screen recording. Here are the three best browser extensions to record screen on a Mac.
1. Screen Recorder by Scre.io
Screen Recorder by Scre.io is the definition of a no-nonsense screen recorder. All it lets you do is set the video source (screen, camera, or both), select the audio source (system, microphone, or phone), and that’s it. The extension is free to use and requires no sign-ups. There are no watermarks or recording limitations, which is a plus. The internal audio recording didn’t work in our case, but despite that, Screen Recorder by Scre.io is a worthy extension to install.
2. Screenity – Screen Recorder & Annotation Tool
With the amount of features it packs, Screenity is a screen recorder on steroids. To mention a few, Screenity features AI-powered background removal, custom backgrounds, real-time annotation, recording internal audio, blurring out sensitive content in a screen recording, and more. Screenity even packs a comprehensive editor that allows cropping, trimming, and adding audio to your recordings. The extension is well-designed and free, with no sign-ups or recording limitations whatsoever.
3. Awesome Screen Recorder & Screenshot
Awesome Screen Recorder and Screenshot is a two-in-one tool that is done right. While not as feature-rich, it packs most of the requisite features, such as support for including the webcam feed, recording audio through an external microphone, real-time annotation, and more. The only crucial feature you might miss is internal audio recording, but it makes up for it by supporting 4K recording. While certain features are locked behind a paywall, the extension is backed up by great user reviews, making it a worthy contender.
A few other alternatives we would recommend are Screencastify, Flonnect Screen & Webcam Recorder, and Vidyard Screen Recorder.
Record Screen on a Mac Using Video Conferencing Apps (Zoom)
Shout out to u/iLickBnalAlood on Reddit. We learned about a fantastic hack that can be used to record a screen on a Mac. This method involves QuickTime Player and Zoom, a widely popular video conferencing app, or really any other video conferencing app that has similar functionalities. Thanks to COVID-19, you might already have Zoom installed on your Mac, meaning you are pretty much ready to begin. Here’s the how-to:
- Open Zoom and start a new meeting with just you in. If you don’t have Zoom installed, visit here to install it on your Mac.
- Select the Share option at the bottom to start screen sharing.
- Under the Advanced tab, select Computer Audio and click on Share. Zoom may additionally prompt you to install an audio device first, which you can do so by entering your Mac’s password.
- Open QuickTime Player and select the File icon from your Mac’s menu bar.
- Click on New Screen Recording.
- From the toolbar that appears at the bottom, open the dropdown menu beside Options and select ZoomAudioDevice.
- Start recording your screen by pressing anywhere on the screen. Select the stop icon in your Mac’s menu bar to stop recording.
With this, you can record your Mac’s screen and simultaneously capture internal audio. Sure, the audio quality takes a considerable hit, but capturing internal audio is not something most screen recorders can do by default.
Related Read: How to Record Internal Audio during Screen Recording on MacOS
Record Screen On a Mac Effortlessly
Screen recording on a Mac can be done in multiple ways, including third-party apps, browser extensions, and even video conferencing apps. If you are someone who doesn’t want to get into complications, we recommend using the native macOS screen recorder. But for everyone else who prefers function over form, we recommend trying out the apps and extensions mentioned above, as they are indeed a better alternative.
