If you need to record audio on your Mac but don’t know how, you need this guide.
Whether you are capturing an interview, recording an audio track, creating a podcast, or adding voiceover for a quick explainer or product demo, you can trust your Mac to handle it. For example, VoiceOver is an in-built feature, but it sometimes remains turned on, and you may learn how to turn off voice over on Mac. You can turn it off by holding down the Command + F5 keys.
Let’s look at how you can start recording audio on your Mac.
Things you Need to Start Recording Audio
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- Get a good-quality microphone
Start by testing the in-built mic of your Mac, and if it is picking up a lot of distractions and noise, you can think of investing in a professional-level microphone. An external mic can do wonders for your audio project.
Browse online to find the best external mic that meets your recording needs. Whether you are recording vocals, music and instruments, podcasts, or voiceovers, the mic you need would be vastly different. Therefore, study all the details.
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- Choose the right recording environment
It is essential to create the right recording environment. Whether you are recording sound on your Mac, you must check how the room’s floor, ceiling, and wall absorb and reflect sound. This will impact the final result.
If you want to avoid recording reverb or echo effects in your audio, the best recording environment would be a room with loads of soft carpets, furniture, and curtains. Also, the wall must be covered in breathable material.
To record podcasts or vocals professionally, you must research and adjust the recording environment.
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- Use a USB audio interface
If you are a musician, you need to think of using a USB audio interface. Even podcasters are adopting this equipment to improve their recordings.
The device converts analog audio signals into digital, enabling the machine to create audio files.
Your Mac already has the tools for this task, but if you are a professional, using a USB audio interface will give you more refined controls of sound elements and improved sound quality.
Using QuickTime to record audio
QuickTime is a free Apple software that already comes pre-installed on Macs. It is used for screen or video recording, but you can also use the software for recording audio.
To start recording audio with QuickTime, open the software from the Launchpad or Applications folder > click File > New Audio Recording.
Then, a new window will open, and you will see different recording options. First, select the audio input from the drop-down menu and click on the Microphone option. Next, click the Record button to start recording, and click the Stop button when you have finished recording. Finally, if you want to play and listen to your recording, click the Play button.
If you are satisfied with the recording, click File and Save and give the untitled recording a name.
Using Voice Memos to Record Audio
Voice Memos is an in-built app on iOS devices, but you can download it for free on your Mac. The app is designed for recording high-quality audio and is simple to use.
Start recording with Voice Memos by opening the app from the Applications folder or the Dock. Alternatively, press Command + Spacebar to open the Launchpad and then enter Voice Memos in the search bar. Next, start recording by clicking the Record button and clicking the Pause button to pause the recording. If you want to resume from the last paused position, click the Resume button.
When you have finished recording, click the Stop button and then hit the Play button to listen to the recording.
Right-click on the file, and you will get Share options in the sidebar. Choose your preferred option to share your files.
Additionally, you can perform simple edits in Voice Memos.
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- Choose the Voice Memo you wish to edit and then click the Edit button in the top right corner.
- Choose the Trim Tool to open the Trim Editor.
- Drag the trim sliders if you want to shorten the audio clip at the beginning and end. Then, when you are satisfied with the audio you wish to keep, click Trim. The audio outside of the yellow highlighted area will be deleted.
Furthermore, you can adjust the playback speed in VoiceMemos. You can drag the slider between the hare and the tortoise. You can choose the Skip Silence option to omit silences and pauses in your recording.
You can boost and brighten the vocals by diminishing the background hum using the Enhance Recording option.
The bottom line
You can take advantage of Mac’s in-built tools to record audio before installing third-party software like Audacity to do the job. So go ahead and fulfil your audio recording dreams.