Free Mac Screen Recording Software With Audio

How to Record a Screen with Sound on a Mac Using Movavi Screen Recorder An easier way to record video and audio on a Mac at the same time is to use a tool like Movavi Screen Recorder. The software was created with ease of use in mind, but the design does not let that get in the way of placing in a ton of great features. With this powerful video and audio recorder, you can record computer screen, exciting gameplay, webcam videos, online lectures, favorite music, or just save a screenshot on your Mac. This screen and audio recording software for Mac is able to capture different audio sources to meet your needs, like system sounds, microphone voice or both. CamStudio is a free screen and audio recorder that is totally free to download and use. CamStudio can record all screen and audio activity on your Windows computer. In addition, this software allows you to add high-quality, anti-aliased screen captions to your recordings in seconds. Create high-quality video.

Although there are a lot of audio recording programs out there claiming to record almost any sound play on computer, the fact you should always keep in mind is that only a few of them promise capturing high quality audio. Therefore, if you care much about the quality of your recordings, choosing a proper high-powered audio recorder could really matter. Are you just looking for such recording tool but with a low budget? Luckily, among the numerous audio recording software available on internet, we are glad to see most of them are offered for free. To help you quickly pick up the best free streaming audio recorder online, we complied a list of top 5 most popular free audio recording programs that can record streaming music, radios, in-game sound, music in videos, and any other sound play on Mac and Windows with high quality.

Top 1. Audacity (Mac & Windows)
Top 2. Apowersoft Free Online Audio Recorder
Top 3. Ardour (Mac & Windows)
Top 4. Aktiv MP3 Recorder (Windows)
Top 5. Traverso DAW (Mac & Windows)
Alternative - TunesKit Audio Capture [Best]

Top 1. Audacity (Mac & Windows)

As a well-known open source free audio recorder, Audacity is capable of recording and editing anything you throw at it, including audio through microphone and sound card all in a few clicks thanks to the clean interface. It also allows users adjust pitch, bass, and treble, or normalize noise and add effects like reverb and phasing to the recordings. In addition, it supports multi-track capturing to save a lot of time for you. And unlike most other free audio recorders which are free for a limited time or free with locked features, Audacity is a real free of charge audio recording application offered in full free version. Overall, Audacity offers one of the most robust packages available among free recording programs.

Pros:

1. Totally free and extremely easy to use;
2. Support recording any sound on computer;
3. Edit recorded audio's quality with many effects;
4. Support multi-track recording.

Cons:

1. Require plugins to accomplish optimal functionality;
2. Can't export audio recordings to MP3;
3. Effect editing is destructive to original audio track.

Top 2. Apowersoft Free Online Audio Recorder

Differing from Audacity or other free audio streaming recorder, Apowersoft Audio Recorder is a free online recording solution that needs no plug-in on Windows or Mac. It allows you record any sound from system sound card and microphone in high quality within 3 steps only. It fully supports capturing streaming music, radio stations, music in games, voice chats, etc. playing via devices like Windows Media Player, QuickTime, iTunes, Tablets, Chromebook, Android smartphones, iPhone, Windows Phone and more. Besides, it offers additional recording functions like converting audio records to MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, WAV, M4A, OGG, adding ID3 tags, sharing recorded audios online, playing recordings in real time, etc.

Pros:

1. Free and no need to install setup file on computer;
2. Support any sound sources;
3. Save recordings in multiple popular formats;
4. Support extensional functions for recording.

Cons:

1. Can't edit output audio quality;
2. Multi-track recording not supported.

Top 3. Ardour (Mac & Windows)

Ardour DAW is another great open-source audio recorder with professional music recording features and no cost. Developed by Paul Davis, Ardour is aiming at providing powerful recorder for studios who are at low budgets. Featuring highly versatile multi-track audio recording, Ardour can record and edit audios non-destructively or destructively. Its use of Jack, an underlying sound server, makes it compatible with a number of outside applications as well. With the release of third edition, Ardour is supposed to import video for film scoring purpose and record, edit MIDI without a hassle. However, unlike most of other free DAWs, Ardour comes with a confusing graphical user interface which is inaccessible for beginners. It's more like a professional tool developed for musicians or audio engineers.

