How to record internal audio on Mac (5 ways)

To record internal audio on a Mac, use an app that captures system audio directly: a native screen recorder such as Glisio, or OBS Studio on macOS 13 or later. If you want to stay in QuickTime, install a virtual audio driver such as BlackHole and route Mac output into it. Loopback and Audio Hijack are paid options for audio-only or complex routing.

Through macOS 26, QuickTime and Command-Shift-5 record the microphone, not what the computer plays. On macOS 27+, Screenshot Options can include system audio. Everything below still matters if you need more control, an older macOS, or audio-only capture.

The fastest path is a recorder that captures system audio itself. In Glisio, turn on system audio in the recorder, add the microphone if you are narrating, pick display, window, or region, and record. Browser tabs, app sounds, and video playback land on the same timeline as the screen.

1. 1Install Glisio on macOS 13 or later and allow Screen Recording.
2. 2Turn on system audio. Add the microphone only if you want your voice.
3. 3Record, then play the file back and confirm you hear the computer.
4. 4Trim, auto-zoom, add captions, and export MP4.

Screen Studio and CleanShot X also record system audio. The difference between them is pricing and editing, not whether internal audio works.

OBS Studio is free. On macOS 13 and later, add a macOS Screen Capture source and enable its audio option, or add an application audio capture source for one app. No BlackHole needed. OBS asks for Screen Recording permission the first time.

OBS gives full control over scenes, sources, and encoding, which is also the downside: you set bitrate, format, and output folder yourself, and there is no auto-zoom.

BlackHole is a free, open-source virtual audio device. It is the classic workaround when you want QuickTime to hear the Mac.

1. 1Install BlackHole 2ch.
2. 2Open Audio MIDI Setup and create a Multi-Output Device with BlackHole and your speakers or headphones.
3. 3Set the Multi-Output Device as the Mac's sound output.
4. 4In QuickTime, choose File, New Screen Recording, and set the microphone to BlackHole.
5. 5Record a 10-second test with a browser video and check the file has sound.

Loopback by Rogue Amoeba is a paid virtual audio tool with a visual router. Combine one app's audio with your mic into a single virtual device, then select it in QuickTime, OBS, or a video call. It is BlackHole with a friendlier interface and per-app control.

If you only need the sound, not the screen, Audio Hijack by Rogue Amoeba records any app's audio straight to a file. Useful for podcasts, call recordings where everyone has consented, and sound effects. It does not capture video.

• Product demo or tutorial with sound: a native recorder such as Glisio
• Free and you do not mind settings: OBS Studio
• You must use QuickTime: BlackHole
• Complex per-app routing: Loopback
• Audio file only: Audio Hijack