How to Screen Record on a Mac and Show Yourself on Video for Free (QuickTime Tutorial)

🎥 Ever wanted to record your computer screen while also showing yourself on camera—without buying expensive software? If you’re on a Mac, the good news is this: you can do it completely free.

I’m Jerad Larkin with Chicago Title, and in this guide I’ll walk you step-by-step through how to screen record on a Mac and keep a video of yourself talking at the same time. I’ll also share some pro tips on editing, lighting, and real-world uses—especially if you’re a real estate professional, content creator, or small business owner looking to make professional-looking videos without extra cost

Let’s get into it.

Why Screen Record With Your Face Showing?

💡 Before we dive into the “how,” let’s talk about the “why.”

Adding a video of yourself (often called “picture-in-picture” or PiP) on top of your screen recording does a couple of powerful things:

• Builds trust. Viewers can see you, not just your screen. It makes the content more personal.

• Improves engagement. People connect better when they see your facial expressions, body language, and energy.

• Perfect for teaching. If you’re walking through software, presentations, or tutorials, showing your face makes it easier to follow along.

• Great for marketing. Realtors, coaches, and entrepreneurs can use this to make listing walkthroughs, buyer/seller guides, presentations, or even short social media clips.

In short: showing your face while screen recording instantly levels up your videos.

And you don’t need expensive apps like ScreenFlow, Loom, or Camtasia to do it—QuickTime Player (already installed on every Mac) can get the job done for free.

The Free Hack: Using QuickTime Player on Mac

Every Mac ships with QuickTime Player, and most people only ever use it to open videos. But hidden inside is a feature that lets you record yourself and your screen at the same time.

Here’s how to do it step by step.

Step 1: Open QuickTime Player

• Click on Applications in your Finder.

• Open QuickTime Player.

• When the window pops up asking if you want to open a file, just click Cancel.

Now you’re ready to set things up.

Step 2: Create a New Movie Recording

• In the top menu, click File > New Movie Recording.

• A small camera window will pop up showing your face using your Mac’s built-in webcam (or an external one if you have one plugged in).

At this point, you’ve got the video of yourself. But here’s the problem: if you click anywhere else on your screen, that little video box disappears behind other

windows. Not helpful if you’re trying to record your screen.

Step 3: Keep Your Video on Top

This is the magic trick.

• In the top menu, click View > Float on Top.

• Now, your video stays visible—even if you open other windows or start recording your screen.

Boom. You’re now picture-in-picture without buying anything.

Step 4: Resize and Move Your Video

• Drag the edges of the QuickTime window to resize it (make it small and webcam-style).

• Drag the whole window into the corner of your screen where you want it to appear during your recording.

Pro tip: bottom-right corner tends to feel most natural, but experiment with placement depending on what you’re showing.

Step 5: Start Screen Recording on Mac

QuickTime itself can record screens, but Apple also gives you a built-in shortcut that’s easier:

• Press Shift + Command + 5 on your keyboard.

• A little toolbar will appear at the bottom of your screen with options:

  • Record entire screen

  • Record selected portion

  • Take a screenshot

• Choose the recording option you want and click Record.

When you’re done, click the stop button in the menu bar. Your screen recording will save automatically.

And since your QuickTime camera window is “floating on top,” it will be included in your recording.

Editing Your Recording (Still Free)

Once you’re finished recording, you’ll probably want to clean things up. Luckily, you can use either QuickTime itself or free tools like iMovie (also included on your Mac).

• Trim clips: Cut off the awkward moments before you start talking.

• Add captions: Free tools like CapCut or iMovie let you add text overlays.

• Overlay graphics: Want your name, logo, or contact info? Easy to add in iMovie or Canva.

For real estate agents, this is a great way to brand your videos with your brokerage name, phone number, or website—without looking too overproduced.

When to Use This Hack

Here are some real-world ways you can put this to work immediately:

🏡 For Real Estate Agents

• Record a listing presentation for sellers.

• Walk through comps on the MLS while explaining your strategy.

• Create buyer/seller educational videos (“How to read your closing disclosure”).

• Record market updates directly from your MLS data.

📊 For Small Business Owners

• Demo your product or service.

• Walk through proposals or invoices for clients.

• Train team members with visual instructions.

🎓 For Educators & Coaches

• Create course material.

• Record Q&A sessions or lessons.

• Share tutorials on YouTube, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Basically, anytime you want to combine your screen with your face, this hack works.

Advantages of QuickTime Over Paid Tools

You might be wondering—why not just use Loom, ScreenFlow, or another paid tool? Here’s why QuickTime is still worth knowing:

1. It’s free. Already installed on your Mac.

2. No account needed. No logins, no monthly fees.

3. High-quality recording. You can save in HD or 4K.

4. Lightweight. Doesn’t eat up storage or processing power like some heavier apps.

5. Simple. Minimal setup compared to paid tools with 50 buttons you’ll never use.

Of course, paid tools add features like analytics, instant sharing links, and advanced editing. But if your goal is simply to make clean, professional videos with your face and your screen—QuickTime does the job.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Here are a few pitfalls to watch out for:

❌ Forgetting “Float on Top.” Without this, your face disappears behind windows. Always turn it on.

❌ Placing your video over important content. Don’t cover up the very thing you’re trying to show.

❌ Bad lighting. The MacBook webcam is decent, but make sure you’re facing a light source (like a window or a desk lamp).

❌ Ignoring audio. QuickTime uses your Mac’s built-in mic. If you want better sound, grab a USB mic (like a Blue Yeti or Shure MV7).

Pro Tips to Level Up Your Recordings

Even though this is a free hack, you can make your videos look professional with just a few tweaks:

🎙️ Use an external mic. Audio quality often matters more than video quality.

💡 Get good lighting. Sit facing a window or add a cheap ring light.

🖥️ Use an external webcam. If you want sharper video, plug in a 1080p or 4K webcam.

✂️ Edit in CapCut or iMovie. Add captions, logos, or background music to stand out.

📝 Script your video. Even a quick outline keeps you from rambling.

SEO Angle: People Searching for This Hack

This blog is designed for people searching things like:

• “how to screen record on mac with video of yourself free”

• “free screen recording with webcam mac”

• “quicktime player screen record with camera”

• “mac screen recording tutorial”

If you found this blog through one of those searches, you’re not alone. Thousands of people every month want to know how to do this without paying for software—and this is the easiest method out there.

Conclusion

If you’ve been holding back from creating videos because you thought you needed expensive software, now you know the secret:

QuickTime Player on your Mac can handle screen recording with your video overlay for free.

This simple setup is more than enough to create tutorials, market updates, listing presentations, or client training videos. And once you get the hang of it, you’ll realize you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars just to record your screen.

So give it a shot today: open QuickTime, set up “Float on Top,” press Shift + Command + 5, and start recording.

I’m Jerad Larkin with Chicago Title. If you found this helpful, check out MileHighTitleGuy.com for more real estate tools, resources, and marketing ideas.