How to Screen Record on Mac With Internal Audio (2026)

“System audio” and “internal audio” mean the same thing: the sound your Mac plays, like a browser tab, a notification or an app's UI sounds, as opposed to your microphone. Whether a screen recording on a Mac captures it depends on your macOS version and the recorder. macOS 27, released September 14, 2026, finally added it to the built-in recorder; for everything older, here is what works.

TL;DR

• macOS 27 on Apple silicon: Cmd+Shift+5 → Options → Include System Audio.
• macOS 15 or later, for demos and tutorials: ZoomCap's CLI records system audio and mic together, no routing, with automatic zoom and captions.
• If you need it free on macOS 13 to 26: OBS Studio captures system or per-app audio, no driver needed.
• If you're on macOS 12 or older, or your app needs an audio input: BlackHole, free, with a 10-minute setup.
• If you need per-app routing with a proper UI: Rogue Amoeba's Loopback, a paid app.
• Whatever you use, do a 5-second test and play it back. Missing audio is silent by definition.

Who this is for

You recorded your screen, played it back, and the sound of the app, video or browser was missing. Maybe you're a developer recording a bug where the audio glitch is the bug, a founder recording a demo with UI sounds, or a teacher capturing a video clip for a lesson. This guide covers every version of macOS that's still in use in 2026.

Where this comes from: the steps follow Apple's, OBS's and Existential Audio's own documentation, and the ZoomCap details come from our own product. Loopback details come from Rogue Amoeba's site. All were checked September 2026. More on our testing method.

Check your macOS version first

Which route works depends almost entirely on your macOS version. Check it under Apple menu → About This Mac.

On an Intel Mac? macOS 27 runs only on Apple silicon, so Intel Macs stay on macOS 26 or earlier and never get the Include System Audio option. An Intel Mac on macOS 15 or later can use ZoomCap's CLI; OBS (macOS 13 or later) or BlackHole are the free routes.

Method 1: Cmd+Shift+5 on macOS 27 (built in)

On macOS 27 Golden Gate or later, the Screenshot toolbar records system audio natively. Apple documents it in How to record the screen on Mac:

1. Press Shift+Command+5 to open the Screenshot toolbar.
2. Choose Record Entire Screen, Record Selected Window, or Record Selected Portion.
3. Click Options and choose Include System Audio. To add your voice as well, pick a microphone in the same menu.
4. Click Record.
5. Stop with the Stop button in the menu bar, or press Command+Control+Esc. The file saves as a .mov on your desktop by default.

The catches: it needs Apple silicon, some apps (Apple TV among them) may not allow their sound to be recorded, and the result is still a raw capture with no zoom or editing beyond a trim. QuickTime's File → New Screen Recording opens the same toolbar, so it has the same option on macOS 27 and records a microphone only on anything older. If you just want to know what the shortcut records on each version, we answered that separately in does Cmd+Shift+5 record audio?

Method 2: ZoomCap, system audio and mic in one command (macOS 15+)

Best for this: demos and tutorials where the video matters as much as the sound. Since macOS 13, Apple's ScreenCaptureKit lets apps capture system audio directly, and since macOS 15 it can capture the microphone in the same stream. A recorder built on it just works, with no routing. We explain the API, its permission traps and audio sync in ScreenCaptureKit audio.

We make ZoomCap, so weigh this accordingly. Its terminal recorder (npx zoomcap record) uses ScreenCaptureKit on macOS 15 or later and records screen, system audio and microphone together at 60fps by default. Add --no-mic for system audio only, or --no-audio for silence. npx zoomcap doctor checks the permissions first. It also tracks your clicks and typing, so the browser editor zooms in on them automatically, redraws a smooth cursor, and can add captions generated in your browser. You export an MP4 up to 4K, or a GIF.

The CLI is part of the paid plans: $29 once (or $12.49/month). The free plan gives you the browser recorder and editor with 2 watermarked exports a month. The recording and its audio stay on your computer; the editor runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded (the security page shows the data flow). There's a 14-day refund if it doesn't work for you.

Its limits for audio: on macOS 14 and older the CLI falls back to an ffmpeg recorder with no system audio, so use OBS or BlackHole there. On Linux the CLI records video only. It records the whole display (no per-app audio selection), so turn on Do Not Disturb.

Browsers have caught up too. Chrome 141 and later on macOS 14.2 or later can share system audio when you share the entire screen, and any tab's audio when you share a tab. ZoomCap's free browser recorder gets sound that way, with nothing to install. Tick the audio toggle in Chrome's share dialog.

Method 3: OBS Studio (free, macOS 13 or later)

If you need it free, or you're on macOS 13 or 14. OBS uses Apple's ScreenCaptureKit, which can capture system audio on macOS 13 and later, so no virtual device is needed. Per the OBS desktop audio guide:

1. Install OBS Studio 30 or later from obsproject.com.
2. Add a macOS Screen Capture source for the picture. It can capture audio too.
3. For more control, add a macOS Audio Capture source and choose all desktop audio or a single application.
4. Allow OBS under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording when macOS asks.
5. Check the audio mixer meters move, then click Start Recording.

The catch: it's OBS. Scenes, sources and settings before you record, and a flat, unedited capture afterwards. Great for long sessions and streams, heavy for a one-minute demo. We compared the trade-off in OBS vs ZoomCap.

Method 4: BlackHole, the free virtual audio driver

If you're on macOS 12 or older, or your app only accepts an audio input. BlackHole is free, open source (GPL-3.0) and runs on macOS 10.10 or later, on Intel and Apple silicon. It creates a virtual audio device: your Mac plays into it, and your recorder listens to it.

