Are you looking forward to learning how to record videos on your MacBook? Whether you want to record a short clip for social media, capture a screen recording of your favorite YouTuber or record and edit a family vlog, everything is feasible using Mac’s Facetime camera.
There are quite a few video recording app alternatives, each with its own set of advantages and drawbacks. Let’s discuss the three best quick and easy ways to produce a video with your laptop.
Yes, when it comes to video recording or screen recording on Mac, native Apple programs like QuickTime or iMovie strike our minds. You can go through the MacBook Users Manuals and learn about how to use these programs properly and effectively to your advantage.
However, if you are not interested in the native MacBook programs, we have also lined up additional third-party options for you to accomplish a lot more than just capturing a video.
Let’s begin with the Movavi Screen Recorder.
- Record Video on Mac with Movavi Screen Recorder
- How to Capture Video on Mac with QuickTime
- How to Take a Video on MacBook with iMovie
Record Video on Mac with Movavi Screen Recorder
Installation
- As a first step towards using the Movavi Screen Recorder to record a video on Mac, you can either download the program for free or purchase a paid version.
- Now go to the installation file and follow the guided instructions to install the program on your MacBook.
Set up the Recording Parameters
You can customize what window and which portion of the screen you want to capture.
- Click on the Screen recording button from the control panel of the program.
- To select a particular area, hold and drag the cursor and create a rectangular outline. A frame will appear, and you can change its location and size if it is not in the proper position.
- Click anywhere on the screen or outside an open window to capture a whole screen video.
- If you are trying to record a specific program window, open that program and fit the rectangular frame around it.
- New panels will come up to set a few more settings. Click the System Audio icon to activate it if it’s not green already.
- Turn the voice and webcam icons green if you need them in the recording.
- Select the audio recording mode you want, mono or stereo, and the audio frequency.
- You have the option to capture two different sound streams, both system and microphone audio.
- All set? Now hit the Rec button to start video capturing.
Screen Recording and Editing
- There are options to pause/resume or take breaks during the recording.
- Once you click on Stop to finish the recording, you will see a preview.
- Use the built-in video editor to trim and cut the unwanted fragments from the video.
- When you are happy with the changes, go to Save As. Select the file format and location and save it. Movavi supports MP4, AVI, MOV, MKV, GIF, MP3, PNG, BMP, JPG as their output video formats.
Pros
- You can record two streams simultaneously, both screen and audio.
- The program gives you instant social sharing and multiple export options.
- You can schedule a predetermined recording time, and Movavi Screen Recorder will work accordingly.
- Movavi supports mouse pointer display and visual representation of the keyboard in recordings.
Cons
- The free version has some limitations. Screenshot editing is not available. Plus, the recorded video will have a prominent Movavi watermark, which is sort of aesthetically unpleasing.
How to Capture Video on Mac with QuickTime?
You can follow these steps for Screen Recording:
- First, open the program in Mac from the apps list. Go to the Applications folder and select QuickTime.
- Go to the menu bar on the top of your screen and drop down the File menu. From File, select New Screen Recording.
- If you want to show the mouse pointer’s movement in the video, tap on the arrow beside the Record button and select Show Mouse Clicks in Recording.
- To record the full window view, click anywhere on your computer screen.
- If you require to capture just a particular section of the screen, hold and drag the touchpad and select that portion.
- Now hit the Start Recording button.
- Once you are finished, you can do two things to stop the recording.
- Hold Command, Control and Esc together.
- Open the drop-down menu from the QuickTime Player icon and select Stop Recording.
- The recorded video will start playing automatically. You can check out the editing options from the menu bar on the top of the screen.
Follow these similar steps to record a movie in QuickTime:
- Launch QuickTime from the Application folder.
- Select New Movie Recording from File menu.
- You will see the Facetime webcam on the screen.
- Click on the red button to start recording a movie.
- Hit the same button to stop recording.
- Now go to File → Save.
- Find a location for the video, rename it and finally save it.
- It will be saved as a .mov file by default. You can convert the video later to change the format.
Pros
- QuickTime application is installed in Mac devices by default, making video and screen recording a quick and easy process.
- You don’t need to download any third-party program for recording purposes.
- QuickTime is ideal for shorter clips without system audio.
- Not just Mac, the software is compatible with iPad and iPhones as well.
Cons
- If you haven’t updated QuickTime in a long time, it can sometimes crash after an OS X update.
- If you are using Soundflower for audio screen recording, you won’t be able to hear the sound from the internal speaker during recording. So it’s a bit confusing as you can’t say if the right track is being recorded or not.
How to Take a Video on MacBook with iMovie?
- First things first, open the program on your MacBook.
- Go to the Dock → Launchpad → iMovie
- Go to Finder → Applications folder → iMovie
- Or use Spotlight.
- Now open the Import window in iMovie, where you will record the video. Click on the Import button to launch this window.
- Media tab in toolbar → Import button
- Project browser → Import button in the toolbar
- Select the in-built FaceTime HD camera from the Camera section, which you can find in the Import window sidebar.
- A live preview will appear in the window.
- There’s a little step you need to take if this is your first-time screen recording with iMovie.
You have to give consent to iMovie to access the microphone and camera first.
- Next, you have to specify the ‘event’ from the ‘Import to’ pop-up menu at the top of the Import window.
- Choose an existing event: ‘Import to’ → Select the event
- Create a new event: ‘Import to’ → Choose New Event → Name the event → Ok
- Choose the open project: ‘Import to’ → Select Project Media
- Hit the red Record button, and it will start recording. Press the same one to stop.
- And you got your new screen recording video clip!
Pros
- The autosave option is a savior; you don’t lose your work progress anymore.
- Compatible with both desktop and mobile versions.
- It’s super easy to split and trim videos in iMovie.
- The intuitive interface is excellent for amateurs.
Cons
- Exporting videos from iMovie is a time taking process. It gets a bit slow when it comes to uploading videos on social media; for example, the ‘Share to YouTube’ option freezes sometimes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The simplest way to record a video on Mac is with the Photobooth app. This software is built right into macOS. You can find it in the app folder. Open Photo Booth applications, and in the bottom left, you will see three buttons. Click the third push-button, which has a video camera sign on it. Then tick the red button to start recording.
You can record a video with your Mac’s internal Camera. To change to another camera, click Camera in the menu bar. Then select whichever Camera you want to activate.
If you need to use your Mac camera to record a video, you can. It doesn’t matter whether you are using an iSight camera built into a Macbook or iMac or an external camera plugged into a USB port.
As well as using the Photo Booth application that comes with macOS, you can record in a third-party application too. You can record video in video conferencing applications if they support that function.
Yes, it is entirely possible to record videos on a Mac. You can select from a wide range of programs, methods, and tools to do this, including programs like hotkeys, desktop apps, online applications, and browser extensions.
- Launch QuickTime Player by searching for it on the launchpad.
- Select File, then New Screen Recording from the drop-down menu.
- Select full-screen or partial-screen recording after pressing the Record button.
When you're finished recording hit the Stop button.
There is a variety of alternative tools and applications that you may use to record your mac screen. Desktop software like Movavi Screen Recorder or even hotkeys for fast and easy screen recording.