How to Record Screen on Mac with Audio (System Audio + Mic, 2026)

To record your Mac's screen with audio, press ⌘+Shift+5 and pick a microphone under Options — but know the catch: the built-in recorder captures your microphone only, never the system audio playing from your Mac. To record what your Mac itself is playing (a meeting's other participants, a video, an app's sound), you need a third-party tool like Snappix or OBS Studio.

That microphone-vs-system-audio split is the single most confusing thing about screen recording on macOS, and it's why so many people end up with a silent video and no idea why. Below are three reliable methods — the built-in way, the one-click way, and the free powerhouse — plus fixes for the classic "why is my recording silent?" problems.

What macOS Can (and Can't) Record Natively

Since macOS Mojave, the Screenshot app toolbar — opened with ⌘+Shift+5 — handles both screenshots and video recording. When you open Options, you'll see a Microphone section where you can choose your Mac's internal mic or an external one.

What you won't find is an option for system audio. Apple's recorder is built around microphone capture; it has no access to the audio your Mac sends to its speakers. That means:

• Your voice: recorded, if you pick a microphone.
• The other side of a Zoom or Google Meet call: not recorded.
• Music, video or app sounds: not recorded.
• A QuickTime screen capture with sound from your Mac: same limitation — microphone only.

If you only need narration, the built-in tools are fine. For everything else, here are your options.

Method 1: QuickTime Player or the Screenshot App (Built-In, Microphone Only)

This is the fastest path when you just need to narrate what you're doing.

1. Press ⌘+Shift+5 (or open QuickTime Player → File → New Screen Recording — it opens the same toolbar).
2. Choose Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion.
3. Click Options, then under Microphone select your internal mic or an external microphone.
4. Click Record. A stop button appears in the menu bar when you're done — click it to finish.
5. Your recording saves to the Desktop as a .mov file (change the destination under Options → Save to).

Limitations to know before you start:

• System audio is never captured. Your recording will have your voice and nothing else. There is no toggle, setting or hidden menu that changes this.
• Editing stops at a basic trim in QuickTime — no annotations, no camera overlay to speak of.
• If you need the other side of a meeting call recorded, this method can't do it on its own.

A common workaround is installing a virtual audio driver (such as the free BlackHole) that routes system audio into a fake microphone you can select in Options. It works, but you're trading a download and an audio-routing detour for what should be one checkbox.

Method 2: Snappix — System Audio, Microphone and Camera in One Take

Snappix exists precisely because macOS makes this needlessly hard. It records your screen in HD and captures system audio and your microphone simultaneously, with your webcam layered on top if you want a face in the video — all in one click.

1. Install Snappix and grab the free trial. The app lives in your menu bar.
2. Open Snappix and choose Screen Recording.
3. Toggle your audio sources: system audio, microphone, or both. Flip on the camera overlay if you want your face in the corner.
4. Select the screen or region to record and hit record.
5. Stop and trim. The finished clip opens in Snappix's editor, where you cut the start and end off before saving — no second app needed.

Because the same app also handles annotated screenshots, scrolling capture, OCR and smart blur, you don't need a separate tool every time the task is "show someone what's on my screen" instead of "record a video of it." For a fuller comparison of recorder options, see our Screen Recorder for Mac page.

Method 3: OBS Studio — Free and Powerful, but Setup Takes Real Effort

OBS Studio is the free, open-source option professionals use for streaming and complex productions. It can record system audio on a Mac — but expect to configure it.

1. Download OBS Studio from obsproject.com and install it.
2. Grant permissions: on first launch, macOS will ask for screen and microphone access. Approve both in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
3. Add sources: click + under Sources and add macOS Screen Capture (or Display Capture) for video, plus an Audio Input Capture for your microphone.
4. Deal with system audio: depending on your macOS and OBS versions, capturing desktop audio may require a virtual audio driver like BlackHole, or selecting the audio option on the screen-capture source itself. This is the step that trips most people up.
5. Click Start Recording. OBS writes .mov/.mp4 files to the folder set in Settings → Output.

OBS rewards the investment if you stream, mix multiple audio tracks or build scenes — it's unmatched at that level. For a straightforward "record my screen with the sound I'm hearing" job, it's the most complicated of the three methods by a wide margin.

Which Method Should You Use?

If you record occasionally and only need your voice, the built-in route is genuinely fine. If you need system audio more than once, install a purpose-built tool instead of fighting audio routing every month.

Why Your Screen Recording Has No Sound (and How to Fix It)

You recorded with the built-in tool and there's no system audio

That's not a bug — macOS's recorder doesn't capture it, period. Either add a virtual audio driver and select it as your "microphone," or switch to a tool like Snappix that records system audio natively.

Your microphone wasn't recorded either

Three usual suspects:

1. No microphone selected. Press ⌘+Shift+5 → Options → Microphone and check that a device is chosen. "None" is a valid and very common state.
2. Missing permission. Check System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and make sure your recording app is enabled.
3. Wrong input device. An external monitor or webcam may have grabbed the default mic. Test it with System Settings → Sound → Input while speaking.

You can't hear the other meeting participants in your recording

Their voices come through as system audio (or through the meeting app's own audio processing), not through your microphone — so a mic-only recorder misses them entirely. The reliable fix is a recorder that captures system audio directly, like Snappix or a correctly configured OBS. One caveat: some meeting apps and DRM-protected streams restrict what can be captured, so results can vary by app — test with a short recording before the call that matters.

Ready to Record Your Screen with Sound — the First Time?

No virtual audio drivers, no silent files, no re-records. Snappix captures system audio, microphone and camera in one take, trims the result in the same window, and bundles screenshots, scrolling capture and OCR into the same menu-bar app — free to try, then a single $29 purchase.

Download Snappix Free →