How to Record Internal Audio on Mac: 3 Methods That Actually Work
Short answer: macOS deliberately blocks internal audio capture at the Core Audio level. Apple sandboxes audio routing to prevent apps from silently recording DRM-protected content, FaceTime calls, and banking notifications. There are three workarounds: the free BlackHole virtual audio driver (18.7k GitHub stars), the built-in Cmd+Shift+5 shortcut (microphone only -- no system sound), or ScreenBuddy ($29.99 one-time), which captures system audio natively without virtual drivers. This guide walks through all three with full step-by-step instructions, a comparison table, and troubleshooting for the most common audio issues.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Apple blocks internal audio capture on Mac at the Core Audio level. The built-in screen recorder (Cmd+Shift+5) only supports microphone input -- there is no "System Audio" option anywhere in macOS.
- ✓BlackHole is the most popular free workaround with 18.7k stars on GitHub (ExistentialAudio/BlackHole, GPL-3.0). It routes system audio through a virtual loopback device but requires manual Audio MIDI Setup configuration that trips up most first-time users.
- ✓Over 100 million people use Macs worldwide, and macOS holds roughly 16% of global desktop market share (Statcounter, December 2025). Internal audio recording is among the most frequent complaints from Mac content creators switching from Windows.
- ✓Atlassian's $975 million acquisition of Loom in October 2023 underscored how central async video has become to remote work. Screen recordings with system audio are now expected in product demos, bug reports, and tutorials.
- ✓macOS Sequoia (15.0+) introduced monthly permission reauthorization for screen recording apps, reduced from weekly after developer pushback (MacRumors, August 2024). In macOS 15.1, Apple further reduced prompt frequency for regularly used apps (MacRumors, October 2024).
- ✓ScreenBuddy ($29.99 one-time) captures system audio natively without virtual drivers, and includes a built-in editor with zoom effects (1.25x-5x), 18 gradient backgrounds, annotations, and direct MP4 export.
1. Why macOS Blocks Internal Audio Recording
Apple deliberately prevents apps from tapping into internal audio on Mac. This is not an oversight -- it is a security architecture decision baked into macOS at the Core Audio level. If any app could silently capture system audio, it would be trivial to record private FaceTime calls, intercept banking app notifications, or rip DRM-protected streams from Apple Music and Netflix. Apple treats audio routing the same way it treats file system sandboxing: apps get access to their own audio, and nothing else, unless the user explicitly intervenes.
That design choice affects a lot of people. According to Statcounter's December 2025 data, macOS held roughly 16% of the global desktop OS market share. In the United States, that number climbs to around 26%. Apple's own January 2026 earnings call disclosed 2.5 billion active devices worldwide, with industry estimates putting the active Mac user base at over 100 million. For educators building course content, podcasters recording interviews with remote guests, and developers creating product demos, the lack of built-in internal audio capture is a recurring source of frustration.
When you press Cmd+Shift+5 and open the Options menu, you will see your microphone listed as an audio source. You will not see "System Audio" or "Internal Audio" anywhere. The same applies to QuickTime Player's built-in recording. Apple sandboxes audio routing so that apps simply cannot access each other's audio streams without explicit user intervention through a virtual audio device.
The shift toward asynchronous video communication has made internal audio capture essential, not optional. Atlassian acquired Loom for $975 million in October 2023 specifically because of this trend. For Mac users in particular, the inability to capture internal audio creates real friction in what should be a straightforward workflow.
Screen Recording Software Market Size (USD Billions)
Quick clarification: "Internal audio" means sounds your Mac produces -- music from Spotify, audio playing in a YouTube tab, game sound effects, Discord or Zoom call participants. "Microphone audio" means sound your physical mic picks up (your voice, ambient room noise). Most people creating tutorials or presentations need both captured simultaneously, which is exactly what macOS makes difficult.
2. Method 1: macOS Cmd+Shift+5 (Microphone Only)
The built-in screen recorder ships with every Mac running macOS Mojave (10.14) or later and requires zero setup. It has one hard limitation that Apple has never addressed despite years of user requests: no internal audio capture. You can still use it effectively if you only need voice narration layered over your screen recording -- it handles that use case well. For anything involving game audio, music playback, or capturing what other call participants are saying, you will need Method 2 or 3 below.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Press Cmd+Shift+5
The Screenshot toolbar appears at the bottom of your screen with recording and screenshot options arranged side by side.
