Screen recording on Mac

By Kaushik, 30 November, 2024

Forum
macOS and Mac Apps

Hello Applevisers Kaushik here from India, I am looking for a good screen recording app on MacBook. I tried with OBS. I am not able to add the system audio to OBS. Recommend me a good screen recorder for MacBook, which is accessible with VoiceOver.

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Comments

By Ines on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 - 19:56

Maybe this isn't exactly what you're looking for, but I’ve used this solution many times and was satisfied with the results I achieved. It's simple to use and, most importantly, free of charge.
Here’s how you can do it:
1. Download the Zoom application (it's a communication tool) and create an account.
2. Start a new meeting. If I remember correctly, the shortcut for this is Ctrl + Cmd + V.
3. Once the meeting begins, press Cmd + Shift + S to share your screen.
4. Then press **Cmd + Shift + R** to start recording what you're sharing.
To end the process:
- Press **Cmd + Shift + R** again to stop the recording.
- Press **Cmd + Shift + S** again to stop screen sharing.
- Navigate to the "End" button to close the meeting.
The recording will be saved automatically.
When you start screen sharing, Zoom will display a window where you can choose what to record: a specific window, an application, or the entire screen. Be sure to check the option to record sound as well.

By Khomus on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 - 19:56

I haven't messed with it yet, but I'm fairly sure QUicktime will do screen recording. Menu says cmd-cctrl-n is new screen recording. Also I'm fairly sure obs is usable too. It can just be a little tricky, or at least, it was on Windows. Have you searched here for a guide on using it?

By Kaushik on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 - 19:56

We can’t select audio capture where we can pull out system audio into recording in OBS. This is not accessible. That is why I am struggling in Windows OBS is very much accessible, but in Mac, I’m feeling very difficult to handle.

By TheBlindGuy07 on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 - 19:56

cmd shift 5. everyone told me it captures vo sounds too but not for me apparently. same problem for me it's hard to capture internal audio

By Tarja on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 - 19:56

I use QuickTime player and it works wonderfully.

By Ines on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 - 19:56

Using QuickTime alone won’t work for recording system audio—at least not with just the app itself. You can achieve this by using a plugin like BlackHole or an application like Loopback, which enables audio routing to apps.
Here’s how it works:
1. Install BlackHole or Loopback to create a virtual audio device.
2. Configure this virtual device to capture system audio.
3. Select the virtual device as the microphone input in QuickTime when recording the screen.
4. This setup will allow you to record both microphone input and system audio.
However, I still believe the simplest solution is to use the Zoom application. As I described above, it’s a communication tool that offers a straightforward and free way to record screen and audio without additional complexity or plugins.

By TheBlindGuy07 on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 - 19:56

I tried BlackHole but I think I don't know how to do the step 2 well, can you please help me? From what I understand though it's something to do with audio midi device app as sb (if it's not actually you) described it in another thread. Thanks a lot!

By Tyler on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 - 19:56

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

For me, Command-Shift-5 captures system audio. You may need to select your microphone by clicking the Options button before this will work.

HTH

By Khomus on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 - 19:56

Quicktime? OBS? Something else?

By Tyler on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 - 19:56

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

When clicking the Options button in the screenshot dialog, what are your current settings?

By Kaushik on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 - 19:56

I could able to do screen recording in quick time player and also capture system audio but when i Use extranal headset, I could not able to capture system audio I amean system sounds what is the solution for this.

By Ines on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 - 19:56

I would love to help you, but I have never installed BlackHole myself. However, I have used the Loopback and Audio Hijack applications. With these, I’ve been able to record system audio and even prank my friends by changing my voice to a very deep one. When they called me, I would talk to them in that voice, all thanks to those two apps.
I currently have Loopback in the trial version because it’s a pricey application, but it’s easier to handle with a screen reader and simpler to configure. That’s why I think Zoom is a great option—it’s very easy to use and can be tailored to your needs.
There’s also a nice app that’s reportedly screen reader-friendly for taking screenshots and recording screens with both system audio and microphone input. However, I’ll need to look up its name because I’ve forgotten it. Note that I haven’t had the chance to test it myself.

By Ines on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 - 19:56

Regarding the second point, I only know as much as I once read about it. In the MIDI utility, you need to configure an audio device to record both microphone and system audio using the BlackHole plugin. Unfortunately, that's where my knowledge ends.

However, I have installed the Loopback application and configured it without any issues. Now, using both Audio Hijack and Loopback, I can route audio between applications. That said, these are paid solutions.

Oh, and by the way, you don’t necessarily need both Audio Hijack and Loopback to achieve this—just having Loopback should suffice, or at least that’s what I believe.

By TheBlindGuy07 on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 - 19:56

So with loopback only then? as it has some other features I may want to use one day too.

