A screen recording checklist for Mac, before the long take.
https://qreata.cc/guides/screen-recording-checklist-mac

Before recording on Mac, check the capture source, microphone, required app sound, private data, readable text and recording destination. Record ten seconds with one spoken sentence and a representative click, then play back the saved file. Start the full take only when that sample contains the picture and sound you need.

[ ] Rehearse the exact source
Open the window, menu and dialog the viewer must see. If you switch from slides to a browser, test that switch. A window recording may miss a separately opened slideshow or pop-up; choose a display only when the wider workspace is safe to capture.

[ ] Verify voice and required app sound
Speak one sentence into the selected microphone. If the demo includes sound from an app, play that sound too. Listen to both in the saved sample. Headphones help keep speaker playback out of the microphone; an input level alone does not prove that the saved file has audio.

[ ] Remove private content
Use a demo account with invented names. Close unrelated tabs and chat windows, hide notifications and check the address bar. In Qreata, excluded apps and manually chosen blur regions provide additional protection; neither finds sensitive information automatically.

[ ] Make the smallest important text readable
Use the intended capture size and open a label, tooltip or error message. Check the sample at the size your audience will watch. Increase the app’s text size or tighten the capture source if the label is unreadable; a camera overlay should not cover the action.

[ ] Check storage and the saved result
Confirm the recording folder and available disk space. In the free macOS recorder, Shift-Command-5 → Options lets you choose the microphone and save destination. In Qreata, check the recordings folder in Settings. Record ten seconds, stop and locate the saved result before the long take.

[ ] Export a sample and check it as a viewer
For an editable Qreata project, export a short MP4 before the full session. Open the MP4, listen and inspect the opening and closing frames. A working editor preview does not replace this test. If delivery uses a link, check access using the recipient’s intended permissions.

[ ] The selected source includes the tested menu and window changes.
[ ] The saved sample contains my voice and any required app sound.
[ ] No private values or notifications appear, including first and last frames.
[ ] Text is readable and the exported file opens correctly for delivery.

Qreata · 2026-10-31