Choose your recording mode
Click "Record Entire Screen" or "Record Selected Portion." Neither mode captures internal audio, so the choice only affects which part of your display gets recorded.
Open Options and select a microphone
Click the Options button in the toolbar. Under "Microphone," you'll see your built-in mic or any connected USB/Bluetooth microphone listed. There is no "System Audio" option here -- that is the core limitation. If you see "None" selected, switch it to your mic or the recording will be completely silent.
Start recording
Click Record. Speak into your microphone to narrate. Audio from Spotify, YouTube, Discord, or any other app will not appear in the recording.
Stop and save
Click the stop button in the menu bar (or press Cmd+Ctrl+Esc). macOS saves a MOV file to your desktop by default, or to whichever location you set in Options. The file uses AAC audio at 44.1kHz.
Bottom line: Cmd+Shift+5 handles quick voice-narrated screen captures with no setup. If you need to record music playback, game audio, meeting participants, or any other system sound, keep reading for BlackHole (free) or ScreenBuddy ($29.99).
3. Method 2: BlackHole Virtual Audio Driver (Free)
BlackHole is the most widely used free solution for recording internal audio on Mac. Created by Existential Audio and licensed under GPL-3.0, the project has accumulated 18.7k stars on GitHub -- making it the de facto standard for virtual audio routing on macOS. It supports both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 10.10 or later, installs cleanly through Homebrew, and does not require kernel extensions or modifications to System Integrity Protection.
Under the hood, BlackHole creates a virtual "loopback" audio device. Your Mac's internal audio output gets intercepted and rerouted to a virtual input that any recording application (QuickTime, OBS, Cmd+Shift+5) can see and capture. The tradeoff is that you need to configure this routing manually through macOS's Audio MIDI Setup utility -- a tool that, in my experience building ScreenBuddy, most Mac users have never opened before they hit this problem. The configuration is not hard once you know the steps, but the first time through can take 10-15 minutes of puzzling over unfamiliar system settings.
Installation
Install via Homebrew (recommended)
Open Terminal and run: brew install blackhole-2ch. This installs the 2-channel stereo version, which handles most recording scenarios. For multi-channel workflows (music production, surround sound), use blackhole-16ch or blackhole-64ch instead. BlackHole also offers 128ch and 256ch variants for professional studio setups.
Or download the installer directly
Go to github.com/ExistentialAudio/BlackHole/releases and download the latest .pkg file. Run the installer and follow the prompts. macOS may ask you to approve it in System Settings > Privacy & Security before the extension can load -- this is normal for audio drivers.
Verify the installation
Open Audio MIDI Setup (search for it with Cmd+Space in Spotlight, or find it in Applications > Utilities). You should see "BlackHole 2ch" listed as an audio device in the sidebar. If it does not appear, restart your Mac and check again. On macOS Ventura and later, you may also need to approve the system extension in Privacy & Security settings.
Configuration: Creating a Multi-Output Device
This is the step where most people get stuck. You need a Multi-Output Device so that audio goes to both your speakers and BlackHole at the same time. Without this configuration, you will either hear nothing from your speakers (audio only goes to BlackHole) or capture nothing in your recording (audio only goes to speakers).
Open Audio MIDI Setup
Search for "Audio MIDI Setup" in Spotlight (Cmd+Space) or navigate to Applications > Utilities. This is a built-in macOS utility that ships with every Mac -- you do not need to install it.
Create the Multi-Output Device
Click the "+" button in the bottom-left corner of the Audio MIDI Setup window. Choose "Create Multi-Output Device." A new device labeled "Multi-Output Device" appears in the sidebar.
Add both audio outputs
Check the boxes for your built-in speakers (or connected headphones) AND BlackHole 2ch. Make sure "Built-in Output" is listed first in the device list -- that becomes your primary listening device and ensures you still hear audio from your speakers during recording.
Set it as your system output
Right-click the Multi-Output Device in the sidebar and select "Use This Device for Sound Output." Your Mac now sends audio to both your speakers and BlackHole simultaneously. One gotcha: the system volume slider in the menu bar stops working when a Multi-Output Device is active. Adjust volume through the individual device controls in Audio MIDI Setup instead.
Select BlackHole as your recording input
In your recording app (QuickTime, Cmd+Shift+5 Options, or OBS), choose "BlackHole 2ch" as the microphone or audio input source. System audio is now being routed to this virtual device and will be captured in your recording.
