9 Tips for Recording Software Tutorials on Mac

A tutorial has a harder job than a demo. A demo shows that something is possible; a tutorial has to make sure the viewer can do it themselves. That changes how you record. Here are nine habits that make tutorials easier to follow.

Before you record

1. Write the steps, not a script

A word-for-word script sounds read. A numbered list of steps keeps you on track and lets you speak naturally.

2. Match the viewer's starting point

Start from the state your viewer will be in: a fresh install, a default layout, the standard theme. If your screen looks different from theirs, they get lost in the first ten seconds.

3. Get the audio right

Viewers forgive average video long before they forgive bad audio. Any USB or headset microphone beats a laptop mic. Record in a small, soft room, and check the level meter before you start.

While you record

4. Say where you are going before you go

"Next we open Settings, then the Export tab" prepares the viewer's eyes. Then move there.

5. Slow the pointer down

Move directly to each target, then pause for a beat before clicking. It gives auto-zoom time to frame the click and gives the viewer time to find it.

6. Drop chapter marks

Press the mark key at the start of each section. Marks land on the timeline, so splitting a long tutorial into chapters afterwards is quick.

7. Call out shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are invisible on screen. Say the shortcut aloud as you press it, then add a short text label such as ⌘K on Glidesmith's text lane so viewers can see it too.

After you record

8. Cut hesitations, keep the pace human

Remove long pauses and false starts, but do not cut every breath. A tutorial that moves too fast is as hard to follow as one that drags.

9. Export at 60 fps, and test on a phone

Watch the export on the smallest screen your audience uses. If a menu label is unreadable, add a zoom or raise it.

Glidesmith is free to record and edit. Download it and try these on your next lesson.