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No sound on a Mac screen recording? Why, and how to fix it

By Mohammed Chaara · Updated October 22, 2026 · 4 min read · Checked on macOS 26 Tahoe. How these guides are made

A Mac screen recording has no sound because the built-in recorder, ⇧⌘5, only records a microphone, and its Microphone option is set to None unless you choose one. It also can't record the sound your Mac plays before macOS 27. Press ⇧⌘5, open Options, and choose a microphone, or Include System Audio on macOS 27 and later.

Which fix you need depends on which sound is missing: your voice, or the sound from the Mac itself, like a video, a game or a call.

Your voice is missing: no microphone was chosen

Cause: ⇧⌘5 records no sound at all unless a microphone is picked in its Options.

  1. Press ⇧⌘5 and choose Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion.
  2. Click Options and, under Microphone, choose your Mac's built-in microphone or the one you use.
  3. Click Record. The choice is remembered for next time.

QuickTime Player's File › New Screen Recording opens the same toolbar, so the fix is the same there.

The Mac's own sound is missing: the recorder can't hear it

Cause: before macOS 27, ⇧⌘5 and QuickTime record a microphone only, never the sound your Mac plays. On macOS 27 and later they can, once you turn it on.

On macOS 27 and later:

  1. Press ⇧⌘5 and click Options.
  2. Turn on Include System Audio.
  3. Record as usual.

On Sonoma, Sequoia and Tahoe there's no such option. A microphone picks up the speakers along with the room, which sounds hollow, and headphones leave it nothing to hear. Two real fixes:

  • The BlackHole driver, free, which routes your Mac's sound into the recorder as if it were a microphone. It takes some setup in Audio MIDI Setup and System Settings › Sound, explained in how to record system audio on a Mac.
  • A recorder that captures it directly, like the MrFixable fix below.

To see which macOS you have, choose Apple menu › About This Mac.

Another app records no sound: microphone access is off

Cause: macOS only lets an app use your microphone after you allow it. If you clicked Don't Allow once, that app records your voice as silence or not at all.

  1. Open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone.
  2. Turn on the app you record with.
  3. Quit the app and open it again, then record.

Your voice is there but sounds bad

Cause: the wrong microphone was chosen, or a Bluetooth headset is being used as one.

  • Check the microphone in ⇧⌘5 › Options. A display, webcam or headset you aren't using can be selected, and records almost nothing.
  • AirPods and other Bluetooth headphones switch to a low-quality mode while their microphone is in use, which also makes everything you hear sound muffled. Choosing the Mac's built-in microphone avoids it. See why AirPods sound muffled on Mac calls.

Record the Mac's sound without setup

Record Screen with Sound in MrFixable records your screen together with the sound your Mac plays, on Sonoma, Sequoia and Tahoe, with no driver and no sound settings to change:

  1. Press ⌃⇧⌘R, or click Record… in MrFixable's menu.
  2. Choose a display or a window in the picker macOS shows.
  3. Press ⌃⇧⌘R again, or click Stop Recording, and Finder shows you the video.

Your Mac's sound is always included. On macOS Sequoia and later, turn on Also record the microphone to add your voice as a second sound track: QuickTime plays both together, and video editors can adjust each one. If MrFixable isn't allowed to use the microphone, it tells you where to allow it in System Settings, or you can record without it.

It records a whole display or one window, not a part of the screen you drag out. Recordings are MP4 videos, or MOV with your microphone, saved to your Movies folder or a folder you choose.

Questions

Does Mac screen recording record audio?

Yes, but only from a microphone you choose in ⇧⌘5 › Options, which is set to None until you pick one. The sound your Mac plays itself is recorded only on macOS 27 and later, with Include System Audio turned on. On earlier versions you need BlackHole or a recorder that captures it.

Can I record my screen with audio on a Mac?

Yes. Press ⇧⌘5, click Options, choose a microphone and click Record to capture your voice. On macOS 27 and later, turn on Include System Audio for your Mac's sound as well. On Sonoma, Sequoia and Tahoe, Record Screen with Sound in MrFixable records your Mac's sound with the video.

How do I make my Mac screen record internal audio?

On macOS 27 and later, turn on Include System Audio in ⇧⌘5 › Options before you record. On older versions, install the free BlackHole driver and choose it as the microphone, after routing your sound through it, or press ⌃⇧⌘R with Record Screen with Sound in MrFixable.

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