Recording Mic + System Audio Together
Need both your voice and system audio in the same recording? That requires one more step. In Audio MIDI Setup, click the "+" button again and choose "Create Aggregate Device." Check both your physical microphone and BlackHole 2ch. Then use this aggregate device as your recording input in QuickTime or OBS. Make sure both devices are set to the same sample rate (either 44,100 Hz or 48,000 Hz -- do not mix them, or you will get progressive audio drift). This setup gives you full independent control over audio routing, which is why podcasters and audio engineers tend to prefer this approach despite the initial configuration overhead.
Paid alternative: Loopback by Rogue Amoeba ($99) provides a visual drag-and-drop interface for routing audio between specific applications. It can route audio from individual apps rather than capturing everything at the system level. At $99 it costs significantly more than BlackHole (free) or ScreenBuddy ($29.99), but the per-app routing granularity is something neither of those tools offers.
4. Method 3: ScreenBuddy (No Drivers Needed)
Disclosure: ScreenBuddy is our product. We built it specifically because the BlackHole configuration process was too cumbersome for the non-technical users we were building screen recording tools for.
If configuring Audio MIDI Setup and virtual loopback devices feels like more friction than the task warrants, ScreenBuddy takes a different approach entirely. Instead of routing audio through a virtual driver, it uses the macOS ScreenCaptureKit APIs (introduced in macOS 12.3) to capture system audio natively at the OS level. The practical result: internal audio recording works immediately after installation with zero configuration and no third-party drivers to maintain.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Open ScreenBuddy
Launch the app on your Mac. No Audio MIDI Setup, no terminal commands, no kernel extensions, no restarts. The app requests screen recording and audio permissions on first launch -- grant both.
Click Record
Select your screen or a specific window to capture. ScreenBuddy captures system audio along with your screen automatically. If you have a microphone connected, toggle it on to capture your voice simultaneously.
Play your audio source
Start Spotify, open a YouTube video, join a Discord or Zoom call, load a game -- any app producing sound. ScreenBuddy captures all system audio in real time alongside the screen recording. No routing configuration needed.
Stop and edit
Stop recording and open the file in the built-in editor. Trim dead air from the beginning and end, add auto-zoom effects on mouse clicks (1.25x to 5x magnification), apply one of 18 gradient backgrounds, or add text annotations. All editing happens locally on your Mac.
Export as MP4
Export a polished MP4 with both internal audio and microphone audio embedded. No intermediate MOV file, no format conversion step. The MP4 is ready for upload to YouTube, social media, or Slack.
Why ScreenBuddy for Internal Audio
- ✓No virtual audio drivers required (no BlackHole, no Loopback, no SoundFlower)
- ✓No Audio MIDI Setup configuration or terminal commands
- ✓System audio + microphone captured simultaneously by default
- ✓Works with Spotify, Discord, YouTube, Zoom, games, and every other app
- ✓Built-in editor with auto-zoom effects, gradient backgrounds, and annotations
- ✓Direct MP4 export -- no MOV conversion step
- ✓$29.99 one-time purchase, not a subscription
5. Side-by-Side Comparison Table
The right method depends on your budget, technical comfort level, and whether you need editing features beyond raw capture. Here is how the three approaches stack up across the criteria that matter most for internal audio recording on Mac.
| Feature | Cmd+Shift+5 | BlackHole | ScreenBuddy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal audio capture | No | Yes (with setup) | Yes (native) |
| Microphone capture | Yes | Yes (aggregate device) | Yes (automatic) |
| Setup time | 0 min | 10-15 min | 0 min |
| Requires driver install | No | Yes (Homebrew or .pkg) | No |
| Requires restart | No | Sometimes | No |
| Open source | N/A (Apple built-in) | Yes (GPL-3.0) | No |
| Output format | MOV (AAC) | Depends on recorder | MP4 / GIF |
| Built-in editor | Trim only | No | Full editor |
| Zoom effects | No | No | 1.25x-5x magnification |
| Background options | No | No | 18 gradients |
| Per-app audio routing | No | No (system-wide) | No (system-wide) |
| Price | Free (built-in) | Free (open-source) | $29.99 one-time |
Note: If you need per-app audio routing (e.g., capture Discord but not Spotify), Loopback by Rogue Amoeba ($99) is the only Mac tool that supports that. BlackHole and ScreenBuddy both capture all system audio at once.