Pros:

1. Free and professional;
2. Support multi-track recording;
3. Edit recorded tracks non-destructively.

Cons:

1. It's complex and difficult for newbie;
2. No built-in effects or instruments.

Top 4. Aktiv MP3 Recorder (Windows)

If you are looking for a free streaming music recorder that can convey CD, tape, DVD, live performance, TV, Internet radio, streaming music, video games and any other sound source into popular audio formats like MP3, WMA, OGG, VOX, AU, AIFF, then you can't miss Aktiv MP3 Recorder. As a full-featured audio recorder, the big difference between Aktiv and other free recording tools is that it comes with recording scheduler which provides you the ability to record streaming audio at certain times according to your requirements.

Pros:

1. Free streaming audio recorder;
2. Support most popular output formats;
3. Provide schedule recording tasks.

Cons:

1. Available for Windows only;
2. Installer contains some extra software.

Top 5. Traverso DAW (Mac & Windows)

Traverso DAW is another cross-platform free multitrack audio recording and audio editing suite with support for CD mastering and non-linear processing. Traverso is different with other in UI as it offers a unique user interface using both the mouse and the keyboard together for precision and speed. In addition, Traverso includes non-destructive editing, the ability to use plugins and make edits without changing the actual recorded sample. Also it is offering full support for ALSA, Jack and PortAudio, and lockless real-time audio processing.

Pros:

1. Fullfeatured free recording app;
2. Innovative keyboard and mouse shortcuts;
3. Support non-destructive audio editing.

Cons:

1. Take some time for users to get used to the shortcuts;
2. Need plugins to edit audio non-destructively.

More Professional Audio Recorder for Low Budget - TunesKit

Of course, no piece of free software is without its shortcomings. So do those free audio recorders. They are not as advanced as other paid software in functionality. In case you are searching for such paid recording products with reasonable price, we highly recommend a best free sound recorder to you. The renowned program is called TunesKit Audio Capture. It's available for both Mac and Windows platforms. It costs $19.95 but with more powerful features, including multi-track lossless recording, automatically fulfilling ID3 tags, editing output quality, splitting or merging recorded tracks, etc. You can download the free trial versions as below to test it out by yourself. For complete tutorial, visit this user guide.

Conclusion & Suggestion

As you can see, all the above recording tools are free of charge to meet most of your recording needs with options of recording audio, adding effects, and cutting waveforms, as well as other basic recording tasks. To conclude, if you are referring an all-in-one application that combines easy operation and high performance, Audacity and Aktiv MP3 Recorder could be the best audio recording software. But if you concern more about the professionalism and quality, you are suggested to go for Ardour or Traverso DAW that are more professional oriented. Or alternatively, Apowersoft Audio Recorder could be a great choice if you don't want to install any software on your computer. If you still have no idea which one to choose, simply try them out one by one and decide which works best for you.

Nick Orin is a review writer, software geek and Mac OS enthusiast. He spends all his free time in searching useful software and gadgets to share with others.

Mac users are no different when it comes to screen recording software that can capture any of the screen processes. All these captures could be used for personal use as well as professional use. For example, screen captures could be used to give presentations in the meetings, explain to your friends the gaming hack, or use it in a YouTube video to explain your audience about any process. Whatever be your reason for finding the best screen recorder for Mac, the tool must be equipped with all the necessary tools and packed with advanced features.

At the same time, any of the best Mac screen recorders must also be cost-effective, have an easy interface, and must provide high-quality video captures to you as well as your clients or user base. Keeping all the scenarios in mind, we have collated the best screen recording software for Mac below from which you can pick the best one after learning all the characteristics.

Best Screen Recorder For Mac (2021)

1. Movavi

How about a screen recorder software for Mac that is not heavy on your pocket and provides many attributes? We all would love to have this best Mac screen recorder adjust itself with our requirements, simple to use, and allows you to capture specific areas for recording at once.

