Takes Keep the best take

Record multiple takes on Mac, keep the best one.

Takes for Mac keeps every take of your video together. Star the best one, and your agent edits only that keeper.

Download .dmg

macOS 15+ · Apple silicon · free

The short answer

Three things to know first.

Every take is kept

Record the same line as often as you like. Each try is its own take in the same session.

One star picks the keeper

Click the star on the best take. The agent edits that one, not the others.

The rest go in one click

“Trash takes without a star” clears them. They go to the macOS Trash, so you can get one back.

How

How to keep the best take in Takes.

1Record a take

Press ⌘R and read from the teleprompter.
2Record it again

Press ⌘R again. Each try lands as a new take.
3Star the best one

One click. Then trash the takes without a star.
4Ask for the edit

The agent edits the keeper only.

A real video

12 takes, one video.

The launch video for Takes, recorded in Takes on October 4, 2026. One take per shot, and two shots said twice.

12takes recorded

10shots kept

2restarts left out

The takes, to scale3:01 in all

123456789101112

Used in the videoRestart, left out

Less work

Two clicks, not a pile of files.

The same job: three tries of one line, and only the best one left.

A plain recorder 7 steps

Record, then stop
Find the new file
Rename it “try 1”
Record again, rename again
Play each file to compare
Delete the bad ones
Import the good one to edit

Takes 2 clicks

Star the best take
Trash takes without a star

0files to find, rename or import: each take row shows what you said

The Takes window: the chat asks to cut the keeper into a vertical short, and Takes answers that the short is ready, cut from the keeper. — The real Takes window. “Cut my keeper” is all the agent needs.

Shot by shot

A keeper for every shot.

Plan the video as shots. Each shot keeps its own takes, and a star shows which shot has its keeper.

The Storyboard tab in Takes: seven sketched shots in a row (Hook, Main, End), the first shot open with its script line and a record button. — The Storyboard tab. Record a take under each shot, then star the best one.

Compare

Takes and QuickTime Player.

QuickTime Player comes with every Mac. Here is how the two handle several tries of one video.

	Takes for Mac	QuickTime Player
Comes with your Mac	No, a free download	Yes, built in
Several tries of one video	Kept together in one session	Each recording is its own file you save and name
Mark the best take	A star on the take	Rename or move the file
Remove the other tries	“Trash takes without a star”	Delete each file
Teleprompter	Yes, scrolls as you talk	No
Trim a clip by hand	Ask the agent in words	Yes, Edit > Trim
Price	Free, open source (MIT); AI edits use your own agent plan	Free

QuickTime Player facts from Apple’s QuickTime Player guide, checked 2026-10-22. Takes facts from its source.

What you get

Made for recording again.

See what you said

Each take row shows its words, from a transcript made on your Mac.

Find a take by its words

⌘K searches every take for what you said.

Name a take

Click its name and type. The file name follows.

Star from your iPhone

The Takes iPhone app stars and trashes takes too.

Plain files

Each take is a .mov in a folder on your Mac. No upload.

Free, no watermark

MIT licensed. No account, no trial.

Get started

Paste one line, or download.

The line installs Takes and ffmpeg, finds your agent (Claude Code, Codex or pi) or installs Claude Code, signs you in and opens the app. Run it again to update. Rather click? Download the .dmg, drag Takes to Applications, then click Finish setup in the sidebar.

Download .dmg

NeedsApple silicon, macOS 15+, and an agent on your own plan for the AI parts: Claude Code, Codex or pi.

First time with the .dmg?macOS asks once. Click Open Anyway in Privacy & Security. The download page shows where.

Free and openMIT licensed. Read the code on GitHub.

Questions

Questions about takes.

How do I record several takes of the same video on my Mac?

Open a session in Takes for Mac and press ⌘R. Stop, then press ⌘R again. Each take is its own file in the session folder, next to the others.

How do I pick the best take?

Click the star on the take you like. That take is your keeper. Each take row shows what you said, so you can compare without playing all of them.

What happens to the takes I don't star?

They stay until you remove them. “Trash takes without a star” moves them to the macOS Trash, so you can still get one back.

Does the edit use only the best take?

Yes. The agent reads which take is the keeper and edits that one. Ask “cut my keeper into a vertical short” and it does.

Is Takes free?

Yes. Takes is free and open source (MIT), with no account and no watermark. The AI edits run on an agent you already have: Claude Code, Codex or pi, on your own plan.

More about Takes

One app, from script to post.

TeleprompterRead your script while the camera records. Remove filler wordsCut the ums and pauses when you ask. Add captions on MacWord-timed captions when you ask. Edit videos with Claude CodeStep by step, with a real video and the commands. Screen recorder with cameraScreen and face, with a teleprompter. Descript alternativeFree, on your Mac, no media hours.