Something to send immediately
The remuxed MP4 costs no second encode, follows the project through Duplicate and Move to Trash, and Projects → Show MP4 in Finder reveals it.
Export
A finished file, not a render queue.
Up to 4K at 30 or 60 FPS, MP4 or MOV, H.264 or HEVC — plus a playable MP4 written the moment you stop.
The problem
You stop recording and what you have is not a file yet. It is a project, in a format nothing opens, waiting on an export you will run twice because the first one had the wrong aspect ratio.
What happens instead
A ready-to-play .mp4 appears beside the project as soon as the take finishes — the captured video copied without re-encoding, with microphone and system audio mixed into one track. When you want the styled version, Export renders the canvas, Smart Zoom, camera and cursor.
In detail
What export actually does
Social presets
Landscape and portrait canvases sized for where the clip is actually going, without re-cutting the edit to get there.
Codec by intent
H.264 where compatibility matters, HEVC where file size does, in an MP4 or a MOV container.
Nothing half-written
Export writes a temporary file and publishes the finished one only after it has succeeded, so a failed render never replaces a good file.
Specifications
The short version
- Containers
- MP4, MOV
- Codecs
- H.264, HEVC
- Resolution
- Up to 4K
- Frame rate
- 30 or 60 FPS
- Instant copy
- Remuxed MP4, no second encode
- Shortcut
- ⌘E
FAQ
Questions about export
What is the MP4 that appears next to my project?
The captured video copied without re-encoding, with microphone and system audio mixed into one track, so you can play or share a take straight away. Canvas, Smart Zoom, camera and cursor styling are rendered by Export instead, which also writes the constant frame rate that video editors expect.
Can I skip the instant copy?
Yes. Skip it from the progress panel when you only want the edited version, and create one later for an older recording from Projects → Save Ready-to-Play MP4.
Keep reading
The parts that work with it
Canvas & backgrounds
Padding, rounded corners, a shadow and a background that belongs to your brand — set once, rendered at export.
Read moreTimeline editor
Splitting, trimming, ripple deletes and per-section speed, without exporting into another application first.
Read morePrivate by design
Recording, editing and export all happen locally. There is no upload step, because there is nowhere to upload to.
Read moreFrom the blog
Guides that use export
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4K 60 FPS Screen Recording on Mac: Resolution, Codecs and Quality Explained
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A Private, Offline Screen Recorder for Mac: Nothing Is Ever Uploaded
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Async Video Updates: How to Replace Meetings With Walkthroughs People Watch
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How to Build a YouTube Channel for a Software Company That Customers Actually Use
Most software company channels are a webinar graveyard. Here is a practical way to build a tutorial channel people search for, watch and come back to.
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How to Edit Screen Recordings Faster: Stop Spending Three Hours on a Five-Minute Video
A five-minute screen recording should not cost an afternoon. Here is where the editing time really goes, and a record-to-export workflow that removes it.
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How to Make a SaaS Launch Video From a Screen Recording (No Agency)
You do not need an agency or motion graphics to launch. A clear 60-second structure and a well-framed screen recording will carry a SaaS launch video.
5 min readRecord the next one properly
Install it, hit ⌥⌘R, and watch a take that would normally cost you an evening in a timeline come out finished.
macOS 13 Ventura or later · Apple Silicon and Intel