6. macOS Sequoia Permission Changes
Sources: MacRumors (Aug 2024) · Tom's Guide · MacRumors (Oct 2024) · Daring Fireball
macOS Sequoia (15.0+) introduced a change that affects every screen recording app on Mac: periodic permission reauthorization. Every app that records your screen or system audio now periodically prompts you to reconfirm access. This applies to OBS, QuickTime Player, ScreenBuddy, and any other recording tool without exception.
The timeline of how Apple got here tells its own story. In the early Sequoia beta builds, Apple set the reauthorization cadence to weekly. The backlash was swift -- developers and power users pushed back hard, arguing that weekly prompts disrupted professional recording workflows. As MacRumors reported in August 2024, Apple responded by extending the interval to monthly in beta 6. Then in the macOS 15.1 update (October 2024), Apple went further: prompt frequency was reduced for apps that users interact with regularly, making the system less intrusive for daily-use recording tools.
What does this mean practically for internal audio recording? If you use BlackHole with QuickTime or OBS, you will need to reauthorize those recording apps in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording periodically. The prompt gives you two choices: "Allow For One Month" or open System Settings to review permissions. It is an extra step to remember, but not a dealbreaker for most workflows. The reauthorization also removed the previous requirement of re-approving apps after every Mac restart, which was even more disruptive.
Permission dialog language: The Sequoia prompt warns that the app will be able to record "personal or sensitive information that may be visible or audible." This is Apple's standard privacy warning text -- the same wording appears for every screen recording app. Manage all recording permissions at System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording.
7. Troubleshooting Common Audio Issues
Even with a correct setup, audio problems crop up. I have gone through hundreds of forum threads, GitHub issues on the BlackHole repo, and support emails from ScreenBuddy users while building our recording tools. These are the six issues that come up over and over, along with the fix for each one.
No audio in the recording at all
This is the single most common problem. With Cmd+Shift+5, verify that a microphone is actually selected in Options (not "None"). With BlackHole, confirm that your Multi-Output Device is set as the system output in System Settings > Sound > Output -- not BlackHole itself and not your speakers directly. If neither condition is met, your recording will be completely silent. In ScreenBuddy, check that you granted the "System Audio Recording" permission when prompted on first launch.
Audio drifts out of sync with video
Progressive audio drift -- where audio starts fine but gets increasingly out of sync -- almost always stems from mismatched sample rates. In Audio MIDI Setup, verify that both devices in your Multi-Output or Aggregate Device use the same sample rate: either 44,100 Hz or 48,000 Hz, but never a mix of the two. Heavy CPU load during recording can also cause drift on longer sessions, so close unnecessary applications before starting.
Recording volume is too quiet
BlackHole captures audio at whatever volume your Mac is currently outputting. If your system volume is at 30%, the recorded audio will also be at 30%. Turn up the system volume before you start recording. Also check the "Master" volume slider for the BlackHole device in Audio MIDI Setup and make sure it is set to 1.0 (maximum).
Echo or feedback loop in the recording
This happens when your microphone picks up audio from your speakers, which then gets re-routed through BlackHole and recorded again, creating a feedback loop. The fix: wear headphones while recording. If you are using an Aggregate Device that combines your mic and BlackHole, double-check that your speaker output is not also being captured as an input source in that aggregate.
BlackHole does not appear after installation
Restart your Mac first -- this resolves the issue about 80% of the time. On macOS Ventura (13.0) and later, you may need to approve the system extension in System Settings > Privacy & Security. Look for an "Allow" button next to a notification about BlackHole or "Existential Audio." If the device still does not appear, try reinstalling: brew reinstall blackhole-2ch. If you installed via the .pkg file, uninstall first using the included uninstaller script before reinstalling.
No sound from speakers after configuring BlackHole
You have likely set BlackHole itself as your system output device instead of the Multi-Output Device. When BlackHole is the sole output, audio routes only to the virtual device (for recording) and does not reach your physical speakers at all. Go to System Settings > Sound > Output and switch to the Multi-Output Device you created, which sends audio to both your speakers and BlackHole simultaneously.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mac screen recording capture internal audio?
No. The built-in macOS screen recorder (Cmd+Shift+5) only captures microphone input. It cannot record system sounds, music, browser audio, or app audio. Apple blocks internal audio capture at the Core Audio level as a privacy and DRM protection measure. To record internal audio on Mac, you need either a virtual audio driver like BlackHole (free, open-source, 18.7k GitHub stars) or a dedicated app like ScreenBuddy ($29.99 one-time) that captures system audio natively without virtual drivers.
