quicktime screen recording blocks video playback

Could you please take a moment to help a clueless ole guy? I cannot figure out how to make my MacBook Air camera record. I've tried to accept advice, trying Facetime. Got a picture of myself on screen but no button to record.

I'm trying to entertain an elderly shut-in with some readings on video (which he likes) but have resorted to the comical claptrap of recording using Skype Messaging (only last 3 minutes), in some cases making it under 3, but in several others cases doing it in 4 parts!

Help please?!

trying to record some readings of poetry, drama, prose for virus shut-ins.

Most are short --3 minutes in length (Skype messaging allows me to record up to three minutes msg which I can then easily download & upload. ) Though , in some cases, it's longer, such as 8 or 14 minutes, so it's absurd with my creating up to "Part 4" with some of them, and the viewer has the burden of clicking forward each section of the piece. Who can be bothered.

Absurd, I know until somebody can educate me on how to download something which will permit me to record right to my drive on my MacBook Air recording camera.

I am assuming that you want to record something on screen say, from youtube or similar and you also want the sound track with it.

If you want sound, you will have to download a utility to make that happen. There are two: Soundflower, you will need to google it, or iShowU Audio Capture. I would strongly recommend the latter. https://support.shinywhitebox.com/hc/en-us/articles/204161459-Installing-iShowU-Audio-Capture. Download the Mojave version as it is for Catalina as well. Download and install, then restart your Mac before opening any application..

Check System prefs / Sound and check that you can see, Internal Speakers, Internal Microphone and iShowU Audio Capture.

Now this is the tricky part, ready?

Locate and open the video you want to play. Play a little to confirm video and audio is OK.

Go back to start of video clip ready to play either stopped or in pause mode.

Open Quicktime Player / File/ New Screen Recording.

A small window will appear with a red button. Next to the button is dropdown menu arrow. Select iShowU Audio Capture.

Go to system prefs/Sound and click Output. Select iShowU Audio Capture. Don't worry about Input Button. Default "Internal Mic'.

It is a good idea to move the small record button window out of the way of the picture to capture. Reduce the size of that window to make room for the rec, Button window.

Click the record button and you will be asked if you want to record the whole screen including desktop. You usually don't want it so place the cursor arrow at he top LH corner of the window you are recording, click and hold and drag it down to the bottom RH corner or the area you want. A small window will pop up (Start Recording). Press it. Now quickly go back to the window you are recording and press play. The video should start to play.

When the recording is finished, click the stop recording button Top of screen, RHS in the menu bar next to the WiFi symbol, or thereabouts.

The recorded window will appear so you can check it. Now the trick that everyone forgets. Go to system prefs/sound, click Output and select Internal Speakers so can hear it. REMEMBER! Output on iShowU Audio Capture to Record and Internal Speakers to play and hear it

NOTE! when you are recording you can not hear the sound, you'll get the hang of it.

Go to file/save to where you want it.

If you have any issues, come back to this post.

Keep safe and enjoy QT.

Thanks so much for the response. But I did not make clear what I am doing. I am trying to record off the MacBook Air camera readings of poetry, drama, prose, ***which I myself read direct to the camera***in order to entertain some shut ins who like this stuff.

So, it's not quite what I seem to led you to assume. I'm not recording off YouTube etc...rather reading myself directly to the camera. Here is what I am doing.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNzX9g9MufetW7mFAL1iVGQ?view_as=subscriber

CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME IN THIS REGARD?

Sorry about the confusion but a lot of people have problems recording video and audio off screen.

OK, so you want to record yourself with camera and mic, save the clip and upload it or whatever.

Easy as!

Open QT and in File click New Movie Recording. The camera should activate and you should see yourself on screen. If you don't see yourself, go to system prefs/Security and Privacy/Privacy. In the left hand window you should see listed, camera and microphone. Click both or either. In the right hand window, QT Player should appear in the list. If it does, check the box to its left. If it is not there, click the padlock, bottom LHS of window. Enter password and select Accessibility, LH window. A + & - will appear under the RH window. Click the + and the Applications window will open. Find and select QT Player. It will be added to the RH list. Check box to its left and confirm it stays checked when you select camera and/or Mic in LH window. Click the padlock Bott LHS and close system prefs window.

Open QT/ New Movie Recording and you should see yourself. The record window will open. Click the menu arrow next to the Rec button and select, HD camera (built in) and microphone and down further, high quality.

Click Rec button and it will start recording. When you move the cursor away from the window, the Rec button will disappear. When you finish recording, move the cursor back into the picture and the Rec window will appear. Click the stop button.

Go to File Save or Share and select the options to save your recording. Or: if you close the Rec window it will ask if you want to save it.

This might seem a bit long winded but it is fool proof. Don't be afraid to ask further questions.

Good luck and keep safe.

Bless you for taking all this time with me. I'll pursue your brilliant suggestions and let's see what works. May I bore you with what I've been trying, in order to keep up the spirits for some folks? Here's the link to the YouTube page for this. As you will laugh about, these are in three minute segments or less, because that's all I've been able to figure out how to do on Skype Messaging, which allows 3 minutes max for mgs. Then down & upload. So, some of these cut off right in the middle of the drama, but I've tried to keep it cogent.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNzX9g9MufetW7mFAL1iVGQ?view_as=subscriber

What exactly are you trying to screen record?

Copy protected material, such as commercial DVD or Blueray movies, etc, can’t be recorded. You’ll just get a blank screen.

Will the videos play in playback mode in QT, without screen capture.

What are you trying to record on screen?

if you'd like an example of what I've been trying to do, even within the Skype messaging 3 minute limit.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNzX9g9MufetW7mFAL1iVGQ?view_as=subscriber

First, thanks for responding and trying to help.