In short
- On macOS 27, press Shift-Command-5, open Options and choose Include System Audio.
- On macOS 15 Sequoia and 26 Tahoe the built-in recorder only records a microphone, not the Mac's own sound.
- On those versions, use a recorder app that captures system audio, or route sound through a virtual driver like BlackHole or Loopback.
- Wear headphones when you record system audio and your voice together, or the mic picks up the speakers.
To screen record on a Mac with internal audio on macOS 27, press ⌘⇧5, choose and click Record. On macOS 15 Sequoia and macOS 26 Tahoe the built-in recorder can’t capture the sound your Mac plays: use a recorder app that records system audio, or route the sound through a virtual audio driver like BlackHole.
Below: each method, which one fits your macOS version, and what to check when the video comes out silent.
What your macOS version can do
“Internal audio” means the sound your Mac itself plays: a video in the browser, a notification sound in a prototype, the other person in a call. It’s different from your microphone, which records your voice.
| macOS version | Microphone | Internal audio | Your options for internal audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| macOS 15 Sequoia | ✓ | ✗ | Recorder app with system audio, or a virtual driver |
| macOS 26 Tahoe | ✓ | ✗ | Recorder app with system audio, or a virtual driver |
| macOS 27 Golden Gate | ✓ | ✓ Include System Audio | Built in |
Built-in recorder: the ⌘⇧5 Screenshot toolbar and QuickTime Player. Source: Apple Support. Checked November 2026.
To check your version, choose . If you’re not sure how the built-in recorder works in general, start with our guide on how to screen record on Mac.
Method 1: Include System Audio on macOS 27
This is the simplest route, with nothing to install.
- Open the Screenshot toolbar with ⌘⇧5, or in QuickTime Player choose , which opens the same toolbar.
- Pick a recording mode: entire screen, a window or a selected portion.
- Turn on system audio. Choose .
- Add a microphone if you’ll narrate. In the same menu, choose your mic under Microphone.
- Put on headphones so the mic doesn’t record the speakers too.
- Click Record, play the sound you need, then stop from the menu bar or with ⌘⌃Esc.
Some apps don’t allow recording at all: Apple gives the Apple TV app as an example. That’s the app’s choice, and no setting on your side changes it.
Method 2: a recorder app that captures system audio
On macOS 15 and 26 the cleanest option is a screen recorder that records system audio itself. Since macOS 13, Apple’s ScreenCaptureKit framework lets apps capture the screen and the system’s audio in one stream, so a modern recorder doesn’t need any extra driver.
What to look for:
- System audio as a separate switch from the microphone, so you can turn either off.
- Support for your macOS version. Some apps only support the latest release.
- A test you can trust. Record ten seconds of a YouTube video and play it back before the real take.
The first time the app records, macOS asks for permission. You’ll find it later in , where an app can be allowed to record the screen and audio, or audio only. If the app keeps asking, see our fix for a screen recording permission that isn’t working.
Method 3: a virtual audio driver (BlackHole or Loopback)
Before ScreenCaptureKit, the standard workaround was a virtual audio device: the Mac sends its sound to a fake output, and the recorder picks it up as if it were a microphone. It still works, and it’s useful if your recorder of choice only records “microphones”.
BlackHole (free, open source)
BlackHole by Existential Audio is a virtual audio loopback driver for Intel and Apple silicon Macs, licensed under GPL-3.0. The download page asks for an optional donation and offers 2, 16 and 64 channel versions. For screen recording, the 2 channel version is enough.
The catch: if you send all sound to BlackHole, you stop hearing it. A Multi-Output Device fixes that by sending sound to your headphones and to BlackHole at once.
- Install BlackHole 2ch from the official site or with Homebrew (
brew install blackhole-2ch). - Open Audio MIDI Setup. In the Finder, choose and open it.
- Create a Multi-Output Device. Click the Add button at the bottom of the sidebar and choose Create Multi-Output Device.
- Tick Use next to your headphones and BlackHole 2ch. Make your headphones the Primary Device; the BlackHole README recommends turning on Drift Correction for every device except the clock source.
- Send the Mac’s sound to it. Right-click the Multi-Output Device and choose Use This Device For Sound Output.
- In your recorder, choose BlackHole 2ch as the microphone. In the ⌘⇧5 toolbar that’s .
