How to record yourself on a Mac with or without a webcam

Macworld

Key Takeaways

Mac offers built-in video recording tools to help users record themselves as a video from the webcam. QuickTime, iMovie, and Photo Booth are often used to record Mac screens with system audio and webcam without downloading anything.

A quiet, stable, and bright environment is important for recording a high-quality video on your Mac. Therefore, you’d better take recordings in your home and use a high-quality microphone to start.

To enjoy advanced recording features like noise reduction and automatic recording, a watermark-free third-party screen recorder like EaseUS RecExperts is a necessity.

People want to record their figures in the webcam on a Mac for various reasons. No matter if it’s making an online lesson for offline watching, taking down your communication with others, or recording a video message to friends, you will need to record a video of yourself on Mac. But how can you record yourself on a Mac successfully? Read the whole article and try the methods.

Method 1. Record a Video of Yourself with Audio using third-party software

One solution to record on a MacBook is to use EaseUS RecExperts. This screen recorder is capable of recording the webcam and audio on a Mac with simple clicks. Mac users can record themselves, the screen, audio, and even the live stream simultaneously.

Moreover, the EaseUS screen recorder is also capable of saving the video in 4K and even 8K resolution. It also allows users to save the video in various formats. MOV, MP4, FLV, MKV, and AVI formats are all supported.

The best thing about this easy-to-use program is that it offers an automatic recording feature, so you don’t need to start and finish the recording process manually. This is especially good when you can’t spare time to operate the software.

Follow the steps below to Record with EaseUS RecExperts:

Step 1. Launch EaseUS RecExperts on your Mac and select the “Webcam” button on the main interface.

Step 2. Then, the inbuilt camera will open automatically. You can also select another webcam from the drop-down arrow. You can also select the “System sound” or the “Microphone” to record them.

Step 3. When all is done, click on the red “REC” button to start recording on Mac. Click on the “Stop” button to finish recording. You will be led to the recording list automatically.

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Method 2. Record Your Own Video with Built-in QuickTime Player

QuickTime Player is mainly used as a video player on Mac. But it can also serve as a screen recorder for Mac. If you want a tool to screen record on a Mac computer, this is a good choice.

Video recordings by QuickTime Player are saved as MOV files by default. You can view it after recording directly on the Mac. One thing to note is that if you want to record the internal audio at the same time, you need to install Soundflower first.

The steps below show you how to record yourself with QuickTime:

Step 1. Run QuickTime Player on your Mac and choose “File” > “New Movie Recording”. The recording controls will appear, and you’ll see a green light next to the built-in camera on your Mac.

Step 2. Click “Options” and choose the Camera, Microphone, and Quality you like. The built-in camera on Mac now supports 1080P resolution, which should be enough for your recording.

Step 3. When all is done, click the “Record” button to start recording. Then, click the “Stop” button to finish.

Step 4. Then, you need to choose “File” > “Save” to name and save the recording.

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Note: You need to choose the video quality carefully, as different qualities take up different amounts of space. For instance, Maximum-quality recordings produce uncompressed files, which can take up large amounts of storage space. Below are the descriptions of different quality settings.

QualityDescriptionHighH.264 video and 44100 Hz AAC audioMaximumApple ProRes 422 video and Linear PCM audio

Method 3. Record You and Screen in Photo Booth for Further Editing

How to record yourself on a MacBook Air? There is a built-in app called Photo Booth that can do it. Although it is usually used to take screenshots on your Mac with special effects, more and more people are using it to record videos recently.

It can record the webcam and the screen at the same time. So, you can use it to record you playing a game, teach a lesson, or even record your reaction when watching a live stream.

Check how to record a video on Mac with it below:

Step 1. Open Photo Booth on your Mac, and you will see a preview of your figure on the screen. It will be in the Camera mode by default.

Step 2. Click the “Record” button on the lower left corner to switch it to the recording mode.

Step 3. Then, click on the red “Camera” button to start recording. You can also add effects or filters to the recording if you like.

Step 4. Lastly, click the red square button to stop the recording. You can click “File” > “Save” to keep the recording on your Mac.

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Method 4. Record Yourself Speaking on a Mac with iMovie

If you don’t want to use the methods above, you can record video directly into iMovie using the built-in FaceTime HD camera. Moreover, it can record the camera and microphone simultaneously. You just need to select to record a voiceover in iMovie along with the webcam.

