Product demo videos where every click lands.
Click through your product once on your Mac. Dolly zooms in where you click, smooths your cursor and frames the recording, so the demo looks produced without a video editor.
How do you make a product demo video on a Mac?
Record one flow of your product with Dolly, a Mac screen recorder that zooms in on each click automatically, redraws a smooth cursor and puts the recording on a designed background. Cut the dead time with Auto edit, then export an MP4: 16:9 for your website, 1:1 or 9:16 for social. The free plan has no time limit and exports up to 1440p.
Who it’s for: Founders, product marketers and designers who need a demo for a homepage, launch post or sales deck, without hiring an editor.
Click through it once.
Record the flow at your own pace. No script, no keyframes.
How to make a product demo video in Dolly.
4 steps, most of them automatic.
- Set the stageUse clean demo data, turn notifications off and size the window to about 1440×900, so text stays readable when Dolly zooms.
- Record one flowPress ⇧⌘2 and do one task, calmly, from start to result. Restart the take from the recording bar if you slip.
- Let Dolly directAuto zoom puts a zoom on each click (2× by default, adjustable from 1.2× to 3.5×). Keep the ones that matter, delete the rest, speed up typing in one click.
- Export per channelExport 16:9 for your site and YouTube, then switch to 1:1 or 9:16 for social. Zooms, cursor and background follow the new shape.
Settings that work, and what to avoid.
Recommended settings
- Shape
- 16:9 (site), 1:1 or 9:16 (social)
- Resolution
- 4K or 1440p for the site, 1080p for social
- Frame rate
- 60 fps
- Quality
- Studio for the site, Web for email
- Length
- 30 to 90 seconds
Mistakes to avoid
- Touring menus before the result. Open on the moment of value, then show the two or three clicks that got there.
- Recording a huge, empty display. A smaller window needs less zoom and keeps text sharp.
- Keeping every automatic zoom. Delete the zooms on unimportant clicks so the camera only moves with purpose.
- Real customer data on screen. Use demo data, or let Private details find and blur emails and keys.
Dolly or a recorder plus an editor
With QuickTime or the macOS Screenshot tool (⇧⌘5) you get a flat recording of the whole screen. To make the UI readable you then add zoom keyframes by hand in an editor such as iMovie, Final Cut Pro or Camtasia. Dolly records your clicks alongside the video, so the zooms, the smooth cursor and the frame are there the moment you stop. Screen Studio works the same way on a subscription; Dolly is free to start and €5 once.
Let your AI record it (Pro)
With Dolly Pro (€19 once), Claude Desktop, Claude Code or Cursor can drive Dolly over MCP: describe the demo, and your AI records it, adds zooms and exports the MP4. See Dolly Agents and the demo video guide.
Product demos: questions
What's the best software for product demo videos on Mac?
For demos made from a screen recording, an auto-zoom recorder saves the most time: Dolly and Screen Studio both zoom on clicks and smooth the cursor. Dolly is free to start and €5 once for 4K without the end card.
How long should a product demo video be?
30 to 90 seconds for a homepage or launch post. Sales and deep-dive demos can run 2 to 5 minutes, ideally split into short clips.
Can I make a product demo video for free?
Yes. Free records with no time limit and exports MP4 up to 1440p, ending with a 2-second Made with Dolly card. Auto edit is included. Lifetime (€5 once) removes the card and adds 4K at 60 fps.
Do I have to add zooms by hand?
No. Dolly records your clicks and places a zoom on each one. You can change the level, move a zoom or delete it on the timeline.
Which resolution should I export a demo in?
4K at 60 fps for a website or YouTube if you have Lifetime, otherwise 1440p. Use 1080p for social clips and email, where small files matter more.
Related
Roll camera.
Free to use, with no time limit. Everything for €5, once.
First time: open Dolly, click Done, then System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway (macOS 13–14: right-click Dolly → Open). Once only. Installation help