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How to record a language lesson on a Mac

Tested on macOS 26.4.1 (Tahoe), Apple M3 Max, 3 Sept 2026. Updated 2026-09-03.

You can record an online language lesson on a Mac three ways. italki's classroom has a built-in recorder that needs both teacher and student to agree and saves a WEBM file locally. Preply's Lesson Insights keeps the lesson audio for download. On any other platform, a system audio recorder captures the tutor and a mic recorder captures you. A 60-minute lesson is 144 MB as MP3 320.

Can I record my italki or Preply lesson with the platform's own tools?

Check the platform first, because two of the big ones have recording built in and both put consent at the center.

• italki Classroom: the help center says recording "is currently only supported in the Chrome, Edge, and Firefox web browsers", so Safari users do not get the button. "For the recording to be made, BOTH the teacher AND the student must agree to allow recording." The file is saved "automatically to your default drive for browser downloads" as WEBM, and italki states the recording "is not saved or uploaded to any online server". italki also asks that recordings "should only be used for personal review".
• Preply: Lesson Insights works from the audio. Preply writes, "We generate Lesson Insights by transcribing the audio from your lessons and then extracting the insights", adds that "You can also download the audio at any time", and that "The feature doesn't record your video". You can disable insights and delete the data.

If your platform is one of these, the built-in path is the right one: it records both voices, the consent step is part of the flow, and there is nothing to configure on the Mac. The rest of this page is for Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, a tutor's own video room, or a platform with no recorder, and for the case where a WEBM video is not what you want.

How do I record both my tutor and myself on a Mac?

A lesson is a two-way conversation, and that is what makes it harder than a lecture. On macOS there are two separate sound paths:

• The tutor's voice is playback. It is captured by a system audio recorder built on ScreenCaptureKit (AirCheck, OBS) or by a virtual driver such as BlackHole. It is never captured by a mic recorder unless it leaks from your speakers.
• Your voice is microphone input. It is captured by Voice Memos, QuickTime or the mic source in AirCheck. It is never captured by a system audio recorder.

Tested two-take method on macOS 26.4.1: start AirCheck on System Audio (export MP3 320), then start QuickTime Player's File > New Audio Recording on the mic, and say one word to mark the start. After the lesson, stop both, drop the two files into GarageBand or Audacity as two tracks, and slide one until the marker word lines up. Wear headphones so the tutor's voice stays out of your mic track. Files: 144 MB for the tutor's hour as MP3, and around 1,359 MB for your hour as QuickTime's 24-bit 44.1 kHz AIFF-C, so pick High quality (AAC) in QuickTime if disk space matters.

The one-file alternative is the call app's own recorder, such as Zoom local recording if your tutor hosts on Zoom and allows it; see recording Zoom audio on a Mac. A mixed single file from two live sources needs Audio Hijack ($69) or a BlackHole aggregate device, covered in recording computer audio and the mic at the same time.

How do I use the recording to practice?

The point of recording a lesson is hearing your own mistakes, and a transcript makes that faster than scrubbing through audio.

1. Transcribe locally. MacWhisper's free tier transcribes MP3 and WAV in 100 languages on the Mac, with speaker recognition so tutor and student lines are separated. Voice Memos transcribes only its own mic recordings, and on macOS 15 or later with Apple silicon; that covers your side if you recorded it there.
2. Search the transcript for the corrections. Tutors repeat a corrected form right after you say it; the transcript shows both versions next to each other.
3. Cut a 30-second clip of each correction and re-listen the next day. The AirCheck Library plays takes and lets you drag a file into GarageBand for trimming; QuickTime trims with Edit > Trim.
4. Delete the full lesson once the clips exist. A semester of hour-long lessons is 144 MB each as MP3, so storage is not the reason; the tutor's privacy is.

For the transcription options in detail, including the 30-minute per-file limit on Otter's free plan, see how to transcribe audio on a Mac.

Do I need to ask my tutor before recording?

Yes. Ask in the chat before the lesson and again on the recording. This is not legal advice; laws on recording conversations differ by country and the tutor may be in a different one from you. Two things are certain regardless of law. First, the platforms that build recording in make mutual consent a condition: italki requires both parties to agree, and italki's help page adds that allowing a recording "does not give a person (the student or the teacher) the right to use the video for any other purposes". Second, a tutor who finds out later that lessons were recorded will end the arrangement, and marketplace ratings travel.

Practical wording that tutors accept: "I would like to record the audio of our lessons for my own review and I will not share it. Is that all right?" Most say yes; some prefer that you use the platform's recorder so they can see it running. If the tutor says no, do not record. A system audio recorder is invisible to the call software, which is exactly why the announcement has to come from you. The wider rules for calls are in is it legal to record a call on a Mac.

Recordings of italki classroom lessons will be saved locally on your computer. The videos will be in a WEBM format

italki Help and Support, How do I record my lesson in the italki Classroom?

Recording an online language lesson on a Mac: what each option captures

italki and Preply details quoted from their help centers on 3 September 2026.

Where AirCheck fits

AirCheck ($39, macOS 14 or newer) is for lessons on platforms without a recorder, or when you want audio rather than a WEBM video: it captures the tutor's voice from any browser or call app through ScreenCaptureKit, with no driver and nothing the call software can see, and exports MP3 320 at 144 MB per hour. It records one source per take, so your own voice is a second take in QuickTime or in AirCheck's mic mode. The Library keeps a semester of lessons in folders.

When you do not need it: On italki or Preply, use the built-in recorder or Lesson Insights; both capture both sides and handle consent. If you only want to hear yourself, Voice Memos with the mic is free and transcribes on macOS 15 or later.

Questions people ask

Why is my tutor missing from the recording?

You recorded the microphone. The tutor's voice is playback inside the Mac and a mic recorder cannot hear it, except faintly through the speakers. Use a system audio recorder or the platform's recorder for the tutor's side.

Can I record a lesson in Safari?

italki's own recorder does not appear in Safari; it needs Chrome, Edge or Firefox. A system audio recorder such as AirCheck or OBS captures playback from any browser, including Safari, because it captures the Mac's output rather than a browser tab.

What format should I record language lessons in?

MP3 320 kbps. Speech survives it without audible loss, transcription tools accept it, and an hour is 144 MB rather than 660 MB as 16-bit WAV. Keep WAV only if you plan to edit the lesson audio.

Can Voice Memos transcribe my lesson?

Only the side it recorded, which is your microphone, and only on macOS 15 or later with Apple silicon. For a file containing both voices, MacWhisper transcribes locally with speaker labels.

Sources

• italki: How do I record my lesson in the italki Classroom?
• Preply: Lesson Insights
• Apple: Record audio in QuickTime Player on Mac
• Apple: View a transcription of a recording in Voice Memos on Mac
• MacWhisper

Related guides

• How to record an interview on a Mac
• How to transcribe audio on a Mac for free
• How to record both sides of a call on a Mac
• How to record a lecture on a Mac
• How to record a podcast on a Mac
• How to record an online course or training on a Mac
• Recording lectures, podcasts and interviews: all guides
• Every guide, by topic