How to record internal audio on a Mac

Why this is harder on a Mac

Windows and Linux let recording apps listen to the speakers directly. macOS never offered the Mac's own output as something to record: QuickTime's microphone menu only lists real inputs. Apple loosened this in stages. Apps that use Apple's screen-capture framework can capture audio on macOS 13 and later (after you allow it under System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording), and macOS 27 added system audio to the built-in screen recorder.

Method 1: macOS 27's Include System Audio

macOS 27 (released September 2026, Apple silicon Macs only) lets the built-in screen recorder capture what the Mac plays.

1. Press Shift+Command+5 to open the screenshot toolbar.
2. Choose Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion.
3. Click Options and choose Include System Audio. To add your voice, also choose a microphone in the same menu.
4. Click Record. Stop with the stop button in the menu bar.

You get a video file on your desktop. If you only wanted the audio, most transcription apps accept the video directly.

Method 2: OBS Studio (free)

OBS Studio 30 or later on macOS 13 (Ventura) or newer has a macOS Audio Capture source that records all desktop audio or a single app, using Apple's own capture framework, so no driver is needed.

1. Install OBS Studio from obsproject.com and open it.
2. Under Sources, click + and add macOS Audio Capture. Choose desktop audio or a specific app.
3. Allow OBS when macOS asks for Screen & System Audio Recording permission (you may need to restart OBS).
4. Add a microphone source too if you want your own voice.
5. Click Start Recording. Files go to your Movies folder by default.

Method 3: BlackHole with QuickTime (free, audio only)

BlackHole is a free, open-source virtual audio driver from Existential Audio. It appears as both a speaker and a microphone, so anything sent to it can be recorded.

1. Install BlackHole 2ch from Existential Audio's site or with Homebrew (brew install blackhole-2ch).
2. Open Audio MIDI Setup (in Applications > Utilities).
3. Click + at the bottom left and choose Create Multi-Output Device.
4. Tick your speakers or headphones and BlackHole 2ch, so you can hear the audio while it's recorded.
5. Right-click the Multi-Output Device and choose Use This Device For Sound Output.
6. Open QuickTime Player, choose File > New Audio Recording, click the arrow next to the record button and pick BlackHole 2ch.
7. Press record, play your audio, and stop when done.

Downsides: your volume keys don't work while a Multi-Output Device is selected, you have to switch output back afterwards, and recording your microphone at the same time needs a second "Aggregate Device". It's free and reliable once set up, but it's fiddly.

Method 4: Rogue Amoeba's Audio Hijack or Loopback

Rogue Amoeba makes the most polished Mac audio tools. Audio Hijack records any app, your mic, or the whole system to a file with a few clicks, and can record apps separately. Loopback creates virtual devices that combine apps and microphones, for use in other software. Both are paid apps with a free trial (check Rogue Amoeba's store for current prices). If you record Mac audio regularly, they save a lot of setup time.

Where Hark fits on a Mac (honestly)

Hark is a meeting recorder and transcriber for Windows, Mac and Linux. On Windows and Linux it records your microphone and the computer's audio automatically. On a Mac it records the microphone only. It can't capture the Mac's internal audio yet, so on a video call the other people are only recorded if their voices come out of your speakers and into the mic.

That still makes it useful on a Mac in two ways:

• In-person meetings, interviews and lectures, where everyone is in the room and the mic hears them all.
• Transcribing recordings you've made another way. Drag in a file from any method above, a Zoom local recording, or a Voice Memo (.m4a, .mp4, .mov, .mp3, .wav and more). Hark transcribes it on your Mac, splits it by speaker, and lets you name each voice once so it recognises them next time.

Transcription runs on your computer and is English only. It's free forever with no limits; AI meeting notes by Claude are $12/month with a 2-day preview, and send the transcript text (not audio) to Claude. If you're comparing Mac apps, see the best transcription software for Mac, or how to record computer audio on other systems.