Other Notable Features

  • You can schedule recordings at your convenience.
  • Export the videos to a high-quality version while collaborating with other tools.
  • Get control over your recording with customization features.

Pros:

  • Convenient functions and understands your actions smartly.

Cons:

  • Its update becomes a problem for some systems and doesn’t work smoothly post that.

Price: $59.95
Get From Here

2. EaseUS RecExperts

Having a super easy and comfortable to use screen recorder in Mac is no less than a bliss in itself. This software can easily capture the screen on Mac along with the audio. With that, you can record your own Zoom meetings, YouTube videos, video tutorials, etc. and even make iPad and iPhone screen recording wirelessly.

Screen Recorders For Mac

Other Notable features:

  • Greatly used by educators, marketers, YouTubers and anyone else who wishes to record screen activity.
  • One can schedule their recording with starting time and time duration to automatically perform the recording task.
  • Make GIF videos or full videos with ease.

Pros:

  • Very easy and smooth functions for a new user to understand

Cons:

  • Free trial gives you an idea for recording for about 5 minutes

Price: $19.95 (Free trial for 5 min video)

3. Snagit

One more from the house of Techsmith, Snagit is known as the best screen recorder for Mac with a cool and simple looking interface, has reliability and can give you video, and still captures at the same time. Interestingly, when you record your video using the screen recorder for Mac, you can count to record webcams and audio along.

Other Notable Features

  • It can easily capture the scrolling screen so that you can have a view of a full webpage in the system.
  • Export the video in different formats as well as GIFs.
  • It acts as a powerful video editor and has various assets to make your video look amazing.

Pros:

  • A very simple interface and best for quick video recording.

Price: $49.95 (Free trial for 15 days)
Get From Here

4. Camtasia

Developed by Techsmith, Camtasia is a fantastic screen recorder for Mac, where one can quickly start recording their screens, export it, or even edit the videos. Although users have reported that the interface looks a little hassled up, but they got comfortable with it within a short period.

Other Notable Features

  • There is a wide range of tools available within which one enables you to create screen cast videos without a jiffy.
  • Layered timeline for easy video editing
  • Multiple video effects to give the video an exciting look

Pros:

  • Creates short animated GIFs from the recorded videos.

Price: $249 (Free trial for 30 days)
Get From Here

5. OBS Studio

OBS Studio is free to use screen recorder software for Mac that is compatible with live streaming games on Twitch, can record real-time audio/video, and gives you a chance to customize your preferences accordingly. You can add new sources here, duplicate the ones already available and add up light or dark themes as your eyes demand.

Other Notable Features:

  • Intuitive audio mixers with functionalities like noise gate, noise suppression, and gain are available.
  • Settings panel can quickly configure your broadcasts and recordings.
  • Files output could be found out in MP4 or MLV.

Pros:

  • A variety of plugins are available to enhance the functions.

Cons:

  • Software training material could not be downloaded with the software.

Price: Free
Get From Here

Also Read: How To Fix “Photoshop Scratch Disk Full Mac” On Mac?

6. Screenflow

Screenflow is combined with extensive features that are worth using. Hence, it can be called the best screen recording software for Mac. What’s more intriguing is that you can record screens from multiple monitors, webcam and connected iOS devices, all at the same time. With that, your audio quality will keep up with your videos equally.

Other Notable Features

  • You can turn raw footage into a high-quality professional video with an in-built editor.
  • Multiple exporting options to watch videos on different devices.
  • Very easy interface despite loaded with features.

Cons:

  • AMaybe tough for an exactly new user to understand functions.

Price: $129 (Free trial available)
Get From Here

7. TinyTake

From multiple options like capture region, window, full screen, video, video from webcam and sharing files and folders, this Mac screen recorder is a full pack. The best thing about TinyTake is its simplicity, free to use, and feature-rich. As soon as you take images and videos of your computer screen, you can simultaneously add comments and share the videos wil others.

Other Notable Features

  • You are free to record videos for upto 120 minutes.
  • Simple to understand for a new user and easy to use.
  • Offers free cloud storage for upto 2GB.

Pros:

  • Although the free version has limited features, Premium comes with another whole set.

