My Mac Productivity System in 2026, The Only Apps I Actually Use

Record studio-quality podcasts and videos locally, invite guests from anywhere, edit using text-based workflows, and publish to YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts all in one place. Try Riverside free for 30 days with the code 'Nick1': https://creators.riverside.com/NickKendall Every year I try a lot of Mac apps in search of the perfect productivity setup. Most of them don’t last more than a couple of weeks. The apps in this video are different. These are the tools that have genuinely earned a permanent place in my workflow, the ones I use weekly or daily to stay focused, create content faster, and keep everything organised. This isn’t a list of trendy apps. It’s the system I actually use. Apps mentioned in this video • Alfred (Faster Spotlight replacement): https://www.alfredapp.com/ • Bartender (Clean up your Mac menu bar): https://www.macbartender.com/ • Riverside Studio (Podcast and video recording, editing, and publishing): https://riverside.com/mac-app • Session (Pomodoro timer for focused work): https://www.stayinsession.com/ • Notion (Tasks, content planning, and organisation): https://www.notion.com/ • Notion Calendar (Calendar synced directly to Notion): https://www.notion.com/product/calendar • ChatGPT Desktop App (Faster AI workflows on Mac): https://chatgpt.com/features/desktop/ • Screen Studio (Automatic zooming screen recordings): https://shm.to/JKX4lSz • LocalSend (AirDrop alternative for Mac and Android): https://localsend.org/ • Blip (File sharing over the web when you’re not on the same network): https://blip.net/ • AlDente Pro (Protect and extend MacBook battery health): https://aldente.macupdate.com/ • Hand Mirror (Quick webcam framing before calls or recordings): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hand-mirror/id1502839586?mt=12 • Syncthing (Automatic folder syncing and backups): https://syncthing.net/ • Home Assistant (Automating your Mac and home office): https://www.home-assistant.io/ 00:00 Intro 00:27 Alfred 01:28 Bartender 02:34 Riverside Studio 04:19 Session 05:20 Notion 06:29 ChatGPT Desktop App 06:58 Screen Studio 08:29 LocalSend/Blip 09:33 AlDente Pro 10:30 Hand Mirror 11:01 Syncthing 12:05 Home Assistant If you have a favourite Mac app that you genuinely use every day, let me know in the comments. I’m always keen to test new tools that actually improve real workflows.