How do I screen record with audio on my Mac?

General
1

I’m trying to record my screen with audio on my Mac for a tutorial, but whenever I use QuickTime, it only captures the video and not the sound. I need to include both the system audio and my microphone, but I’m not sure how to set it up correctly. Can anyone help me figure this out?

2

So here’s the deal: MacOS is weirdly annoying with this. QuickTime just DOESN’T like recording system audio. Like, it’ll grab your mic if you want, or just the video, but if you want that sweet system audio (say, the sound from a YouTube vid or your app), you HAVE to use a workaround.

The easiest way is to use a third-party audio driver. Most folks go for BlackHole (it’s free!) or sometimes Loopback/Soundflower, but BlackHole is pretty painless. Install BlackHole (you gotta go through a couple Mac security popups, just keep clicking “allow” etc). Once you’ve got it, head into your Mac’s System Preferences > Audio > Output, and set “BlackHole 16ch” (or whatever it’s called) as your output device. This basically reroutes ALL your Mac’s sounds into BlackHole.

BUT if you now hit record in QuickTime, you won’t hear any sound from your speakers. To fix that, open up Audio MIDI Setup (search it in Spotlight), click the plus sign, and create a “Multi-Output Device.” Check both BlackHole and your Mac’s speakers (usually “MacBook Pro Speakers” or “Built-in Output”).

Now, set your Mac’s audio output (again in System Preferences > Sound > Output) to that Multi-Output Device. This way, your Mac and BlackHole both get all audio.

Last step: Open QuickTime, Start New Screen Recording, click the little dropdown next to record button, choose BlackHole or the Multi-Output Device as the “Microphone.” Want to record your mic, too? Open QuickTime audio recording in a separate window and manually merge the files later, or go with an all-in-one screen recorder like OBS (free, but steeper learning curve).

TL;DR:

  1. Download BlackHole.
  2. Create Multi-Output Device.
  3. Set Mac audio to Multi-Output Device.
  4. In QuickTime, select BlackHole/Multi-Output Device as the input.
  5. Record.
  6. Cry tears of joy/despair as needed.

Or save yourself the headache and use OBS, which can grab system sound and mic out of the box. Just sayin’. Mac really makes us work for these screen records.

Links:

Welcome to Apple’s world of “it just works (except when it doesn’t)!”

3

Honestly, @sternenwanderer isn’t wrong—recording system audio on a Mac is usually like doing the tech version of The Hokey Pokey: you put your audio in, you take your audio out, you shake it all about. Apple apparently thinks we shouldn’t be allowed to record what we’re hearing for… reasons? But if fiddling with 3rd-party drivers gives you a headache just thinking about it, don’t feel like you’re boxed in by QuickTime or BlackHole.

Here’s another reality: for what you described (tutorial recording – screen+mic+system audio), sometimes the cleanest answer is just NOT using QuickTime. Seriously, QuickTime is fine for grandma’s casual cat videos, but anything “pro” is just clunky. OBS gets thrown around a lot (and yes, it’s free), but I get not everyone wants to devote an hour to wrestling plug-ins and scenes. If you want minimal fuss, screen recorders like ScreenFlow or even Camtasia exist. They cost $$, yeah, but they’re also dead simple and “just work”—both system and mic audio, no hacky workarounds. Not freeware, but if your time is worth anything, might be a win.

And not to nitpick, but occasionally using Audio MIDI Setup for a Multi-Output device can create some lag/echo in recordings if your Mac’s struggling or your sync is off. Just saying, mileage may vary.

One left-field suggestion: I’ve had success with “iShowU Audio Capture” in the past (same hacky idea as BlackHole, though less trendy lately)—still: it’s the Mac way, you usually need an extra app to do what Windows folks do in two clicks. Why? Because Apple.

tl;dr:

  • Agree QuickTime alone won’t cut it.
  • BlackHole works but isn’t flawless.
  • OBS if you want free—expect a learning curve.
  • Paid apps are worth considering if you do this a bunch (or value your sanity).
  • Don’t trust everything to work perfectly every time—test before you go all-in on the “final” take. Recorded one tutorial with the wrong input and never noticed. Oof.

Recording on Mac can be a pain, but at least it gives us stories… and rants.

4

If you’re serious about screen recording with both system and microphone audio on your Mac, the ’ does make life a heck of a lot easier compared to the “hacky” crowd-pleasers like BlackHole or iShowU Audio Capture that others love to juggle. Not knocking the BlackHole + QuickTime audiophile gymnastics described above—those work, eventually, if you enjoy sifting through Audio MIDI Setup and praying you don’t end up with out-of-sync audio.

Here’s the skinny: The ’ slices through the nonsense. You install it, select your recording sources—screen, system audio, and mic (in any combo you need)—and press record. No fiddling, no patching virtual devices, no wondering which input is which. You hit stop, and your recording is ready, system and mic audio intact, levels balanced, no extra merging or post-production patchwork.

Pros:

  • Streamlined workflow: one tool, less juggling between settings or apps.
  • Built-in mixing: adjust mic/system levels on the fly, no separate audio editor needed.
  • Consistent results: no random sync drift or random Mac updates breaking your setup.

Cons:

  • It’s paid (so if “free” is a must, you’re back to OBS or the endless driver dance).
  • Slightly heavier on system resources than QuickTime alone, especially if your Mac’s pushing a decade.
  • Some advanced features (multi-track exports, high-FPS) are locked behind higher price tiers.

Competitors like OBS offer flexibility and the appeal of open-source (and, yes, free). But unless you love customizing scenes and don’t mind the UI learning curve, it’s overkill for simple “screen + audio + mic” jobs. The usual driver hacks others mentioned—think BlackHole, iShowU, Soundflower—definitely get it done, but only after setup marathons and occasional troubleshooting when macOS updates shuffle the deck.

So, for those who screen record a lot or just hate fighting with their gear, ’ is basically your shortcut to “it just works.” That said, test whatever you choose: there’s nothing worse than finishing a killer tutorial and realizing you’ve captured two hours of glorious silence.