To record your voice as well, BlackHole alone isn’t enough: the recorder sees one input. Create an Aggregate Device in Audio MIDI Setup (), tick your microphone and BlackHole 2ch, and pick that as the microphone.
Two limits to know. macOS can’t change the volume of a Multi-Output Device, so you adjust the volume of each device in Audio MIDI Setup instead. And remember to switch your sound output back when you’re done, or the next call will sound odd.
Loopback (paid)
Loopback by Rogue Amoeba does the same job with a friendlier interface: you build a virtual device by picking which apps and which microphones go into it, so you can capture just the browser and your mic, without the Slack pings. The current version supports macOS 14.5 to 27. The download works as a trial with limitations until you buy a license; check the official page for the current price.
Virtual drivers are good for
- Works with any recorder that records a microphone
- Routes only the apps you choose (Loopback)
- BlackHole is free
Virtual drivers fall short on
- Extra setup in Audio MIDI Setup
- You stop hearing sound if the routing is wrong
- A system driver to remove later
Which method should you use?
| Your situation | Use | Cost | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| On macOS 27 | Include System Audio | Free, built in | One click in Options |
| On macOS 15 or 26, recording often | A recorder app with system audio | Depends on the app | Install, allow permission |
| Mixing specific apps, or feeding several apps | Loopback (macOS 14.5 to 27) | Paid, trial available | Pick apps and mics in Loopback |
| Once, without a new recorder | BlackHole 2ch | Free, optional donation | Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup |
BlackHole and Loopback details from Existential Audio and Rogue Amoeba. Checked November 2026.
When the recording has no sound
Go through this list in order; most silent recordings are fixed by the first three.
No internal audio in the recording
- On macOS 27, Include System Audio is ticked in Options (it’s separate from Microphone).
- The microphone isn’t set to None, if you also wanted your voice.
- The recording app is switched on in .
- The app playing sound isn’t one that blocks recording, like the Apple TV app.
- With BlackHole, the sound output is the Multi-Output Device and the recorder’s input is BlackHole or your Aggregate Device.
- You quit and reopened the recorder after changing its permission.
Echo or doubled sound almost always means the microphone is hearing your speakers: use headphones, or turn the mic off if you don’t need to talk. For more on getting your voice right, see our mic setup for client videos. For other problems, like a black recording or lag, the Mac screen recording troubleshooting guide goes further.
The short version
On macOS 27, internal audio is one click in the Screenshot toolbar’s Options. On Sequoia and Tahoe, use a recorder that captures system audio through macOS itself, or route sound with BlackHole or Loopback. Whichever you pick, test ten seconds first and wear headphones. And if you’re weighing the built-in tools against an app, our JustRec vs QuickTime comparison lays out the differences.
Sources
- Apple Support: How to record the screen on Mac (Include System Audio in macOS 27), checked November 2026.
- Apple Support, Mac User Guide: Control access to screen and system audio recording on Mac, checked November 2026.
- Apple Developer: SCStreamConfiguration capturesAudio (macOS 13.0 and later), checked November 2026.
- Apple Support, Audio MIDI Setup User Guide: Play audio through multiple devices at once, checked November 2026.
- Apple Support: Create an Aggregate Device to combine multiple audio devices, checked November 2026.
- Existential Audio: BlackHole and BlackHole README on GitHub, checked November 2026.
- Rogue Amoeba: Loopback, checked November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Can you screen record on a Mac with internal audio?
Yes. On macOS 27 or later the built-in Screenshot recorder has an Include System Audio option. On macOS 15 and 26 you need a third-party recorder that captures system audio, or a virtual audio driver such as BlackHole.
Why does my Mac screen recording have no sound?
Usually because only a microphone was selected, or the microphone was set to None. On macOS 15 and 26 the built-in recorder can't capture the sound the Mac plays at all.
Is BlackHole safe and free?
BlackHole is an open-source audio driver from Existential Audio, released under the GPL-3.0 license. The download page asks for an optional donation. It installs a system audio driver, so remove it with the uninstaller if you stop using it.
Can I record system audio and my voice at the same time?
Yes. On macOS 27 choose both a microphone and Include System Audio. With BlackHole you need an Aggregate Device that combines the mic and BlackHole into one input. Use headphones either way.
