An apparatus and method for recording data on an optical disc, are discussed. In an embodiment of the present invention, when recording of real-time input data in a high quality mode is requested, an Optimum Power Control (OPC) operation for recording is performed while input data is encoded in a quality mode, which is downwardly adjusted, for example, to a standard quality mode, and is then buffered in a buffer memory. After the OPC operation has been completed, the buffered data is recorded on the optical disc while the data is encoded in the requested high quality mode and is then buffered. Further, the input data is encoded in the requested high quality mode, but may be buffered in a hard disc, rather than the buffer memory, during the performance of the OPC operation.