Forum Discussion
The best free screen recorder for mac apple silicon m5?
Received a new MacBook Pro M5 as birthday gift and could not figure out the way to screen record on mac with system audio. I know macOS has built-in screen recording options, though I am confused about the difference between recording system sound and recording from the microphone.
I would appreciate some guidance on the best free screen recorder for mac. Is it possible to record the screen with audio using the built-in tools, and if so, what settings should I check first?
If Mac only supports microphone audio by default, I would also like to know whether there is a reliable way to record internal audio.
11 Replies
The built-in screen recording feature in macOS is a free screen recorder for mac. As an official system tool, it is also the most convenient free screen recording option, requiring no additional software downloads.
In short: The built-in screen recording feature records only microphone audio; it does not record system audio.
How to Use free screen recorder for mac
1. Press Shift + Command + 5
2. A control bar will appear at the bottom of the screen
3. Select:
- Record Entire Screen
- Record Selected Area
4. Click Options—you will see:
- Microphone
- No Microphone
- No System Audio option
5. Click to record
Limitation: The built-in recorder cannot record internal/system audio
Though this native tool serves well for basic screen capture needs, its lack of system audio recording is a clear downside. If you need to record both desktop sound and voice at the same time, you will need to look for other third-party alternatives.
