Limelight
How to record a coding tutorial on Mac
A good coding tutorial shows both what you clicked and which keys you pressed. Limelight records both — it bakes your keystrokes and auto-zoom into the video — so viewers can actually follow your editor and your shortcuts.
Coding tutorials live and die on two things: can viewers see the small text in your editor, and can they tell which shortcut you used? A plain recorder fails at both — the code is tiny on a phone replay and your keystrokes are invisible. Here is a clean way to record one on a Mac.
First, open Limelight and turn on the on-screen keystroke display (⌃⌥2) so every shortcut you press — ⌘⇧P, ⌥↑, ⌘/ — shows on screen. Then hit record. Limelight auto-zooms into every click and smooths the cursor, so the line of code you are working on is enlarged automatically without manual zoom keyframes. Use the cursor spotlight (⌃⌥1) to guide eyes, draw (⌃⌥3) to circle a function, and on-screen text (⌃⌥5) to label a step. All of it is baked into the video as you go.
When you finish, trim the dead time and adjust speed in the built-in editor, then export to mp4 for YouTube or a 9:16 vertical for shorts. Everything runs fully offline on your Mac, so nothing about your code is uploaded. Because keystrokes are built in, you never need a separate KeyCastr alongside your recorder.
Why Limelight
- ▸Turn on keystrokes (⌃⌥2), hit record — every shortcut is baked into the video
- ▸Auto-zoom into every click so small code is readable without manual keyframes
- ▸Spotlight, drawing, and text to guide attention through the walkthrough
- ▸Trim, speed, export mp4 or 9:16, fully offline; one-time $34
Cursor spotlight free · from $2.99/mo or $34 lifetime · macOS 14+
Or get Pro — from $2.99/mo · See how it works →
free to start, then go Pro from $2.99/mo or a $34 one-time lifetime license. macOS 14+, notarized by Apple.
FAQ
- What is the best way to record a coding tutorial on Mac?
- Turn on Limelight's keystroke display (⌃⌥2), hit record, and it auto-zooms into clicks while baking your keystrokes and cursor spotlight into the video. Then trim and export mp4 or 9:16 in the built-in editor — no separate KeyCastr needed.
- How do I make the keys I press visible in the recording?
- Press ⌃⌥2 before recording. Every shortcut you press appears on screen and is baked into the exported video, so viewers can reproduce your commands.
- Can I zoom into the code automatically?
- Yes. Limelight auto-zooms toward every click and smooths the cursor as you record, so the active part of your editor is enlarged without manual zoom keyframes.
- Is my code uploaded anywhere?
- No. Recording, editing, and export all run fully offline on your Mac with no account and no cloud.