1. Install it: brew install blackhole-2ch, or use the installer from Existential Audio.
2. Open Audio MIDI Setup, click +, and create a Multi-Output Device that includes both BlackHole 2ch and your speakers or headphones, so you can still hear what you record.
3. Set your Mac's sound output to that Multi-Output Device.
4. In QuickTime, the Screenshot toolbar or OBS, choose BlackHole 2ch as the microphone or input.
5. Record, then switch your sound output back when you're done.

The catch: it works and it's free, but it's ten fiddly minutes you redo when you switch headphones, and adding your own voice means building an Aggregate Device on top (steps in the technical questions below). Forgetting to switch your output back afterwards is a rite of passage.

Method 5: Loopback, the paid version of the same idea

If you need per-app routing for podcasts, streams or several sources. Rogue Amoeba's Loopback does BlackHole's job with a proper interface: per-app capture, monitoring while you record, and saved setups. It's a paid app (see Rogue Amoeba's site for the current price), and the current version supports macOS 14.5 through 27. It's more than you need just to get sound into a screen recording.

Every method compared

What each route records, what you install, and what it costs, checked September 2026.

Which method should you use?

• Product demos and tutorials with sound (macOS 15+): ZoomCap. One command, no routing, and the video gets zooms, captions and a background instead of staying flat. See how to record a product demo.
• On macOS 27 and you just need the sound in a raw clip: the built-in Include System Audio option. Nothing to install.
• If you need it free on macOS 13 to 26: OBS with a macOS Audio Capture source.
• If you're on an older Mac, or an app needs an input device: BlackHole. Budget ten minutes the first time.
• If you need multi-source audio mixing: Loopback.

When not to use ZoomCap for this: if you only need the sound in a quick clip on macOS 27, the built-in option is free and already there. If you need per-app audio, OBS or Loopback do it and ZoomCap doesn't. On macOS 14 or older, ZoomCap's CLI can't record system audio at all. New to recording on a Mac? Start with every way to record your screen on a Mac.

BlackHole and ScreenCaptureKit questions

The technical questions people hit once the basic setup works.

How do I record BlackHole and my mic together?

1. Open Audio MIDI Setup, click + and choose Create Aggregate Device.
2. Tick your microphone and BlackHole 2ch. Set the mic as the clock source, and turn on Drift Correction for BlackHole.
3. Keep your sound output on the Multi-Output Device from Method 4.
4. In OBS, add the Aggregate Device as an audio input. The Cmd+Shift+5 toolbar takes one input only, which is why this step exists.

BlackHole 2ch or 16ch?

BlackHole comes in 2-channel and larger multichannel versions (Homebrew has blackhole-2ch and blackhole-16ch). For a screen recording, 2ch is enough: it carries stereo. The bigger versions are for routing several separate sources in a DAW.

Why did my volume keys stop working?

macOS can't change the volume of a Multi-Output Device. Set each device's level in Audio MIDI Setup, or switch your output back to your speakers after recording. To remove BlackHole entirely, run brew uninstall blackhole-2ch (or follow the uninstall steps in its README), and restart your Mac if the device still shows up.

What does ScreenCaptureKit change?

It's why the driver era is ending. An app built on ScreenCaptureKit asks for the Screen & System Audio Recording permission and receives your Mac's sound directly: since macOS 13 for system audio, since macOS 15 for the microphone in the same stream. ZoomCap's CLI, OBS and many newer recorders use it. Audio is filtered per app, not per window, so a recorder can include or exclude a whole app's sound but not one tab. For audio only, Apple's Core Audio taps (macOS 14.2+) are the other modern route. Developers can find the API details in our ScreenCaptureKit audio guide.

Can I record audio from just one app?

Yes, with OBS 30 or later: add a macOS Audio Capture source and pick the application. Loopback also captures per app. The built-in Include System Audio option, BlackHole and ZoomCap's CLI record your Mac's overall output, so turn on Do Not Disturb to keep notification sounds out.

Why is my recording still silent?

The usual causes: Microphone was set to None, you expected system audio on a macOS version that doesn't capture it, the app wasn't allowed under Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording, or the content is copy-protected. From a terminal recorder, the permission belongs to the terminal app (Terminal, iTerm, Ghostty), and macOS may need you to quit and reopen it.

Common mistakes

• Not testing first. Record five seconds, play it back with headphones, then record the real thing. Our free mic test checks your input in the browser.
• Speakers bleeding into the mic. With system audio and a mic both on, your speakers get recorded twice, once cleanly and once as room echo. Wear headphones.
• Granting permission to the wrong app. Terminal recorders need the permission on the terminal app you run them from (Terminal, iTerm, Ghostty). macOS may ask you to quit and reopen the app before it takes effect.
• Leaving output on BlackHole. Then nothing plays through your speakers and it looks like your Mac is broken.
• Recording notifications. System audio means everything: Slack pings, mail sounds, a calendar alert. Turn on Do Not Disturb first.

One more thing about consent: if you record a call or a meeting, system audio captures other people's voices. Tell them, and check the rules where you and they are. For meetings specifically, Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams have their own recording features (depending on your plan and admin settings), which is often simpler and makes the recording visible to everyone.

When you don't need a screen recording

If you only need the sound (a podcast clip, a call, a voice note), an audio recorder gives you a smaller file and better tools. If you need to show a bug where audio isn't the point, a silent recording plus a short written description is usually clearer. Record screen and system audio together when the viewer needs to see and hear the same moment.

Frequently asked questions

Try it on your own Mac. Record free in the browser recorder (2 watermarked exports a month, nothing to install), or get the CLI with system audio, mic and automatic zoom for $29 once on the pricing page. Recordings never leave your computer, and there's a 14-day refund if it doesn't work for you.