Speed, mid-take
↑ and ↓ while you record.
Takes Teleprompter
A free teleprompter for Mac that records the take, too.
Read your script. The camera records. Star the best take. Free, open source, no account.
I changed one thing on my desk this year, and my videos got better.
It's not the camera. It's where the script sits.
When the words are right under the lens, your eyes stay on the viewer.
So here's my setup for 2026, in three parts.
First, the light. One soft lamp, to the side, a little above my face.
Second, the sound. A small mic, close, out of the shot.
Third, the script. I read it here, and I record right here.
Camera
Speed
Size
Try it: ↑↓ speed · Space pause
How it works
Script to take in four steps.
-
01
Add the script
Paste it, type it or let the chat write it.
-
02
Set speed and size
Text from 14 to 96 pt.
-
03
Press ⌘R
3, 2, 1. The page goes dark and the camera rolls.
-
04
Star the keeper
Record again and again. Keep the best.
Cameras
Any camera. Wide or vertical.
A reading mark
Eyes there, you look close to the lens.
Hooks as tabs
A few openings. Read the one you like.
Every version kept
Edit freely. History keeps the rest.
Tips
Read without looking like you read.
Put the words under the lensMove the window to the top of the screen.
Write the way you talkShort sentences. Fix every line you stumble on.
Go slower than you thinkWaiting? Press ↑. A pause looks calm.
Record the hook three timesThen read the rest in one go.
Bigger text, sit backYour eyes move less from line to line.
Is it for you?
When Takes fits, and when it doesn't.
Takes fits if you…
- record talking-head videos at your Mac
- want the prompter and recorder in one window
- record a few takes and keep the best
- want help with the edit and posts, from Claude Code
Pick another app if you…
- want the text to follow your voiceTakes scrolls at a speed you set.
- use a glass rig that needs mirrored text
- use Windows or an Intel Mac
Guide
How to use a teleprompter on your Mac.
The full walk-through, from where to put the window to what happens after the take.
Set up the screen and camera
A teleprompter works when the words are close to the lens. On a MacBook or an iMac, the camera is at the top of the screen. Move the Takes window to the top too, so the reading mark sits just under the camera.
- External display: put the camera on top of the display you read from, not on the laptop next to it.
- iPhone as the camera: Takes uses Continuity Camera. Put the phone on a stand just above the screen. Hold it upright for a vertical 1080×1920 video, or sideways for 16:9.
- USB camera: clip it to the top edge of the screen, in the middle.
Sit at arm's length or a little farther. The farther you sit, the less the viewer sees your eyes move from line to line.
Write a script you can say
People hear a script, they don't read it. Write the way you talk: short sentences, one idea in each, and simple words. Read it out loud once before you record. If you stumble on a line, change it.
In Takes the prompter is also the editor, so you fix a line in the same place you read it. Every change is kept in the history, so you can go back to an old version. You can also ask the chat to write a first draft, make a script shorter, or give you a few opening lines to choose from. Each opening becomes a tab: read the one you like best.
Pick the speed and text size
Most people talk at about 130 to 160 words a minute. A good prompter speed is the one where you never wait and never rush. Start slower than you think: a short pause on camera looks calm, but racing to catch up does not.
Takes scrolls at a fixed speed that you set. Press ↑ or ↓ during the take to go faster or slower, and Space to pause. Make the text 14 to 96 points. Large text lets you sit back, and then your eyes move less.
Record, retry, keep the best
Press ⌘R. A 3-2-1 countdown starts, then the text scrolls and the camera records. During the take the prompter goes dark, so a bright white page does not light up your face.
Don't aim for one perfect take. Record the first lines, the hook, three times with different openings. Then read the rest in one go. Star the best take and move on. Every take is a .mov file in ~/Movies/Takes, one folder per video, with the script saved as Markdown next to it.
Record the camera and the screen
For a tutorial or a product demo, record the camera and the screen at the same time. Takes saves them as two synced files, so in the edit you can show the screen full size with your face in a corner, or cut between the two.
After the take
The teleprompter is one part of Takes. With Claude Code, Takes also storyboards the video, cuts the edit and drafts the posts for LinkedIn, X, YouTube and Shorts. See everything Takes does.
Get started
One line in Terminal.
It installs Takes, ffmpeg and Claude Code, signs you in and opens the app. Run it again to update.
NeedsApple silicon, macOS 15+, and a paid Claude plan (Pro or Max).
Rather click?Download the .dmg, then click Finish setup in the sidebar.
More than a prompterStoryboards, AI edits, post drafts: see all of Takes.
Questions
Teleprompter questions.
Is the Takes teleprompter free?
Yes. Takes is free and MIT licensed, with no account and no watermark. The code is public on GitHub.
Does the teleprompter follow my voice?
No. It scrolls at a speed you set. Press ↑ or ↓ during a take to go faster or slower, and Space to pause.
Which cameras work?
The Mac's built-in camera, an iPhone through Continuity Camera, and USB cameras. Hold the iPhone upright and Takes records a vertical 1080×1920 video.
Do I need Claude to use the teleprompter?
Takes is made to work with Claude Code: it writes scripts and hooks, cuts the edit and drafts the posts. Claude Code needs a paid Claude plan (Pro or Max). The installer sets it up and signs you in.
Can it mirror the text for a glass teleprompter?
Not today. Takes shows the script on the Mac screen, next to the camera preview. For a beam-splitter rig, use an app that mirrors text.
Where do the recordings go?
Into ~/Movies/Takes on your Mac, one folder per video. Each take is a .mov file; the script is a Markdown file next to it.
How do I keep eye contact while reading a teleprompter?
Put the text right under the camera. Move the Takes window to the top of the screen and keep your eyes on the reading mark. Use large text and sit back, so your eyes move less from line to line.
How fast should a teleprompter scroll?
As fast as you talk. Most people talk at about 130 to 160 words a minute. Start slow, then press ↑ or ↓ during the take until you never wait and never rush.
Can I record my screen and my camera at the same time?
Yes. Takes records the camera and the screen as two synced files, for tutorials and product demos.
Can I record vertical videos for TikTok, Reels and Shorts?
Yes. Use an iPhone as the camera through Continuity Camera and hold it upright. Takes records a vertical 1080×1920 video.
What are the keyboard shortcuts?
⌘R starts a take with a 3-2-1 countdown. ↑ makes the text faster, ↓ makes it slower, and Space pauses.
Does it work on Windows or on an Intel Mac?
No. Takes needs a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 15 or later.