How to record a meeting on Mac
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 Whispeak — 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.
- Open Voice Memos (press Cmd + Space, type "Voice Memos", press Enter).
- Click the red record button before your meeting starts.
- When the call ends, click Done. The memo saves automatically and syncs via iCloud.
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.
- Open QuickTime Player from your Applications folder.
- Choose File → New Screen Recording.
- In the recording options, pick your microphone.
- Click Record, select the meeting window (or the whole screen), and join your call.
- Stop from the menu bar when the meeting ends.
Method 3: Whispeak — a recorder built for meetings
Whispeak is a free-to-start Mac app designed around exactly this job: recording online conversations and turning them into notes.
- Download the Mac app and sign in. The app lives in the background while you work.
- When a web conference starts (Zoom, Meet, Teams, or any browser call), Whispeak notices it and offers to record — no bot joins your meeting and no participant sees anything unusual.
- When the call ends, Whispeak offers to transcribe. A few minutes later you have a speaker-aware transcript, a summary, and action items.
- 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.
Record your next meeting on autopilot
Whispeak detects the call, records every participant clearly, and hands you a transcript with decisions and action items.
Latest stable release. Requires macOS 12+
Which method should you pick?
| Voice Memos | QuickTime | Whispeak | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Records remote participants | Only via room acoustics | Only with BlackHole setup | Yes, by design |
| No bot joins the call | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Starts automatically | No | No | Yes — detects web conferences |
| Transcript + action items | No | No | Yes, speaker-aware |
| You keep the raw file | Yes (m4a) | Yes (mov) | Yes — local folder, standard format |
| Price | Free | Free | Free to start; pay per transcription minutes |
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.
Is it legal to record a meeting?
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.
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 Whispeak.
How do I get a transcript of the meeting?
Upload the audio file to a transcription service, or let a meeting recorder handle it. Whispeak transcribes automatically after each call, with speaker labels, a summary, and action items you can export.