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How to record a meeting on Mac

Updated: October 2026·6 min read·macOS 12+
Quick answer

You have three solid options: Voice Memos (free, built in, records only your mic), QuickTime Player (free, built in, records the screen but not meeting audio by default), or a purpose-built meeting recorder like Nerpa - it detects online calls, records everyone in the meeting without a bot joining, and turns the recording into a speaker-aware transcript with action items.

Method 1: Voice Memos - the 10-second option

Voice Memos ships with every Mac. It is perfect for capturing your own voice and whatever your microphone can physically hear - including people in the room with you.

  1. Open Voice Memos (press Cmd + Space, type "Voice Memos", press Enter).
  2. Click the red record button before your meeting starts.
  3. When the call ends, click Done. The memo saves automatically and syncs via iCloud.
The catch: Voice Memos records your microphone, not the audio coming out of your speakers. Remote participants on Zoom, Meet, or Teams will be faint or inaudible. It also can't transcribe - you'd need to move the file to a transcription tool afterwards.

Method 2: QuickTime Player - screen + your mic

QuickTime can record your screen with your microphone, which is useful when you need to capture what's shown during the call - webinars included, though there it can't hear the presentation itself (see how to record a webinar on Mac).

  1. Open QuickTime Player from your Applications folder.
  2. Choose File → New Screen Recording.
  3. In the recording options, pick your microphone.
  4. Click Record, select the meeting window (or the whole screen), and join your call.
  5. Stop from the menu bar when the meeting ends.
The catch: like Voice Memos, QuickTime does not capture system audio - the meeting participants' voices - without extra setup. The usual workaround is a virtual audio driver such as BlackHole: install it, create a Multi-Output Device that sends sound to both your speakers and BlackHole, then select BlackHole as the QuickTime input. It works, but it is fiddly, easy to forget before a call, and it still gives you a raw file with no transcript. Full comparison of the workarounds: Mac apps that record system audio.

Method 3: Nerpa - a recorder built for meetings

Nerpa is a free-to-start Mac app designed around exactly this job: recording online conversations and turning them into notes.

  1. Download the Mac app and sign in. The app lives in the background while you work.
  2. When a web conference starts (Zoom, Meet, Teams, or any browser call), Nerpa notices it and offers to record - no bot joins your meeting and no participant sees anything unusual.
  3. When the call ends, Nerpa offers to transcribe. A few minutes later you have a speaker-aware transcript, a summary, and action items.
  4. Your raw audio stays on your Mac in a plain folder you can open any time - the files are yours, in a standard format you can export or back up. If that's the part you care about most, see voice recorders that keep files local.

Record your next meeting on autopilot

Nerpa detects the call, records every participant clearly, and hands you a transcript with decisions and action items.

Download for Mac

Latest stable release. Requires macOS 12+

Which method should you pick?

Voice MemosQuickTimeNerpa
Records remote participantsOnly via room acousticsOnly with BlackHole setupYes, by design
No bot joins the callYesYesYes
Starts automaticallyNoNoYes - detects web conferences
Transcript + action itemsNoNoYes, speaker-aware
You keep the raw fileYes (m4a)Yes (mov)Yes - local folder, standard format
PriceFreeFreeFree on your Mac; optional AI plan from $3.99/month

Recording Zoom calls specifically? A notetaker bot feels especially intrusive there - see our guide to recording a Zoom meeting without a bot for three bot-free setups.

Rules differ by country and state: some jurisdictions require only that one participant (you) knows about the recording, others require consent from everyone. The professional default is simple - say it out loud at the start of the call ("I'm recording this so I can focus on the conversation - is that okay?"). It keeps you safe, and it rarely changes how the meeting runs.

Once the recording is saved, you can turn it into text in a minute with the free audio to text tool - no signup, up to 35 minutes per file. Full walkthrough: how to transcribe a voice memo to text. To shape the transcript into a proper write-up, the meeting minutes template generator arranges your notes into summary, decisions, and action items.

Frequently asked questions

Can I record a meeting on Mac for free?

Yes - Voice Memos and QuickTime are built into macOS. Both are limited to your microphone unless you add a virtual audio driver, and neither transcribes.

Why doesn't QuickTime capture the other participants?

macOS doesn't route app audio to recording tools by default. QuickTime hears your mic, not Zoom or Meet. You need a virtual device like BlackHole - or a recorder that captures system audio directly, like Nerpa.

How do I get a transcript of the meeting?

Upload the audio file to a transcription service, or let a meeting recorder handle it. Nerpa transcribes automatically after each call, with speaker labels, a summary, and action items you can export.