Recording your screen on a Mac is easy. Recording it with the right sound is where most people get stuck: the video plays back silent, or your voice is there but the app, video or call you were recording isn’t. This guide covers both kinds of audio, on the two macOS versions most Macs run today, and how to fix a recording with no sound.
Two kinds of audio: microphone and system sound
Before you press Record, it helps to know which sound you want, because macOS treats them differently.
- Microphone audio is what your Mac hears: your voice, through the built-in mic, AirPods or a USB microphone. Every version of macOS can record this.
- System audio (also called internal audio or computer sound) is what your Mac plays: a YouTube video, a game, a notification, the other people on a Zoom call. Until macOS 27, Apple’s own recorders couldn’t capture it at all.
Most tutorials want both: your voice explaining what’s on screen, plus the sound of the thing you’re demonstrating. Which method works for you depends on your macOS version, so check it first: choose Apple menu › About This Mac.
| What you want to record | macOS 27 | macOS 26 Tahoe and earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Screen only, no sound | Screenshot app | Screenshot app |
| Screen + your voice | Screenshot app, Microphone | Screenshot app, Microphone |
| Screen + system sound | Screenshot app, Include System Audio | A third-party recorder or a virtual audio device |
| Screen + voice + system sound | Screenshot app, both options | A third-party recorder, or an aggregate audio device |
One more thing to know: macOS 27 runs only on Apple silicon Macs. If you have an Intel Mac, you’re on macOS 26 or earlier for good, and the system audio workarounds below are the ones that apply to you.
How to screen record with audio on macOS 27
macOS 27 is the first version where the built-in Screenshot app records system audio. Here’s the full process.
- Press Shift-Command-5. The Screenshot toolbar appears at the bottom of the screen.
- Choose what to record. The three recording buttons are Record Entire Screen, Record Selected Window and Record Selected Portion (drag the edges of the box to resize it).
- Click Options in the toolbar.
- Under Microphone, choose the mic you want to use, such as MacBook Pro Microphone or your AirPods. Choose None if you don’t want your voice in the recording.
- In the same menu, choose Include System Audio to record the sound your Mac plays.
- Optionally set a Timer (a few seconds to get ready), turn on Show Mouse Clicks, and pick where the file is saved under Save to.
- Click Record. If you chose Record Selected Window, click the window you want.
- To stop, click the Stop button in the menu bar, or press Control-Command-Esc.
A thumbnail appears in the corner of the screen. Click it to trim or share the recording, or leave it and it’s saved as a file named Screen Recording [date] at [time].mov, on the Desktop unless you chose another location.
Using QuickTime Player instead
QuickTime Player still has File › New Screen Recording (Control-Command-N), but on current macOS it simply opens the same Screenshot toolbar, with the same Options menu. There’s no advantage to starting from QuickTime, though it’s a handy route if you already have it open.
SDR or HDR?
On supported Macs running macOS 26 or later, the Options menu has a capture format choice. SDR (Most Compatible) records in H.264, which plays everywhere. HDR records in HEVC, which looks better on HDR displays but trips up some older PCs and web uploaders. If you’re going to share the recording, choose SDR.
How to screen record with audio on macOS 26 Tahoe (and earlier)
On macOS 26 and earlier, recording your voice works the same way as above: press Shift-Command-5, choose a Microphone under Options, and click Record. Record Selected Window is available from macOS 26.
What’s missing is system audio. Neither the Screenshot app nor QuickTime Player on macOS 26 can capture the sound your Mac plays. You have three ways around it.
Option 1: use a screen recorder that captures system audio
Since macOS 13, Apple has given apps a framework called ScreenCaptureKit that can capture the screen and the system’s audio together, no driver needed. Any modern screen recorder built on it can record internal sound on macOS 26. This is the simplest route: you tick a box instead of rewiring your Mac’s audio.
MightyBench’s Record Screen is one of these. Turn on System audio, pick a microphone, and press Start Recording. Your voice and the system sound are kept as separate tracks, so you can lower the music under your voice afterwards, and a camera bubble is saved on its own so you can move it later. It runs on macOS 26 and 27.
Free option: OBS Studio is open source and has a macOS Audio Capture source that records desktop audio, or just one app’s audio. It’s powerful, but it’s built for streamers, so expect a learning curve with scenes and sources.
Option 2: route the sound through a virtual audio device
This is the classic workaround that most older guides describe. A free virtual audio driver such as BlackHole creates a fake audio device that passes your Mac’s output back in as an input, so QuickTime can “hear” it as if it were a microphone.
- Install BlackHole (for example with
brew install blackhole-2ch, or the installer from its GitHub page). - Open Audio MIDI Setup (in Applications › Utilities).
- Click the Add (+) button at the bottom of the sidebar and choose Create Multi-Output Device.