What is BlackHole and how does it work for Mac audio recording?
BlackHole is a free, open-source virtual audio loopback driver for macOS created by Existential Audio and licensed under GPL-3.0. With 18.7k stars on GitHub, it is the most widely used free solution for internal audio capture on Mac. BlackHole creates a virtual audio device that routes your Mac's system audio output to a virtual input that recording apps can capture. You install it via Homebrew (brew install blackhole-2ch), create a Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup, then select BlackHole as the input source in your recording app. The initial configuration takes 10-15 minutes.
Can I record Discord, Spotify, and YouTube audio on Mac?
Yes. With BlackHole configured as a Multi-Output Device, any application's audio -- Discord, Spotify, YouTube, games, Zoom -- gets routed to the virtual input for recording. With ScreenBuddy, system audio capture works natively without any driver setup. Both methods capture audio from all running applications simultaneously. If you need to capture audio from only specific apps (e.g., Discord but not Spotify), Loopback by Rogue Amoeba ($99) is the only Mac tool that supports per-app audio routing.
How do I record microphone and system audio at the same time on Mac?
With BlackHole, create an Aggregate Device in Audio MIDI Setup that combines your physical microphone and BlackHole 2ch. Set both to the same sample rate (44,100 Hz or 48,000 Hz) to avoid audio drift. Use this aggregate device as your recording input in QuickTime or OBS. With ScreenBuddy, both microphone and system audio are captured simultaneously by default without any additional configuration -- just toggle the microphone on in the recording interface.
Why is there no audio in my Mac screen recording?
The most common cause is that macOS Cmd+Shift+5 only records microphone audio, not system audio. If your microphone is set to "None" in Options, the recording is completely silent. Other common causes: BlackHole is not set as the system output device (check System Settings > Sound > Output), sample rates are mismatched between devices in your Multi-Output Device, or macOS Sequoia has blocked access due to permission reauthorization. Verify your audio routing in System Settings or use ScreenBuddy, which captures system audio without additional setup.
Does macOS Sequoia change how screen recording permissions work?
Yes. macOS Sequoia (15.0+) introduced periodic reauthorization of screen recording permissions. Apple initially required weekly reauthorization during the beta period, then reduced it to monthly after developer and user pushback (MacRumors, August 2024). In macOS 15.1, Apple further reduced prompt frequency for apps that are used regularly (MacRumors, October 2024). The restart-based reauthorization from earlier betas was also removed. All screen recording apps are affected equally, including OBS, QuickTime, and ScreenBuddy.
Is BlackHole safe to install on Mac?
Yes. BlackHole is open-source under the GPL-3.0 license with its full source code available at github.com/ExistentialAudio/BlackHole. It supports both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 10.10 or later without requiring kernel extensions or System Integrity Protection modifications. The safest installation method is via Homebrew: brew install blackhole-2ch. The project has 18.7k GitHub stars and is actively maintained. It has been recommended by Apple support communities and publications including 9to5Mac, MacRumors, and Tom's Guide.
What is the difference between BlackHole and Loopback for Mac audio routing?
BlackHole is free and open-source but requires manual Audio MIDI Setup configuration and terminal commands. Loopback by Rogue Amoeba costs $99 and provides a visual drag-and-drop interface for routing audio between specific applications -- you can capture audio from individual apps rather than everything at the system level. Both create virtual audio devices on macOS. BlackHole suits users comfortable with terminal and system utilities, while Loopback is designed for those who need per-app routing or prefer a graphical interface. ScreenBuddy ($29.99 one-time) takes a third approach, capturing system audio natively through ScreenCaptureKit without any virtual audio devices.
What audio format do Mac screen recordings use?
The built-in macOS screen recorder (Cmd+Shift+5) saves recordings as MOV files with AAC audio at 44.1kHz. ScreenBuddy exports MP4 files with AAC audio, which offers wider compatibility for web sharing and social media uploads. AAC in an MP4 container is the standard format for screen recordings because it balances quality with file size and plays natively on every major platform. If you record with OBS using BlackHole as input, you can configure the output format to MP4, MKV, or FLV depending on your needs.
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ScreenBuddy captures system audio natively on Mac. No BlackHole, no Audio MIDI Setup, no kernel extensions. Record, edit with zoom effects and gradient backgrounds, export polished MP4s. $29.99 one-time.