How to Record MP4 on MacBook
You may want to record an MP4 video on your computer for a number of reasons. Perhaps you want to make a product demonstration, record a lecture or even record gameplay on your Mac. All these examples require a good-quality screen recording tool that will make the process quick and easy. The tool you choose should be easy to access and use, but it should also have the necessary feature to create a top-quality MP4 file that you can then share as needed.
In this article, we are going to be looking at two of the most effective solutions that you can use to record an MP4 video on your Mac. Each of these solutions has its own advantages and disadvantages, so we recommend carefully accessing each tool before settling on the option you would like to use.
One of these solutions is the built-in QuickTime, which can be a very good way to record videos on your Mac. Let's start with how you can use QuickTime to record high-quality MP4 videos on MacBook.
Way 1. Use QuickTime to Record MP4
Every Mac user is aware of the QuickTime player on their computer. But most people use it as a video player, completely unaware that this simple tool has very powerful video recording tools, able to record very high-quality screen flow videos and even include audio.
But while as we shall see below QuickTime can be an easy-to-use recorder, the videos that you record using QuickTime will not be in MP4 format. To get them in MP4 format, you will need to first of all complete the recording in QuickTime and then use a tool like MPEG streamclip to compress the video to MP4.
Follow these simple steps to complete this process;
Step 1: The first thing we need to do to facilitate this process is to download and install MPEG Streamclip on the Mac. The program is available on its main website for free.
Step 2: Now open QuickTime and then click “File > New Screen Recording” to begin the recording process.
Step 3: Assuming that you have already opened what you will be recording on your screen and you are ready to begin the recording, click on the red “Record” button to start the recording. If you want to record only a section of the screen as opposed to the whole screen, drag to select the section of the screen you want to record.
Step 4: When you are done with the recording, right-click on QuickTime in the dock and select “Stop Recording.”
Step 5: If you would like to trim the beginning or the end of the recorded video, go to “Edit > Trim” and then drag the yellow box to trim off the ends. Click “Trim” to confirm the edit.
Step 6: To complete the recording process, click “File > Export” and choose the size to export the video. Save the video in an easily accessible location.
Step 7: Now, open MPEG Streamclip on your computer and drag and drop the video to the program's main window.
Step 8: Click “File > Export to MPEG4” and then click “Make MP4.” Click “Save” to save the video in MP4 format.
Way 2. Alternative Way to Record MP4 Format Video
If you would rather not go through a two-step process or use two different programs to create an MP4 video on your Mac, we recommend using Wondershare DemoCreator. With this tool, you can simply choose “MP4” as the export format during the recording and the program will convert the video to MP4 format for you. DemoCreator is also one of the best ways to record high-quality videos on your Mac as it is designed with the necessary features to create the best tutorial videos, product demos, how-to screen flows and more.
The following is a breakdown of the features you can expect with DemoCreator;
- It can be used to easily capture video in a frame rate that you have pre-determined
- Settings that are easy to configure allow you to record the screen and webcam in your own unique way (you can even set up your own hotkeys)
- It also allows you to capture both the computer audio and the microphone. This means that you can easily add your own narration to the recording.
- It also comes with a full suite or editing tools designed to make your recording that much better.
The process to record videos on your Mac using DemoCreator is a simple one; just follow this step-by-step guide;
Secure DownloadSecure DownloadStep 1: Install the Program
To begin, you will need to first of all install the program on your Mac. The official download links can be found on the program's main window. Follow the setup instructions to install the program on to your computer.
Step 2: Set up the Program
Once installation is complete, launch DemoCreator on your Mac and then click on “New Recording.”
By default, the program is set to record the entire screen. If instead, you would like to record only a section of the screen, click on the dropdown arrow next to “Full Screen” to choose the area you want to use.
Step 3: Choose Input Devices
Then, you need to choose the microphone and camera that you will be using to record the movie.
DemoCreator will use the built-in microphone and the FaceTime camera by default. If you had a different input device in mind, select it from the dropdown menu next to “Recording Device.”
To include webcam footage in the recording, select “Camera On” below “Recording Device.”
Step 4: Start the Recording
When you are ready, click “Start Capturing” or use the “Shift + CMD +2” keyboard shortcut to begin the recording.
A 30-second countdown will appear on the screen before the recording begins. You can then use the same “Shift + CMD +2” shortcut to finish the recording.
The video will be available in the designed folder. You can then open it in the DemoCreator editor and make as many changes to it as you want. You can add motion animations, callouts, annotations and even trim the video to perfection.
Related FAQs about MP4 Recorder
- What Opens MP4 Files on Mac
Unfortunately, QuickTime player doesn't not open or play some MP4 files. It works with a lot of other different types of video and audio files, but if the MP4 file you are trying to open is an older or specialized format, QuickTime may not be able to open it. In this case, you have several options; the first is, you can download another video player such VLC or any other third-party solution that can easily play the video.
You can also choose to convert the MP4 format to another format, one that QuickTime will not have any problems with. To convert the video though, you will need the services of a good video converting tool. We don't recommend online solutions as they may affect the quality of the video.
Finally, if you don't want to download another video player or convert the video to another format, you can simply choose to transfer the video to a device that will readily play the file or drag the file to Google Chrome to open it on your browser.
- Can QuickTime Record the Screen in MP4?
As we have seen above QuickTime can be a useful way to record the screen. But all the videos that you record using QuickTime will be in MOV format by default. During the export process, you can choose to export the video in other formats, but MP4 is not one of them. The only options you have if you want to record videos in MP4 on your Mac is to use a tool that supports MP4 recording like DemoCreator or record the video in QuickTime and then use a video converter to convert the video to MP4 format, as we have done in part 1 above.
- Can You Record a Screen Video with Sound on Mac?
Yes, it is possible to include sound in the screen recording. When using QuickTime, you can include both computer sounds an audio from the built-in or external microphone. DemoCreator also allows you to include both computer sounds and microphone audio to the recording. It however goes a step further by allowing to add webcam footage to the recording as well.
Recording videos in MP4 format on your Mac is a simple process as long as you have the right tool to do it. If you don't want to record the video and then use a separate tool to convert it to MP4, we recommend using DemoCreator. This third-party tool is designed with quality video creation in mind, making it the most useful tool for the recording of all kinds of screen flow videos on your computer.
