Previously, I have written about recording screen in Windows. In this post, I will show you 3 free screen recorders for Mac with audio to capture your Mac’s screen. Whether you need a screen recorder for streaming or making video tutorials, you can pick one from this list.
Record Your Mac’s Screen with QuickTime
Your Mac has a built-in feature for recording the screen with audio. You may create a video recording of your computer screen with the QuickTime Player app. You can follow the steps below to record your Mac screen with audio.
Step 1. Open the QuickTime Player app on your Mac. Choose File > New Screen Recording in the QuickTime Player app top menu to launch the record and capture tool. Alternatively, you can also use the SFT + Command + 5 keys to bring up the Screenshot Toolbar.
Step 2. It will display the Capture and Record toolbar. Now you can adjust the screen recording area or simply record the entire screen. Click the Option to make sure the Microphone option is checked. You also adjust other settings in Options For example, you can set the location where your screen recording will be saved, or include the pointer or clicks in the screen recording.
Step 3. Click Record to start the recording. If you want to stop recording, go to the menu bar and choose Stop Recording.
When the recording is complete, you can watch it to see whether you want to save it or record a new one. By default, the screen recordings will be saved in the Documents folder.
OBS – Best Recording App for Streaming
If you want to record your Mac screen for streaming, then I recommend OBS, an open source tool for video recording and live streaming. However, OBS alone does not capture the output audio source in macOS Monterey or later versions. If that’s your case, you can refer to the steps below to work it around.
Step 1. Download and Install OBS.
You can download the “DMG” file for macOS from https://obsproject.com/. Open the “DMG” file and drag the OBS icon to Applications.
## Install Homebrew if you haven’t
$ /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
## install obs
$ brew install --cask obsStep 2. Install the BalckHole app, also free and open source.
Go to this webpage and put in your email but that is to get the download link. If you don’t want to enter your email, you can run the following command to install BaclHole using Homebrew.
##blackhole-2ch
brew install blackhole-2ch
##blackhole-16ch
brew install blackhole-16chStep 3. Open the Apple MIDI Setup application, which is pre-installed on all Macs. You can press Command + Space to start a Spotlight Search to find it.
Step 4. Click on the plus icon to create a new output device that contains your speaker as well as the Blackhole driver.
Step 5. Add the new device as the Audio Output Capture source in OBS.
In OBS, select “Audio” from the “Settings” menu. In the “Desktop audio” input, choose the device “BlackHole 16ch” or “BaclkHole 2ch” accordingly.
Step 6. Go to your Mac System preferences > Sound, and make sure the Multi-Output device is at default.
Step 7. Return to OBS Settings and choose the “Video” menu option. Set the output video resolution (HD or FullHD) and frame rate (30 or 60 frames per second). You may also customize other settings based on your preference.
Step 8. Return to the main menu. Click the “+” icon in the “Sources” panel and pick “Display Capture” as a source. Choose one of your displays to record if you have more than one.
Step 9. Click Start Recording in the right panel to start recording your Mac screen. When you’re finished, pick “Stop recording” in the same manner.
Screen Recorder by Omi
Screen Recorder by Omi for Mac is a professional screen recorder that helps you record any part of your screen including sound. It is a powerful and easy-to-use screen recorder for both beginners and professionals, which is why I include it in my list of best Mac apps.
You can record any part of your screen, including windows and tabs, with one click. If you want to capture a specific part of your screen, you can frame the area you want to record via drag and drop.
To learn how to screen-record on your Mac in a few easy steps, follow the steps below.
Step 1. Free download and install Screen Recorder by Omi from Appstore.
Step 2. When you launch the app for the first time, you need to allow access to your Camera, Microphone, and Display.
Step 3. When you click Allow for Display, you also need to allow it in Settings > Security & Privacy. This app will navigate you to the Privacy tab and you just need to check Screen Recorder by Omi. You also need to enter your passcode to save the change.
Step 4. After that, you need to reopen Screen Recorder by Omi. Now, you can click the record icon at the top right menu to start recording your Mac screen with audio.
You may use the Screen Recorder’s built-in editing and conversion features to trim your video and change the video quality. Before exporting your recording to your device, just make the required modifications in the preview box that displays after your recording.
Conclusion
For most people, the pre-installed app QuickTime Player is enough for recording screen on Mac with audio. If you want to record system sound on Mac along with your microphone, you should check the other two methods.
Apple does not allow third-party apps to record video with sound natively. To work this around, you need to install other extensions or apps. We recommend 2 third-party apps for recording the Mac screen with system sound.
OBS is best for live streaming and Screen Recorder by Omi offers some basic video editing features. Both of them are free and you may choose one according to your preference.