How to use quicktime player to record screen and audio

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The Holy Grail of screen recording on Mac

Mac OSX has QuickTime Player built-in. QuickTime allows you to easily do a screen recording. However, when doing so, you only get the screen – no audio.

You can install Soundflower to route your computer’s audio back into QuickTime to record it.

  • Open QuickTime Player
  • Go to File – New Screen Recording
  • Click red Record button

Adding Audio from your Computer

This allows you to capture the audio from your computer in your QuickTime screen recording. This is what I kept finding when trying to search for a solution. Google “Screen recording with audio on Mac” and you will see. This option routes ALL audio through Soundflower and therefore you CANNOT HEAR IT to monitor it as it is being recorded.

  • Download and install Soundflower http://cycling74.com/products/soundflower/
  • Go into System Preferences – Sound – Output — choose Soundflower 2ch
  • Open QuickTime
  • Start New Screen Recording – Click drop down arrow on right side of dialog box – choose Soundflower 2ch
  • Click red Record button

The Holy Grail (Adding Audio from your Microphone and your Computer while being able to hear the audio as it records)

This is great for a screen-sharing session where you are talking to someone and walking through an application over the computer. This was the exact thing I needed to do when I figured this out, thought I would write it up to remember in the future.

NOTE: If you do not want to include your microphone audio and only include the audio from your computer in your screen recording, just take out the steps related to the “Aggregate Device” and choose SoundFlower 2ch in QuickTime for your screen recording.

  • Download and install Soundflower http://cycling74.com/products/soundflower/
  • Go to Applications – Utilities — Open Audio Midi Setup
  • Click the (+) Plus sign in bottom left corner
  • Choose “Create Aggregate Device”
  • Place a checkmark next to Soundflower 2ch and Built-in Microphone
  • Click the (+) Plus sign again
  • Choose “Create Multi-Output Device”
  • Place a checkmark next to SoundFlower 2ch and Built-in Output
  • Go into System Preferences – Sound – Output — choose Multi-Output Device
  • Now, when you open up QuickTime – Start New Screen Recording and select “Aggregate Device” from drop down arrow on the right.

Voila!

For the last few years, video content creators have multiplied thanks to the growth of social networks like YouTube, Tik Tok, or Instagram. For these creators, one of the most valuable tools has been the screen recorder software. If you need this type of software for your Mac computer, then you have come to the right place.

Fortunately, Mac has this feature already built in the OS. The software is called QuickTime Player, which is a great app that allows you to record part or all of your screen. It also lets you record any audio that comes in through your microphone. Stick around to learn how to use QuickTime screen recording with audio on your Mac computer. 

How to Use QuickTime Player to Record Mac Screen and Audio

Any Mac user can use the built-in QuickTime application to easily record video and audio on a computer. For several years, the QuickTime application has been a famous and highly reviewed tool in the Apple environment. It provides editing features that help you make simple video edits. It also functions as a video player that you can use to display your recordings or any other video format. However, suppose you are interested in using QuickTime as a screen recorder. In that case, you have to make sure that you run Mojave OS or a newer version. If you are running an older OS version, then you will need to update it.  

How to record screen and audio with QuickTime:

Step 1. Open the QuickTime app on your Mac.

Step 2. Click on "File" and then select "New Screen Recording" or "New Audio Recording" in the drop-down menu, depending on what you want to do. If you're going to record audio and video at the same time, just select Screen Recording.

How to use quicktime player to record screen and audio

Step 3. Once you see the Recording Interface, click on the arrow right next to the record button. Then, you will need to select a microphone if you want to record video and audio.

How to use quicktime player to record screen and audio

Step 4. Open the app, video, document, or picture that you want to record and simply press the Record button on QuickTime.

Step 5. If you want to record the entire screen, just click anywhere on it. If you're going to only record a section, click and drag the cursor to create a new window.

Step 6. When you finish recording, press the Stop button on the QuickTime's menu bar. 

Step 7. Save your video by clicking on "File" followed by "Save…". Choose where to save it on your computer and click OK. 

