Record screen, microphone or camera from macOS terminal

macOS CLI tool to record microphone audio, screen video or screenshot, and camera video or photo from the terminal with device listing and output control.

record CLI

A macOS command-line tool for recording audio, screen, and camera output. Designed for both human users and AI agents operating in a terminal.

Output file paths are printed to stdout. Status messages go to stderr, making the tool pipeline-friendly.

IMPORTANT: User Consent Required

Always ask the user for explicit permission before running any recording command. Recording audio (microphone), screen, or camera captures sensitive data and may be unexpected. Before executing record audio, record screen, or record camera, confirm with the user that they intend to record, what will be captured, and the duration. Listing devices (--list-devices, --list-displays, --list-windows, --list-cameras) and taking screenshots (--screenshot) are less intrusive but should still be confirmed if not explicitly requested.

Installation

bash

brew install atacan/tap/record

Quick Reference

bash

# Audio
record audio --duration 10                    # Record 10s of audio
record audio --duration 5 --json              # JSON output with file path

# Screen
record screen --duration 5                    # Record screen for 5s
record screen --screenshot                    # Take a screenshot
record screen --screenshot --output /tmp/s.png

# Camera
record camera --duration 5                    # Record webcam for 5s
record camera --photo                         # Take a photo

Subcommands

Subcommand	Purpose
record audio	Record from microphone
record screen	Record screen video or take a screenshot
record camera	Record from webcam or take a photo

Each subcommand has its own --help flag with full option details.

Key Patterns for AI Agents

Get the output file path

The tool prints the output file path to stdout. Capture it:

bash

FILE=$(record audio --duration 5)
echo "Recorded to: $FILE"

Use --json for structured output

All subcommands support --json to emit machine-readable JSON to stdout:

bash

record audio --duration 5 --json

Use --duration for non-interactive recording

Without --duration, the tool waits for a keypress to stop (requires a real TTY). AI agents should always pass --duration <seconds> to ensure the command terminates.

List available devices

bash

record audio --list-devices
record screen --list-displays
record screen --list-windows
record camera --list-cameras

Add --json for structured output.

Control output location

bash

record audio --duration 5 --output /tmp/recording.m4a
record screen --screenshot --output /tmp/screen.png --overwrite

Without --output, files are saved to a temporary directory.

Screen recording with audio

bash

record screen --duration 10 --audio system    # system audio only
record screen --duration 10 --audio mic       # microphone only
record screen --duration 10 --audio both      # system + mic

Capture a specific window or display

bash

record screen --screenshot --window "Safari"
record screen --duration 5 --display primary

macOS Permissions

The terminal app (Terminal, iTerm2, etc.) must have the relevant permission enabled in System Settings > Privacy & Security:

• Microphone - for record audio and record camera --audio
• Screen Recording - for record screen
• Camera - for record camera

Troubleshooting

If a command fails or behaves unexpectedly, run:

bash

record <subcommand> --help

The --help output always reflects the installed version and is the authoritative reference.

Detailed Command References

For full option listings and advanced usage:

• Audio: See references/audio.md
• Screen: See references/screen.md
• Camera: See references/camera.md