- Tick Use next to your speakers or headphones and next to BlackHole 2ch. Make your speakers the primary device, and turn on drift correction for BlackHole.
- Control-click the new Multi-Output Device and choose Use This Device For Sound Output. You’ll still hear everything, and BlackHole gets a copy.
- Press Shift-Command-5, open Options, and choose BlackHole 2ch as the Microphone.
That records system sound but not your voice. To get both, go back to Audio MIDI Setup, choose Create Aggregate Device, tick your microphone and BlackHole, and select that aggregate device as the Microphone instead.
The downsides: it’s fiddly, the keyboard volume keys typically stop working while a Multi-Output Device is your sound output, and you have to switch your sound output back when you’re finished.
Option 3: the command line
On recent macOS versions, the screencapture command in Terminal can record video with -v and microphone audio with -g. On macOS 27 its help text also lists -A to capture system audio, but that flag isn’t documented in the manual page, so treat it as experimental. For most people the toolbar is easier.
Why your Mac screen recording has no sound
If you play back a recording and it’s silent, or half the sound is missing, work through these in order.
- Microphone was set to None. The Screenshot app remembers your last choice. Open Options and pick a mic before you record.
- You expected system audio on macOS 26. The built-in tools on macOS 26 and earlier don’t record it, no matter what you set. Use one of the options above.
- Include System Audio wasn’t ticked (macOS 27). It’s a separate option from Microphone.
- The app or browser tab was muted, or its volume was at zero. System audio capture records what is actually playing.
- A third-party recorder lacks permission. Open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording and make sure the app is switched on (it can be allowed to record the screen and audio, or audio only). The microphone has its own switch under Privacy & Security › Microphone. Quit and reopen the app after changing either.
- The content is copy-protected. Streaming apps and some websites block recording, so you get a black window or silence. That’s by design and no setting changes it.
- Your Bluetooth headset switched to call mode. Using AirPods or another headset as the microphone can drop the headphone audio to low “call” quality. Use the Mac’s built-in mic, or a wired or USB mic, if quality matters.
How to make screen recordings smaller and more useful
Screen recordings are large. A long 4K or Retina-resolution recording can easily run to hundreds of megabytes, which is too much for email, Slack or most upload forms. A few habits help:
- Record a window or a portion instead of the whole screen. Fewer pixels means a smaller file and a clearer video.
- Trim the dead air at the start and end. Click the thumbnail after recording, or open the file in QuickTime Player and choose Edit › Trim.
- Compress before sending. Our guide to compressing a video on Mac covers the free built-in options. MightyBench’s Compress Video can aim for an exact size, such as 25 MB for email.
- Add captions so people can follow without sound. You can transcribe the recording to text on your Mac and get an SRT subtitle file.
If you make tutorials or demos often, a recorder with an editing step saves a lot of time. MightyBench’s Record Screen opens each take in a Studio where you can put the recording on a wallpaper with padding and shadow, add automatic zooms where you clicked, add captions transcribed on your Mac, and export MP4, MOV or GIF from 720p to 4K.
Frequently asked questions
How do I screen record on a Mac with sound?
Press Shift-Command-5, click Options, choose a Microphone, then click Record. On macOS 27 you can also choose Include System Audio to record the sound your Mac plays. Press Control-Command-Esc to stop.
Can a Mac record internal audio without extra software?
Yes on macOS 27, using Include System Audio in the Screenshot app’s Options menu. On macOS 26 Tahoe and earlier, the built-in tools record the microphone only, so you need a screen recorder that captures system audio or a virtual audio device such as BlackHole.
Why does my Mac screen recording have no sound?
Usually the Microphone is set to None, you’re on macOS 26 or earlier and expected system audio, or a third-party recorder doesn’t have permission under System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording. Copy-protected content also records silent by design.
How do I stop a screen recording on Mac?
Click the Stop button in the menu bar, or press Control-Command-Esc. If you started from QuickTime Player, the same shortcut works.
Where do screen recordings go on a Mac?
To the Desktop by default, as a .mov file named Screen Recording with the date and time. You can choose another folder in the Screenshot toolbar under Options › Save to.
Can I record just one window on a Mac?
Yes. From macOS 26 Tahoe, the Screenshot toolbar has a Record Selected Window button. Click it, click Record, then click the window you want.
Can I record a Zoom or Teams call with both sides of the audio?
You need system audio for the other people and your microphone for yourself. On macOS 27, turn on both in the Screenshot app’s Options. On macOS 26, use a recorder that captures system audio alongside the mic. Always tell the other people on the call that you’re recording, and check the rules where you live.
How long can a Mac screen recording be?
Apple doesn’t set a time limit. In practice you’re limited by free disk space, so leave plenty of room before a long recording, and record a window rather than the whole screen to keep the file smaller.