Cons:

  • Screen recording is limited to 5 minutes at a time.

Price: Free (Premium version available, starts at $9.95)
Get From Here

Also Read: How to Fix MacBook Pro Overheating Problem ?

8. AV Screen Recorder & Capture

Someone that can capture anyone and anything on screen pronounces the name of AV Screen Recorder and Capture with maximum resolution 2800 to 1800 for recording videos. It can record your voice from mic and system audio at the same time. No limitations on the size of video or time you record into as it has been provided with unlimited support.

Other Notable Features

  • The video recorded can be edited or trimmed and shared with your colleagues or friends easily.
  • Thankfully, it has a perfect FPS for playing games and recording HD videos.
  • Audio recording and microphone recording could be done at the same time.

Cons:

  • Technical glitches may create issues with recording microphones.

Price: $9.99
Get From Here

9. Monosnap

It is fantastic to use a screen capture software when it helps you highlight essential details like pen, text, arrow, and shape! Right? Well, Monosnap can easily take the screenshot for the full area, frozen area, fullscreen, or others where a handy 8x magnifier adjusts the pixel area easily.

Other Notable Features

  • Customize hotkeys according to you so that you have more flexibility to record Mac screens.
  • Record both webcam video and microphone audio with this best screen recorder for Mac.

Pros:

  • Very easy to use, and no other assistance is required to capture the screen on Mac.

Cons:

  • Video editing functionality is not available.

Price: Free (in-app purchases available)
Get From Here

10. Capto

Record your screen with one click and enhance your content for better using this Mac screen recorder. The tutorial video that comes along explains the process with arrows, texts, and cursor effects. Once done, share the video on YouTube, Dropbox, Tumblr, or FTP servers by signing inside Capto.

Other Notable Features

  • Record full screen or a portion of it at 60 FPS and clear audio.
  • One may call it the best Mac screen recording tool for educational and presentation purposes.
  • Video editing suite has all the necessities to cut, trim, or join the videos as liked.

Free Mac Screen Recording Software With Audio Downloads

Pros:

  • It comes with a smart file manager so that easy storage and retrieval of the same files could be done.

Cons:

Free mac screen recording software with audio download
  • It creates some issues in functionality while unsupported media is imported.

Price: $29.99 (Free trial for 14 days)
Get From Here

11. ActivePresenter

Not just software recording, you will find editing tools for audio and video, software guides, and eLearning games along with Atomisystems. The screen recording could be done in full motion with the addition of annotations, voice-over, zoom, closed captions, and other animation effects.

Other Notable Features

  • Switch in between dark or light mode to customize the feel.
  • Blur the sensitive information within static or moving objects.
  • Add advanced audio effects, remove background noise, or keep sound consistency between different slides.

Pros:

  • Export the video to multiple formats like MP4, AVI, WMV, WebM, and MKV.

Price: Free version available for personal use. The commercial license starts at $199
Get From Here

Also Read: Best Mac Apps 2020- That Every Apple Newbie Should Install

FAQs: Best Screen Recording Software for Mac

1. How do I record my Mac screen in high quality?

Although there are multiple Mac screen recorders to capture the screen, Camtasia and Snapit are those tools that help in recording high-quality screens.

2. Can you screen record on a Mac?

Free Mac Screen Recording Software With Audio

Using QuickTime Player, the in-built tool to record screen on Mac, you can record screen. With that, there are multiple third-party tools like Camtasia, OBS, and others that help in recording screens on Mac.

3. What is the best screen capture software for Mac?

Free Mac Screen Recording Software With Audio Software

Amongst a vast list of screen capture software, the best ones are TinyTake, ActivPresenter, Snagit, and Camtasia.

4. How long can Mac screen record?

Many tools provide unlimited screen recording on Mac, including AV Screen Recorder & Capture.

Conclusion

We are sure that after finding the best screen recorders on Mac, you will be able to pick the right one for yourself in no time. However, suppose you ask for our recommendations. In that case, we suggest Camtasia, OBS, ActivePresenter, and TinyTake as they can be used for personal and professional purposes at low cost and ease of use.

Must Read: