How to record a webinar on Mac

Updated: October 2026·6 min read·Webinars · macOS

Quick answer

Four ways, from free to zero-effort: the platform's own recording (often paid-plan only, stored in their cloud), QuickTime Player (free, but mic/screen only - it can't hear the webinar), a browser extension, or Nerpa - a Mac app that records exactly what your speakers play, so the whole webinar is captured in full quality with no permissions, then transcribed with a summary. For a webinar you paid for, the last option is usually the one that actually works.

First: check the platform's own recording

Many webinar hosts offer a replay or a recording - asking is zero effort:

Zoom Webinars - recording is available on licensed accounts, often cloud-stored; the host can share the link after.
Google Meet / Teams live events - recording is a paid-plan feature, saved to the organizer's Drive or OneDrive.
Dedicated webinar tools (GoTo Webinar, Webex, Livestorm) - usually record by default and email replays.

The catches: the host controls it - they may not record at all, the replay may expire or be paywelled, and the file lives in their cloud, not yours. If the webinar matters (paid training, a conference talk you'll need in a month), record your own copy.

QuickTime: screen and mic, but not the webinar

QuickTime Player is free and built into macOS:

Open QuickTime Player, then File → New Screen Recording.
Choose the webinar window or full screen; enable your microphone if you want commentary.
Record while the webinar plays.

The catch: QuickTime records your screen and microphone - but not the audio coming out of your speakers. The video you get is a silent webinar. To also capture sound you need the BlackHole virtual-audio-driver setup, which we break down in the general Mac recording guide - it works, but it's the kind of thing you forget to configure five minutes before the webinar starts.

Record the webinar audio from your Mac

The third way skips both problems: Nerpa is a Mac app that records what your speakers play - the webinar's audio, full quality, both the presenter and any panel discussion - plus your microphone if you ask questions in the chat-to-voice segments.

Install Nerpa and sign in once. It sits in the background.
Join the webinar as usual, in any browser or app. Nerpa detects the session and offers to record - one click.
When it ends, accept the transcription prompt: minutes later you have a full speaker-aware transcript, a summary, and the key decisions.
The raw audio stays in a local folder on your Mac - your copy, your files, not an expiring replay link.

Because it captures system audio, no platform permission is needed and the platform shows nothing - the same mechanism as recording Zoom without a bot, which works identically for webinars on any platform.

Never lose another webinar

Nerpa records the webinar audio from your Mac and turns it into a searchable transcript with a summary - the replay you actually own.

Download for Mac

Latest stable release. Requires macOS 12+

Why a transcript beats rewatching

A one-hour webinar takes an hour to rewatch. The transcript version takes five minutes to scan:

Searchable. Find the exact moment the pricing was discussed instead of scrubbing the timeline.
Quotable. Copy the presenter's exact wording into your notes or a report.
Summarizable. The summary gives you the structure; the transcript gives you the detail.

That's the difference between "I have a recording somewhere" and "I have the knowledge". Nerpa produces both from one click; a screen recording alone leaves you the boring half of the job.

Methods compared

	Platform recording	QuickTime	Nerpa
Captures webinar audio	Yes	Only with BlackHole setup	Yes, by design
Works on any plan	Often paid-only	Yes	Yes
Where the file lives	Host's cloud	Your Mac (video)	Your Mac (audio + notes)
Needs permission/setup	Host decides	BlackHole for audio	None - one click
Transcript with summary	Rarely	No	Yes, automatic
Effort per webinar	Ask the host	High	One click

Frequently asked questions

Can I record a webinar on Mac for free?

Yes. QuickTime Player records your screen and microphone for free, and nothing in macOS stops you from capturing what plays through your speakers. For the webinar audio specifically, a system-audio recorder like Nerpa is the simplest free-to-start route, because QuickTime alone records mic only, not the webinar sound.

Is it legal to record a webinar I registered for?

Recording for personal notes is generally accepted practice, and normal one-party-consent rules apply to the conversation. Redistributing is a different matter - republishing the presenter's material is a copyright question. For anything beyond personal use, check the webinar's terms.

How do I record a webinar without the host knowing?

A system-audio recorder captures what plays on your Mac, so the platform shows no recording state - useful when the host offers no recording and you want personal notes. In large one-way webinars nobody is notified anyway; in interactive sessions, mentioning that you keep a recording is good practice.

What is the best way to get a transcript of a webinar?

Some platforms generate transcripts on paid plans. If yours doesn't, record the audio and transcribe it: Nerpa does this automatically with speaker labels, a summary, and action items. Fully local options like whisper.cpp work too, with more setup and no summaries.