Microphone audio vs system audio on a Mac
Two kinds of sound can end up in a Mac screen recording, and macOS treats them differently.
- Microphone audio is your voice, picked up by the built-in mic, a USB mic or AirPods. Every recent macOS can record it with the built-in tools.
- System audio (also called internal audio) is the sound your Mac plays: a video, a call, an app’s alerts. Apple added this to the built-in recorder in macOS 27 Golden Gate. Earlier versions can’t capture it without extra help.
| Method | Your mic | System audio | Works on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screenshot toolbar (Shift+Cmd+5) | Yes | Yes, on macOS 27 Golden Gate | Any recent macOS |
| QuickTime Player | Yes | Not in Apple’s steps | Any recent macOS |
| BlackHole + Multi-Output Device | With an extra setup step | Yes | macOS 10.10 or later |
| Chrome tab sharing | Depends on the recorder | Tab audio only | Chrome on Mac |
| Third-party screen recorders | Usually | Many do | Check each app |
How to screen record on a Mac with your voice
- Open the Screenshot toolbar
Press Shift+Cmd+5.
- Pick what to record
Choose Record Entire Screen, Record Selected Window (macOS Tahoe 26 or later) or Record Selected Portion.
- Choose a microphone
Click Options and pick your mic under Microphone. If it says None, nothing will be recorded.
- Record and stop
Click Record. Stop with the button in the menu bar or Cmd+Control+Esc. The .mov file saves to your desktop.
The full walkthrough, including QuickTime Player and trimming, is in our guide on how to screen record on a Mac.
How to record system audio on a Mac (macOS 27)
macOS 27 Golden Gate came out on September 14, 2026, and it runs on Apple silicon Macs only. If you have it, recording internal sound takes one extra click.
- Open the Screenshot toolbar
Press Shift+Cmd+5 and choose a recording option.
- Turn on system audio
Click Options, then select Include System Audio. Pick a microphone too if you want your voice in the same recording.
- Record
Click Record, play your audio, and stop from the menu bar when you’re done.
Apple notes that some apps, such as the Apple TV app, don’t allow recording, so their sound and picture may be left out.
How to record internal audio on older macOS with BlackHole
On macOS Tahoe 26, Sequoia 15 and earlier (and on every Intel Mac, since Tahoe is the last version for Intel), the standard workaround is BlackHole. It’s an open-source virtual audio driver: it shows up as a sound output and a sound input, so audio your Mac plays can be fed into a recorder as if it came from a mic.
- Install BlackHole
Download it from Existential Audio’s site (donating is optional), or run brew install blackhole-2ch if you use Homebrew. Close audio apps first and restart your Mac after installing.
- Create a Multi-Output Device
Open Audio MIDI Setup (search for it with Spotlight). Click the add button at the bottom of the sidebar and choose Create Multi-Output Device.
- Add your speakers and BlackHole
Tick Use next to your speakers or headphones and next to BlackHole 2ch. Put your speakers or headphones first and make them the primary device. Turn on Drift Correction for BlackHole.
- Send your Mac’s sound to it
Right-click the Multi-Output Device and choose Use This Device For Sound Output. You’ll still hear everything, and a copy goes to BlackHole.
- Record with BlackHole as the mic
Press Shift+Cmd+5, open Options and choose BlackHole 2ch as the microphone. Record as usual.
- Switch back afterwards
Set your normal speakers or headphones as the sound output again in System Settings > Sound.
This captures system audio only. To get your voice too, you need a second device in Audio MIDI Setup (an Aggregate Device that combines your mic and BlackHole) and then pick that as the input. It works, but it’s the fiddly part, which is why many people switch to an app that handles both.
Use a screen recorder that captures system audio
Apple gives developers a framework called ScreenCaptureKit that streams screen content and audio to an app. Recorders built on it can capture system audio without a virtual driver. When you first use one, macOS asks for permission. You can check or change it in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording, where you can allow an app to record the screen and audio, or audio only.
How to record a Chrome tab with audio on a Mac
If the sound you need is in a browser tab, such as a web video or a demo, Chrome can pass that tab’s audio to a browser-based recorder. It skips drivers entirely.
- Start the recorder in Chrome
Open a browser screen recorder and start a screen share. Chrome shows a picker.
- Pick the Chrome tab pane
Choose the tab you want. Chrome offers tab audio in this pane, not in the Entire Screen pane.
- Turn on tab audio
Make sure Also share tab audio is switched on, then click Share.
Newer versions of Chrome on macOS 14.2 or later may also offer a "share system audio" option when you share the entire screen. Developers at Addpipe found it in Chrome 141. If you don’t see it, tab audio is the reliable route.
Record your screen and audio in the browser
We’re building Clipfold as a browser screen recorder (website plus a Chrome extension). It records your screen, a window or a tab with your camera and mic, and the share link is ready the moment you stop, with a transcript included. Clipfold is launching soon; join the waitlist to get a founding price.