By Steve Sawczyn on Saturday, December 14, 2024 - 19:56

I love the ideas that have been suggested in this thread, but really like the cmd+SHFT+5 option as sometimes, it'd be great to just quickly record something without needing to switch to another app. My issue with it though is that I don't know how much time to set for the timer. By default, it's set to five seconds and that's probably too short for just about everything. I thought that might be a countdown timer at first, but if it is, then I'm not sure where recordings are actually going as they're not showing up on my desktop which is what I have set in options. Could someone briefly describe how they're using this cmd+shft+5 option, especially how the options are set?

Thanks so much,

Steve

By Tyler on Saturday, December 14, 2024 - 19:56

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

For me, I have my recordings configured to save to the Documents folder, so when I stop the recording, click the "Markup" button in the dialog that appears, and then click the Done button, they're saved to that location.

By Ron s on Saturday, December 14, 2024 - 19:56

Does anyone know what the analyse button is for? It appears in the Markup window when having the floating window enable in options.
It doesn't appear to have any effect that I can find whever toggled on or off
Thanks Ron.

-Steve the timer is a countdown I think,

By TheBlindGuy07 on Saturday, December 28, 2024 - 19:56

Yeah! I, God knows how, managed to get obs working on my mac for screen recording with my voice, voiceover audio and screen. It's just not coded well in terms of accessibility but I will not call it not accessible at all there are easy workarounds. You must try to use keyboard and trackpad but less the VO navigation commands and that's it. I might write a guide some day if I have enough motivation but it works! And I'm extremely happy about that.

By JoĂŁo Santos on Saturday, December 28, 2024 - 19:56

I've posted comments with instructions on how to use BlackHole to this forum at least twice before, and since I'm rather short on time right now to write yet another custom reply, I'll just link to the posts containing my previous comments on this subject.

https://www.applevis.com/forum/macos-mac-apps/blackhole
https://www.applevis.com/forum/macos-mac-apps/looking-some-free-solutions-record-my-voice-along-voice-over-mac

By Kaushik on Saturday, December 28, 2024 - 19:56

I found out the solution for OBS studio with one of my friend. He mentioned using vivo CR should help us to select input and output source. Let us see how it goes.

By Dennis Long on Saturday, December 28, 2024 - 19:56

Got these instructions from a friend. Hope they help.
Instructions for Taking a Screen Recording on macOS with VoiceOver on:
1. Put focus on the screen where you would like to begin your screen recording. You may find it useful to press Command-Option-H, which hides other windows
from view.
2. Press Command-Shift-5.
3. Use VO-Right Arrow to find and select “Record Entire Screen”.
4. Use VO-Right Arrow to find and select “Options” and ensure that your Mac microphone is selected for audio.
5. Exit the options and then find and select the “Record” button.
6. Once complete, Press Command-Shift-5 once more, and find then select “Stop Screen Recording” button.
7. VoiceOver focus will move to a “Markup” button. Select this, and then press Command-S to save the screen recording to your desktop.
Note : If you use Screen Curtain with VoiceOver, please be sure to disable it before taking a screen recording. If screen curtain is on a developer can't see what you are getting. This is why it is important to turn it off first. A screen recording will capture your VoiceOver
audio as well as background noise, such as narration, if you choose to speak.

By TheBlindGuy07 on Saturday, December 28, 2024 - 19:56

Okay but we 1 already know that, 2 doesn't solve the problem for getting VO and mac internal audio, 3... I am extremely proud to have OBS working on my mac for SR purpose and perfectly functional :)

By Kaushik on Saturday, December 28, 2024 - 19:56

My scenario is to do recording also screen recording using headphones on Mac. I’m not finding a perfect solution. Anybody using OBS contact me personally or any other way suggest me to do YouTube videos, but I want to use my headphone and record because it has noise cancellation, Mic.

By TheBlindGuy07 on Saturday, December 28, 2024 - 19:56

Yeah no problem. If you really wanna use OBS... Give me 5 days if that's acceptable please?

By Kaushik on Saturday, December 28, 2024 - 19:56

I am okay. Should take time and help me out.

By TheBlindGuy07 on Saturday, January 4, 2025 - 19:56

Do you have a macbook? Meaning you have a trackpad? Otherwise follow the instructions above about blackhole (which I haven't tried yet) as it will just not work for you with OBS. Basically, when you click to select a source you have to drag your finger on the trackpad to select the device / source you wanna get input/output from, and that's it that's how I've been able to deal with OBS and I enjoy it far more than I should given the actual accessibility. Then you just follow the OBS quick start instructions. It's, in my humble opinion and applevis users feel free to yell at me, way easier than having to deal with two separate apps.

By ClaireCC on Monday, March 17, 2025 - 19:56

Apart from QuickTime Player + SoundFlower/BlackHole (not working occasionally, difficult to install), Shift + Command + 5 (record microphone only), OBS (not accessible), AnyRec Screen Recorder is worth trying.

The interface is easy to understand. Just turn on toggle button before "System Sound", then click its "REC" button. That's it. Now you can record system audio on Mac.

Or you can turn on the toggle button before both "System Sound" and "Microphone" to record computer audio with voiceover on Mac.