How to use quicktime player to record screen and audio

How to Capture Screen and Audio on Mac with QuickTime Alternative

Even though QuickTime is a great screen recorder, it has its shortcomings that need plenty of improvement. In fact, Apple has neglected the screen recording feature on the Mac for some time. Instead, it has focused on improving the video player feature of QuickTime. Here you have some of the most common limitations of QuickTime's screen recorder feature: 

  • It does not support webcam recording
  • Has a limit on the recording quality to 1080P, so it is not possible to record in 4K
  • Only exports videos in ".mov" 
  • Cannot record system audio or internal audio during recording

How to use quicktime player to record screen and audio

Record Internal Audio on Mac 

If you want to record the system sound on your Mac without installing any third-party software, read this post to find the best solutions...

How to use quicktime player to record screen and audio

Given these limitations, if you are looking for alternatives to record your screen on Mac, EaseUS RecExperts for Mac is an advanced yet easy-to-use screen recording software. It has several recording modes, which let you easily record your video or audio according to your needs. Likewise, this screen recorder allows you to quickly choose the recording area. Just like QuickTime, you can use it to record part of screen or the full screen. 

Furthermore, it solves one of the significant limitations of QuickTime. It lets you record system sound with just a few clicks without the need to download third-party software. You can also use it to record live video, audio, or online meetings as long as you have a microphone or other external audio devices. It supports many file formats such as MP4 and GIF. More importantly, this program is compatible with Mac and Windows OS. 

An Easy-to-Use Mac Screen Recorder

  • Record your webcam video
  • Set automatic tasks to schedule recording
  • Use built-in tools to edit recordings
  • Simultaneous recording of audio and video

How to capture the screen and audio simultaneously on Mac:

Step 1. Download and launch EaseUS RecExperts on your Mac. To capture the whole screen, click on the "Full Screen" button from the main interface. If you want to customize the recording area, choose the "Region" button. 

How to use quicktime player to record screen and audio

Step 2. To record the screen with audio, hit the Sound icon from the bottom left side of the toolbar. The audio resources can be your external sound or system audio. Based on your needs, enable the target option. 

How to use quicktime player to record screen and audio

Step 3. Before capturing, you can change the output format of the recorded video by clicking "Settings" from the main interface. Then, scroll down the menu of Output format for Video. Choose the output type as you like. 

How to use quicktime player to record screen and audio

Step 4. Once done, click the REC button to begin recording. It captures anything displayed on your Mac screen. When you are done, click the Stop button. Then you can watch the recorded video from "Recordings". 

How to use quicktime player to record screen and audio

Comparison Roundup Between QuickTime and EaseUS RecExperts

Here you have a quick comparison between QuickTime and EaseUS RecExperts:

ComparisonQuickTime PlayerEaseUS RecExperts for Mac
Price Free

Free & Paid

Compatibility macOS macOS & Windows
Interface
  • Simple feature
  • Has not been updated for some time
  • Modern and slick user interface
  • Updated recently
Advanced features
  • Basic recording functions
  • No editing tools
  • Lots of advanced features
  • Inbuilt video editing tools
  • Support many formats

Conclusion

Screen recorders have gained plenty of popularity in the past years due to the growth of online content creators. Having screen recording software on your Mac computer has become a must if you want to record video and audio on your computer. Many Mac users still use Apple's default screen recorder called QuickTime.

While QuickTime player screen recording has impressive features that let you record your screen, it has many limitations. If you want a good alternative, install EaseUS RecExperts. It is packed with advanced features to improve your screen recording abilities. 

How do I record my screen with audio on QuickTime?

With QuickTime Player open, go to File > New Screen Recording. A Screen Recording prompt will appear. Before you click the record button, Click the down arrow next to the button to ensure you are set up properly. Microphone Options: If you prefer to have your voice recorded, choose the microphone you prefer.

How do I record both screens and audio?

How to Screen Record on Android.
Go to Quick Settings (or search for) “Screen recorder”.
Tap the app to open it..
Choose your sound and video quality settings and click Done..