How To Record Screen On Mac

Tips
3

If you just want a quick tutorial and not a full YouTube-career setup, you can actually keep this pretty lean.

@caminantenocturno already covered the usual suspects (Shift+Cmd+5, QuickTime, BlackHole, OBS), so I’ll throw in a few alternaitves and small tweaks that make life easier, plus where I slightly disagree.

1. Use the Screenshot Toolbar, but tweak quality/settings

Everyone says “Shift + Cmd + 5 and go” which is fine, but a couple of things people skip:

  • After Shift + Cmd + 5
    • Click “Options”
    • Change “Save to” to a specific folder (like Desktop / Tutorials) so you don’t hunt for files later
    • Set a short timer (5 sec) so you can get windows in place before it starts
  • Resolution tip:
    • If you’re on a big Retina screen, consider recording a smaller portion instead of full screen. Smaller area = smaller file size and clearer text when you upload.

I actually prefer this over QuickTime for most short videos. QuickTime is not really “more control” in practice for casual stuff, it is just more clicks.

2. Free app option that’s simpler than OBS: Screen Studio / Kap style tools

OBS is powerful but overkill unless you like fiddling with scenes. A lighter alternative:

Kap (free, open source, in the App Store / GitHub)

  • Menubar app
  • Lets you select a region or a window
  • Outputs MP4 or GIF
  • Good for short tutorials or sending a quick clip to someone

Caveat: similar to built in tools, system audio is not automatic, so if you need system plus mic, you’ll still end up dealing with a virtual device, same as described by @caminantenocturno. If you just need your voice explaining stuff, Kap is nice and low-friction.

3. If you want system audio + mic but hate virtual devices

I slightly disagree that “free + virtual audio driver” is always the way to go. If this is a one off or you don’t want to touch Audio MIDI Setup at all, you can do this workaround:

Use your iPhone as a dedicated mic:

  1. Plug in wired headphones to your Mac.
  2. Turn Mac volume up so system sounds are clear in the room but not painfully loud.
  3. Put your iPhone near the speakers and use “Voice Memos” or any recorder app to record your narration.
  4. Record screen on Mac with Shift + Cmd + 5 (no mic).
  5. Later, drop both files into iMovie or any basic editor and sync by eye (line up when you say your first word).

It sounds janky, but for a short tutorial this actually works and avoids driver drama. Also you get a “cleaner” system audio because the Mac capture has no mic noise in it.

4. If you’re okay installing one single thing: IINA + QuickTime combo

For tutorials that mostly show a video or app with audio:

  • In IINA (media player), set audio output device to a virtual device like BlackHole, but
  • Keep system output on your headphones/speakers.
  • In QuickTime, select BlackHole as the mic.

Why: only the app’s audio gets piped into the recording, so you don’t record random notification sounds or other apps pinging. It’s slightly more advanced, but neat if you’re demoing something specific like a video player, DAW, etc.

5. Making your voice clear without fancy gear

Even with the built in Mac recorder:

  • Use any half decent mic:
    • Even wired Apple earbuds usually beat the internal mic.
  • Record in a quiet room:
    • Soft surfaces help. Couch, curtains, closet with clothes if you’re really desperate.
  • Turn off “input monitoring” if your app has it, so you don’t hear yourself delayed. That can mess up your speech rhythm.
  • Do a tiny test:
    • 10 seconds recording, watch it back, check:
      • Voice loud enough
      • No crazy fan noise
      • Text on screen readable

6. If you care about future-proofing

If you might do tutorials more than “just this once,” I’d actually suck it up and:

  1. Install a virtual audio device like BlackHole.
  2. Set up:
    • One Aggregate Device (mic + BlackHole)
    • One Multi Output Device (BlackHole + your headphones)

The first time is mildly painful, but after that it’s: select your combo device and forget about it. In that sense I agree with @caminantenocturno that it’s re-usable, but I’d say it only pays off if you plan on making more than one or two vids.

TL;DR:

  • Just your voice over the screen:
    • Use Shift + Cmd + 5, select your mic, record a portion of the screen, done.
  • Voice plus system audio, no audio wiring:
    • Record screen on Mac + record voice separately on phone, sync later.
  • Voice plus system audio, more professional, free:
    • Bite the bullet and use BlackHole or VB-Cable once, then reuse the setup.
  • Hate complexity but want a nicer app:
    • Try Kap instead of QuickTime / OBS.