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How to record system audio on a Mac, without a microphone

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

To record system audio on a Mac with macOS 27 or later, press ⇧⌘5, turn on Include System Audio under Options, and record. On Sonoma, Sequoia and Tahoe there's no built-in way: install the free BlackHole audio driver and record it in QuickTime Player, or use a screen recorder that captures your Mac's sound directly.

System audio, also called internal audio, is the sound your Mac plays: a video, a game, music, the other people on a call. The Mac's own recorders were made for your voice, so they listen to a microphone, not to what comes out of the speakers.

Why the Mac's recorders don't capture it

  • Voice Memos and QuickTime Player's File › New Audio Recording record from a microphone only.
  • ⇧⌘5 and QuickTime's New Screen Recording record your screen and a microphone. Only on macOS 27 and later can they add your Mac's sound.
  • Holding the mic near the speakers records the room too, and sounds hollow.

To see which macOS you have, choose Apple menu › About This Mac. macOS 26 is called Tahoe.

On macOS 27 and later: the built-in way

  1. Press ⇧⌘5 to open the Screenshot toolbar.
  2. Click Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion.
  3. Click Options and turn on Include System Audio. Choose a Microphone too if you want your voice.
  4. Click Record, and play the sound you want.
  5. Stop with the ⏹ button in the menu bar, or press ⌃⌘Esc (Control-Command-Esc).

That gives you a video. If you only want the sound, see Save just the sound below.

On Sonoma, Sequoia and Tahoe: with BlackHole

BlackHole is a free virtual audio driver: it shows up as a microphone that "hears" whatever your Mac plays. With it, QuickTime Player can record your Mac's sound on its own, without any video.

  1. Install BlackHole from its website. The installer asks for your administrator password.
  2. Make sure you can still hear the sound. Open Audio MIDI Setup (in Applications › Utilities), click + in the lower-left corner and choose Create Multi-Output Device. Tick your speakers or headphones and BlackHole.
  3. Send your Mac's sound to it. Open System Settings › Sound and, under Output, choose the Multi-Output Device.
  4. Record. In QuickTime Player, choose File › New Audio Recording. Click the arrow next to the record button, choose BlackHole, then click the record button and play the sound.
  5. Stop and save with the stop button, then File › Save.
  6. Switch back. Set System Settings › Sound › Output to your speakers again.

It works, and it's free. The catches: it's a lot of setup, your keyboard's volume keys don't work while the Multi-Output Device is your output, and forgetting step 6 leaves your sound settings changed.

With Record Screen with Sound

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

  1. Press ⌃⇧⌘R, or click Record… in MrFixable's menu.
  2. In the picker that macOS shows, choose a display or a window.
  3. Play the sound you want to record.
  4. Press ⌃⇧⌘R again, or click Stop Recording in MrFixable's menu. Finder shows you the recording.

Recordings are MP4 videos in your Movies folder, or a folder you choose. Your volume keys keep working, and sound from MrFixable itself is left out. On macOS Sequoia and later, turn on Also record the microphone to add your voice as a second sound track, and the video is saved as MOV.

It records a whole display or one window, so there's always a video. To keep only the sound, save it as audio as below.

Save just the sound

Any screen recording can become an audio file in QuickTime Player, which comes with every Mac:

  1. Open the recording in QuickTime Player.
  2. Choose File › Export As › Audio Only….
  3. Pick a name and a folder and click Save.

You get an M4A audio file, which plays in Music, QuickTime and almost any audio app.

Questions

How do I record internal audio on a Mac?

On macOS 27 and later, turn on Include System Audio in ⇧⌘5 › Options. On Sonoma, Sequoia and Tahoe, the built-in recorders can't, so install BlackHole and route your sound through it, or record with Record Screen with Sound and export the audio in QuickTime Player.

Is there an audio recorder on a Mac?

Yes. Voice Memos and QuickTime Player's File › New Audio Recording come with every Mac and record from a microphone. Neither records the sound your Mac plays by itself. For that, you need macOS 27's Include System Audio, a driver like BlackHole, or an app that captures it.

How do I record my Mac's output audio and still hear it?

With BlackHole, create a Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup that includes both your speakers and BlackHole, and choose it as your output in System Settings › Sound. Record Screen with Sound and ⇧⌘5 on macOS 27 record what you hear without changing any output.

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