How to screen record on a Mac with audio

Macs record the screen with the Screenshot app, which opens with Shift-Command-5. QuickTime Player has a screen recording command too (File > New Screen Recording); in macOS 27 Golden Gate it opens the same Screenshot tools.

Record your screen

1. Press Shift-Command-5.
2. Choose Record Entire Screen, Record Selected Window (macOS Tahoe 26 or later) or Record Selected Portion.
3. Click Record.
4. To stop, click the Stop button in the menu bar, or press Command-Control-Esc.

The recording is saved to your desktop as a .mov file. Click the thumbnail that appears to trim it or share it.

Record with audio

Click Options in the Screenshot bar before you start:

• Your voice: choose a microphone.
• The Mac’s own sound: choose Include System Audio. This option is in macOS 27 Golden Gate or later. On earlier versions the built-in tools can’t record the sound your Mac plays, so use a screen recorder that records system audio.

Some apps, such as the Apple TV app, don’t let you record their windows.

Edit and export with QuickTime

Open the recording in QuickTime Player to trim it (Edit > Trim), split it into clips or remove the audio. File > Export As saves it at 4K, 1080p, 720p or 480p. QuickTime doesn’t export MP4 files.

When the built-in tools aren’t enough

The built-in tools have no webcam overlay, no share link and only basic editing. The apps below add some or all of those.