How to record your Mac screen with audio
"Audio" in a screen recording means two different things, and the distinction is why so many Mac recordings come out silent.
- Microphone audio is your voice, narrating.
- System audio is the sound your Mac plays, such as app sounds, alerts, video and music playback, and the other side of a call.
What the built-in recorder captures
macOS's Screenshot toolbar (Shift-Command-5) and QuickTime can record your microphone, but not system audio. If you record a video playing in your browser, the picture is captured and the sound is not. There is no built-in setting to change this; capturing system audio on macOS requires an audio driver or a recording app that provides one.
The classic workaround is installing a virtual audio device (such as BlackHole) and routing output through it. It works, but it means installing a driver, reconfiguring your sound output before and after each recording, and mixing your mic in separately.
Recording both with Screen Recording
Screen Recording captures system audio and your microphone at the same time, with no driver setup.
- Start a recording of the full screen, a window, or an area you draw.
- Both audio sources record automatically, on separate tracks.
- In the editor, adjust either track independently. Duck the app audio under your narration, or mute your mic and keep the system sound.
- Your narration is also transcribed on your Mac as you record, so you can edit the video by editing the transcript and get captions for free.
Separate tracks matter in practice. When mic and system audio are mixed into one track at record time, a notification chime over your narration is permanent. On separate tracks, it's one volume adjustment.
Checklist for a recording with usable audio
- Pick the right microphone before you start, because built-in mics pick up keyboard noise.
- Silence notifications. Recording apps can't remove a chime from a mixed track. Screen Recording keeps tracks separate, which gives you a second chance.
- Do a five-second test recording and play it back before a long take.
- Keep levels moderate; clipped audio can't be repaired afterward.
Screen Recording is coming soon. It will start with a 7-day free trial, with no account and no watermark, and cost $29 once.