How to record yourself on macbook pro

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When it’s time to record a video, your first thought may be to take out your phone or grab a digital camera, but you can also record a video directly on your Mac. All MacBook and iMac models come with a dedicated webcam. It may not be of the best quality, but it can get the job done pretty well.

Recording a video on a Mac with the webcam is quite simple, and there are plenty of apps you can use to do it. We’ve covered them all for you below.

This is a guide on recording a video using your Mac’s webcam. If you’re looking to record the screen instead, check out our guide to how to make a Mac screen recording.

Preparing to Record a Video

Before you set out to record your video, you must make sure your system is fully prepared to do so. The most vital element, in this case, is a webcam. All MacBook and iMac models released since 2006 have webcams built-in, so as long as yours is working, there shouldn’t be an issue.

However, if you’re using a Mac mini, Mac Pro, or Mac Studio, you’ll need to purchase an external webcam as an add-on. If you don’t already have one, be sure to check out our guide on the best webcams you can buy. In addition, you may also be able to use an external camera, such as a DSLR or a mirrorless camera, to record your video (which might require a bit of extra expertise to set up).

Apart from the camera, you should also follow our home video tips to make sure you set up the surrounding scene. You should have plenty of light facing you, you shouldn’t be backlit (for example, with a window behind you), and there shouldn’t be any excessive background noise.

Once everything is set up, you can start recording a video on your Mac. There are a couple of options that you can use to record this, we’ve covered them below.

1. Record a Video Using Photo Booth

The first app you can use to record a video on your Mac is using Photo Booth. All Macs come with Photo Booth pre-installed, which allows you to take photos and videos using your webcam.

The main advantage of using Photo Booth is that it doesn’t flip your video horizontally, unlike QuickTime Player. Another benefit is that it allows you to apply various effects to your video recording. While these are quite amusing, chances are that they won’t be of any use in a professional video. Still, it’s nice to know that you have the option.

To use Photo Booth to record a video:

  1. Open up Photo Booth on your Mac. You can do this from Spotlight or the Applications folder in Finder.
  2. Once Photo Booth is open, you’ll see a preview of what your webcam sees. Make sure everything looks good, and you are fully in the frame.
  3. Switch to Video mode by clicking on the video icon in the bottom-left corner.
  4. When you’re ready, click on the red recording button to start the video. When you’re finished, stop recording by pressing the red stop button.

    Recording in Photo Booth

  5. Click on the video thumbnail in the filmstrip to preview your video once it’s recorded. If you’re happy, Control-click on the thumbnail, choose Export, and save it anywhere on your Mac.

That’s it! You can also monitor the amount of time recorded in the bottom-left corner of your screen while recording. Also, note that your recording time is limited by the amount of free storage available on your Mac.

2. Record a Video Using QuickTime Player

You can also record a video on your Mac using QuickTime Player. QuickTime is Apple’s native app for video playback. However, it also offers loads of additional options, including the ability to record a video using your webcam.

To record a video using QuickTime Player:

  1. Open up QuickTime Player on your Mac.
  2. From the menu, choose File > New Movie Recording, or press Cmd + Option + N for a new movie recording. QuickTime should open a preview of your webcam, allowing you to set the scene and make sure everything looks good. (Note that the video is flipped, unlike Photo Booth.)

    New Movie Recording in QuickTime menu

  3. If you have multiple webcams or audio mics connected, you can change the video and audio sources by clicking on the small arrow to the right of the recording button. You can also choose your recording quality here.
  4. QuickTime Movie Recording

    Once you’re happy, click on the red record button to start recording. Once you’re finished recording, simply click on it again to end the recording.
  5. QuickTime Player will show you the final recording, which you can watch to make sure you’re satisfied with it. You can also make some minor edits to the video from the Edit menu.
  6. Once you’re done, save the video by either pressing Cmd + S or by selecting Save from the File menu.

3. Record a Video Using iMovie

Our third option to record a video on your Mac is using iMovie. As iMovie is a slightly more complicated app compared to the other two we’ve mentioned, we only recommend this if you’re looking to heavily edit your video after you’ve finished recording it. iMovie is also a good option if you’re importing your video into a larger project.

iMovie isn’t installed on Macs by default, but it’s free to download from the Mac App Store. Once that’s done, you can record from your Mac’s webcam directly into iMovie using the steps below:

  1. Launch iMovie on your Mac. Then go to File > New Movie. Alternatively, you can select Create New from the iMovie Projects screen.
  2. Click on the Import button (down-facing arrow) at the top of the iMovie screen.
  3. Select Cameras from the left panel, and select FaceTime HD Camera (or your desired webcam). You may need to grant the app access to the webcam’s microphone and camera.
  4. Select the project you’ll be importing the video to from the top of the screen.
  5. Once you’re happy, click the Record button at the bottom of the screen to start recording. Click it again to stop recording. Once you’re done, click Close at the bottom of the screen to close the recording window.
  6. Click on Projects in the upper-left corner of the iMovie window to save the recording and import it into a project.

That’s it! As you can see, the process is a bit more complex with iMovie, but it is really helpful if you’re creating a larger video (such as a documentary) and only want to record a small clip for it.

4. Record Using Third-Party Apps

Fortunately, Apple’s apps do such a good job recording videos that you shouldn’t need to use a third-party app. But if you’re looking for more powerful recording software, we recommend you check out OBS Studio for recording your screen and webcam. It can be very useful if you’re looking to create a video guide or a live stream.

Should You Switch to a More Professional Setup?

Recording videos using a Mac’s webcam is perfectly good for short videos, but if you are aiming for professional recordings, or creating videos for a content series, it may be worth either investing in a better webcam or an external camera to record your videos. Doing this will not only allow you to improve the quality of your recording, but it should give you more flexibility over different camera settings, including exposure, audio control, and more.

How do I record a video of myself on my Macbook Pro?

Use the built-in camera on your Mac.
In the QuickTime Player app on your Mac, choose File > New Movie Recording. ... .
Click the Options pop-up menu, then choose any of the following recording options: ... .
Adjust the volume control to hear the audio you're recording..

How do I record myself on my Mac screen?

Use QuickTime Player.
Open QuickTime Player from your Applications folder, then choose File > New Screen Recording from the menu bar. ... .
Before starting your recording, you can click the arrow next to the Record button to change the recording settings:.

Can I record on my Macbook Pro?

You can make an audio-only recording with QuickTime Player. In the QuickTime Player app on your Mac, choose File > New Audio Recording. Click the Options pop-up menu, then choose any of the following recording options: Microphone: Choose a microphone (if you have more than one available).

How do I record my screen and show my face on Mac?

Open QuickTime Player on your Mac, and select "File" > "New Movie Recording". It will open a “camera window”, which you will use to record your face. To make the camera window appears above any other application that you will open on your screen, you need to go to "View", and choose "Float on Top".