Screen Studio is a macOS screen recorder that polishes demos and tutorials with zooms, cursor motion, and captions.
The pointer is recorded separately from the screen, so cursor motion, size, and click effects can be changed after the take.
Core capabilities
Zoom a demo without a second take
Record a whole display, one window, or a selected area, and bring the webcam, microphone, and Mac system audio if you need them. Screen Studio looks at actions such as clicks, then animates a classic zoom or a loupe zoom onto those moments. You can also drop a zoom on the timeline and aim it at one region. A real-time upscaler, which the site says was trained on macOS screenshots and generated SwiftUI apps, runs on the Mac and is described as a 6.5× upscale so a close zoom stays sharp. Zooms are laid out so the webcam does not cover the cursor.
Change camera layouts inside one recording
A single take can move among fullscreen camera, split screen, a corner overlay, screen only, and a camera cutout. The cutout removes the webcam background on the Mac. The camera can step aside while you are silent and return when you speak, and face tracking keeps the shot centered as you move.
Cut with the transcript and clean the voice
Delete a sentence in the transcript to cut that part of the video, then shorten filler words and long pauses in one pass. Noise reduction and Podcast mode process the microphone on the Mac. Captions are made locally with Whisper or Apple speech recognition, with caption styles and animations you can choose. Cloud transcription is optional; the site says that audio is deleted from the server once the transcript returns. AI voiceover sends text you type so a voice can be generated and changed later.
Reframe, mask, and hand off the video
The same project switches among 16:9, 1:1, and 9:16. Zooms, layouts, and captions adjust, and reel mode shows how an Instagram or TikTok frame would cover the picture. Backgrounds, shadow, padding, and presets can be saved for a team. Masks cover sensitive details after recording or dim the rest of the frame. Documented exports include MP4 at 720p, 1080p, or 4K at up to 60 fps, GIFs up to 1080p, and an .srt of the edited transcript. Shareable links are 1080p at 60 fps for videos up to 30 minutes. A shared project can be up to 20 GB. An iPhone or iPad connected over USB is framed on the Mac; nothing is installed on the device.
How to use it
- Use a Mac with macOS 13.1 or later recommended, then download the Apple silicon or Intel build from the official download page.
- Choose the display, window, or area, add the camera and microphone if you want them, and record. The take is saved to disk about every two seconds, including after a crash.
- Set zooms, cursor style, transcript cuts, captions, backgrounds, and presets in the editor.
- Export a video or GIF, copy it into another app, or create a shareable link when your plan includes that.
Who it suits
Screen Studio suits people recording product demos, courses, tutorials, and social clips on a Mac, including a team that wants the same presets. It does not fit a Windows workflow: the site says there is no Windows version and no near-term plan to add one. It is also the wrong tool if you need a recorder that lives only in the browser. Viewers use a browser only when you send a link.
Before you commit, check that the Mac meets the recommended system version and that your plan includes export if you need a file or a link.
Pricing, access and limits
The download page says that without an active plan you can still use the features except exporting video files. Paid plans are $9 per month billed yearly, shown as 69% off, or $29 per month. Every paid plan includes the same set: export up to 4K at 60 fps, shareable links, cloud transcript, project sharing, and new features as they ship. Students and educators can request 40% off with an educational email, or by sending proof such as a student ID to team@screen.studio.
New purchases are subscriptions. A one-time license bought earlier remains valid; if access to current updates has expired, it can be renewed. Recording, projects, local transcripts, voice enhancement, face tracking, cutouts, upscaling, and export stay on the Mac. Shareable links, shared projects, optional cloud transcription, and AI voiceover leave the machine only when you choose them, and the app says it tells you before that happens. Usage analytics can be turned off and do not include recording content.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Screen Studio without paying?
You can use the features without an active plan, except exporting video files. Export up to 4K, shareable links, cloud transcript, and project sharing are part of the $9 yearly or $29 monthly plan.
Does it run on Windows or as an iPhone app?
No. Screen Studio supports macOS only, and macOS 13.1 or later is recommended. iPhone and iPad footage is captured by connecting the device to the Mac over USB. There is no app to install on the device.
Do recordings get uploaded for captions?
Local transcription with Whisper or Apple speech recognition, and on-device voice cleanup, are the default. Audio is uploaded only if you choose cloud transcription, and the site says that copy is deleted after the transcript returns. AI voiceover sends the script you type.
What happens to an older one-time license?
It remains valid. One-time licenses are no longer sold to new customers. If update access has expired, you can renew it for current features.
