To screen record on a Mac with audio, press ⇧⌘5, click Options, pick a microphone, then click Record. That captures your voice. Recording your Mac's own sound (internal or system audio) depends on your macOS version: macOS 27 Golden Gate, released September 14, 2026, adds an Include System Audio option to the same menu, while macOS 15 Sequoia and macOS 26 Tahoe record a microphone only. On those versions, you need a recorder app that captures system audio, or a free virtual audio device such as BlackHole.
Not sure which version you have? Choose Apple menu > About This Mac.
Which Mac tools record which sound
| Method | Your voice (mic) | Your Mac's sound | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screenshot toolbar or QuickTime, macOS 15 and 26 | Yes | No | Free |
| Screenshot toolbar or QuickTime, macOS 27 | Yes | Yes, with Include System Audio | Free |
| Built-in tools plus BlackHole | Yes, with extra setup | Yes | Free |
| OBS Studio | Yes | Yes, on macOS 13 and later | Free |
| Smooth Recorder | Yes | Yes | $9 once in early access |
| CleanShot X | Yes | Yes | From $35 once |
Prices as of September 2026. If you only need your voice, the free built-in tool is enough.
How to screen record on Mac with your microphone
The Screenshot toolbar has been part of macOS since Mojave. It records the whole screen, a selected area or, from macOS 26 Tahoe, a single window.
- Press ⇧⌘5 to open the toolbar at the bottom of the screen.
- Choose Record Entire Screen, Record Selected Portion or, on macOS 26 and later, Record Selected Window.
- Click Options. Under Microphone, choose your mic, such as the built-in microphone or a USB mic. None records a silent video.
- Set anything else you need: a 5- or 10-second Timer, where to Save to (the Desktop by default), and Show Mouse Clicks, which draws a black circle around the pointer when you click.
- Click Record. For a portion, adjust the frame first.
- To stop, click the Stop button in the menu bar or press ⌃⌘Esc.
A thumbnail appears in the corner of the screen. Click it to trim or share the recording, or leave it, and the recording is saved as a .mov file.
With QuickTime Player
Open QuickTime Player and choose File > New Screen Recording. Since macOS Mojave, this opens the same Screenshot toolbar, so the microphone and audio options are identical. QuickTime is handy afterward, though: Edit > Trim (⌘T) cuts the start and end.
How to record internal audio on macOS 27 Golden Gate
macOS 27 Golden Gate is the first version whose built-in recorder captures the Mac's own sound. Apple's screen recording guide says it directly: to record system audio with the screen recording, choose Include System Audio.
- Press ⇧⌘5 and choose what to record.
- Click Options.
- Choose Include System Audio, so sound from apps, browser tabs and alerts is recorded.
- To narrate as well, choose your mic under Microphone.
- Click Record, and stop with ⌃⌘Esc.
Notification sounds end up in the recording too, so turn on Do Not Disturb before you start. Golden Gate runs only on Apple silicon Macs, so Intel Macs stay on the options below.
macOS 15 and 26: the BlackHole workaround
On macOS 15 Sequoia and macOS 26 Tahoe, the Screenshot toolbar and QuickTime record a microphone and nothing else. The classic workaround routes the Mac's sound into a virtual microphone. BlackHole is the usual choice: a free, open-source audio driver from Existential Audio.
- Install BlackHole 2ch from Existential Audio's site, or with Homebrew:
brew install blackhole-2ch. - Open Audio MIDI Setup in Applications > Utilities.
- Click + in the lower-left corner and choose Create Multi-Output Device.
- Check the boxes for your speakers or headphones and for BlackHole 2ch. Keep your speakers or headphones as the top (primary) device, and turn on Drift Correction for BlackHole.
- Control-click the Multi-Output Device and choose Use This Device For Sound Output. You still hear everything, and BlackHole gets a copy.
- Press ⇧⌘5, click Options and choose BlackHole 2ch as the microphone.
To record your voice too, click + again, choose Create Aggregate Device, check your microphone and BlackHole 2ch, and pick that device in Options instead.
It works, but it's fiddly, and it's easy to forget to switch back. That's why most people use an app.
Apps that record system audio and your mic together
Since macOS 13 Ventura, apps can capture system audio through Apple's ScreenCaptureKit, with no driver to install. Pick one by what you need after you press stop:
- OBS Studio is free and open source. OBS 30 and later has a macOS Audio Capture source for all desktop audio or a single app. It's powerful, with a learning curve and no automatic polish.
- Smooth Recorder records the screen with your microphone and your Mac's own sound. Studio then turns your clicks into zooms, smooths the cursor and adds captions made on your Mac. You can save the sound on its own as M4A or WAV, or replace it with a file. It's a native app for macOS 15 and later, $9 once during early access.
- CleanShot X records your mic and computer audio, and doubles as a full screenshot app. Basic is $35 once with a year of updates, and Pro is $12 a month.
- Cap is free for personal use and records system audio with your mic. A commercial license is $29 a year or $58 once.
- Screen Studio records system audio and your mic with automatic zooms, for $29 a month or $108 a year.
Prices as of September 2026. For a longer comparison, see the best screen recorders for Mac, or how we compare with CleanShot X and Screen Studio.
Allow screen and system audio recording
Third-party recorders need your permission to capture the screen and the Mac's sound. macOS usually asks the first time you record. If you declined, or nothing is captured:
- Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording. Before macOS 15 Sequoia, this was called Screen Recording.
- Turn on your recording app. Apple's guide explains that an app can be allowed to record the screen and audio, or audio only.
- Click Quit & Reopen when macOS asks. The change doesn't apply until the app restarts.
- For your voice, also turn the app on in Privacy & Security > Microphone.
macOS 15 Sequoia also added a periodic prompt that asks you to confirm access for some recording apps. If you trust the app, allow it again.
Troubleshooting: no sound, only mic, echo and AirPods
No sound at all. Check that Options > Microphone isn't set to None. Then open System Settings > Sound > Input, choose the right device and speak: the input level should move. For apps, check Privacy & Security > Microphone.
Only your voice, no Mac sound. On macOS 15 and 26, that's expected with ⇧⌘5 and QuickTime. On macOS 27, make sure Include System Audio has a checkmark. In an app, turn on its system audio option, check Screen & System Audio Recording, then quit and reopen it. With BlackHole, your sound output must be the Multi-Output Device.
Mac sound but no voice. You probably chose BlackHole 2ch as the microphone. Pick your Aggregate Device or your real mic instead.
Echo or doubled sound. Your speakers are playing into your microphone, so wear headphones. If you use BlackHole, don't also turn on an app's own system audio, or you'll record the same sound twice.
AirPods sound muffled, like a phone call. When an app uses the microphone on Bluetooth headphones, macOS lowers playback quality and volume, Apple explains. Keep the AirPods for listening and choose the Mac's built-in microphone, or a USB mic, as the input.
Volume keys stopped working. You're still on the Multi-Output Device. Switch your output back in System Settings > Sound.
Permission is on, but the app still records nothing. Turn the app off and on again in Screen & System Audio Recording, then quit and reopen it.
Once the sound is right, the rest is presentation. See how to zoom in on a screen recording and how to make a product demo video.