The best thing about this method is that it not only records a video but also edits the recording afterward to make it look like a well-made movie. If you want to make a high-quality video, you should try it.

Let’s see how to record with iMovie:

Step 1. Launch the iMovie app and click the “Import” button to open the “Import” window. If you don’t see the “Import” button, click “Media” first.

Note: If Image Capture, Photos, or another photo app opens, close the window.

Step 2. Select the built-in camera in the “Cameras” section of the sidebar, and a live video image from the camera will appear.

Step 3. You may also select to record the microphone by clicking the “Record Voiceover” button below the viewer.

Step 4. Then, specify the event you want to record by choosing from an existing event, create a new event, or choose the open project.

Step 5. Click the “Record” button below the live video image to start recording. To stop recording, click the “Record” button again.

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Method 5. Record Yourself Presenting a PowerPoint Using Slideshow on Mac

Many people use PowerPoint on their Mac computers. You may also use it to make a presentation before. But can I record myself on a Mac in a slideshow? In fact, it can do more than that.

In a PowerPoint slideshow, you can record the screen, webcam, and also the microphone in the meantime. After recording, you can save the video as an MP4 or a WMV file with high-quality. You may also edit the recording by using some basic functions like trimming.

Below are the steps to record your figure in the webcam via a slideshow:

Step 1. Open a file in PowerPoint, click “File” > “Save As…” > “File Format” > “PowerPoint Presentation (.pptx)”. This will change the PPT file format into PPTX format to make sure the recording won’t miss.

Step 2. Open a PowerPoint slideshow and click on “Record Slide Show”.

Step 3. Go to “Settings” and select the webcam and microphone you want to record from. Then, click on “Record”.

Step 4. Click on the “Stop” button to stop the recording. Then, you can save the recording by clicking on “File” > “Export” > “Create A Video”.

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How to Improve the Recording Quality of Your Video and Voice

You may want to record a video on your Mac while singing Karaoke, streaming on the internet, teaching a lesson for offline viewing, or attending a meeting when you are outside the room. What can you do to ensure a high recording quality?

Choose a Screen Recorder with Advanced Recording Functions

If the recording environment is not ideal, you will need advanced screen recording software with noise-cancellation and automatic recording functions. In this case, EaseUS RecExperts is exactly what you are searching for.

Choose a High-Quality Camera/External Webcam

Nowadays, with the introduction of the 24-inch iMac, M1 MacBook Pros, and M2 MacBook Air, Full HD 1080p built-in cameras have become a reality. However, if you want a camera with advanced functions like automatic light filling, try a third-party one.

XPCAM webcam: this is a web camera with a full HD glass lens that delivers razor-sharp video. With automatic light correction and HDR technology, the computer camera auto-adjusts color and brightness for natural lighting. 1080P, 720P, 480P supported.

Logitech Brio: this is a camera that can be used in the office, at home, or somewhere else. It is four times the resolution of a typical HD webcam and can adjust the light automatically.

NexiGo N930E: this camera has a built-in light ring that offers lighting compensation at three different levels with touch control. Offering a 1080P quality, it is perfect for recording Zoom meetings on Mac.

Try to Make Sure the Environment is Quiet and Bright

Try to make sure your face is lit as evenly as possible. To do this, you may bounce a lamp light off a wall directly in front of you and adjust window blinds.

Also, you may get a good external microphone that can cancel noise during recording. Or, try to get something soft and cushiony behind the microphone to absorb noises.

Final Words

This article offers five feasible methods to record yourself on a Mac. If you don’t know which method to choose, check the table below.

METHODSTARGET USERSEaseUS RecExpertsThis is an all-in-one screen recorder suitable for both novices and professionals. It can be used to record a webcam without a watermark and time limit.QuickTime PlayerThis built-in screen recording tool is suitable for those who don’t want to download third-party software. You’d better have Soundflower installed on your Mac if you want to capture the internal audio as well.Photo BoothThis is suitable for those who don’t want to download software from outside and only need a basic recording function.iMovieiMovie is suitable for those who want to make the recordings movie-like. It is mainly a video editing and movie-making tool that comes preinstalled on your Mac.PowerPointPowerPoint is suitable for those who have it installed on your Mac, and you only need the basic recording feature. It doesn’t offer advanced webcam recording functions.

We hope you get the information you want after reading it. Our advice for you is to use a high-quality webcam, choose the most suitable environment, and select an easy-to-use webcam recorder, like EaseUS RecExperts, to record on Mac computers.

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