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How to screen record on a Mac with sound and internal audio

By Mohammed Chaara · Updated October 22, 2026 · 3 min read · Checked on macOS 26 Tahoe. How these guides are made

To screen record on a Mac with sound, press ⇧⌘5, choose a microphone under Options, and click Record. That records your voice. To record the sound your Mac plays, turn on Include System Audio in Options, which needs macOS 27 or later. On Sonoma, Sequoia and Tahoe there's no such option, so you need BlackHole or an app that records it.

You record your screen to show a video, a game or a call, play it back, and there's no sound. That's this limit at work.

Does the Mac's screen recorder record audio?

It records a microphone, and on macOS 27 and later your Mac's sound too. Press ⇧⌘5 to open the Screenshot toolbar:

  1. Click Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion.
  2. Open Options and choose a Microphone if you want your voice.
  3. Click Record. Stop with the ⏹ button in the menu bar, or ⌃⌘Esc.

On macOS 27 and later, Options also has Include System Audio, and that's all you need.

On Sonoma, Sequoia and Tahoe, there's no such option. Choosing your microphone only picks up what reaches the mic from your speakers, which sounds hollow and picks up the room. QuickTime Player's New Screen Recording uses the same recorder, with the same limit.

How to record internal audio with BlackHole

The usual fix is a free virtual audio driver called BlackHole:

  1. Install BlackHole, which asks for your administrator password.
  2. In Audio MIDI Setup, create a Multi-Output Device with your speakers and BlackHole.
  3. Set that device as your sound output, and choose BlackHole as the microphone in ⇧⌘5's Options.

It works, but it's a lot of setup. While it's active you can't change the volume with your keyboard, and you have to switch your sound settings back after every recording.

Questions

Why is there no sound on my screen recording?

Either no microphone was chosen in ⇧⌘5's Options, so nothing was recorded, or you wanted your Mac's own sound, which the built-in recorder can't capture before macOS 27. Check Options before you click Record.

Is there an audio recorder on a Mac?

Yes. Voice Memos and QuickTime Player (File › New Audio Recording) record from a microphone. Neither records the sound your Mac plays on its own; for that you need BlackHole or a similar audio driver.

Can I screen record with audio for free?

Yes. ⇧⌘5 is free and records a microphone, plus your Mac's sound on macOS 27 and later. On earlier versions, the free BlackHole driver adds your Mac's sound, with the setup above.

Recording with sound, in one step

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

  • Press ⌃⇧⌘R, or click Record… in MrFixable's menu.
  • macOS's own picker asks which display or window to record.
  • Press the shortcut again, or click Stop in the menu bar, and Finder shows you the recording.
  • Add your microphone too (macOS Sequoia and later), as a second sound track that QuickTime plays together with your Mac's sound and video editors can adjust separately.

Recordings are MP4 files, or MOV when your microphone is included, ready to share or upload. Sound from MrFixable itself is left out, and your volume keys keep working the whole time.

Choosing where recordings and screenshots go

Screen recordings from ⇧⌘5 land on your desktop next to your screenshots. Screenshot Settings lets you send screenshots to a folder of their own, and MrFixable saves recordings to your Movies folder, or anywhere you choose.

There's more on screenshots in how to screenshot on a Mac.

Sources