How to record video on your Mac

Recording video on your Mac is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. There are several included apps that help you learn how to record video on Mac, either on your screen or on your built-in camera. Today, we are here to show you some different ways to record video through the various applications on your Mac.

How to Record Video on Mac Using QuickTime

QuickTime is a basic video recording app pre-installed on your Mac.

1. Open QuickTime through the Applications folder. Open Finder , then click on Applications on the left side. You should see several options to select from in the toolbar at the top of the screen.
2. Once QuickTime is open, click File . You will have two different movie options available; click New Movie Recording or New Screen Recording .
3. Once you’ve chosen the option you want, the QuickTime control panel will appear .
4. To start video recording, just click on the button with the red dot. To stop recording, click the same button.

How to record on Mac without using an app

If all you want to do is record your screen, there is a way to cut out some of the steps to go through QuickTime.

1. If you have downloaded the Mojave update for macOS, all you have to do is press Command + Shift + 5 . This should sound familiar if you’ve ever used the similar keyboard shortcut ( Command + Shift + 4 ) to take a screenshot.

   Apple

2. Once you use this keyboard shortcut, a toolbar will open with two options in the middle:
   • The first one looks like a solid box with a record symbol in the bottom right corner, and it allows you to record your entire screen.
   • The other looks like a dotted box with the same record symbol, and allows you to select a part of the screen to record.
3. For both options, you can stop the recording by clicking Stop on the toolbar or by pressing Command + Control + Esc .

Use the thumbnail that appears to quickly trim, save, or share your new video.

Use Photo Booth to take a video

Photo Booth is another application that makes it very easy to record a video.

1. To start Photo Booth :
   1. Open Finder .
   2. Click Applications .
   3. Click Photo Booth .
2. Once the app is open, look at the bottom left of the window to see three icons. Starting from the left, your options are:
   • Take four quick photos.
   • Take a still photo.
   • Record a movie clip.
3. Click on the third option and then click on the red camera in the middle to start the recording. Click on the red camera again to stop recording.

Use iMovie to import directly into the app, allowing for easy editing

The last option to record video on a Mac is to use iMovie. This app is a bit more complicated than the others we’ve talked about, but it will also give you a bit more freedom when it comes to editing your videos.

1. To open iMovie:
   1. Open Finder .
   2. Click Applications .
   3. Find and click iMovie .
2. Once iMovie is open, click the Import button , represented by a downward arrow.

   If you don’t see the Import option , click Media first; then it should show up.

3. Select the camera you want to use, which will usually be the built-in camera.
4. Select the event you want to add the video to. You can open an existing one or create a new one.
5. To start recording the video, click Record , and click again to stop it.
6. Close the video window when you’re done recording, and all the clips you’ve recorded will be added to the selected event.
7. Now you’ll be able to edit your clips with the standard iMovie suite of tools.

You don’t need to go through this entire process every time you record a new clip. Every time you start and stop recording, a new clip will be created. Create several in a row.